by Daniel Malabet
The best-selling manga of all time now has a live-action adaptation. Many thought it impossible to produce a live-action that would truly encapsulate the world-building and wonder within "One Piece." However, with an incredible 86% on Rotten Tomatoes, this idea has seemingly been proven incorrect.
With a total of eight episodes, not much is truly covered within the live-action. However, the little that is covered is covered in quite impressive detail. From Luffy coming out of the barrel in episode one, to Zoro's introduction, or even Luffy saving Nami from the fearsome Arlong. The live-action does a great job of capturing the raw emotion of these critical events within the story of "One Piece" even if not much of the story is truly covered.
Key Arcs and Characters
The live-action commences with Luffy coming out of the barrel and ends with a brief shot of Marine Vice-Admiral, Smoker. Reaching up to the equivalent of episode 45 of the anime.
Within this very small portion of the story of "One Piece," many key arcs are still covered. Those being:
Loguetown Arc
Arlong Park Arc
Baratie Arc
Syrup Village Arc
Orange Dawn Arc
Shells Town Arc
Romance Dawn Arc
Within these arcs, many notable sequences and events take place that have drawn a large amount of satisfaction from the "One Piece" community. Events such as Gold D. Rogers's execution or even when Luffy gives Nami his signature straw hat as he goes to defeat Arlong.
Many of the Strawhats are also introduced within the eight episodes of the live-action. In order of introduction:
Luffy
Zoro
Nami
Usopp
Sanji
Their live-action casting and imitation of the animanga characters have also drawn significant satisfaction from the "One Piece community." Each of the straw hats is portrayed in surprisingly accurate ways with one of the only complaints being Sanji lacking his signature curled eyebrows.
Not only have the Strawhats proven to draw large satisfaction from the "One Piece" community, but also characters like Monkey D. Garp, Shanks, Buggy the Clown, and Yasopp, for their almost perfect imitation of the animanga characters, The character that has drawn in significant amount of questioning, however, is Ben Beckman, a member of Shank's crew.
Comparison To the Animanga
The live-action has drawn in a significant amount of praise for its ability to accurately and creatively replicate events within the animanga. However, there were certain details and events missing from the animanga that led to complaints from the "One Piece" community.
To start off, Luffy is not wearing his signature open-toed shoes that he wears in both the anime and manga. Also, the beloved "Arlong Walk" as dubbed by fans of the show, is missing in the live adaptation. Iconic villains such as Don Krieg were also excluded from the live adaption. However, most of these irregularities with the animanga stem from practicality or budgeting issues.
Overall, the live-action does well in replicating the animanga in its own unique way.
Comments
The One Piece Live Action is a great animanga adaptation that truly encapsulates the introduction to the world of One Piece. The live-action has already been approved for a second season, so "One Piece" fans do not fear! The live-action will be back with plenty more to portray.
The first season is definitely worth the watch if you are a fan of the animaga or even looking to get into the animanga. Success was inevitable when the very creator of One Piece, Eiichiro Oda, was heavily involved in the casting and creation of the Live Action. Further, adding to the incredible story and legacy of "One Piece."