Does the One Piece live action adaptation convey the spirit of the manga? I have thoughts . . .

[@eziothedeadpoet]

I think a lot of one piece fans share your view on the spirit of an adaptation being more important than a 1:1 adaptation!

[@ONEPEAKFRFR]

YES!

[@joshuaclick1576]

Absolutely. Some things just have to be changed to make them work in live action. One Piece did it right and everything they changed still fit within the story and it worked.

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

@@eziothedeadpoet I think that approach is most conducive to enjoying an adaptation. Cheers!

[@riatsila144]

Agreed! I was just as interested in what was changed as I was in what was faithful. I always thought of it as "a slightly different journey, so long as we reach the same destination!"

[@thedstorm8922]

As long as they keep the characters and what make them them true to the original then its acceptable

[@highlyeducatedtrucker]

Steven Maeda, one of the show runners, said that no one who auditioned for Luffy could present his enthusiasm and basic goofy cheerfulness without adding a touch of cynicism to the mix. And so they all came across as insincere. "Like salesmen", he said. Iñaki was the first one they auditioned who played it completely straight and completely sincere, and that's when they knew they'd found their Luffy.

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

@@highlyeducatedtrucker I love this! Cheers!

[@peterepeatepete2845]

Oda said he picked Inaki because he genuinely made him laugh, which fits in the central theme of Luffy’s ability to make people smile.

[@Orbitalbomb]

yeah thats what you say in interviews. Generally a lot of actors could convey this without really seeming like acting. Iñaki just was the best one.

[@Feferedon]

When Mihawk saw Luffy and said, "I like your hat," it was a subtle way of showing he recognized Luffy as the kid Shanks had been talking about. I think that's the prime reason Mihawk decided to let him be. The scene at the end of the season where Mihawk shows Shanks Luffy's new bounty, and they were all buddy buddy, really brings that moment into context.

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

@@Feferedon Great observation!

[@UtaminoUta]

You’re right, vergil

[@luciapetrozzi3760]

Exactly right! On the last episode, you understand from Mihawk's conversation with Shanks, that they have a history as they fought many times before Shanks lost his arm saving Luffy. But they still respect each other, which is why, when Mihawk saw Luffy's hat, he immediately recognised that he was the "interesting" boy Shanks had told him about. That's the main reason he lets him go. Also, he recognises that he is Garp's grandson from the name (Monkey D.).

[@maxpower2480]

True. It also means, in a sense, that Shanks is protecting Luffy even in absence. I actually prefer the live action reasoning behind Mihawks involvement. It makes much more sense for him to show up on command of a vice admiral, rather than having to follow the Krieg pirates, because he wasn't able to finish them off the first time for some reason.

[@IamGrimalkin]

@@luciapetrozzi3760 That scene is straight from the manga, but the "I like your hat" line is original to the live action.

[@GrandLineReview]

In regards to Krieg, I think the biggest loss is that Sanji now has no reason to join Luffy's crew. Sanji watching Luffy beat Krieg is what transformed his opinion of him from "chore boy" to "captain". In the LA, Luffy doesn't get a moment to prove himself, in fact, they do the exact opposite by having Arlong beat him up and adding the little arc about how bad a captain he was for letting Zoro fight Mihawk. In the LA it seems more like Sanji joins Luffy because he was the only ride off the restaurant. Like you said, there were no good things to cut and they probably made the best decisions they could for the 8 episode run time. However the whole thing feels a bit empty to me due to the medium and the episode restriction.

[@chrismorales7516]

I agree, except it feeling empty. - Btw did you see Owens commented that they cut some filmed Usopp stuff like: Usopp crafting his special rounds and Usopp overcoming his inner struggle to defeat Chu (owens couldn't attend the editing, because of the strike). Also just today Zoro's actor revealed that the same stunt team he used to shoot/practice for ruroni kenshin live action will be a part of s2 (couldn't be a part of s1 for covid reasons) - the south african stunt team apparently couldn't keep up with mackenyu and he had to slow down for them.

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

Thank you for your insights! Given the compression, I think loss was inevitable, and nothing could match the source material. That said, I was surprised at how much of the live action I enjoyed. All the best!

[@danjoshdp6257]

Yes, I'm sure there would have been slightly more kept in if Matt Owens was able to stay in the editing room (particularly the Usopp moment with Chu). I'm sure they'll do even better next season!

[@95yazid]

I've got kind of the same feeling with how Zoro joining the crew feels in the LA. There's this same dynamic of Luffy having to prove himself to Zoro in the manga. But in the LA it feels like Luffy frees Zoro just to be nice, Zoro go get his swords and on the way back he sees Luffy and Nami fight the Navy and he's just like "Heh, what the hell..." and just joins the fight and the crew. Sanji and Zoro are supposed to be 2 of the Strawhats with the strongest will (after Luffy), but in the LA it seems like they make life changing decision just cause why not. Those type of decisions made me feel like I wasn't watching One Piece characters, but rather ppl who were trying to impersonate them.

[@Kitty-chan83]

Did u not see sanjis face when it came to luffy fighting arlong?

[@Bardic_Knowledge]

One of the things I made note of while watching a reactor watch the live action is that Mihawk dances around Zoro the same way Zoro danced around Mr. 7, further emphasizing the sheer skill that Mihawk has.

[@samfisher6606]

The live action really makes me understand that Usopp is the Everyman of the Straw Hats. He's the human among a group of monsters and weirdos. You don't really get that in the manga because ironically his nose makes him the least human of the East Blue Five.

[@plebboy72]

The first time in the manga were I feel it was very prominent was in water seven (spoiler?) when he went up against Luffy, more with craft and strategy rather than crazy unnatural powers

[@GalekC]

in the manga he is the troll, in the anime he is...pathetic (speaking as far as what's been adapted in the LA & upcoming anime remake)

[@golden_zebra]

Personally, the manga is still leagues better and the anime for me serves as a companion piece. As an artist, I love those mediums. The live action wasn't perfect, and at some times even cringey for me, and it felt like theatre... BUT, I can feel the love and effort the cast and crew put in it and it served as a bonding experience for me and my mom! She loves good stories but never had the patience to read books/manga or watch animation. Live action with real people is just her preferred medium in her old age so she really gravitated towards the live action. Every now and then she asks me when is S2 coming out, lol.

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

@@golden_zebra That’s wonderful about you watching it with your mother! 😊

[@jamesadvincola9687]

I didn’t like the live action at all. Couldn’t even finish it but I’m glad that it did well.

[@GalekC]

this is why im gonna start out by showing my mom the anime remake by WIT

[@Orbitalbomb]

don’t know what is wrong with theatre. The adaptation is as good as it gets. It’s an adaptation and not the manga. period.

[@golden_zebra]

@@Orbitalbomb There's nothing 'wrong' with theatre... or being imperfect or cringey, it was just my observation. Despite everything, I actually like the live action.

[@chanic4621]

I love the live action so much. It got my mom to watch one piece with me.

[@FinchamJace]

Yeah my dad thinks the anime is too silly but he actually liked the live action quite a lot. He especially liked Iñaki's portrayal of Luffy.

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

@@chanic4621 An excellent One Piece gateway!

