One Piece is one of the seminal works of modern anime, having gone on for nearly a quarter of a century and almost 1,100 episodes, racking up countless fans along the way. So there’s a fair amount of pressure on Netflix to ensure its live-action adaptation does the show and its creator, Eiichiro Oda, justice when it premieres on Thursday.
The anime, based on the serialized manga from Oda that’s also close to wrapping up its epic story, revolves around a motley and varied crew of pirates led by Monkey D. Luffy, as they search for the mythical “One Piece” treasure on a quest to be the next King of the Pirates. Oda creates a fully fleshed out and unique world in his manga, which Netflix will try to create in live action with its 10-episode first season.
The show stars Iñaki Godoy as Luffy, Emily Rudd as Nami, Mackenyu as Roaronoa Zoro, Jacob Gilson as Usopp and Peter Gadiot as Shanks.
Netflix has had mixed success with the transition from anime to live action, with western interpretations often falling short of expectations. Death Note and 2021’s Cowboy Bebop were among the streaming service’s biggest disappointments after debuting with a lot of fanfare and hype.
This show has the blessing of Oda, so that’s a good first step. You can catch the final trailer for One Piece before the show airs on Netflix here.