The Anime live adaptation curse is finally broken - One Piece Live Action lives up to the hype.

by Ibrahim Muan

The One Piece (OP) manga, written and illustrated by beloved mangaka Eiichiro Oda, is the best-selling comic book title, with over half a billion volumes sold. With millions of fans worldwide following the manga and anime, the announcement of the Netflix live adaptation of the series sent shivers down the spines of OP fans, and for good reason. Previous Netflix adaptations of popular manga series, like Cowboy Bebop and Death Note, have been notorious flops. 

As an OP loyalist for over 13 years, I was sceptical about the success of Netflix being able to pay homage to the source material and recreating a world designed for two dimensions. However, the One Piece Live Action (OPLA) trailers were a pleasant surprise that brightened the anticipation of release. With the blessing of Eiichiro Oda, the executive producers Matt Owens and Steve Maeda have delivered on their front with eight impressive hour-long episodes for the debut season of OPLA.

OPLA is set in a fantastical seafaring world of pirates hunting for a mythical treasure called —you guessed it— One Piece and their contrasting figures, the Marines, fighting to protect the status quo of the World Government. The show follows the exploits of a young pirate named Monkey D. Luffy (Iñaki Godoy), who eats the ‘Gomu Gomu Devil Fruit’ and becomes a man made of rubber. In his pursuit of finding the One Piece and becoming the Pirate King, Luffy manages to secure a ship and crew with quite the cast of characters. Swordsman and first mate Roronoa Zoro (Mackenyu) aims to become the world’s greatest swordsman; Navigator and ‘cat burglar’ Nami (Emily Rudd) wishes to draw a map of the world; Marksman and ‘liar’ Usopp (Jacob Romero) wants to become a brave warrior of the sea and ‘love cook’ Sanji (Taz Skylar) wants to find the ‘All Blue’. In addition, we find Koby (Morgan Davies), an early companion of Luffy, who later enlists as a Marine to follow his dreams.

Right off the bat, the choice of locations for the OPLA does a fantastic job of recreating the world of One Piece as depicted in the manga and anime. Filmed in Cape Town, South Africa, sets like the Baratie play an essential role in telling the story and establishing the world of One Piece and its quirkiness. The Baratie seafaring restaurant is recreated with its unique fish figurehead, accompanied by a neon sign board which creates a modern twist that adds to an otherwise faithful adaptation. The music accompanying the sets was a pleasant addition that absorbed the viewer into the series. The jazz music and French theme of the Baritie were perfect in setting the mood.  

The choice to have a multicultural cast fits with the manga's themes of depicting people from different walks of life interacting and unifying. The casting of the OPLA crew is most definitely noteworthy as well from a performance standpoint. Especially with the casting of Iñaki Godoy as Monkey D. Luffy, the show has been praised by millions of fans and acknowledged by Oda himself. Iñaki Godoy in OPLA, with his wide-eyed wonder and broad smile, all the while screaming “Gomu Gomu Bazooka”, you can’t help but admit that no one else could fit into the role of Luffy. However, Mackenyu, as Zoro, seems to have missed the mark, as he repeatedly fails to capture Zoro's essence and energy. It may be Mackenyu trying too hard to be the intimidating and airheaded person Zoro is. Nevertheless, Mackenyu’s performance and choreography during his display of swordsmanship throughout the series is worthy of praise and reminds us how truly fearsome Zoro is. The performance by Taz Skylar as Sanji is another perfect example of dedication by actors resulting in the true essence of characters being manifested. The work put in by Taz Skylar to learn how to cook and master martial arts, in order to bring out Sanji’s character and fighting skills was enjoyable to watch. 

What sets OPLA apart from the previous failures in anime live adaptations lies in the balance between sticking with the source material and allowing for creative independence. While the story sticks to the main timeline, significant events in the manga and anime are altered in the OPLA. Unlike in the manga, the Orange Town arc takes place entirely inside Buggy’s circus tent. The Baratie arc skipped out on Luffy and Don Krieg's battle but introduced the Arlong Pirates early. While these changes seem drastic, they played well within the OPLA and allowed for enjoyable surprises. The attention to detail throughout the series, from the pirate logos made by Oda for the Straw Hat crew, which made an appearance for the first time in live action, down to the characters' costumes, all lifted from the OP manga, left enough easter eggs and references for the fans to enjoy.

Despite some shortcomings, the OPLA is a series worth a watch. Whether you’re an OP fan or coming into the world of OP for the first time, OPLA will leave you shocked, sobbing, and laughing, because that’s the type of show it is.

I was first captivated by One Piece at the age of 9, and what resonated with me and kept me sticking around for the past 14 years is the universal themes of freedom, equality, and good governance explored in the most Looney Tunes way possible. Nevertheless, OPLA has provided a nostalgic experience, and to experience it again in a different medium as One Piece continues to explore profound themes with a laugh along the way is a gift.

Here's to a second and more successful OPLA  season as we head to the ‘Grand Line’.