[@Itoyokofan]

I've watched One Piece LA this Easter with my parents (who are about 60 y.o.) and they've liked it. We've managet to watch all 8 hours in just 2 days.

[@harvey218]

got my mum to watch the live action with me too! but wasn't able to get her to check out the anime they sound "goofy" and look "funny" unfortunately

[@chanic4621]

@@FinchamJace my dad is actually the one who showed me one piece in like 2004 or so. My mom thinks anime is creepy but she loved the live action one piece! Nami’s please help me scene got her teary haha.

[@AuraLeafstorm]

I was really impressed by the live-action adaptation. Being a condensed version of the story, it of course can't match up to the original, but they were really smart about what they kept, cut, and remixed. Not only did it recreate the spirit of the original, but it was able to get across a lot of the worldbuilding in an easily digestible eight episodes without feeling like an infodump for new audiences. This seems to be an uncommon opinion, but I also really like the expanded prominence of Garp, Koby, and Helmeppo in the East Blue Saga; I think it does a great job of conveying a lot of information about the way the One Piece world works and how the characters of different factions relate to each other in a much more streamlined way than the original.

[@i.m.crazee5195]

I think the current biggest problem with OPLA is the budget and subsequently the amount of episodes they can output. Since there's only a limited number of episodes and money that can go around, they cut out ALOT of stuff from the original East Blue saga. Django's removal is passable, but it basically made Usopp obsolete in his own arc and removing Don Krieg creates an awkward situation for Baratie. Sanji really doesn't get to have his arc with dreams which is jarring to me at least considering that the whole series is about dreams, and especially the idea of putting one's life on the line for their ideals. I don't think people minded it as much in Baratie, because Don Krieg is a plot piece to move the characters and pretty bland, but later on I'm not sure if them cutting certain things will be as well-received. That being said, I love the set design and the feel of the world the crafted. They did definitely capture the crew dynamics and the essence of the characters, save for a few that I personally felt were a bit too stoic (Zoro...). It's a decent production, especially for the caliber of a modern anime adaptation which generally have been pretty middling. At the very least even if I'm not a huge fan of the show, it will bring more people on an international scale to this series that we all know and love, which at the end of the day was Oda's goal.

[@conormurphy4328]

Removing Kreig also removed Gin who was a much more interesting character. I agree that Zoro is played too much like his later personality compared to his earlier east blue which has more whimsical elements mixed in. Same with Nami being more like her arlong park personality through all of east blue. She never let herself fully trust Luffy and Zoro and Usopp before but definitely felt colder to them all throughout the buildup to arlong being beaten.

[@k2geekd]

odas goal was to make a cool live action adaptation of his manga

[@FinchamJace]

@@conormurphy4328 Gin was still there. He's the guy Sanji fed the seafood dish to and who told them not to go after the One Piece.

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

@@i.m.crazee5195 This is a very fair assessment. There are inevitably issues when an adaptation compresses the story from the source material, but this production handled them well for the most part.

[@josephkielar1190]

This is it exactly. I don't mind the compression, but they're missing character-defining moments. As silly as it sounds, the exclusion of Luffy getting the dog food for Chouchou was it for me. It's one of the first showings of Luffy's real emotional intelligence, that he's more that just a well-meaning idiot. It also doesn't help in the OPLA his repeated 1st line when seeing future nakama is "he's a good fighter", which makes it sound like he just wants the strongest crew. The manga may have been like that with Zoro, but quickly matured past it.

[@nocturnusnerd]

I owe Netflix's adaptation the fact that it was the catalyst for my wife to watch OP with me and we are now both caught up with the manga. The fact that now we also share our love for OP is so great. The only thing I will criticize hard the live adaptation is a single line from Luffy against Arlong where he says something along the lines of "I may not be able to defeat you..." and that's not Luffy at all. I'm surprised Oda allowed that. Oh and the acting skills of the crew. Ussop and Zoro in particular need some more school ASAP. Nami was great and Luffy decent.

[@GalekC]

one of the producers did say that oda was kinda "gun-shy" with what they were doing, which is...eh. like, "there were no comprises!" my butt! oda's own words! unreliable narrator in actuality XD

[@Shiftarus]

I didnt take that scene as him doubting himself, to me it was just him taunting Arlong by repeating the sentiment of what Arlong just said (you are going to lose).... but treating it like a joke. Felt like taunting to me.... its definitely not the same exact kind of line manga Luffy would say, be its still spoken confidently. It seems in character for the version of Luffy they made.

[@jarosbodytko6462]

I kinda take that line like the ‘if I die, I die’ line he says to Crocodile. Luffy is always confident in his skills against whatever enemy he’s up against, but he’s also smart enough to realise he could lose. He just won’t stop before giving everything he’s got. Usopp, Luffy and Sanji were the best actors to me. Nami felt way too serious. I get why they made that choice, but Nami is pretty goofy regardless of her harsh past, even if it’s a front. Zoro just felt bored and aloof, not like a serious swordsman.

[@nocturnusnerd]

@@jarosbodytko6462 yes, but even if he knows the enemy is capable of winning, he never consider the actual scenario of losing. In fact, that get's him into big troubles later. I don't want to say much more to avoid spoilers.

[@YeahButCanISniffUrPantsFist]

I agree on zoros lacking acting skills. Or maybe it's the script. In any case, he's a bit cringe sometimes. Especially when alone in a scene. However the same criticism goes for garp. He's really theatrical in everything.. its really too cringe

[@junelarsen9080]

The live action did it very well, and I enjoyed it a lot. The biggest “issue” for me was that Cocoyashi village didn’t know why Nami joined Arlong 😕 And I also missed Hatchi

[@olivierleduc2124]

The live action motivated me to start reading One Piece again after an almost seven-year hiatus (and binge about 200 chapters in two weeks). I feel it was about as good of an adaptation as they could pull off with the resources they had. As long as they managed to capture the heart of the series, which they fortunately did.

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

Agreed!

[@elcee8]

The Live action got me interested in One Piece and to consider the anime. But I told myself I wouldn't watch an anime that was over 1000 episodes and would just wait for season 2 LA on Netflix. but because I was watching the actor interviews and anything Live action related on KZbin, a random anime clip showed up in my feed. I clicked on it, heard the voice of this character, and literally screamed "Levi!!" Because of this voice/voice actor, I ended up watching over 1000 episodes of the anime. (I'm not going to elaborate anymore for fear of spoiling anything major)

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

@@elcee8 Thank you for sharing!

[@elcee8]

@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy i hope you get the chance to watch some of the important episodes from the anime, like in Enies Lobby when Robin yells out her famous line (the music is so good too). Also episode 1015 after you’ve gotten to that manga chapter. Episode 1015 is directed by a very talented director. It’s quite cinematic.

[@Shadow-fb2ec]

I know exactly what character made you scream levi haha

[@elcee8]

@@Shadow-fb2ec hee hee. He's my favorite. I love him. I'm currently watching the Disastrous Life of Saiki K because Kamiya-San is also the VA for the main protagonist, and I swear I cannot wrap my head around the fact that the same guy who voiced Erwin Smith - the prestigious, elite, inspiring Erwin Smith - is the VA for the derpiest weirdo Riki Nendo. ..Ono Daisuke is so good!

