3 reasons One Piece has what it takes to break the anime curse

Over 100 anthologies, over 1000 published episodes. One Piece is one of the most successful anime of all time, its manga template broke records for decades. Now Netflix wants to release the story about a group of pirates as a live-action series soon. Fans are suspicious, especially after disappointing conversions in recent years. There are enough signs of an upcoming hit.

Reason 1: The One Piece creators regularly hit Netflix on the fingers

Perhaps the greatest fear of adaptation of any kind is lack of fidelity to the original. No one wants a faceless throwaway product that’s just there to make money. And while in other cases the helpless original creators were shocked by the Netflix implementation, One Piece inventor Eiichiro Oda is apparently here even involved in the small creative steps. Netflix producer Ted Biaselli told the Gayest Episode Ever podcast:

We work directly with Eiichiro Oda. He’s never been involved with television, so we teach each other a lot. He then tells us, for example, that we are overlooking the essentials and it in [einer spezfischen] scene is about something completely different. And we then answer: “Oh, all right!”

According to Biaselli, he regularly plugs into conference calls between Oda in Japan and the production team in South Africa at 1 a.m. for such minute discussions. Sounds like Netflix is ​​trying hard this time to satisfy the template maker and thus also the fans.

Reason 2: Netflix is ​​desperate to make One Piece a hit and has a lot to lose

One Piece is a huge risk project for Netflix. Of course, millions of franchise fans are excited about the implementation. At the same time, Netflix has gotten itself into such a bind with adaptations like Death Note or Cowboy Bebop that that the flop seems inevitable for many. The massive community can face the streaming giant in the blink of an eye.

This time, Netflix spared no effort in shooting the series. In a huge pool of water in Cape Town countless workers have recreated several ships in original size. According to an interview with the media site KFTV, there were various underwater scenes for which large parts of the cast had to be prepared for three weeks. The streaming service has a lot to lose and knows it too.

Reason 3: Netflix dares to go its own way for the One Piece series

Effort and fidelity to the template alone do not make a good series. Adaptations like The Legend of Aang or Cowboy Bebop focused on aesthetic consistency with the original, but had only a shallow understanding of their own characters. Instead, an adaptation should have the courage to go its own way where appropriate.

It was recently announced that Netflix is ​​omitting an important anime detail in the One Piece series. These were Luffy’s (Iñaki Godoy) sandals, who had been exchanged for sturdy shoes for better stunts.

Of course, this is a small detail, but it shows the right attitude. At the end of the day Even the most puristic fans want to see an exciting story. An aesthetic duplicate has no appeal for many fans. After all, they could just stick with the original.

When will the One Piece series come to Netflix?

The ingredients are there, but that doesn’t guarantee a great treat in the end. If the One Piece series during the year 2023 comes to Netflix, hopefully the makers have combined the courage to be independent and the love for the original into a captivating whole.

10 years of Netflix Originals: These series have defined the streaming service

Ten years ago, Netflix changed the world of series forever with the release of House of Cards. Suddenly streaming and binging were the big buzzwords in Hollywood. But what has happened since the launch of House of Cards?

In the podcast, we dive into the history of the Netflix original series, which can be divided into four phases. In the beginning it was all about wild trial and error and experiments, but in the later phases it was mainly brands and blockbusters like Stranger Things and Wednesday that took over.

*. . .