For years, film writers from around the world have been given fantastic stories originating from manga and anime with amazing worlds but have failed to create satisfactory live-action adaptations. However, the recent release of the “One Piece” live-action is phenomenal.
The original “One Piece” anime is without a doubt one of the greatest stories of all time. With over 1,000 episodes and counting, it holds great respect in the Animanga community. I was delightfully surprised when I watched the live-action. The creative team didn’t simply take the original plot and throw in some sub-par actors to make a quick buck; they made something based on Eiichiro Oda’s vision but with a variety of changes spanning from actors’ choices and make-up to cutting entire plots. Additionally, they brought in a talented cast all in all making it enjoyable for “One Piece” fans and myself.
The creator of the “One Piece” manga himself, Oda, was integrated into the process at every step. He had the final say in choosing the actors, and he picked the best options. Iñaki Godoy as Luffy never ceased to make me laugh, which gave the show a light-hearted touch. Emily Rudd as Nami helped capture the intricate combat and pulled off costumes that brought excitement to the anime. Taz Skyler as Sanji was a perfect gentleman who learned not only to fight but to cook for the show. Jacob Romero portrays Ussop’s lying, his defining character feature, perfectly. The best casting was most definitely Mackenyu Arata as Zoro. His prowess in on-screen combat combined with Zoro’s three-sword style made the already intimidating man even more convincing. He was simply enjoyable to have on the screen.
It was apparent the writers chose to lean into the live-action aspect by changing characters’ roles or personas in hopes of illustrating how a real live-action cast can change the story of a written piece. In the anime, Buggy the Clown is a silly pirate who does bad things but makes people laugh. However, in the live-action, he was absolutely frightening. Additionally, Captain Curro wasn’t some simple pirate like the anime; instead, he was mysterious and spooky.
One of the downsides to the anime is its pacing. This is not true in the live-action. Netflix’s version has eight episodes, which amounts to about eight hours in total. In contrast, the same timeline in the anime is covered in 53 episodes, or around 18 hours if you don’t include the opening and ending sequences. I think this is a positive change, and, if they continue this series, it’s an important aspect that must continue. The biggest complaint I hear about the anime is its length. If the live-action continues at this rate, the series will be less than half the length of the anime, which would allow it to become more popular and reach greater numbers of those who enjoyed original comics.
The “One Piece” live-action was pleasant and an easy watch. The series thrives on contrasting dark aspects such as pirating and discrimination while also balancing light-hearted aspects like cooking and swimming, which are supported by outstanding character design and casting. The “One Piece” community and I loved how well this adaptation was executed and hope it continues.