[@martinlagman]

The character that shares seiyuu with Levi is sooo cool, top 3 for me. Love his story and powers, so creative

[@brickstonesonn9276]

This is interesting. Never seen this discussion from this perspective yet: Someone who isn't typically a anime/manga fan but whom have read enough about One Piece to discuss it in depth.

[@pierrelehnen6127]

I think Mihawk's actions on the LA do make sense but the show failed a bit to make his reasonings clear: he initially accepted the task because he was curious as to why Garp would send him after such a "weak" pirate. When he met Luffy, he realized two things: he was both Garp's grandson (which satisfied his curiosity) and also the boy that Shanks had mentioned to him before. He knew Shanks believed this kid would have an impact in the world eventually, so he wasn't gonna get in the way of that. I loved the LA in general but I feel it is only a small reflection of the magic world of one piece because of the compression. Oda's first editor back in the 90s forged into him the habit of almost overdeveloping all of his characters, so Oda has a way to make us care about every character in some way. In the manga we know the story about Orange Town's mayor and we care about him individually. We know the story about Nami's village's chief and we care about him. In the LA however they are only there to support a main character's story. It's understandable, but such a shame. To a lesser extent, LA Luffy also bothered me a little bit because he's more of a do-gooder than Manga Luffy. His line "there's one more thing we need to do" to Zoro, talking about having to rescue the hostages, irked me a little. In the Manga he wouldn't have cared about characters he never even spoke to (he probably would've released them by accident during his fight). Finally: the show also has the benefit of being created 20 years later, when a lot of stuff in the story is much more clear. Even on this video you mentioned some things that the show did well, while not knowing that the Manga elaborated those things later down in the story (just a bit further from where you're at). Every other year the manga adds some new light to something that happened as early as the East Blue saga and the show had the benefit of knowing a lot of that already so they could ensure the show would also be true to those. This kind of helped shape the show as even more true to the spirit of the source too. I'll end this comment with a bit of trivia: while the show was already in production, a certain chapter of one piece showed a short flashback that happened around the same week as one of the events shown in the east blue saga - that made the showrunner want to redo one scene of the show simply replacing a small generic prop with another, more specific one. The change had no impact on anything on the story other than allude to that new manga information (and if the show ever gets to that point, someone can re-watch the first season and notice that they paid attention to it).

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

@@pierrelehnen6127 Excellent insights and information - thank you!

[@lobsterbisque333]

Originally, they were told they were going to have ten episodes, and then some stuff had to be thrown around. Still, I think that it is just a good and solid show on its own merit

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

@@lobsterbisque333 Agreed!

[@hungrypanda4506]

Don Krieg and Gin played crucial role in making Sanji see how determined and righteous Luffy is to his cause. I think they missed that dynamic and also Gin is a beloved character that makes a striking comeback in the egghead arc ( not really a big spoiler)

[@tankysina2748]

I watched the live action first, and it's what got me into One Piece. I'm now much farther into the series, and while I do still appreciate the live action, I prefer the source material much more. Though, I will say that they made some changes in the live action that I enjoyed watching more. For example, the choice to make the Syrup Village arc into more of a thriller with Kuro locking them in the mansion was more entertaining to me than in the manga and anime where the fighting is all done on a hill. I also didn't really enjoy watching the Don Krieg fight in the anime because it sort of dragged on, so the choice to cut it was appreciated. However, that also came at the expense of some of the more important character moments for Sanji in my opinion, such as Gin saving his life and Sanji being present to watch Zoro fight Mihawk. Syrup Village also felt like it didn't focus enough on Usopp. I understand the choices made with the restraints in place, but I still feel like it was lacking in some places, particularly in the cases of Usopp and Sanji. It was extremely entertaining, though, and again, it got me into this series! The casting choices were fantastic in retrospect, as well. I actually had the chance to meet Usopp's actor, Jacob Gibson, at a comic convention back in February, and he was lovely. I got Usopp's autograph! Always appreciate hearing your thoughts. Thanks again for a great video.

[@trivialqed]

The live action became my go to recommendation to get ppl into One Piece. Initially i was annoyed at the changes made but as i experienced the show through the eyes of newcomers i realized the live action conveys the main ideas of the story incredibly well in just a fraction of the time it would've taken to read the manga or watch the anime. In Pareto Principle terms the live action is (roughly) 20% of time invested to get 80% of the experience of the source material. for newcomers the tradeoff is worth it my gf who knew nothing ab One Piece ugly cried multiple times. I made a group of friends watch it and almost all began the anime. i'll forever be grateful that i can bond with close ones over One Piece now. Hopefully Netflix believes in the project enough to reach Water 7. Im fully confident if they reach Water 7 the live action could be a mainstream hit

[@paulettewirtz785]

I absolutely loved the live action. I in fact loved it so much that it made me start watching the anime and begin my one piece journey! You can tell that the person behind the show is a massive one piece fan and after watching over half of the anime I can safely say they did such a good job for an adaptation.

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

@@paulettewirtz785 I agree! These are fans making this show.

[@OVERFIEND]

Initially some of the plot changes were jarring but upon re-watch there was a lot to love about the adaptation. Hopefully the team can learn and improve for a potentially incredible second season and onward!

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

@@OVERFIEND Yes!

[@BooksWithBenghisKahn]

This live action season is the only way I’ve engaged with the One Piece story so far, and my wife and I both really enjoyed watching it together! Love the cast, the lively set decorations, and the themes/spirit of the story. Can’t wait for the next season!

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

@@BooksWithBenghisKahn In my opinion, it gives a good taste of the manga. Cheers, Ben!

[@beanzaru]

The spirit feels so strong in this show because it was made by lots of passionate fans alongside Oda's guiding hand. He was the one who actually helped cast the straw hats and SPECIFICALLY picked out Iñaki for Luffy because he made him smile! Oda worked VERY closely on s1 and he's actually doing the same for s2, which is currently filming.

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

@@beanzaru That’s excellent news for season 2!

[@riatsila144]

First off, I think the Live Action was great, generally on board with what you've said here. One thing I'm a little surprised you didn't mention though were some of the negatives, and maybe you just didn't feel the same way I did, and if that's the case, that's totally cool!. Not in things lost, but questionable changes that really feel unnecessary. I think in regards to characterization, the big thing I feel they missed the boat on was this whole "Good Pirate" thing. We as readers/viewers are allowed to determine whether what the Straw Hats do is good or not (and its almost always an unequivocal "yes"). But Luffy doesn't do it "to be good" its because it's what he wants to do. It does follow some of the concepts in Oda's drafts that pirates had a good/evil split of Peace-mains vs. Morganeers, but I think he purposefully muddies the waters into "all pirates are free, now what do you do with your freedom?" So, referring to himself and Shanks as "the good kind" feels like spoonfeeding the concepts, instead of letting actions speak, and the viewers to decide. The other was Nojiko and the rest of Nami's village not knowing what was going on, and just hating her for her apparent betrayal. I think that really took away a lot of their characterization, and the deep cut of saying "you've done enough". It brings on the question of course or knowingly allowing a child to do that, so I assume that's the why of the change, but I think just letting her go, thinking she turned her back is also terrible, so I don't think that wins any points for the village anyway. I've been longwinded on it, so it sounds like I'm harping on it, but those are just the two things that are still pretty minor, but the biggest parts I felt were unnecessary and stick out the most (there are other nitpicks, but it's fine). Otherwise it was phenomenal, and I'm SO excited for Alabasta!

