The anime One Piece, which has become very popular since its release in 1999 because of its easy to understand story line, has been remade into a live action netflix show. The show is about a boy named Monkey D. Luffy who goes on a big adventure to become the next pirate king, grabbing friends along the way who each have their own goals.Together they try to find the hidden treasure of the late pirate king.
After finishing the first live-action season, I have to say there are quite a few differences from the animated series. For one, Luffy’s gang, The Straw Hats have to fight a large group of people in the manga, whereas in the live action they only have to fight three people. It’s good to have differences like this because there isn’t a point in watching an exact copy of what you’ve already read.
When I first watched the anime, I thought it was an interesting show, but the 61 episodes made my jaw drop. The live-action did a good job making season one into just eight episodes.
The cast excellently represented the characters, fitting well into each character’s personalities and traits. Mackenyu Arata, who plays Zoro, projected him as a serious pirate hunter, but still showed the element of kindness that he has. Zoro is my favorite character, so it was nice to see good acting in his live-action remake.
Iñaki Godoy, who plays Monkey D. Luffy, really brought Luffy to life and made the show a little bit more like the manga. In an interview, Godoy shares how he didn’t want to exactly replicate Luffy because of how the original Luffy is his voice actor’s character and not his own. “What she has done is amazing. I would never try to replicate any of that because that is her own thing,” he said in an interview with Archak, an author and anime enthusiast. This comment can be seen in the show with the way Luffy acts, which is definitely more silly and funny but also has a serious side when it comes to protecting his friends.
Season two of the live action has been confirmed and all the actors will be returning. The live-action was a wonderful show, a really nice adaptation of the animated series, and I can’t wait for more episodes to come out.
