Big Changes: Netflix’s One Piece

graphic by One Esports

The remake of Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece was released on August 31, 2023 to mostly positive reviews despite changes being made from the original manga, a style of Japanese graphic novel.
by Emery Brown

The remake of Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece was released on August 31, 2023 to mostly positive reviews despite changes being made from the original manga, a style of Japanese graphic novel.
There is no manga series as popular as Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece. Its fantastical characters, powers, and world are beloved by millions so when the live-action remake was announced by Netflix, many were skeptical. From stretchy rubber powers to humanoid fish creatures, there are many aspects of the story with the potential to look less than great in a realistic setting.
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One of the most prevalent of the changes was the inclusion of a story arc that doesn’t occur until later in the story. After freeing him from his pirate captors, the main character Monkey D. Luffy, played by Iñaki Godoy, encourages a young boy named Koby, played by Morgan Davies, to follow his dream to become an admiral in the Marines, the natural enemy of pirates, despite Luffy being an aspiring pirate himself. The change occurs when we see Koby join the Marines and serve under Vice Admiral Monkey D. Garp (Vincent Regan) as he chases down Luffy and his crew. In the original manga, this story arc doesn’t occur until much later in the series of books. In fact, Luffy and Koby don’t meet again until almost three hundred chapters after the final arc that was adapted by Netflix. In the remake, the Marines play a much more pivotal role that isn’t seen as much in the earlier volumes of One Piece. 

Another change can be seen with the Baratie arc. Here, we see Luffy and the crew stop at a ship that houses a high-brow restaurant called Baratie. Here, we meet the Straw Hat Pirates’ chef Sanji (Taz Skylar). The main foe of the arc is ferocious pirate Don Krieg, who comes to take over the restaurant with his endless supply of weaponry and crewmates. Luffy defeats Krieg in a climactic battle that is meant to show Luffy’s determination and resilience. In the Netflix remake, Krieg’s role is reduced to being killed off by swordsman and warlord Dracule Mihawk, portrayed by Steven John Ward, before he ever meets Luffy. While Mihawk retains his influential role in the live-action remake, dueling Luffy’s right-hand man Roronoa Zoro (Mackenyu) and causing him to vow never to lose a duel again, Krieg and his crew were replaced by an early cameo from future villain Arlong (McKinley Belcher III) and his crew of fish-human pirates.

photo courtesy of Netflix

These weren’t the only changes, but to ensure faithfulness to the source material, series creator Eiichiro Oda watched the process very closely, giving approval on some changes and making the film crew redo scenes that he considered unsatisfactory. “Various manga had been made into live-action, but there was a history of failure; no one in Japan could name a successful example. Would fans of One Piece - and viewers who don’t know the manga - accept it?” He said in an interview. The history of failure refers to previous live-action remakes of various anime and manga, such as Netflix’s remakes of Death Note and Cowboy Bebop. “Thankfully, Netflix agreed that they wouldn’t go out with the show until I agreed it was satisfactory. I read the scripts, gave notes, and acted as a guard dog to ensure the material was being adapted in the correct way.” (ScreenRant.com)

Whether you have been a fan of One Piece for years or this is your first experience with the series, this live action adaptation offers many moments of action, adventure, comedy, and tragedy. New viewers are kept on the edge of their seats by this ragtag crew of pirates and the villains they face, while long-time fans point at the screen in excitement and watch as their favorite characters and moments are brought so life. There are even small easter eggs for fans of the series that can hint to later seasons, such as bounty posters for pirates who appear much later in the series. It feels both like traditional pirate media such as the Pirates of the Caribbean series, while still retaining the One Piece feel.

With One Piece gaining an incredible 18.5 million views in just its first week, it's fair to say that a second season is likely. While it is yet to be announced, fans of both the anime and its live-action counterpart look forward to seeing how Netflix will continue to adapt the adventurous voyage of the Straw Hat Pirates.