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

@@riatsila144 I think your criticisms are more than fair - they are insightful, and I tend to agree. Cheers!

[@riatsila144]

​@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasymuch appreciated! Always happy to hear your insights. On to Thriller Bark!

[@slavedemorto]

I didn't like Live Action in particular, but I can appreciate that it introduced lots of people to One Piece. It pales in comparison to the original, but as a standalone project its refreshing, well made and all things considered - a good adaptation.

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

@@slavedemorto That’s absolutely fair!

[@lonewolf9325]

I have seen the Live Action reactions, like 40 times..all fresh first timers. The 2nd half of it was sure the better one..with Ep 5&6 being the best. The title cards and music were superb. And the Narrator, oh🫡 I want more of him...when he said "setting off a race across the seas to find the Pirate King's hidden treasure..THE ONEPIECE" chills!!

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

@@lonewolf9325 I had a few moments of One Piece chills during this first season. It was definitely worth watching!

[@hansdampf6916]

Makes sense to be impressed by the narrator. He isn't just some nobody, it's Ian McShane.

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

@@hansdampf6916 He was perfect as Wednesday in the adaptation of American Gods.

[@blakemyers643]

People who got really mad about the live action one piece are the same people who got mad about Villeneuve's dune. It's an incredibly difficult material to adapt and they nailed the tone which is the most important part. Casting was perfect for the crew. Can't wait for season 2

[@second1387]

I have quite a lot of nitpicks with the LA. I just wish they kept Usopp's character developments, as well as putting more into Nami's new tattoo. But overall, this is a well adaptation doing a good job of adapting 95 manga chapters into 8 episodes. The soundtracks of the show are bangers!!!

[@Ninja_McMuffin]

I absolutely love the changes they made to bring the characters to life while keeping the core components of them intact. People underplay how well they were able to bring our favorite Looney Tunes into a more grounded setting.

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

It definitely worked for me!

[@totoplopp6630]

Absolutely LOVING how youre getting more and more deeply engrossed in one piece

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

@@totoplopp6630 Cheers! 😊

[@IamGrimalkin]

Garp is the biggest thing we see from future chapters of the manga, but it isn't the only one. Some of the fish-man themes you mentioned here appear more prominently in the Flying Fish Riders/Sabaody arc after the Thriller Bark arc you must currently be in (although you do see traces of it in the way Tom is treated in Water 7).

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

@@IamGrimalkin I did notice the theme during Franky’s flashback with Tom, so it didn’t surprise me when it appeared in the live action. I’ll be interested to see how it plays out in the manga. Cheers!

[@EresirThe1st]

Personally I feel like Zeff and Garp were the standout performances for the show, their actors really brought them to life and I love that they got their own original scene together.

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

@@EresirThe1st And that original scene was excellent!

[@GalekC]

Don Krieg was created back then in mid-1998 upon Oda sensei watching the OVA/first animated adaptation of one piece with the antagonist of that, "Ganzack" whose general aesthetic/characterization would reflect a lot on what Oda would then implement into Krieg/Arlong, respectively. i was actually a little happy that he got literally scrapped although it did hurt sanji's development a smidge by at least not being there to view zoro's fight

[@Excellor64]

I really loved this adaptation. It definitely felt like the spirit and heart of the series was at the core of the adaptation. I didn't mind the 2-2-2-2 style for the season, but I do got to say that Usopp's set of episodes felt a bit long. However, I can't really fault it too much because it actually make me like Kuro more in the Live Action than on the other mediums. I just enjoyed the actor very much. The only other thing that was weird to me when I first watched it was the Garp reveal. BUT, I actually completely agree and like that they did it. In the manga, after we leave Koby, we really don't get much more of him until much later. So setting this up early, for the medium, feels more organic to me. A thing that One Piece establishes pretty well is the fact that the World is a breathing, living thing. So people live and time passes for everyone even though we really only follow the Strawhats. With the intro of Garp early and establishing the relationship between him and Koby now, it will not be jarring and "out of nowhere" when they come up again later on.

[@thewayof9beats]

loved the video glad you finally watched it! I agree with you i really liked the live action. side note when can we expect to see a merphy napier and allen strream hehe im looking forward to hearing you talk with like minded individuals about one piece!

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

I’ll be chatting with Merphy relatively soon!

[@thewayof9beats]

@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy awesome looking forward to it!

[@maxpower2480]

Don Krieg was also there to contrast the Sanji-Zeff relationship with Gin, who also seems to owe some huge debt to his mentor. And Zeff, unlike Krieg, cares for his mentee to the point, where he wants him to live his own life rather than (ab)use his absolute loyalty for his own goals. In the live action adaptation, they replaced that with Zeff's "passing on the torch" philosophy contrasted by Garps almost gerontocratic mindset. Which I loved. That dialogue is one of my favourite scenes. In no small parts thanks to the two actors portraying them.

[@matheuspastorelli3925]

I first read the manga, then I watched the anime. Ive reread the manga a few times and I watched One Pace. I still havent finished watching the live action, I just watched the first few episodes. I appreciate the adaptation, the care and dedication that was put into it as not to mess it up but I never felt I needed it. I also appreciate it because it made people who wouldnt experience the story otherwise, do it. But I wonder how much I'd like the live action had I never read or watched One Piece before. Anyway, I can't wait to hear your thoughts

[@vtrippz704]

People hate on the casting but don’t understand how hard it is to play these characters, I think Inaki was a perfect Luffy and Emily Rudd did an amazing Nami

[@Ghostreader198]

Originally the live action was meant to have 10 episodes, but was changed to 8 due to a Netflix policy shift, and I think the back end of the season really suffers as a result. Arlong Park needed an extra episode, and I think Baratie could have used more time as well. In my ideal world the season would have made it through Loguetown but that was never going to happen with 8 episodes. I also personally really hated a lot of the Garp scenes and tend to skip them when rewatching, but I’ve seen it pointed out that filming in bunch of characters talking in an office is a lot less expensive than outside in these big sets, so I can see why the marine subplot got so much time that could have gone to the straw hats. I think season 2 will benefit a lot from the marine B plot already being there in the manga with Smoker and Tashigi, and not having to try to change a lot of disparate little arcs into one overarching story like the live action did with the east blue. As it is, I agree that the live action captures the spirit of the series, but also flattens a lot of its depth. Glad you also enjoyed the soundtrack. It’s on Spotify and is over 4 hours long, and all the interviews with the composers were really interesting and worth checking out imo.

[@f.carasind4188]

It's not only "a bunch of characters talking in an office" that saved cost. Nearly all of the scenes in the B plot reuse already existing sets which made building them a little less cost-intensive in a shown per minute ratio.

