One Piece deserves your attention.

In only 10 days, get ready to catch the One Piece live-action series on Netflix.  Fans are kind of split on this. Some don’t really like it ’cause it doesn’t match their own vision of what One Piece is. Others are loving it for how it looks, props, visuals, and all that hard work. Now, whether it becomes a hit or a miss depends on how we all feel about it. And let’s be honest, this show cost a bunch to make. So, it needs to be a big hit to make it worth the cash.

Speaking of hits, Netflix doesn’t just want good ratings for big budget shows, like this one. Nope, they want numbers that match up to what shows like Stranger Things get. So, fingers crossed that this show hits the mark, ’cause it’s been quite the investment. By the way, big-budget Netflix shows usually don’t last too long. They often get canceled after just a season or two. Positive reviews means nothing to Netflix. It is alk about numbers ans algorithm.

The Show runner Matt Owens. He’s been a huge One Piece fan since he was a little kid. So, there’s a decent chance he’ll make things work for us fans. Seems like he’s going all out. Instead of relying too much on fancy computer stuff, he built real sets in South Africa. Yep, actual places for the characters to roam around. And he even built wooden boats and ships that really work. Everything looks like it popped right out of the anime!

Oh, and guess what? Eiichiro Oda, the One Piece writer, is right there in the mix. Matt Owens wanted Oda’s help with the script, the cast, and all the other big decisions. This is a pretty different approach from what happened with past anime adaptations. Back then, the writers didn’t have much say.

Remember when Oda told us about the Straw Hat Pirates’ ethnicities if they lived in the real world? He said Luffy would be Brazilian, Sanji French, Usopp South African, Nami Swedish, and Zoro Japanese. Now, when it came to picking actors, they didn’t go hunting for people from those exact places. They went for actors who had kind of the same background, but also the talent to bring the characters to life.

You know, fans are super focused on getting things spot-on. Changing stuff, like the characters’ backgrounds, can make some folks pretty mad. Just think about Dragon Ball Evolution, Ghost in the Shell, and Death Note. Those stirred up big controversies because they didn’t get the characters right. One Piece fans aren’t up for that kind of drama. Even though the actors aren’t exactly from the countries Oda mentioned, they’ve got similar backgrounds.

But wait, just having the right backgrounds isn’t enough. Remember Cowboy Bebop? Netflix tried hard to match up actors’ looks with the characters, but some fans still weren’t thrilled. Some said John Cho was too old and too short to play Spike Spiegel. That guy’s supposed to be 27, but John Cho’s in his 50s. And then there’s the actress who played Faye Valentine. She got pretty feisty on social media, going at it with fans. Unfortunately, Cowboy Bebop didn’t score another season ’cause it didn’t do too hot.

But here’s the good news. Mark Jobst, the director for the One Piece TV show, loves the series. So, chances are he won’t let us down like other directors have in the past. Take Paul Anderson with those Resident Evil movies. He never even played the games, and he made a mess of things.

By the looks of the One Piece trailer, it’s sticking close to the manga chapters and skipping those anime fillers. They’re aiming to be as accurate as possible. Check out the trailer for a sneak peek behind the scenes of what’s coming up.

 

 

One Piece inside the story

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZF06TZta1l0

 

The casting has been a hit so far because the actors really get into their characters. Look at Iñaki Godoy who’s playing Luffy. He’s like a real-life Luffy, same attitude, energy, and that innocent kid-like vibe. Now, even though Godoy isn’t Brazilian, he’s Mexican. But you know what? He’s got a bunch in common with Luffy’s look and feel. Let’s hope he shines this time around because his first Netflix gig, The Imperfects, got the axe. Poor guy went all in, even became Luffy in a way, looks, talks, and moves like him. Period.

Then there’s Mackenyu, a Japanese actor and singer who got the gig as Zoro. It’s like a perfect match ’cause he’s Japanese and Zoro’s Japanese, too. Plus, once he got all dolled up for the role, he looked like he stepped straight out of the anime. This dude’s no stranger to sword moves either. In Japan, he played Enishi in one of those Rurouni Kenshin flicks. And guess what? Those movies are a hit with fans and critics. He also tried crossing over in Hollywood with the Saint Seiya movie, Knight of the Zodiacs. But, um, it didn’t go so hot at the box office. Thing is, he’s a star in Japan, not so much in the US. But hey, One Piece might be the one to make him big worldwide. Fans are giving him thumbs up for his Zoro gig.

Then there’s Taz Skylar, a Canary Islands dude from Spain. He’s playing Sanji, the French chef. Now, to nail the role, he took up sword fighting and cooking lessons. You know what that means? Get ready for some seriously mouthwatering cooking scenes with him.

 

Netflix recently introduced Emma Rudd to its subscribers in her role from the horror movie Fear Street Trilogy. And now, she’s taken on a new transformation as the Straw Hat Pirates’ navigator, Nami. To get into character, she dyed her hair orange and even learned to speak with a Swedish accent.

 

Evaluating each cast for this series would take me forever, but I can say this: the actors they picked really match the characters they’re playing. It’s diverse, but it’s not just trying to please a certain group. The characters aren’t being changed to fit any political agenda.

 

Good news for die-hard One Piece fans who stick to the Japanese cast, here’s a treat. If you opt for the Japanese audio while watching the series, you’ll be hearing the original anime cast voicing the characters.