One Piece: What Rotten Tomatoes Critics Are Saying About The Netflix Adaptation
The first season of Netflix's live-action adaptation of "One Piece" is here, and it's safe to say there was a lot riding on this. The streaming platform doesn't exactly have a great track record of adapting anime, with its version of "Cowboy Bebop" getting a positive rating of 46% on Rotten Tomatoes and winding up canceled after a single season. As one of the most beloved anime and manga ever, "One Piece" has a devoted following who would be watching this release very carefully. Fortunately, it seems as though Netflix has rebounded from its previous efforts.
"One Piece" Season 1 is currently sitting pretty on Rotten Tomatoes with a critics' rating of 80%. It even appears audiences enjoy the show, garnering a 95% positive score. The critics' consensus on the site reads: "One Piece captures the essence of its beloved source material with a charmingly big-hearted adaptation that should entertain long-time fans as well as patient newcomers." Honestly, it seems this first season did everything it needed to do. It offers a valuable entryway point for newcomers who haven't read the manga or seen the anime, and it honors everything long-time fans have enjoyed about this property.
For critics, One Piece excels thanks to its faithfulness to the source material
It's unlikely the Netflix adaptation will ever get the same episode count as the anime, which is currently sitting at 1,073 episodes, especially if each season only comes out with eight episodes at a time. But with this response, there's a chance Netflix's "One Piece" could stick around for a while. Even getting up to six seasons would be impressive for a Netflix show. Critics have a lot of good things to say about the new adaptation, with Angelica Jade Bastién of Vulture writing, "In simply accepting these small yet crucial oddities, Netflix's One Piece proves its willingness to hold on to what makes the original property so fantastic."
Part of staying true to the spirit of "One Piece" involves embracing wackiness. That's what John Serba of Decider praised, "Let's split a hair: This version of One Piece is off the wall without being over the top, a highly necessary distinction illustrating that it's far more watchable than not." But while critics think one thing, it's important to consider what long-time fans of the story have to say, and many seem to enjoy what Netflix has done. One Rotten Tomatoes user, Juank G, wrote, "Live Action adaptations are the 'Voldemort' for anime fans (you couldn't speak good about them), but this show is proving there is green grass beyond the horizon for live actions. This is an ambitious project and I hope this is just the beginning of this adventure."
A new "One Piece" has set sail; hopefully, it's a long journey for fans to enjoy.