[@pierrelehnen6127]

​@@f.carasind4188also helped justify creating/detailing those sets in the first place. Had they not planned to reuse certain sets for Garp scenes, maybe they would've cut corners with them for the Straw Hat scenes too.

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

@@Ghostreader198 Thank you for that context - very helpful!

[@profdrguenter1055]

the live action takes advantage of the fact that it is such a long running series they play with a lot of information that we got in hignsight and extra infos that got put out by the autor outside of the manga like the fight between zoro and the baroce works agent wich we knew happend because zoro told us about it during wiskey peek and we know how the guy looks because of drawings the autor made outside of the manga and i like little details like that it shows that the showrunners understand the material they are using

[@gjermundnorumbugge7373]

Love the thumbnail. Simple yet Effective

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

@@gjermundnorumbugge7373 Thank you! 🙏

[@owenlawson1245]

Yeah speaking as a man who has been burned by one too many manga to live-action adaptations, we should all be happy the have done as great a job as theyve done so far. The spirit of One Piece is precious to me and it is nice to see they have taken considerable effort to try and get the important stuff right. A couple criticisms with it... I think theres a little more to Don Krieg being cut that irks me. It feel it was important to Sanjis joining the crew. Other than that theres a little too much Garp (though I loved his portrayal). The screen time mightve been used up better elsewhere. Who am I to judge though? Wouldve been real hard cramming it all in. Thanks for the video. Keep up the reading and catch up with us!

[@SeppoSuutari]

I'll bet the increased Garp time was to lure in a wider audience age-bracket.

[@owenlawson1245]

@@SeppoSuutari Hadn't really thought of that. Actually I need to put my Netflix glasses on and see how this angle might’ve impacted some of their other choices.

[@christianshobbiblog1816]

Great video, Phillip! I watched the first handful of arcs the show covered from the anime and I enjoyed them but felt some episodes seemed to slog on. I loved it overall but I think the adaptation just hit so well for me. It’s so painful that we can’t get this show released faster because of IRL logistics and reality haha. I’m excited to jump back into the anime after watching this because it’s been almost 2 years since I started the anime. Haven’t decided to rewatch the first three arcs yet for KZbin but definitely the next arcs I haven’t seen. The acting is amazing in the adaptation as well and Aesop I think I prefer in this than the anime which I was NOT expecting. Everyone was amazing and I had a moment where I thought the villain Axe Hand (excuse me for forgetting the name it’s been a few months since watching) was played by Michael Keaton haha it’s an uncanny resemblance to him.

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

@@christianshobbiblog1816 Cheers, Christian!

[@MetalGildarts]

Great insights Phil. Honestly I don't on looking into the live action show anytime soon, but it has gotten a ton of people to look into the anime or manga, so I guess I'm ok with it existing. I just believe that live action can never truly encapsulate what makes the source material so good and special. But to each their own. I'm just glad you'r a fan now. I never thought you of all people would get into it . :D

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

@@MetalGildarts Here I am loving One Piece! 😊

[@AnEruditeAdventure]

Absolutely loved the Live Action. Very few shows have I ever thought “this show is made for me”, but this is one. I can’t wait for more. -T

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

@@AnEruditeAdventure I feel exactly that way about the manga. I’m so glad you enjoyed the live action!

[@IFTI_643]

I have been waiting for this.

[@channelname8970]

I think there are a lot of things that the Live Action could bring to the table that could be considered improvements to the original story; for one, the pacing is probably gonna be a lot better, although it may be a bit too fast later on when there’s a lot of content in each arc/saga. I think they’re also gonna remove Sanjis excessive perviness and keep him more in line with how he was during Baratie in both the manga and anime.

[@Bergzbot]

A couple things I remember from following the production of the live action series: -Iñaki (Luffy's actor) made Oda laugh with his audition tape, which is part of what got him the role -in an SBS (Q&A with Oda between chapters in the physical volumes), Oda listed what ethnicity each straw hat is, and they casted someone from the corresponding culture for each crew member -the showrunner has appeared in multiple streams and videos on KZbin discussing recent chapters with prominent members of the community leading up to the release season one. Goes to show that the people making this are also fans of the series -similar to my last point, one community member, a youtuber named Randy Troy, has a background as a writer for shows. He has been brought on for season 2 of the live action

[@esmayrosalyne]

I have yet to try the manga, but I wholeheartedly agree with all the praise for the adaptation here! I feel like the passion of the actors really shines through in every scene, which gives the show so much heart. Very glad that this did not let you down ;)

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

Thank you, Esmay! It speaks well of the adaptation that people unfamiliar with the manga or anime were able to enjoy it.

[@yusuffulat6954]

The best part of a Netflix live adaptation is that it's a great gateway to introduce a whole load of new people to One Piece and encourages them to pursue the source material. If it conveys the spirit of the show well enough then it's a win-win!

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

@@yusuffulat6954 Agreed!

[@wesomek]

I think manga readers feel the same way about the anime, as anime watchers feel about the live action. In lots of ways the live action is an improvement on pace considering how the anime kept catching up to the manga over the years.

[@toastertyper960]

Can’t wait until you finish thriller bark. A lot of people like it less then some other arcs but I personally love it 🎶

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

I look forward to it!

[@harshil9270]

I feel when talking about the spirit of a piece of media, it’s a good indicator on the complexity of a piece of work because a show where it’s hard to capture the spirit of he original media shows the depth of the world oda sensei has built and the adaptation has done a good job of introducing this world to people who may have wanted to get into this manga/anime but found it daunting to approach due to its sheer size which would help them see if they would like to delve further into this world.

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

Well said!

[@Framed-Naraht]

I really loved the Netflix adaptation, and I really liked your comments on the spirit needing to be right. The biggest complaint I've seen, was that without the Don Krieg fight, Sanji joined up without a lot of convincing, whereas in the Manga, Luffy's willingness to fight to the death helped Sanji realize his dream is worth fighting for. I can't wait for you to get through the next two arcs in the manga, where the world starts growing exponentially.

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

@@Framed-Naraht I’m excited to move forward in the manga!

[@OdinMarshall]

Live action was what got me to watch the entirety of the anime. I binged it like mad and hated when I got to the end because now I have to wait. And I switched to the manga at the end to get caught up there too because I didn't want to encounter spoilers while waiting for the new episodes.

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

@@OdinMarshall I would call that a success!

[@MartialGamerchannel]

If you ever get the chance, as a Prof for the literary arts, I would recommend Akira: The Manga. It started in 1982, and won two 2018 Eisner Awards. There is a 35th anniversary box set, tho it was sold like hot cakes when it was released. Synopsis: "In 1982, Kodansha published the first chapter of Akira, a dystopian saga set in Neo-Tokyo, a city recovering from thermonuclear attack where the streets have been ceded to motorcycle gangs and the rich and powerful run dangerous experiments on destructive, supernatural powers that they cannot control. In 1988, the manga was adapted into what was at the time the most expensive animated film ever made, which brought Akira's influence out of the manga world and onto the global stage. Today, it remains a touchstone for artists, writers, filmmakers, and fans, retaining all the brutal impact and narrative intensity it had when Otomo first unleashed it onto the world." It is very much on the other end of the spectrum compared to One Piece, which shows the beauty of one's humanity and the power of relationships, Akira shows the struggle to hold on to one's humanity, in the face of overwhelming nihilism. Since you're dipping into manga, I would love to see your opinion on this.... Also, I can't wait till you reach Marineford.

