If you follow me on Instagram and Pinterest, you’re probably aware of my newfound obsession: One Piece. I’ve been looking for an anime that had a good english dub and was something I’d be interested in, and I found it. So after finishing the first season, and my Dad endlessly saying I HAD to watch it, I watched the live action adaptation on Netflix. And I’ve gotta say, it is one of the best, if not the best, adaptations of an animated show and manga series I’ve seen. I am still shocked at just HOW GOOD it was, and I applaud and thank everyone who was involved with this project, it is a love letter to the series and to the fans of it, and has brought in new fans as well. I love this show and these characters, and they mean a lot to me, even if I don’t know them as well yet. Which of course, means I now have to convince you to watch it as well. I’ll be doing two parts to this post: the spoiler free version (THIS POST) and a version full of spoilers (THE NEXT POST). I want you guys to experience this show for yourself, so I’m going to do my best to keep this one spoiler free, and then share ALL OF MY THOUGHTS in the spoiler full version lol. So without further ado, let’s ger into why you should watch Netflix’s Live Action One Piece!

Things to know before you watch

In case you are unfamiliar with this show, there’s a few things to keep in mind before you start watching.

First, this is not a kid’s show. Both the live action and the anime are for an older audience, so teens and older. Don’t let the fun characters and goofiness fool you. This includes some language and violence, as well as some heavy themes that will definitely tug at the heartstrings. But it isn’t anything super graphic or foul; it’s just not for kids.

Second, one of the main villains in both series is Buggy the Clown Pirate. So if you’re like me and deal with Caulrophobia (the fear of clowns), know that he is a recurring character. However if again, like me, you can handle the Joker from Batman, you shouldn’t have a problem with Buggy. He isn’t what you consider a typical ‘clown’, rather a PIRATE that has a red nose and uses some of the general circus theming. What I recommend doing is going to the second episode and pausing, then scrolling to the first frame of Buggy. If that doesn’t bother you, you’ll be fine. There were two scenes I had to close my eyes for though, so I’ll share the episode names and timestamps, that way you don’t get jumpscared like I did:

EPISODE ONE: ROMANCE DAWN, 57:55 – 58:21

EPISODE TWO: THE MAN IN THE STRAW HAT, 20:29 – 20:48

(EDITING TORI HERE! So if you go to the series, on the second episode, the cover image is of Buggy as he typically appears, so if that doesn’t bother you you’ll be fine! Even going back and finding those two scenes was rough, so you’re welcome lol)

And third, although there are a lot of pirate motifs and theming, it’s not a “pirate” show. Rather, it’s a coming of age origin story about chasing after your dreams while also exposing the corruptness of the government and taking down those who hurt innocent people. Yeah this show gets heavy, but manages to balance it with humor and hope. You’ll definitely cry, a lot, while also smiling and laughing a lot.

Okay so with that all said, let’s get into why you should watch it.

Why It’s worth watching

So there are MANY reasons why, but I’ll share the highlights with some thoughts.

The casting choices and acting

The characters in this story are amazing, each with complex backstories and unique personalities. So getting the right people to play them is vital to the show’s quality. And the team behind the live action adaptation knew this, because they killed it with every single casting choice (well there is one I’d like a little more grit to, but that’s just my personal preference. Honestly it’s still great casting.)

Monkey D. Luffy is a fun, energetic, optimistic guy. He’s an ENFP, which is my MBTI type btw, so you need someone who can bring that energy and boundless joy. And they got the best guy for the job. Iñaki Godoy captures that spirit, while also showcasing the ENFP’s ability to be serious when their core beliecfs are challenged.

Roronoa Zoro is snarky, a bit of a loner, and cold at times. He’s an ISTP, and prefers to act, or SLEEP. Dude’s literally always sleeping. ISTPs aren’t easy to play acurately (except if your Ming-Na), but again, the actor does an amazing job. Mackenyu nails that quiet confidence, the snarky quips, and the emotional weight that Zoro carries.

Nami is the most complex of the crew, and the only female crew member present in season one. She’s an ESTJ, who are known to take chargeand keep others on track, while showing kindness and having their own burdens to carry. So you need someone tough, who acts as the glue holding them together. She’s brave, fierce, and doesn’t put up with foolishness. And you need someone who can handle subtle reactions and mannerisms. Emily Rudd absolutely kills it in every regard, and her performance is a stand out part of the show.

And even though on Netflix they show a scene from THE MIDDLE OF THE SEASON (really guys? that’s just mean), I’m not going to say too much about the other two crew mates, since they are my two favorite characters and you deserve to experience them for yourself and Sanji (portrayed by Taz Skylar, who ABSOLUTELY NAILS IT) has my entire heart and Usopp (portrayed by Jacob Romero, who again, is A++ casting) is just an amazing human being. AND SANJI IS THE ABSOLUTE BEST AND YOU DESERVE TO BE PROPERLY INTRODUCED TO HIM AND HIS AMAZINGNESS!

