One Piece, Eiichiro Oda’s popular manga series, will soon get an animated live-action adaptation on Netflix. Produced by Tomorrow Studios and written and executive produced by Matt Owens and Steven Maeda respectively; Eiichiro Oda himself will serve as an executive producer and consultant during production.
This series will follow Monkey D. Luffy, an ambitious young pirate with dreams of becoming the King of Pirates. Luffy and his band of Straw Hat Pirates travel around searching for One Piece; an ancient treasure said to grant its owner ultimate power.
Netflix is currently producing an adaptation of One Piece that could become an epic event for fans of manga. With a sizable budget and talented creative team behind it, fans are assured of faithful adaptation of One Piece from its source material.
Here are the major details surrounding Netflix’s adaptation of One Piece:
This animated series will consist of 10 episodes set during the East Blue Saga from the manga, featuring Inaki Godoy as Monkey D. Luffy, Mackenyu as Roronoa Zoro, Emily Rudd as Nami and Jacob Romero Gibson as Usopp.
The Netflix adaptation of One Piece will premiere in 2023 and its creators are clearly taking this endeavor very seriously, dedicating hours of work towards making sure its success.
Differences between Netflix’s One Piece and its anime/manga
Here are major differences between Netflix’s One Piece and its anime/manga equivalent:
Arlong Pirates:
In the Netflix adaptation, Arlong Pirates are introduced in episode one while in manga/anime they don’t appear until Arlong Park Arc. This change has an important impact on the plot as the Straw Hat Pirates must face them much earlier compared to manga/anime; and also makes Arlong Park Arc more suspenseful because viewers know from episode one that Straw Hat Pirates are at risk from start.
Mr. 0:
The Netflix adaptation does not reveal Mr. 0’s identity until nearing the end of Season One; in contrast to his baroque Works arc appearance in manga/anime adaptations. This makes the story more mysterious and suspenseful as viewers must remain guessing for longer as to who Mr. 0 truly is and their powers. Additionally, this change makes him seem like more formidable adversaries as viewers do not yet understand his full extent or potential threats.
Buggy the Clown:
Buggy appears as one of the main antagonists in season one of the Netflix adaptation, while in manga/anime form he’s typically only briefly defeated by Luffy. This change makes him more of an intimidating and formidable adversary while providing him with additional screen time to develop himself further – something many viewers will appreciate given how beloved Buggy is among viewers.
Baroque Works:
Baroque Works was introduced much earlier in the Netflix adaptation than in its manga/anime counterpart, giving viewers more time to investigate this organization in-depth before Arlong Park took place. Furthermore, this also makes Baroque Works even more suspenseful; viewers know they are up against an overwhelming power and danger that must be confronted!
Shell Town:
Zoro was not arrested until after meeting Luffy in the Netflix adaptation, while in the manga/anime he is arrested at an earlier point. This change makes Zoro more sympathetic as it demonstrates he’s not naturally inclined towards mischief making. As Zoro is such a beloved character this change should likely please many viewers.
Gaimon:
Gaimon’s absence in the Netflix adaptation may not seem significant, but his absence means one of the more comedic moments from manga/anime won’t be included either. As Gaimon is generally seen as minor character anyway, this won’t likely be an issue for most viewers.
Garp:
One major difference between the Netflix adaptation of One Piece and its manga/anime versions is Garp’s reduced role; as one of the primary protagonists in One Piece, his decreased participation is bound to disappoint some fans; being such an iconic figure, this may come as a disappointment to viewers who love him so dearly.
Merry is absent from the Netflix adaptation, which marks a notable change. She was one of the Straw Hat Pirates’ ships and beloved by fans; so her absence will likely come as a great disappointment to many viewers.
Usopp Pirates:
Due to a small but notable change, one of Usopp’s more memorable storylines won’t feature in this live-action adaptation of Usopp. However, their absence likely won’t pose too many problems for most viewers.
Usopp and Kaya:
Unfortunately, Usopp x Kaya’s romantic relationship isn’t explored in the Netflix adaptation – an oversight which might disappoint some fans but may leave something important out. While Usopp x Kaya are minor figures from the manga/anime, their absence likely won’t cause major concerns among most viewers.
Luffy the Chore Boy:
In the Netflix adaptation, Luffy’s story as a chore boy at Baratie restaurant is not included; though this may seem minor, its absence means one of his more formative experiences will no longer feature prominently in live-action adaptation. As it was such an incidental part of Luffy’s journey as an apprentice pilot and unlikely to be missed as such by most viewers, its absence should not pose too much of a burden.
Don Krieg Pirates:
Luffy defeats the Don Krieg Pirates more quickly in the Netflix adaptation compared to in manga/anime, making their fight less exciting and suspenseful; their defeat should not be surprising as this group of minor pirates.
Facts about One Piece Adaptation:
Here are a few details about the Netflix adaptation of One Piece: Production for this adaptation was handled by Tomorrow Studios, a joint venture of Marty Adelstein’s Tomorrow Entertainment and ITV Studios.
Steven Maeda and Matt Owens serve as co-showrunners. Maeda is best known for his work on Lost and Hawaii Five-0 while Owens’ resume includes The 100 and Star Trek: Discovery.
Cast includes Inaki Godoy as Monkey D. Luffy, Mackenyu as Roronoa Zoro, Emily Rudd as Nami, Jacob Romero Gibson as Usopp and Taz Skylar as Sanji. This adaptation will focus on the East Blue Saga from the manga/anime series which serves as its initial major story arc.
The Netflix adaptation is expected to premiere in August 2023 and is set to remain faithful to both manga/anime as well as make some adjustments to story and characters, but may make changes when filming in South Africa.
This adaptation, with an estimated budget of $100 million, represents one of the most expensive live-action anime adaptations ever created. Reaction among fans has been mixed; while some may welcome it enthusiastically while others remain cautiously skeptical.
This adaptation is based on Eiichiro Oda’s manga series with the same name, published since July 1997 in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump magazine and comprising over 1,000 chapters and 100 volumes.
Since 1999, Toei Animation has produced the animated adaptation of One Piece on film through animation series One Piece which now exceeds over 1,000 episodes and remains one of the longest running anime shows ever produced.
The Netflix adaptation of One Piece marks its first live-action adaptation, as well as being the first live-action adaptation of any manga series with over 1000 chapters. Steven Binder (director of TV shows such as The 100 and Star Trek: Discovery) directs this version.
Eiichiro Oda, Marty Adelstein, Becky Clements, Steven Maeda and Matt Owens will serve as executive producers on this adaptation, set to premiere on Netflix sometime in August 2023.
Only time will tell how successful Netflix’s adaptation of One Piece will be; however, its production team has invested significant effort into making sure it remains faithful and entertaining.