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

@@MartialGamerchannel Thank you for the recommendation! Much appreciated!

[@MartialGamerchannel]

@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy Unlike most manga conventions these days, Akira's pacing goes at a breakneck speed, while plot elements become more complex and intriguing page by page, so you'll be done in no time😁.

[@JetsFittedUp]

Sometimes I just wish Inaki would sound more sure of himself as Luffy

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

That’s fair, I think.

[@JetsFittedUp]

He does sound very sure of himself, just Manga/Anime Luffy believes in himself 200% which makes Inaki's seem a little more tame by comparison. A good adaptation for sure though.

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

@@JetsFittedUp It’s hard to measure up to Luffy!

[@foreveronline9640]

Zeff cast is perfect too

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

Yes!

[@Aviertje]

After you have reached Fishman Island in the manga, I'd love to hear an addendum with your opinion on the live action. The live action added some details that weren't in the original Arlong Park arc that beef up the foundation of Fishman Island whenever they end up covering that, and I'm really impressed by the way they did so. Oda probably didn't have more than a vague idea of Fishman Island at the time he wrote Arlong Park, assuming it was even on his horizon as an arc / place to visit at all. In regards to the rest of the adaptation, I think they did well except on a couple of things. For one, Usopp fails to shine in his own arc, and the kiss doesn't do much to help with that. Second, there's Nami's villagers which were made too irrelevant and Nojiko who was outright antagonistic, which didn't suit her given that she was always the hidden strength supporting Nami from behind. These changes for me lessened the impact of the 'help me' since her attachment to the villagers is hard to empathize with. The Garp B-plot was confusing to me. Garp waffled endlessly without feeling like he made progress (several episodes of 'we catch them for real this time') and his outbursts of anger while wrecking a room felt like a weird take for me personally. But I guess it beats him walking through walls...

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

@@Aviertje These are all thoughtful criticisms that you put forward well. I think the changes are at least partly a byproduct of compression. They weren’t inevitable, but they are related to squeezing so much into much less space. Some of the show makers’ decisions were very effective under the circumstances, and some less so. Cheers!

[@gavina-kk5td]

I completely agree that for what it was, this live action was amazing. The only thing I felt could have been considerably better is the dynamic between Sanji and Zoro. For some reason it felt more like intense hatred between the two rather than a heated rivalry. Maybe it was because they had to rush it though. Regardless, it is hard not to be bothered when you know these characters so well. Like, with Nami’s backstory, I don’t think they could have done much better but there were some signs of rushing production like Bellemere not getting her badass moment against Arlong (while the scene still took up the same time relatively).

[@AJMegaScizor]

I watched the live action with a friend who wasn't interested in the manga or anime and we both enjoyed it. I think the cast and the love put into this is what I love most about it. I can't tell you how many times I've watched interviews with the cast and it also helps that Mackenyu (Zoro) and Emily (Nami) are big fans of the anime/manga. I find it funny whenever Mackenyu is asked if he's a fan of One Piece he's always ardent that he's japanese so of course he's a fan! 🤣I also believe the showrunners are fans of the source material too which helps ALOT in these adaptations its clear why people enjoyed it so much!

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

@@AJMegaScizor I think the people involved in the production being fans of the source material makes a big difference too. Cheers!

[@jaziybabe]

I completely agree with you that adaptations are more about the spirit than scene for scene replication. I used to be a huge stickler about that when I was younger, but after hearing a director commentary on one of the Twilight films of all things, he talked about how some things just aren’t able to be depicted one for one. They have to make changes for the different medium. Since then I go into adaptations with a more open frame of mind and understanding that they are two separate works of art

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

Yes! This is exactly the way I feel, and it frees me to evaluate the adaptation on its own terms.

[@jaziybabe]

@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy yes, yes, exactly! If you only ever try to match it you will always be disappointed

[@jaziybabe]

@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy I’ve heard the argument (mostly from Merph, but others as well) that when it comes to anime/manga/comic to live action adaptations even more than book to movie that there are certain gags and humor that wouldn’t translate to live action and would just look hokey (Sanji’s “simpiness” for example). But I love that they did a great job of adding little nods to it, such as characters interacting with their wanted posters during their introductions. That’s one thing I, and most fans, love about the Heartstopper adaptation. It’s a really fun way to give nod to the whimsy (or is OP’s case, absurdity) of the comic format.

[@gurvirsingh963]

So apparently taz skylar (sanji's actor) took martial arts classes and was cooking food during the shooting sessions to better align with sanji's character. Idk if this is true, but if so that is some huge dedication to the role.

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

@@gurvirsingh963 It sounds believable to me! He did a fabulous job in the role.

[@yeastofthoughtsmind9623]

I agree that capturing the spirit of the original in an adaptation is most important. One of my favorite intellectual properties is The Witcher because I feel that the games and show capture the spirit of the books, yet all 3 are somewhat unique and different.

[@mattf315]

I absolutely loved the Live Action adaptation! My only potential problem was removing Don Kreig’s role at Barratie limited Sanji’s development, but I understand some things had to be cut

[@kaizokud42]

Well he got cut by Mihawk 😂

[@BeverageEnjoyer]

LETS GOOOOO new review, THIS IS HUGEEEE!!!

[@martygene]

I love the live action, and last year when it dropped was my first time giving One Piece an honest chance. Now…I’m in the Marineford arc on the anime and heavily thinking about getting into the manga as well. 😅❤️

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

A fantastic testimony to the adaptation’s spirit! Cheers!

[@nickmeyer2048]

I also like the fact that what sanji Said to the Fishman kurobi came true in this adaptation, He invited him to the Restaurant so that he can get his butt kicked by the cooks and in this version It came to the restaurant, I was like they actually did this cool!!!

[@Ytinasniiable]

As we near the end of series Coby's dream will inevitably come back into play, so I think given the compression, oda actually encouraged a stronger emphasis on coby when he was being consulted on scripts

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

@@Ytinasniiable That makes a lot of sense!

[@anindadas5681]

I agree with you about the spirit and heart of the show. The casting was on point as well. Undoubtedly it is the best live action adaption. But the bar wasn't that high for them. While I did enjoy the show, it did fail in some key parts. The world building was poor, the world setting was poor. Like Usop's village was a small alley of houses. Bringing characters like Garp early while keeping Coby almost the entire show was puzzling. The shock value of knowing Garp's identity was unfound. Plus the vfx was not on par. They barely showed any Devil Fruit powers either. Now, I understand there were budget constraints but a con is a con. Things like world building, panoramic vastness and endless possibilities are what makes One Piece special. The feeling of how small we are compared to the world was never conveyed in the Live-Action. Imo the show conveyed about 20% of the One Piece world and spirit; which is already enough since One Piece is the greatest piece of art ever made and 20% of it is already better than most other creations. But fans who only watched the Live-Action will never understand One Piece's grandiose and the connection it has with its readers.

