When a live-action version of an anime, manga, or comic book happens, the fans ask one question first. Did they get it right? Getting it right varies from fan to fan but it usually means giving us characters we recognize (cast, costume, dialogue) in a world that feels right (production design, tone, CGI). The story matters but if it’s similar to what we know while diverting in surprising ways and capturing the essence of the property, we’re usually okay with it. When an adaptation goes well—Umbrella Academy, Sandman, Sweet Tooth—it’s because the creatives behind it understand why the fans love it (even if changes are made). When it goes wrong—Cowboy Bebop, Death Note—it’s usually because it is unrecognizable in important ways, or the creators don’t get what makes it special to begin with.
When it premiered, I compared the live-action version of Cowboy Bebop to a “robot playing jazz. All the notes are there, more or less, but they’re not played with feeling.” With that still fresh in mind, a lot of us were worried about what the new version of One Piece would look & feel like. Not only is the 26-year-strong and still thriving story from manga-ka Eiichiro Oda (Oda Eiichiro) a global bestseller, but it has also been a hugely popular anime since 1999. Fans adore the Straw Hat crew and their adventures on The Grand Line seas because it represents freedom, rebellion, and found family you can rely on. The depth of the characters, their friendships, and the trials they face make us believe in them. Oh, and it’s also goofy. Oh, and it’s heartfelt. Oh, and it is a satirical takedown of every kind of anti-egalitarian government, from fascist to imperialist to oligarchy to military. Viva la revolution.
Adapting One Piece may seem simple if you’ve only seen clips on TikTok but blending that many volatile elements takes storytelling science. Showrunners Matt Owens and Steven Maeda were ready for the labwork but they knew they needed to start with the originator. They called in Oda-san looking to get blessed and blessed they were:
So, the LIVE ACTION ONE PIECE!
I’ll say this. There were no compromises on this show!
And the festivities have already begun! It’s already fun seeing the flurry of reactions after each release of information. And the very fact that adapting one piece into live action was conceived 7 years ago is wild! How will this world be brought to life?! There was so much that went into it – all the efforts by the actors, the building of the world and the costumes, presenting things in a way that can only be done in live action, the dialogue – and the entire process of so many people putting their heads together was a festivity in and of itself.
After the launch, I’m sure I’ll hear about some people pointing out how this character is missing or that scene is omitted, or this bit is different from the manga. But I’m sure they’ll come from a place of love, so I intend to enjoy even those comments! lol the story will span 8 episodes and take us up through you-know-where!!
Even after the Shoot WAS over, there were numerous scenes the production agreed to re-shoot because I felt they weren’t good enough to put out into the world. On the other hand, there were also some lines that I thought didn’t feel like Luffy on paper… but when i saw the filmed scenes, I went, “It works when it’s Iñaki performing it as Luffy! As a matter of fact, it works great!!” (Iñaki is the actor who plays Luffy.) There were so many things that had to be done to keep things from looking too unnatural in live action.
The producers and the crew are pros at live action, and frankly, they’re One Piece superfans, too. The more knowledgeable you are about one piece, the more you’re likely to notice the love they poured into this.
It was June when we made the final decision to go ahead and launch this show. My editor who’d worked so hard on this actually cried as he said, “It was such a long journey…” lol. Not that working hard on something guarantees success, of course.
By now I just love this production team and the cast so much that I can’t wait for them to get the acclaim they deserve from everyone around the world. And if by chance people have some gripes, I’ll be there to receive them together!
Now, whatever feelings you choose to harbor in the meantime, it’s still going to be one month, so please have some tea as you wait!
Eiichiro Oda
Since its creator says this new live-action is One Piece it seems presumptuous for me to present my opinion, but that’s why I make the big berries. So let’s take it from the top. I designed a test for myself in the first paragraph.
Characters We Recognize
The cast couldn’t be more accurate if Oda drew them himself like the samurai Kurozumi Kanjuro does. Iñaki Godoy, Mackenyu, Emily Rudd, Taz Skylar, and Jacob Romero are likely to become synonymous with Luffy, Zoro, Nami, Sanji, and Usopp. They look like our Straw Hats but more importantly: they feel like them, act like them, talk like them, and they wear the clothes.
In A World that Feels Right
As my colleague, Julian exclaimed on our show, “They built the ship!” They did. They built the Going Merry as a sea-worthy vessel and the Barratie restaurant is real too. Usopp’s giant coin purse, Garp’s bulldog head, and Zoro’s three earrings—they’re all there and they are perfection. Koby’s hair is the right shade of pink, Mihawk’s eyes are golden yellow and his beard is precise. The production designers, costumers, and hair stylists cared and it shows. The CG bounces and stretches alongside Luffy and you never doubt he’s a rubberman.
The Story Matters
The 8-episode season 1 of the One Piece live-action comes from the Romance Dawn story arc. However, much of the plot has been folded into layers, so more of the story is happening all at once. That makes for surprises for those of us who know the story well but, from what I’ve heard, it’s just as much fun for those who know nothing.
The Essence of One Piece
Luffy says it himself early in the new series: Being a pirate is freedom. That is the quintessential soul of the manga, the anime, and now the live-action. Luffy wants to be free and he wants the same for his friends and everyone he encounters. Whether he breaks a friend out of prison or fights to liberate a village, he is rebelling against anyone who seeks to steal civil liberties and stomp on the people. Our family of Straw Hats find each other. Their relationships deepen as trouble overflows. This series gets it. It’s about found family and freedom; it seeks to dismantle systems of subjugation and its surrogates; it’s goofy and heartfelt. This is One Piece. Straw Hats, Unite!
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RIOTUS 