(Editing Tori refuses to exclude her rants on Sanji, because he’s just the best and reminds her of a certain character that’ s also a blond haired hopeless romantic… I have no idea who that might be… 😏)

ANyways… They all nail their roles as these characters. Especially Jeff Ward. Another thing you might know about me is that I’m a HUGE fan of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and I’m sorry for the spoiler here, but Jeff Ward plays a character named Deke Shaw who appears starting in Season 5. I won’t say too much more about him though. He plays the infamous Buggy The Clown Pirate, and I was a bit nervous about that choice, since I knew him as Deke, and it’s a different role than the one I know him from. Yet, he absolutely KILLS IT, and embodies Buggy in the best way possible.

They managed to make it a live action

This was definitely my first response, seeing them manage to accomplish some of the aspects of the series in live action. It’s stated from the beginning that certain characters have eaten the Devil Fruits (think like the Chaos Emeralds; yes I had to make a Sonic reference) to obtain certain powers, with Luffy eating the Gum Gum Fruit. This gave him stretchy powers, like Mr. Fantastic or Ms. Marvel. They’ve started using more of Kamala’s embiggening, but it’s clear that they’re scared to do so after the repeated disasters of trying to showcase Mr. Fantastic’s abilities. And then stating it’s a matter of budget. WELL KEVIN AND CREW YOU BETTER START WATCHING THIS AND TAKING NOTES. Not only do they show off Luffy’s powers, they do it A LOT. It’s not just in one scene here and there. No, it’s a part of how he fights, so of course they need to showcase it in any fight scene that features Luffy. WHICH THEY DO. And it isn’t a half baked attempt either, it looks good, in fact even better than some of the bigger budget attempts. I’m sorry guys, but if a NETFLIX show can upstage your box office attempts, you really need to reconsider your choices. Okay my Marvel rant is over. For now. But seriously they managed to do BUGGY’S CHOP CHOP FRUIT ABILITY and make it look cool!!! So why can’t you manage to do the same for the Marvel characters?!? Okay NOW my Marvel rant is over.

They adapted a 50 episode season without it feeling rushed

Okay, nevermind. There’s going to be more ranting. I’m sorry but it just baffles me how well this show was able to adapt this story, while everyone else is trying and failing with their properties (looking at you Secret Invasion…).

Anyways… I was curious how this would work. There is a lot that happens in the first season of the show, and so condensing it down to only 8 episodes seems like it wouldn’t work. I still don’t know exactly how they managed it, but I’ll try and explain what I noticed without spoiling anything. First off, it’s not a one to one adaptation. For the most part, it is, but they do make several changes in order to tell a cohesive story. I think if they had tried doing it as a one to one adaptation, the show wouldn’t have worked. It works for anime, but live action is a different story. So they make some cuts in the amount they show of each arc, and change the order of events a bit. However, I think the order they chose tells a more cohesive story, and has a more natural progression. You can tell they did their research, and were fans of the show, because they made sure to highlight the main purpose of each arc.

So in order to show that in a way that won’t give away too many plot points, here’s a quick comparison of the amount of episodes each arc contains, the total time, and then the adaptations time in comparison:

So you can see what I mean when I say they condensed the episodes. Despite the changes made, and adding in elements to better the plot, they still tell a cohesive story, that feels consistent and evenly paced. This is most notably seen in the last arc. It may look like a lot was cut, but trust me, they kept a good 85-90% of the original story. They’re able to achieve this by leaving out less important details, shifting narratives to work with the overarching story, and using the time wisely, wrapping up the season’s arcs, while leaving room for future adventures. Yet it doesn’t feel like a speed run through the final boss. The pacing is natural and feels like an epic final boss with multiple acts. AGAIN MARVEL, TAKE NOTES.

The changes made don’t feel forced

Since it’s a live action adaptation, they have to change some things. But instead of a change feeling forced, it acts as a way to add to the story, and feels like it was well thought out and discussed. I can picture what the writer’s room must have looked like for some of those changes, and man would I love to have been there. I love the addition of characters who weren’t as present in the anime’s first season, even going so far as to make me like a character I previously hated. They also did a fantastic job at rounding out the villains and their motivations, especially the big baddie. You can understand why he is this way, but that struggle still doesn’t justify his actions. It made a character who felt like he was just power hungry (which he is) feel a bit more, for lack of a better word, real. You get why he is that way, while still hating his guts. I’m trying real hard not to spoil anything, so I’ll go into more detail in part two.

So what are you waiting for?!? Go watch the show, and then after that, come by the site next week for my spoiler full version. Let’s make that term a thing lol.

For more fun content from me, the writer of this post, go follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Ko-Fi. I’m having fun making fan art for this show, and will be posting it there. You can also find me livestreaming The Sims 4 on Twitch every other Wednesday.

Until next time 🙂

• Tumblr
• Instagram
• Pinterest