[@Cool_Gu]

My biggest problem is the octopus guy isn’t in Arlong Park. Also Zoro isn’t as goofy. I just hope they keep the scene where he poses while getting turned into wax in season 2

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

I love Zoro’s posing scene!

[@kaelmic7476]

imo the two biggest things i disliked were: 1. lack of hachi. I get that an 8 armed sword fight would have been ridiculously expensive, but hachi is CRUCIAL to sabaody, and kicks off the entire end of pre timeskip. we could have cut a bit of syrup village to make up for that, i think 2. ussopp is smoothed over. his absence in the fight with kuro really hurts; the audience needs to see ussop bravely try and fail to root for him in arlong park. hes also much cooler than ussop in early one piece; but i think him being a bit prideful and annoying is kind of the point. by the time you reach water 7, you might like him a lot, but theres a bit of resentment there. also a minor nitpick but luffy is strong. he trained his whole life. its not really until crocodile that luffy struggles with a fight. hes fully confident he can beat every single person he comes accross, and he does. its little lines like "i didnt know i could do that" when he deflect cannonballs (he did. he made up his own moves) and "i cant beat you" to arlong. he absolutely could, it just wasnt easy. but luffy was confident and that makes a difference. its why him powering up to gear two in enies lobby is so impactful. he realizes he needs to close the gap for the first time (since he relied on strategy and his rubber quality in alabasta and skypiea)

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

@@kaelmic7476 Great to hear your thoughts and insights!

[@ashwandenoscar6374]

As a long time fan I was very eager to see the live action when it was released as well as a bit anxious (just like everyone I suppose). I think pretty much every fan will agree that the main challenges of a One Piece adaptation are conveying the whole spirit of the story in which humor and drama are linked as well as recreating Oda’s very goofy and hyperbolic universe whithout making it « too much » in a sense. My main fear was that many of One Piece’s characters might not survive the adapatation, that many characters who are goofy and funny would become ridiculous as soon as they are played by a real actor (Buggy for instance). Because one could think they are so many things that Oda can get away with because it’s a manga but just wouldn’t work in a movie, take Doflamingo’s design for instance : the man is dressed in pink feathers, is three meters tall and walks like he’s spent the past twenty years on a horse. One might think it just won’t work with real actors. But the live action really nailed these two things. They managed to stay very loyal both to the spirit and to the whole verse of the story with the settings and the characters and everything. Every character they adapted really are the ones we see in the manga, the live action Buggy really is our Buggy from the manga, same with the other antagonists as well as the straw hats. And I’m sure when they’ll come to Doflamingo they’ll nail him as well. Same for the locations, they recreated Shell town, the Baratie, Arlong Park in ways that seem a little unrealistic and just reminds us we’re in a fairy tale without making it « over the top ». They’ve managed to make it « believable » in a sense, which kind of seemed impossible before the live action was aired.

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

@@ashwandenoscar6374 Beautifully said! I think the love and attention show in this adaptation. It’s not perfect - it never could be for everyone - but it does so much so well.

[@cdot32]

I think the series is good and much better than anyone ever expected it would be. Because of the live action a lot more people will enjoy the story, and I think that's great. Even though I personally dislike the way they handled some of the characters (mainly Zoro and Nami; though I understand they had to lean in to more general character archetypes western audiences would know for the sake of time).

[@jon-axelgallagher6740]

Another fantastic video!

[@jameswittak3483]

I really hope they start off season 2 with an opening shot of gaimon. The gaimon story might be the most powerful theme for the wind at luffys back. Plus he would look hilarious

[@grennbalze]

As a long time one piece reader, i was very happy with the live action, and it got my wife and teenager interested, along with a lot of other normies. Well done!

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

@@grennbalze That’s a win/win!

[@grennbalze]

@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy speaking if win/wins. One of my favorite characters is Gin, and i was pretty happy that he was the only one of the Krieg pirates to survive. A little sad we didnt get his fight with Sanji. Thought it was very impactful that both Zoro and Sanji lost their fights, but more or less won moral victories over their opponents in that arc

[@perdyIo]

I loved the sets and them trying to not use CGI as much as possible. I think no one was upset they removed Don Kreig and pearl from the adaptation, but Sanji's arc was underdeveloped.

[@thebookitself69]

thanks for the review, I love your style

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

@@thebookitself69 Cheers!

[@MugiwaraSuponji]

what really impressed me RE: the spirit of OP, is that the live action was CAMP! I never would have thought of a manga as camp, but OP *is* so camp, and the live action show found that and brought it out and IMO is why is succeeds. (And also why Chopper should be a puppet lol). It takes the serious unseriously, and the unserious seriously, and in doing so it offers a critique of *what* we consider serious

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

I love the way you expressed this here - thank you!

[@chezmix64]

There so much debate over whether an adaptation should be accurate or try to be it's own thing but honestly I think both sides miss the point entirely. What makes an adaptation good is NOT whether it stays 1:1 with the source material OR how well it changes its source material. It's how strong of a vision the adaptation has. An adaptation can be incredible as a 1:1 adaptation OR it's own completely different thing IF there is strong intention behind what it is doing. The greatest adaptations are ones that are made because the person adapting it is already starting with a strong vision for what they want the adaptation to accomplish. Not just "we need to make this property live action because it's popular" but "I have a vision for how this should play out in live action and I want to see that vision come to life" and if you ask me, I truly believe this is the case for One Piece. It's not perfect, it definitely has its flaws and I'm not crazy about some of the ways they adapted it, but it's very clear the show runners not only get one piece but also what THEY want to do with one piece

[@Alcatrazrezz]

I enjoyed the live action, but they should have left Mihawks reason for attacking Don Kreig alone... Mihawk attacking him in the manga was because he was bored, that is the peak of Mihawks character he is such a strong swordsman he is bored of all fights he comes across

[@lonewolf9325]

17:16 I think Mihawk left Luffy more on the basis of "I am satisfied upon meeting Zoro" and he liked Luffy's hat😅 For him to tell Garp "I wanna know what becomes of THAT man" is actually a reflection on Zoro..then he teases Garp that his grandson might find the onepiece..he is being Petty, thats all.

[@kodytiffany5686]

My number one issue was all the night shots that were supposed to be day or sunlight shots... on top of which they sapped about half the emotion from Nami's scene by choosing to have her village not know what was going on with her. Still did better than I was expecting but those blemishes I won't let slide because I now know which moments later on they will choose to cheapen with similar reversions of emotional impact. I also now expect that in S2 they will have stuff revealed about Ace after the fact show up that you are about to learn of in upcoming arcs... I mean at this point I consider spoilers for the manga readers to be on the table. In my case I feel the spirit was only partially met... which is better than not met as is the norm with LA adaptations.

[@MatthewLikesToRead]

I'm glad you watched and enjoyed it!

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

Me too! Cheers, Matthew!

[@plebboy72]

Loved the live action for reasons beyond what I’d normally look for in a show. I think it did capture the spirit well enough, acting was decent and scenery stunning. 2 things about this I don’t love, the standard one for me is that hardly any live action anime adaption has ever made me feel like it doesn’t look like trying to cram anime style into real world surroundings which makes it feel a lot more out of place than some sci-fi or fantasy shows manage to make it feel. But that’s fine, I get the reasoning for it. Secondly the show should’ve been 10 episodes as planned. In the end the east blue is meant to be a character introduction and while the live action managed to capture the characters main motivators for me it lacks a bit of depth for Sanji and Usop where the manga/anime have captured it better imo. Not terrible but I do hope for future seasons they don’t have to cram that much plot into this small amount of episodes

[@unRottenemSpines]

really well put, professor ✌

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

@@unRottenemSpines Cheers! 🙏

[@jacobkakyoin6882]

Assuming they get far enough to adapt it, the death of the Going Merry is going to be even more painful knowing its namesake was killed... As a whole, I feel like they went more in on the seafaring adventure a la Pirates of the Caribbean as opposed to something with heavy action shonen energies, which also worked for tension. Most immediately and noticeably, I think about how Captain Morgan was basically a joke as a fight in the original, but here, he comes across as threatening in a fight as a gigantic marine captain would be against three people half his size, while Captain Kuro has the energies of a slasher villain whose throwaway minions can provide a challenge for Zoro. People come across far less invincibly in Live Action, Mihawk aside. Fully agreed on the point about adaptations. It's an artform in and of itself to translate a story to another medium's unique strengths, meanwhile the standard shonen fans tend to hold manga adaptations to is to make something as literally 1-for--1 as possible, even when the end result is obviously lesser for it at a glance. Even many live-action manga adaptations that obviously can't do what animation can end up coming across like shallow greatest-hits collections that sacrifice substance for the sake of "the big stuff." Netflix was actually kind of notorious for slapping their names on distribution for low-quality productions like this, aside from an attempt at an Americanized Death Note movie, but more recent productions have made conscious efforts to stand as their own coherent versions of the story, with Cowboy Bebop and Yu Yu Hakusho also coming to mind... Though none of the three I mentioned actually get it anywhere close to right like One Piece does. YYH comes the closest, but so much is run over to end the season on its grungier take on the most iconic fight in the series that it ends up falling into that "skip to the big stuff, none of what made it work" problem despite a promising first half. OP had so much against it in this context and even people who justifiably dislike it still have a lot to praise about it. The willingness to veer so dramatically also makes the line-for-line, shot-for-shot scene recreations One Piece does have land even harder, I think. Zoro vs Mihawk, Nami begging for help, and so on. I truly hope that future seasons get more episodes, though this upcoming one perhaps most of all. I can maybe see some future seasons making eight episodes work, since so much of One Piece after this is spent with a prolonged period in one or two locations so it would largely be a matter of condensing singular story arcs (not ideal, but it is what it is), but the math on doing everything from Loguetown to Arabasta in 8 40-to-60 minute segments gives me a headache to even conceive of. There was once a strange One Piece movie that basically readapted specifically the Drum Kingdom story but with Vivi swapped out for Robin and Franky, which tells me two hours or so would be the upper limit for that, Loguetown is short but so dense it would have to be its own episode, you could MAYBE do Little Garden in one, whereas I could see Whiskey Peak and Laboon's basic events blended into one episode if they play fast and loose (GOD I hope they give Mackenyu the 100 agents fight still, as an aside. That could be made John Wick levels of cool in live action when it's already one of the best Zoro fights)... Which itself would leave Arabasta to be done in three segments, which feels very short (I know Arabasta also got an even shorter movie than Drum Kingdom did, but that one cut several elements that will definitely not be removed here such as Ace, Smoker, Tashigi, so it's a far less useful metric). But all of this also before factoring in that they'll likely keep giving Koby a subplot, maybe even making him join up with Smoker, because part of Koby's appeal in One Piece proper is this zero-to-hero story you see almost entirely through cameos years of comic apart but that doesn't quite work in live-action TV; I'm reminded of how Game of Thrones gave Robb Stark a lot more onscreen to do when his story was heavily told through other characters hearing of his exploits in the books. In short, if they don't devote a full hour to circling back and doing Gaimon's Island of Rare Animals, what's even the point?

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

@@jacobkakyoin6882 Excellent comments! Adaptation indeed an art form!

[@tabo51]

I, too, have high praises for the live action adaptation and I think it had to do with Oda-sensei's very close involvement with the series. He had to greenlight everything and has commented that there were times where he clashed with the Netflix team to the point where it was almost dropped. I had some issues with some of the casting, but all the major roles were well chosen. I think the biggest issue I had with the live action version was at Arlong Park where the villagers of Kokoyashi didn't know of Nami's sacrifice. I liked how they toned down a little bit of the comedy because it was either 1) a Japanese joke or 2) it would have been cheesy/tacky in a live action environment while you have some more leeway for dramatic effect in a manga/anime. I also thought it was kinda ironic that Zoro had the most fight scenes, but I think that was a result of budgeting when to use CGI for Luffy and Buggy.

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

Oda’s involvement was key, I’m sure! Cheers!

[@benniek1050]

What gives me faith is how the writers and show runners behind the live action gush about One Piece like nakama.

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

@@benniek1050 Yes! Very important!

[@Ghost.Nappa56]

I still would the live action a lot of credit simply for making Syrup Village arc watchable.

[@danbelow90]

I think the life action is great. While the manga takes it's time building up to big reveals and makes them very satisfying, so you keep reading even the lengthy parts because you know it's worth it, it - well.. is at time lengthy. Would be interesting to see a 1:1. There would have to be some serious de aging of the actors because it takes a lot longer to film than to pump out a manga every week under questionable conditions. When watching reactions, the big reveals, like the garp one or Nami who you like, then hate, then like, had a similar effect like reading the manga. I think those are really in the spirit of the manga and the translation of those feelings is important to the fans.

[@bigboar0074]

The way they adapted Ussops village is my biggest complaint. An hour of running around the house with no purpose. The best thing is definitely Baratie

[@vspence2]

I’m mostly ok with the narrative changes though I don’t particularly like how Kuro or Arlong were written. Their actors were fine but they just didn’t have the menacing threat as they do in the manga. Also I realize Hachi would have been difficult to do in live action but he is one of my favorite minor characters in the first Act of OP (OP is a 3 act story). I can’t really say more than that however for obvious reasons

[@patricknez7258]

I agree i felt they did a great job overall. There's just very different rules imo for anime/manga and live action. They did awesome given the constraints that are or were in place i think. Also strong agree the cast was amazing.

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

@@patricknez7258 Cheers!

[@daasnahk5058]

Will say they have casted Smoker. Tashigi, Dorry, Broggy and most of Baroque Works for season 2 if you're curious philip

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

@@daasnahk5058 Cool!

[@tonionio]

Bro has seen more of the live action than me

[@bartoldo5898]

I've just rewatched the live action and i like it every time. I don't think its a good "replica" of the manga in the way of representing every character exacly as they would be in the original source, but it does make a great netflix series (considering the 8 episodes). I think the way they adapted the characters to fit into a tv show was phenomal and it really brings out the vibes of the original show.

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

Well said!

[@w1-w2-w3]

Initially I don't like it much but many new non anime fans really love one piece live action and some of them even watch the anime after that. So, I think OPLA is really good for non-anime viewers and OPLA team did the great job.