Follow us on Google News
Get the latest updates directly in your Google News feed
The idea of a live-action anime series or movie has always raised eyebrows, as the project might just deviate from the source material and fail to resonate with the essence of the source material. Though there have been several heartfelt attempts to make a successful adaptation, all of them failed.
However, Eiichiro Oda’sOne Piecebreaks the cycle because the TV series has been a massive hit, with season 2 on the way. Despite the success, the manga artist was extremely pessimistic about bringing the idea to life, until he came across one Chinese cult classic film that we all have enjoyed watching while growing up.
Oda-Sensei explained that this film played an active role in making him believe that the technology has developed so much that his magnum opus will not disappoint the fans in any manner.
Eiichiro Oda Was Inspired By One Chinese Classic ForOne PieceLive-Action Series
Eiichiro Oda’s magnum opus was first published all the way back in 1997 and became a fan favorite manga in an instant. Following the infectious popularity of the work, it received an anime adaptation in 1995, which took the fame of the title to a whole new level.
Since then, the mangaka did not have to look back, as the series keeps keeping the audience at the edge of their seats, featuring all sorts of emotions in its gripping storyline. While the manga and anime series have taken the fame of the series to a different level, fans were nervous when they heard the news of a live-action series of their beloved series is coming.
The Netflix adaptation defied the audience’s expectations, leaving them astounded by the work’s uniqueness while remaining true to the source material. However, just like the ardent fans of the show, Eiichiro Oda felt nervous for all the right reasons.
“Crocodile is not a better villain than Deathstroke”: Settling the One Piece Vs DC Debate After Joe Manganiello’s Casting as Crocodile
The mangaka’s Shonen series is considered to be the greatest series ever created; it has sold over 500 million copies worldwide while featuring over 1,100 episodes for the anime. Hence, the expectations would be skyhigh from the work.
The mangaka was nervous at first for the project, but his opinion changed when he decided to watchShaolin Soccer.During an exclusive interview withThe New York Times, the mangaka shed light on how storyline and the cult-classic film featured a“manga-esque world.”He said,
When I first started, I didn’t think there was any point in drawing a manga that could be remade in live-action. But when I saw the movie “Shaolin Soccer,” it felt like a manga-esque world brought to life. I changed my mind.
The author further added that he realized that times have changed, where he can finally create a live-action TV series that can live up to the expectations of the fans.
One Piece Live-Action Can Make Nico Robin’s Best Scene Even Better With 1 Creative Decision at the Cost of Joe Manganiello
As a result, he shifted his focus to finding the right name to make his vision a reality.
I realized times had changed, and there was technology available that could make a live-action “One Piece” happen. So I shifted to finding the right partner to bring the manga to life.
However, it was not just Oda-Sensei stubborn vision to create a live-action project of his stellar work because Netflix ensured that they wouldn’t continue with the project until the creator of the title was satisfied with the final result.
Netflix Ensured to Break the Unsuccessful Cycle of Live-Action Adaptation
In the past, various Western studios have made an attempt to attract the otaku community with the live-action projects. However, each time the result was a mess as the project would turn out to be extremely disappointing that was nowhere close to their favorite show.
The best example of this notion would beDragonball Evolution,which could not get a single thing right, including the title of the manga itself. However, Netflix was dedicated to making the project a success, as they did not want to include another name in their long list of unsuccessful adaptations.
One Piece Live-Action Still Needs to Address a Major Criticism That Will Surely Affect Joe Manganiello’s Sir Crocodile in Season 2
In the same interview with The New York Times, Oda-Sensei shared his initial thoughts while searching for a shelter for his live-action project. He said,
Various manga had been made into live action, but there was a history of failure; no one in Japan could name a successful example. Would fans of “One Piece” — and viewers who don’t know the manga — accept it? Perhaps it was time to search for the answer.
Thankfully, Netflix agreed that they wouldn’t go out with the show until I agreed it was satisfactory. I read the scripts, gave notes and acted as a guard dog to ensure the material was being adapted in the correct way.
With Netflix being so dedicated to the live action, they ensured the adaptation to be extremely accurate because failure was not an option for them. Hence, the TV series became a global success, with names like Lera Abova and Joe Manganiello getting ready to be a part of the second season.
Toxic Fans Who Hate Lera Abova’s Casting Just Because She is Russian Do Not Know About Eiichiro Oda’s Inspiration For Nico Robin
One PieceLive-Action can be streamed on Netflix. Season 2 doesn’t have a release date as of now.
Tushar Auddy
Senior Writer
Articles Published :1784
Tushar Auddy is a Senior Writer at FandomWire, primarily covering WWE. He has contributed to anime, MCU, DCU, animation, and TV Series, giving sharp insights and coming up with his own unique theories, which take the fandom by storm.
