Moving anime into live action is a tenuous process and usually results in something lacking. Netflix knows this itself as it flopped with its attempt to turn Cowboy Bebop into a live-action series, even receiving criticism from the anime’s creator. However, that doesn’t mean it’s giving up. Its next shot at turning an anime masterpiece into a live-action gem is an adaptation of One Piece, and Netflix has dropped a poster to offer a pseudo-first look, though we received a look at its lavish sets last June.
Adventure is on the horizon! One Piece sets sail in 2023 https://t.co/5YhPXFt8GS pic.twitter.com/GQH2MSAvCF
— Netflix (@netflix) January 30, 2023
Even those who have never watched a moment of One Piece should recognize the silhouette present on the poster as the pirate Monkey D. Luffy, wearing his trademark straw hat and red vest while standing in a way he’s often found in the manga / anime. See, everyone, it’s just like the cartoon! You’re going to love it. The One Piece Netflix live-action poster also proudly proclaims that the series will be landing sometime this year, though it doesn’t give an official release date yet. Given the poster is just landing now, we’re probably, at the very least, three months from the show dropping, if not much longer. The show’s official series page is also live now, giving us a better look at the crew’s ship and the back of more characters, including: Sanji, Nami, Usopp, and Zoro.
We know very little about the series story, and the series page doesn’t give any information either, not even a brief sentence. It’s said that the show will focus on the East Blue arc of the anime and will most likely help establish the characters’ past. The project has been in the works for a good while, but Netflix is keeping tight-lipped on just how loyal it will be to the sprawling original anime, which has been running since 1999 and is based on the manga that has been published since 1997. That’s a lot of storylines to cover. The series stars Iñaki Godoy as Monkey D. Luffy, Mackenyu as Roronoa Zoro, Jacob Gibson as Usopp, Emily Rudd as Nami, and Taz Skylar as Sanji.
