The beloved manga series created by Eiichiro Oda, One Piece, has been adapted into an ambitious live-action television series by Netflix, bringing the swashbuckling saga to a new medium for audiences around the world. Just as wonderfully wacky as the popular anime series can be, the live-action One Piece is more grounded than its manga and anime counterparts, befitting its presentation. While fans of the anime might find a lot to love here, the live-action series is likely not the best way for uninitiated viewers to experience Oda's globally renowned story for the first time.
Faithful to the manga, One Piece follows young Monkey D. Luffy, who dreams of becoming the King of Pirates by claiming the legendary One Piece treasure hidden by the late pirate king Gol D. Roger. Luffy quickly joins forces with fellow seafaring misfits Roronoa Zoro, Nami, Usopp, and Sanji to search the high seas for the One Piece, each using their unique abilities to survive the harrowing dangers around them. However, Luffy's quest has not gone unnoticed by nefarious figures, with a whole cadre of memorable villains after him while the Navy hunts all pirates.
The strongest element in One Piece is the casting, including Iňaki Godoy's endlessly effervescent Luffy, Mackenyu as the comically stoic Zoro, Emily Rudd as the determinedly fiery Nami, Jacob Romero Gibson as the cheerful Usopp, and Taz Skylar as the smarmy Sanji. The supporting cast and memorable antagonists are just as fun to watch, most notably Jeff Ward, who gives an appropriately deranged performance as the fearsome Buggy the Clown. Each of these actors perfectly captures the spirit of the manga characters, with Mackenyu and Rudd as the particular standouts from the regular cast.
The most immediate comparison for One Piece is Netflix's short-lived live-action adaptation of Cowboy Bebop, canceled shortly after the premiere of its only season in the face of negative backlash. One Piece is significantly better than Cowboy Bebop, with the latter never quite achieving the balance between faithfully adapting its source material and creating its own identity while eschewing its neo-noir sensibilities in favor of garishly bright and colorful visuals. There are certain choices in cinematography that echo Cowboy Bebop's, specifically its penchant for tight closeups, but One Piece does avoid most of the preceding Netflix series' pitfalls.
One Piece Season 1 features a rotating trio of directors, each helming two consecutive episodes before passing the baton to the next. Though the style remains consistent throughout the season, the strongest set is the middle episodes directed by Emma Sullivan, flirting with the horror genre as Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates stumble on something especially sinister. The seafaring premise allows for these variations on genre, and One Piece succeeds when it takes full advantage of the creative latitude it is afforded.
The audience can watch One Piece find its voice and build confidence as it progresses across the season. Hopefully, One Piece will avoid Cowboy Bebop's fate and receive a second season because this version of the show stops just as it really starts to pick up and do bold things with Oda's story.
ONE PIECE is a live-action pirate adventure created in partnership with Shueisha and produced by Tomorrow Studios and Netflix. Matt Owens and Steven Maeda are writers, executive producers, and showrunners. Eiichiro Oda, Marty Adelstein, and Becky Clements also executive produce. One Piece is now streaming on Netflix.