Netflix's One Piece - What We Know So Far
Adapting works that were originally animated into live action is inherently a gamble. One of the foremost advantages of the animation medium is that otherworldly occurrences like, say, a human being with a superpower cost nothing more to depict than mundane reality, whereas translating these sorts of things into live action is significantly more complex than pointing a camera at a subject and filming.
Given such difficulties, Netflix knows the stakes are high for its live-action "One Piece" adaptation. "One Piece" is among the titans of the shonen anime genre, rivaling names like "Dragon Ball" and "Naruto" that are practically synonymous with a certain style of Japanese animation. So, in addition to the fact that adapting anime and manga series to live action is intrinsically difficult, Netflix must likewise satisfy the wants of the already sizable and passionate "One Piece" fanbase. Naturally, then, Netflix's first look at its "One Piece" adaptation proved divisive, garnering praise and criticism in equal measure. For what it's worth, "One Piece" voice actors are excited about the adaptation, perhaps giving fans of the franchise reason to feel cautiously optimistic.
With that in mind, here's what we know so far about Netflix's upcoming live-action "One Piece" series.
When will Netflix's One Piece be released?
News of an American-made, live-action "One Piece" TV show dates back all the way to July of 2017 (via The Japan Times), at which point producer and self-professed "One Piece" fan Marty Adelstein announced that his company Tomorrow Studios had secured a partnership with Shueisha — the company that publishes Weekly Shonen Jump, which is the anthology that serializes "One Piece" in comic form — and author Eiichiro Oda to adapt "One Piece" into a live-action TV series.
Nearly six years have passed since then, and Netflix has yet to announce a concrete release date for its "One Piece" project, suggesting that with stakes so high, the streaming service wants to guarantee the project's quality as much as possible before committing to its release. That said, on January 30, Netflix shared a poster to social media revealing for the first time that its "One Piece" adaptation will premiere at some point during the year 2023. Given the lack of even a month attached to this announcement, it's safe to assume that this refers to the latter half of 2023 at the very least.
What is the plot of Netflix's One Piece?
With details so scarce about the live-action "One Piece" series, the particulars of how the show might adapt its source material remain under wraps. That said, casting announcements and set photos do provide some insight into just which story arcs from the original "One Piece" series the show will translate into its live-action format.
Notably, in June of 2022, Netflix posted a behind-the-scenes look at its recreation of the Baratie restaurant ship, on which the series' protagonists meet key character Sanji. In the original version of "One Piece," Baratie is the fourth major story arc, encompassing 68 manga chapters. The series also cast actor McKinley Belcher III as Arlong, however, who serves as the villain of the following arc. This suggests that the Season 1 of the "One Piece" show will either end shortly after the Baratie Arc and set up the subsequent Arlong Park Arc, or perhaps even encompass the entirety of Arlong Park, should it move at a pace quick enough to cover a total of 95 manga chapters in its first season.
Who is starring in Netflix's One Piece?
While plenty of important information about the live-action "One Piece" series has yet to be revealed to the public, a large number of cast members are, in fact, confirmed to be a part of the show.
A young actor named Iñaki Godoy stars as Luffy in Netflix's "One Piece," building on a filmography that thus far consists predominately of projects made in his home country of Mexico. Rounding out Luffy's Straw Hat Pirates crew are Mackenyu as Zoro, Emily Rudd as Nami, Jacob Romero Gibson as Usopp, and Taz Skylar as Sanji.
Other major characters and the actors who will portray them in Netflix's "One Piece" project include Peter Gadiot as Red-Haired Shanks, Morgan Davies as Koby, Ilia Isorelýs Paulino as Alvida, Aidan Scott as Helmeppo, Jeff Ward as Buggy, Celeste Loots as Kaya, Alexander Maniatis as Klahadore, Craig Fairbrass as Chef Zeff, Steven Ward as Mihawk, and Chioma Umeala as Nojiko (via Anime News Network).
Where to Watch the One Piece anime
Fortunately for those hoping to check out the "One Piece" anime before Netflix's version of the story airs, it's widely available on a variety of streaming of services. Netflix itself hosts a selection of "One Piece" episodes — 325 in total — which should keep newcomers to the series plenty busy. That said, this is only a fraction of the show's gargantuan episode count, which continues to grow to this day. Those who want access to the full library of 1000+ "One Piece" episodes will instead have to subscribe to Crunchyroll where the show is available in its entirety.
Alternatively, roughly 700 "One Piece" episodes are available through Hulu, and a small selection of episodes that recently aired on TV are streamable through the Adult Swim website for users with a traditional TV service subscription.
Meanwhile, "One Piece" is available in its original comic book format through Viz's American Shonen Jump website, on which Chapters 1, 2, and 3 are free to read without a paid account. With so much content predating the upcoming live-action "One Piece" series, those not already familiar with the source material may well have to strategically pick from among these options, or else devote dozens of hours to getting caught up on its epic, ongoing story.