After comparing the Netflix live adaptation of One Piece to its animated counterpart, it showed many aspects had been downgraded.Although it has enough of its own charm and ideas to make it an enjoyable experience.
One Piece is one of the most beloved manga and anime series of all time, so when a live action adaptation was announced, there was of course excitement, but also some concern. Live action adaptations of anime have always fallen flat in the past, and most people including myself assumed this would be the same.
Luckily, though, Netflix’s take on One Piece is a fresh but fulfilling look at the series that is welcoming to long-time fans and newcomers alike.
The visuals in One Piece look amazing, and are about as close to a fantasy world as you can get with live action. The cgi looks good and the sets are beautifully designed and make every location from One Piece come to life. Right from the start the world building, which is essential for One Piece, is great.
Likewise the soundtrack is very good, with some old tunes from the show being referenced and new melodies being brought to the world of One Piece.
Unfortunately, the other biggest aspect of One Piece, its characters, has a few faults. While I don’t think any of the characters are portrayed badly, they don’t have the same energy to them as the ones from the anime I know so well.
Nami and Zoro, who often lose their cool in the anime, are now borderline one-sided, and refuse to break free of the tough guy trope. Luffy, on the other hand, was casted and played extremely well, and I have no complaints. Usopp and Sanji are both well done, but lack the energy that they brought to the table in the anime. Admittedly though, I don’t know how they would have represented it in live action without it being jarring.
The biggest change in Netflix’s shot at the story is in fact the story itself. Plotlines from later in the show are set up almost immediately, and sides of the show we never even see in the anime are portrayed in the live action version.
Koby, who after parting with Luffy in the anime and doesn’t meet him again until months later, now appears on almost every island Luffy goes to. Villains that were fought by Luffy and his crew are now defeated before he is even in the picture, in favor of shining the spotlight on a different plotline.
All of these changes are a bit confusing, yes, but none of them are bad. In fact, they probably helped with the show’s pacing much more than I even realize, and allows the Netflix show to cover a whopping 62 episodes of the anime in just 8 hour long episodes.
I can’t say that I would recommend this adaptation over the original anime, but if you’re a newcomer to the series and want to decide whether it would be worth your time to watch the show or not, Netflix’s adaptation is a great way to get acquainted with this incredible world and its characters for the first time.