One Piece [Live Action - Review]
By: Mithrandiel
Way back in 1999, the first episode of One Piece aired - two years after the serialization of the series began and had given the series time to garner a fanbase large enough to warrant an animated adaptation.
In the 24 years since, the adventures of Monkey D. Luffy (also known as Straw Hat Luffy) and his pirate crew have expanded into a global phenomenon. It is officially the best selling manga series of all time, and holds the Guiness World Record for the most copies published by one series, written by one author; a staggering 500 million+ as of earlier this year.
Given its massive popularity, you might ask: why wouldn’t a live action series be on the table?
For many One Piece fans, there were two inherent concerns.
First: it’s hard to make the case that anime has a good track record of being adapted to live action very well to begin with. Weak source material can provide some excuse, but when series like Death Note or, even more surprisingly, Cowboy Bebop, fail to stick the landing? What hope would a series as bombastic as One Piece have?
Second: in the nearly quarter-century since One Piece began, there have been over 1,050 episodes aired. The sheer volume and scale of the narrative can be daunting for newcomers - which is why veterans of the series wish them luck on their journey as they “set sail”. How could a Netflix series hope to capture all of the key story beats?
Like any good pirate crew, One Piece fans are fiercely loyal. Every anime fanbase has its protectors, but the sheer armada that is the One Piece fandom is something to behold…when organized.
I have made the argument before that a large part of what helped kickstart Critical Role’s popularity and success was the fervor of their fanbase when it came to the variety and volume of producing fan art. In a similar vein, I believe that One Piece fans, by lending their support and belief to the newly-released live action adaptation, have helped to manifest a scenario almost nobody could have imagined 10 years ago:
Success.
It’s hard to overstate the level of commitment to detail and passion that is involved at every level of this production: from the lavish sets and amazing costumes, to spectacular casting and a stellar soundtrack; it’s clear that One Piece is a labor of love.
The result? A thoroughly charming, engrossing story that provides a fantastic entry to the story for a whole new generation of hopeful pirates, er…One Piece fans.
Helping along this seemingly impossible task was the constant involvement in production by Eiichiro Oda - creator of One Piece and beloved figurehead of the fandom. Since the live action project was announced back in 2017, Oda has consistently worked to set the proper expectations with the fans, balancing the fact that not every single manga panel would make it into the live action series - and in fact that there would likely be some narrative changes.
Indeed, fans who have stayed close to the manga and/or anime will likely catch some notable adjustments to the story, and while the narrative flows well in the revised format, without Oda’s blessing it would have been much harder for fans to swallow.
In all honesty, I think the element that went the furthest in softening the hearts of the expectant fandom was the casting choices for the core crew.
Iñaki Godoy as Luffy is quite possibly the most on-point casting since J.K Simmons brought the stern, Spider-Man hating J. Jonah Jameson to life. He conveys a natural optimism and exuberance that makes you believe in his outlandish vision of becoming King of the Pirates. This is complemented by the more somber moments, as Luffy struggles with the responsibility of being a pirate captain and the safety of his crew.
But hey, you don’t have to take my word for it - take a look at what Oda had to say when meeting Iñaki himself:
Mackenyu’s portrayal of Zoro is equally impressive - toeing a thin line between the stoic 2nd in command and a fiercely loyal friend willing to lay down his life for his captain.
Second to Iñaki’s casting, I would say Emily Rudd’s portrayal of Nami is a revelation. The smooth talking, emotionally distant navigator brings us some great quips throughout, with great relationship-building scenes with Luffy and Zoro before the culmination of her backstory arc in the emotional climax of the series. Fans of the series know exactly what I’m talking about, and I can say that it gave me chills. Simply superb.
Jacob Romero’s Usopp is a fantastic complement to the crew, with a sly confidence and flair for the dramatic that best characterizes the Great Captain.
Last, and certainly not least, Taz Skylar’s Sanji brings all of the charm and fire the original character is adored for. His love for women remains intact, but in a more subdued way that still pays homage to the character.
Also wanted to give a special shout out to the core actors child-counterparts, particularly for Nami (Lily Fisher) and Sanji (Christian Convery). These tragic backstories provide a foundation of emotional attachment to these characters, and these talented young actors delivered in a big way.
The strong casting choices didn’t stop with the core crew, however - secondary and tertiary characters were all cast with the same attention to detail, contributing to scenes that seem to have leapt straight off of the page. In particular I have to say Jeff Ward’s portrayal of Buggy is next-level: a menacing pirate that instills a sense of fear the manga may not have been able to deliver on.
I could gush for another 2,000 words on the casting choices, but suffice it to say the cast is a faithful adaptation of the source material.
As for the core story itself - much of the central narrative remains largely intact. These first eight episodes adapt approximately 44 episodes worth of the anime, from Luffy’s departure to the conclusion of the Arlong saga. Even accounting for opening and closing credits, adapting those episodes scene for scene would be closer to 15 hours compared to the Netflix adaptation’s 8. Therefore, some things did end up getting trimmed. Personally, I found the adjustments made a lot of sense from an adaptation standpoint, but there are some that might take issue with some of the narrative choices. Overall, it flows extremely well, and it preserves the backstory and character development we need to really connect to the Straw Hat crew.
The action sequences are also top-notch, with fantastic choreography and cinematography that keeps the viewer engaged and aware of what’s happening. One of the most thrilling action sequences is the introduction of a fan-favorite Warlord, and his single handed destruction of an armada of pirates is worthy of a blockbuster film.
The hype around this show has been insane, and I was certainly swept up in it. Its release just happened to coincide with a day of travel for me, and so as I was in airports and on planes, I was marathoning the show. I finally finished it at midnight last night, delighted that One Piece fans got a solid win out of this adaptation.
I’m already excited thinking about the potential for a season 2, and the introduction of even more varied and interesting crew members: a talking reindeer, a mysterious archaeologist, a robot, maybe even a talking skeleton.
If this season is any indication of what can be done, I have full confidence that there’s much more of the story that will be brought to live action.
Will it be easy? Of course not. But as a wise man once said -
“If the path to what you want is too easy, you’re on the wrong path.”
