‘One Piece’: Five Reasons I Actually Have Hope For Live-Action Show
We’re all still a little dubious about live-action One Piece. But thanks to these five reasons I have a little bit of hope for the series.
Like it or not, live-action One Piece is on its way. Live-action adaptations of popular anime have had a pretty shaky history. And while most live-action adaptations are underwhelming, Netflix has proven this a little bit extra with things like Death Note. Did you forget about Netflix’s Death Note for a moment? Never forget.
And when it comes to live-action One Piece, there’s a lot to be dubious about. The world is huge with more than a thousand animated episodes worth of content so far, and the superpowers people have are often really goofy. This is a massive project that runs the risk of never seeing completion or just looking wrong with real people. But despite this, One Piece has given us a few reasons to have hope that maybe this time the live-action will be pretty good.
Eiichiro Oda is Very Involved
By this point, you’re probably aware that Eiichiro Oda, the original creator, writer, and artist behind One Piece is very, very involved with the live-action adaptation. He’s been on board as a producer since the beginning and has had opinions about some of the most important aspects of the show. It’s no secret that a good or bad producer and make or break a project and some of the best shows and movies happen when the team behind it really loves and understands the source material. And perhaps there is nobody who does this more than the person who created it. Look at the Good Omens show we finally got, for example.
Sometimes the missing secret ingredient really just is love. And a more-than-surface-level understanding of the source material.
In Fact, He’s Put His Foot Down About…
It’s really promising to see Oda so involved with live-action One Piece, but it’s also to throw a meaningless producer credit on something. But that doesn’t seem to be the case here. He’s even recently said that the show won’t see light until he’s personally satisfied. I’m hoping he’s satisfied sooner rather than later, but I’m happy to wait if it means we get a good show.
Long Episodes & Fast Pace
We have tentative episode titles as well as run times according to IMDB. So far we’re looking at:
1: Romance Dawn (1hr and 9 mins)
2: An Old Friend Of Mine (1hr and 4 mins)
3: Tell No Tales (56 mins)
4: A Frog In The Well (unknown)
5: All Races In One Sea (58 mins)
6: Tangerine Grove (1hr and 4 mins)
7: Crewmates (56 mins)
8: Grand Line (1hr and 6 mins)
9: Gaimon’s Adventure (unknown)
10: Unknown (unknown)
Assuming these are accurate, it looks like these ten episodes will cover the first 24 or so chapters of the original source material, moving the plot along a little faster. One Piece doesn’t have a lot of filler, but it is a show notorious for progressing the plot slowly. In fact, if you want to get through a lot of one piece very quickly, there are entire story arcs that they compress into one movie. And it looks like they’ll be taking a similar approach in live-action.
Honestly, the Sets Look Pretty Cool So Far
We’ve talked about the set photos before, and there’s no denying that they look pretty good. The stylized nature of the anime means that in live-action, many of the ships run the risk of looking goofy. But I think they toe this line really well for a look that’s not cartoonish, but also shouldn’t be taken too seriously.
The Casting Choices Are Solid
We already talked about Oda’s involvement. But it may be most easily seen in live-action One Piece‘s casting choices. He apparently approved of the entire main cast and sent each of them special merch with brand-new art. Many of the actors cast are relative unknowns, so we’ll have to see for ourselves. But so far, I’m pretty optimistic.
So will live-action One Piece be good? Honestly, who knows? Your guess is as good as mine. But this is one of the few times where everything about a live-action anime’s production has made me think that it just might be. I at least want to see it go long enough for Jamie Lee Curtis to be cast as Kureha.
Are you excited about the live-action One Piece? Which character is your favorite? Who would you cast as the remaining straw hats? Let us know in the comments!
Ja ne, adventurers!
