When it comes to live-action adaptations of anime and manga, Netflix's track record is less than stellar. Look no further than 2017's widely panned Death Note, or 2021's Cowboy Bebop, canceled after one season. One Piece, a new series based on Eiichiro Oda's bestselling manga, is the streamer's latest attempt to break its live-action anime curse.
Against all odds, it succeeds.
Netflix's take on One Piece is an unabashedly fun watch — and that's not just because it outdoes prior live-action anime and manga attempts. One Piece actually delivers on the promise of its source material, thanks to big stylistic swings and an instantly memorable crew of characters. Whether you're a diehard One Piece fan or a novice like myself, you'll find something to love here. Heck, you may even start to have more faith in live-action anime and manga adaptations.
SEE ALSO: All the movies coming to Netflix this fallWhat is One Piece about?
Iñaki Godoy in "One Piece." Credit: Courtesy of NetflixOne Piece welcomes us to a world of pirates. Here, daring crews roam the globe in search of the One Piece, a treasure hidden by the long-gone King of the Pirates, Gold Rogers. Whoever finds the One Piece will inherit Rogers' title, making it the most valuable commodity in the four seas. However, the road to the One Piece is a treacherous one. Sea beasts and rival pirates await, not to mention the very real possibility that the treasure is nothing but a myth.
None of these complications will deter Monkey D. Luffy (Iñaki Godoy), a young adventurer determined to be King of the Pirates. What Luffy lacks in piracy experience or even basic swimming ability, he makes up for with boundless enthusiasm and his ultra-stretchy rubber body. While Luffy's childlike excitement over being King of the Pirates could risk getting exhausting, Godoy brings an infectious joy to the role, making for a genuinely charming protagonist.
Despite his steadfast belief in himself, there's no way Luffy can make it to the One Piece without a crew. Enter the Straw Hat Pirates, named after the very important hat Luffy wears everywhere. Luffy's first two recruits are Nami (Emily Rudd), a thief with several secrets up her sleeve, and Roronoa Zoro (Mackenyu), a pirate hunter who's vowed to become the greatest swordsman in the world. Nami and Zoro may not initially want to join up with Luffy, but after the three steal an important map from a Marine base, they have no choice but to stick together as Marines and pirates work to hunt them down.
In contrast to Luffy's near-constant optimism, both Nami and Zoro have more jaded worldviews. These views, along with Rudd's more grounded performance and Mackenyu's angsty deadpan, make the perfect foils for Godoy's animated approach and balance out the initial core crew of the series. With the chemistry cooking between these three, we're off to the races for some high stakes adventures on the high seas.
One Piece offers breathtaking adventure — and extra-fun villains.
Jeff Ward in "One Piece." Credit: Courtesy of NetflixFrom extended sword fights to exotic locales, One Piece excels at spectacle. Each of Season 1's eight episodes features at least one highly involved set piece ( and usually more), be it a heist, an all-out brawl, or a naval battle. Even less overtly out-there sequences, like visits to an at-sea restaurant or a rich benefactor's mansion, get their own degrees of flashiness. The latter even morphs into a slasher-esque showdown that will have you on the edge of your seat.
SEE ALSO: Final 'One Piece' trailer promises adventure and friendship on the high seasHowever, despite the sheer volume of these intense sequences, One Piece keeps them feeling fresh thanks to a rotating rogue's gallery of opponents. Buggy the Clown (Jeff Ward) ropes our heroes into a nightmarish circus scenario, while warlord Dracule Mihawk (Steven Ward) brings a vampiric swagger (and a cartoonishly large sword) to a duel to the death. Elsewhere, fishman pirate Arlong (McKinley Belcher III) throws a wrench into the Straw Hats' dynamic, chomping down on the scenery with his shark teeth as he does so. With these villains, and with every other foe awaiting Luffy and his crew, bigger performances aren't just better: They're also closer to the original anime and manga.
What happens when you bring One Piece to live action?
Mackenyu in "One Piece." Credit: Courtesy of NetflixIt's true that live action cannot completely replicate anime or manga's ultra-expressive physicality and explosive fight scenes. One Piece certainly tries its best, with some efforts working better than others. For example, when it comes to filming, One Piece tends to over-rely on extreme close-ups and canted angles to achieve an anime feel.
However, combat sequences here are still appropriately heightened — expect gravity-defying flips and elite swordsmanship — but those involving melee weapons like Nami's bo staff or Zoro's three swords feel grounded thanks to intricate choreography and stunt work. Things get somewhat dicier when you bring in Luffy's rubber powers, which veer into the uncanny valley. Thankfully, One Piece uses them sparingly, and by the end of the season, you've grown used to the sight of Luffy's ever-expanding arms.
For the most part, One Piece tends to avoid the uncanny valley between realism and CGI thanks to large practical sets that give us a firm tactile foothold in Luffy's world. Ships like the Baratie and the Going Merry are particularly impressive, as are the windmills of the aptly named Windmill Village. These colorful constructed backgrounds do sometimes clash with other locations, such as natural forests or beaches, with the line between artifice and reality somewhat mirroring that between anime and live action.
Even with the occasional case of visual dissonance, One Piece's execution remains strong enough to deliver a larger-than-life delight — one with a strong heart. Yes, this is a series where a boy can repel a bullet with his stretchy skin, but it's also a series about a group of outcasts finding and helping each other. Every member of the Straw Hat Pirates, including later recruits Usopp (Jacob Romero Gibson) and Sanji (Taz Skylar), has a specific dream they want to achieve — but none of them can get there alone. Only together can these five adventurers prevail. And with their quests already off to a promising start with Season 1, it's hard not to want more One Piece.
