When it comes to live-action adaptation,Netflix is no stranger to the game, whetherOne Piecefans like it or not. There will never be a shortage of stories and anime that fans hope to see a live-action version of, and that’s despite how poorly many of those adaptations tend to perform with those same audiences. It’s clear that Netflix is willing to undertake massive challenges in order to pique the interest of their dedicated viewers and prospective viewers, but their current challenge might just be too tough to overcome.
A lot of changes are expected when an anime likeOne Piecegets an adaptation, but it’s quite rare that any of those changes are viewed in a favorable light for one reason or another. If an adaptation can perfectly match the feel of the original anime without sacrificing storytelling, or quality in any other aspect, it’s probably safe to call it a success. Some might think that time will only tell whether or notNetflix’s latest adaptationis destined to be a smash-hit or not, but in reality, the whole move is simply misguided at best.
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Netflix’s One Piece Adaptation Is Releasing Soon
The live-actionOne Pieceadaptation is slated for release on Netflix on August 31st, 2023, a date that might be uncomfortably close for some on the project. The main cast of Straw Hat Pirates is a collection of mostly unproven actors being thrust into a major spotlight for the first time in their careers. Iñaki Godoy, a young Mexican actor with plenty of television experience under his belt, will be playing everyone’s favorite pirate captain,Monkey D. Luffy. Mackenyu of the notorious live-actionFullmetal Alchemistline of Netflix movies will be Roronoa Zoro with Emily Rudd as Nami, Taz Skylar as Sanji, and Jacob Romero as Usopp.
Something that may or may not be good is that the adaptation does seem interested in remaining true to the story of both the anime and the manga, with Luffy assembling his rag-tag crew in order to search for the ultimate treasure theOne Piece. If the live-action One Piece does what other adaptations have done, it’s possible for episodes to span up to an hour long, something that could create some serious pacing issues. When predicting just how poor this adaptation may end up being, it’s best to look back at Netflix’s other high-profile anime adaptations, namely, their take on the belovedCowboy Bebop.
Netflix’s Cowboy Bebop Was A Flop
Most anime can only ever dream of having the kind of dedicated and supportive fanbasethatCowboy Bebophas. The show originally aired in the late nineties, but it has stood the test of time and is regarded as one of the best anime of all time despite its incredibly short runtime. The adventures of Spike Spiegel and the rest of the bounty hunters aboard the Bebop have become a cult classic, and that’s what got fans so excited when a live-action adaptation was announced.
The ten-episode adaptation of the classic series was released back in 2021, and it’s probably safe to say that most people were left horrendously unsatisfied.The failure of the showwas a bit of a shock considering the talent behind the entire production being made up of heavy hitters and a fan-favorite actor in John Cho. While reviews were mixed by most major outlets, the general consensus from many reviewers and the widerCowboy Bebopfanbase was that while the show wasn’t anything terrible, it simply didn’t need to happen.
Outdoing the heavily stylized world ofCowboy Bebop’sanime was a near-impossible task, and while the team behind the series tried, many of the choices just ended up feeling too campy for some. One of the more controversial decisions was that the series released episodes that ranged from just under forty minutes all the way up to an hour, while the original anime had episodes that only ran for twenty-four minutes long each. The decision to make such a drastic change was something that would up the watch time of the series overall, but it might be the very thing that turned off fans from the over-stuffed episodes.
The series was so negatively received upon release that what was originally planned to run for at least another season ended up being cut short. The creator of the original anime, Shinichiro Watanabe,has since voiced his displeasurewith the series, something that was sure to only further cement the negative reception of the show for years to come.
The team and the actors behind the show can only take so much blame for the live-action adaptation not living up to the original series. While living up to something as unique as the originalCowboy Bebopseems impossible, even managing to pull off a live-action version of anime seems to be an impossible task generally.
Anime Adaptations Are Notoriously Difficult To Pull Off
People can be brutal with criticism, but a lot of fans whofeel as if anime adaptations have failedare able to acknowledge that the undertaking is one of the most challenging creative endeavors one can take on. There are a wide variety of reasons why anime adaptations always seem to fail to stick the landing, and one of the biggest aspects is the disconnect the shift can create in the minds of fans.
Anime, even darker anime likeCowboy Bebop, are some of the most creative, colorful, and fantastically thought-out pieces of media out there. Unfortunately, the real world is nowhere near as colorful as anime, something that leaves a creative team with a decision to make. Either the team behind a series can try to nail a live-action cartoon aesthetic while risking coming across too childish and campy, or they can adapt the style to a grittier, real, and washed-out tone. While figuring out the answer to that, creatives also have to determine how to use cameras to creatively recreate shots from the anime or to at least capture the spirit of the anime that people love so much.
So much thought has to go into each and every aspect, and no matter what decision is made, it’s possible for the decision to be the wrong one. That’s all just the creative end as well,the performances of the actorsand their ability to embody a character perfectly or do their own thing is an equally difficult decision that could make or break a person’s entire career. Pulling an anime adaptation on takes a ton of skill, a whole lot of luck, and a shocking level of goodwill of a fanbase to go into the new show with welcoming eyes.
It’s likely that everyOne Piecefan in existence (and there are a lot of them) is hoping that the series is a huge success. Many people will never get enough of the adventures of the Straw Hat Pirates, so it’s fair to wish for success in this live-action adaptation. The problem is, with Netflix’s track record, a truly excellent live-action adaptation ofOne Piecemight just be a misguided dream.
Netflix’s live-actionOne Pieceadaptation will be available for streaming starting August 31st, 2023.
