Posted in: Anime, Netflix, Opinion, TV, TV | Tagged: anime, manga, netflix, one piece, opinion

One Piece: Why Netflix's Live-Action Series Adaptation Worked So Well

Pushing past the haters, Netflix's One Piece should serve as the bluepint for future live-action anime/manga adaptations moving forward.

I must start this piece with an excuse to all the friends and acquaintances who, throughout the years, have tried convincing me to watch One Piece – I am sorry for being hard-headed and refusing to commit to so many episodes. Well, I was wrong. Thank you for trying all those years to get me to watch this precious gem. Most importantly, though, thank you to Netflix for putting on a fantastic live-action adaptation that fueled my passion and now has made me delve into the anime that I had told myself I would never watch… and I am loving every second of it.

I have to say, I had told myself I would give the live-action a chance simply because I hate all the gatekeepers that ruin the experience since the moment it was announced with their whines about how it would suck and the characters would not look like themselves… like grow up: no one looks like an anime character. It was the attitude that ruined Cowboy Bebop before it even had a chance to show how great it was. But alas, real boobs are not as big as anime boobs – and thus began the downward spiral that killed what was actually a pretty great & fun show. After that, I promised myself I would give live actions a chance just to give it a fair opportunity in the midst of all the online trolls to whom a live-action will never amount to the real thing, and here we are.

I have to say, I fell in love with the show from moment one, and I have binged on it twice already because it blows my mind that they were able to bring anime to live, keep the feeling, and still make changes without compromising the source material at its core. After starting the anime I love the live action even more because the changes made so much sense to make the world within feel more realistic. I loved the characters and the diversity, and it was very nice to see them grow along the episodes. Their chemistry with one another and their delivery throughout was fantastic— it really felt like an anime come to life, and I never thought I would experience this feeling again after Scott Pilgrim or The Man with the Iron Fists, but One Piece did, and it is has shown us all that an anime adaptation can be done and done well.

I also have to add, after hearing complaints about the language and dubbing… listen, I barely watch anime in English as my preferences are Japanese with subs or Latin American Spanish, but to those complaining about their voices can honestly… from the bottom of my heart… suck it. Because if you are that pressed about their speech you can go ahead and watch it dubbed since the original cast is doing the Japanese dub version. As for the cast, Iñaki Godoy is truly Luffy comes to live-action life – along with his amazing crew of Straw Hat pirates: Emily Rudd (Nami), Mackenyu (Zoro), Jacob Romero (Usopp), and Taz Skylar (Sanji). They put so much emotion behind their characters to make them heartfelt and rounded without ever crossing the line of cheesiness or cringe. Hell, I will even admit I fell for Zoro and Sanji way too hard and love them as much as I have loved their animated counterparts.

While the straw hats stole the show, the cast around them was just as good as our heroes: from villains to the good people around, it was a very well-selected cast, and I have been in awe watching the anime and comparing how well the source material was brought to life. Other than Helmeppo (Aidan Scott) and Koby (Morgan Davies), we also have another big shining star: Buggy (Jeff Ward). The other character I was left simping for no matter if he was a villain… or a clown… what is wrong with me? Seldom do I see a cast that has managed to pull me into their universe without a second's hesitation and never let me go. I really cannot wait to see them all next season, I am so pumped.

Netflix's One Piece should now serve as a staple of how source material can be brought to life with standards, also reminding us that changes are not bad, but more of a device to make it work within real life. At no point was I thrown off-guard or distracted by things that did not make sense. Every scene or character had a reason to be on screen and move the story forward without fillers or waste of time. It made me understand why everyone loves these characters and this universe so much. I am so glad I gave it a chance, and now I am happy to be caught up in the One Piece fandom— I never would have ever imagined I would be into One Piece, yet here we are – very much looking forward to seeing where the stories lead.

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