This spoiler-filled review was made possible by screeners for One Piece, which is now streaming on Netflix.
Live-action adaptations of beloved animated films and series have always been a touchy subject for a lot of fans. Many just haven’t lived up to their predecessors which leads to the disappointment of fans. However, Netflix seems to have had an ace up its sleeve as this adaptation is like no other. Netflix’s One Piece is a vast and sprawling adaptation brought to life with a shipload of love, with an incredible leading cast and epic story, This will surely be the king of the adaptations.
Table of Contents
A Lovable Lead
The Straw Hat crew is such a wonderfully different gang of characters, each with their own unique personalities and quirks. Perhaps the hardest to bring to life is Monkey D. Luffy, the fearless leader of the crew and self-proclaimed future king of the pirates. Netflix struck gold with their casting of Luffy in Iñaki Godoy, excellently bringing the character to life with overflowing charisma. Godoy is very obviously having a boatload of fun in the role. Iñaki brings the energy of the character so well here that it is no wonder why the maestro himself, Eiichiro Oda hand-picked him to play the role.
Merry Old Rivalry
Branching off from Luffy and expanding on the rest of the incredible leading cast as mentioned above, Japanese actor Mackenyu plays the fearless and deadly pirate hunter Roronoa Zoro who is just so effortlessly cool without even breaking a sweat. Mackenyu proves his dedication to the role very quickly with his intense sword fighting, its very obvious he prepared heavily for this role, and don’t worry, the three-sword-style is present and kicks a ton of ass. Proving his equal to Zoro is Taz Skylar as Sanji, who comes into the series a bit deeper into the first season but when he does show up he is smooth and suave and knows how to throw a kick, quite a few kicks, like a lot of kicks and they’re sick as hell.
The Supporting Crew of ‘One Piece’
Of course, rounding out our Straw Hat crew would be its navigator Nami and fearless warrior of the seas (at least that is what he would want you to think) Usopp the pirate. Emily Rudd brings some level-headedness to the Crew as Usopp brings the opposite and is just a total hoot with Jacob Gibson in the role. Of course many know when we meet Nami, she isn’t entirely truthful about her situation and while it may be obvious to new fans, I think her arc here is written quite well, with the illusion of her false allegiance quite believable until it starts becoming obvious there are of course ulterior motives here but of course, they’re not in bad faith as many know and will learn.
Usopp’s introduction and story here is perfectly lifted from the page to screen but it is still just as heartbreaking as it was before. While again, a similar situation to Nami’s where it centers around a big reveal, it still works here, you know what’s coming and like every re-watch you think it’s going to change but it isn’t, Usopp is still the goofy fibber whose just looking for something more than being the boy who cried wolf, who just wants to be able to live to the legacy that his father has built and when he sees his opportunity he takes it and brings a whole new energy to the team.
Clowning Around
Probably the most prominent antagonist in the series next to Arlong is Buggy The Clown, a fan-favorite character who will surely make an impression on new fans and old fans will learn to hate all over again. He’s a cheeky pirate who’ll make an allegiance with anyone that he thinks can benefit him in some sort of way. Buggy is brought to life by Jeff Ward in the series and man does he make quite the first impression, he also continues to make many different impressions because Ward brings his insanity to life so well. I can see new fans learning to adore this character.
A Straw Hat Welcome To New Fans Of ‘One Piece’
Perhaps one of the most notorious things about One Piece, whether it be the Manga or the anime, is its incredibly intimidating length. While of course, it may have a very large and passionate fan base as it is one of the best-selling series of all time, with over 500 million copies sold. Still, it’s not exactly the easiest thing to commit to.
What this adaptation does is trim the fat, which could be considered filler but the East Blue arc is very obviously sped up with the series episode count. New fans will be able to get just a taste of the universe that may entice them to finally give in and watch the series and read the Manga.
It also must be said that many of fans’ initial apprehensions is the fact that since One Piece is long that they would never be able to make an arc work in less than ten episodes but do, and they do it quite well. The first episode is incredible, a perfect setting stage for the vast adventure that is to follow. I would say the most important elements of East Blue are shaped into a shortened but effective first season that makes sure to give each of its main characters, as well as its villains and supporting characters, their time to shine and audiences’ time to get to know each of them and understand how they fit into this team.
‘One Piece’ and Its Gum Gum Pacing
Where the series does falter is how little time they’re able to spend with the younger versions of the characters. Zoro’s backstory is one that feels as if it was cut too short and is less effective and emotional than before. Nami’s was another that was lackluster, it works but it didn’t feel as impactful as it could’ve been had it been explored as the series progressed. There are also a few episodes that get a little caught up in themselves and the pacing can get a little wonky, specifically around the middle of the season.
A Budget Fit For A Pirate King
One thing that no one will be able to deny is the generous budget that was given to the series. Netflix knew that they wouldn’t be able to cheap out on this, and they broke out a blank check because the dedication to bringing this world to life was definitely there. Whether it be from the CGI, the costuming, hair and makeup or the set design, the people behind this project were obviously very passionate about the work they were doing on this series.
Earlier, when I talked about just how vast the show one of the aspects of was, it was in reference to the dedication and hard work put in to build the sets and even more so the ships, I for one did not expect Netflix to fully build the Going Merry, Miss Love Duck, Baratie, and even the Red Force, belonging to Shanks the pirate who is just about barely in the series. The dedication to bringing the world of One Piece to life with such dedication and precision should be applauded.
A Treasure Trove Wardrobe
The costuming is on point, everyone looks fantastic and the way they were able to bring such iconic looks to life. Each character is given a wardrobe fitted to their style while also using those iconic looks in a way that isn’t too cartoonish. Also, for a series that has such a wide array of unique and different characters, they made sure each and every one of them looked their best, no matter the cost. Characters like Garp, Buggy, Alvida, Mihawk, Captain Morgan, and Zeff look their best. Even the marines get some very slick costumes.
One Piece is now streaming on Netflix. Check out the trailer below:
