For fans of video games and anime, there is one phrase that, more times than not, fills them with dread. That phrase is “live-action adaptation.” Why is that? Because when it comes to Hollywood and their desire to make a buck off anything they feel is “viable,” they’ll often make adaptations that aren’t good. Unfortunately, both video games and anime have had many live-action adaptations that were questionable and terrible at best. So when Netflix revealed that they were making a live-action adaptation based on One Piece, people’s eyes widened for many reasons.
The first is that the series is one of the longest-running anime in history. It has well over 1000 animated episodes, and both it and the original manga are still going! So trying to adapt all of that would be a monstrous task. However, it was made known that the series wouldn’t try to do everything and instead take on the “big beats” of the show/manga. However, we’ve seen that approach with other adaptations in the past, and it’s not worked out well.
Another issue is that the franchise is known for its wacky character looks and abilities. The main character, Monkey D. Luffy, is a young pirate who can stretch his limbs to insane lengths, and one of his Straw Hat Pirates is a literal skeleton. But, of course, that doesn’t even get us to some other people they meet on their journey.
However, the series is coming, and it’s coming soon.
On the official Twitter handle for the series, the first poster for the One Piece adaptation dropped, and not surprisingly; it features Monkey D. Luffy.
As you can see with the other image in this article, we also glimpse the Straw Hat Pirates crew as they await their adventure on the high seas to find the legendary “One Piece” that belonged to Gold D. Roger. In case you didn’t know, “The One Piece is real!”
So, where does this leave fans who are nervous about the adaptation? In the same place they were before. While the poster is nice, it doesn’t show much, as we only see the characters from behind. What’s more, it’ll be the first trailer showcasing whether the live-action show will be able to adapt what the manga and anime have done. We know that Netflix appreciates the franchise as they got the rights to One Piece: Red, which worked well for them. But we’ll have to wait to set sail and see how everything works out.