The One Piece live action series premiered on Netflix on August 3, 2023. All eight episodes were released at once and each totaled around 45 minutes to an hour. There was a special screening of the first episode during the One Piece Fan Event in Santa Monica. The first episode went really well, and I was excited to see the rest of the season.
One Piece Live Action Characters
The One Piece Live Action characters were well casted. Each character looks like what I would imagine for them to look like in real life! The diverse cast fit well with the story. One Piece is about traveling around the world (more specifically, the “Grand Line”). It only makes sense to have a diverse cast.
The costume designers did a phenomenal job with the making of each costume. The fabrics and props were detailed and well made. Nami’s character had the most outfit changes, much like that anime, but they were accurately made. However, I was disappointed in the absence of Luffy’s shoes. In the anime, Luffy wears his iconic sandals. But in the live action, he is wearing fully covered shoes.
Set Design
The set design in the live action is immaculate. You can tell that the production team spent a lot of time and effort finding the right locations and creating beautiful set designs, especially the crew’s ship: the “Going Merry.”
Plot
As for the plot of One Piece Live Action, eight episodes is not enough for a first-time viewing audience to feel the attachment that long-timers have towards the characters. The live action is great for the long-time fans because it serves as more of a recap. It was also nostalgic to see the origins of the characters.
For first-time fans, it will be seen as a good show and encourage them to watch the anime. With only eight episodes, the plot felt rushed. Although, there were a lot of great moments where the cast was bonding, which helps the audience see the closeness of the crew. The production team also captured the right amount of goofiness and seriousness that the anime and manga have.
The CGI fit well into the show. However, it was a little strange to hear the actors call out their moves. Other than that, the show is a really great adaptation to what would actually happen in real life.
Final Thoughts on One Piece Live Action
Most anime live action adaptations have a reputation of being executed poorly. When the first teaser of the live action adaptation of One Piece was released last year, as a long-time One Piece fan, I was skeptical and a little angry about it. I have been watching One Piece for as long as I can remember and given that past animes’ adaptation were not great, I didn’t want it to be ruined. However, when Netflix stated that Eiichiro Oda, the original manga writer, was a part of the process of the production, it made me hopeful. Luckily, the live action curse seems to have been broken by the One Piece adaptation.
I enjoyed watching it and was very pleased with it as a long-time fan. This is a notable start for the live action and a great template for other animes to follow if they plan on making their live action adaptation. Obviously, there are flaws but overall, it was enjoyable. I would recommend and will continue to support it.
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