Buggy the Clown, Iñaki’s Luffy, and All the Right Notes the One Piece Live-Action Series Is Hitting

(SPOT.ph) Oh, what a time to be alive as a One Piece fan. There's the manga, the anime series (over 1,000 episodes and counting, baby!), and, just recently, the live-action adaptation premiering under the live-streaming service Netflix not over a week ago. If its first spot in the Top 10 TV Shows in the Philippines Today is anything to go by, it seems as if everyone is already aboard the Going Merry—us included. You bet we've already binge-watched all eight episodes when it dropped last August 31, and here's what we thought of it. Spoilers ahead!

Also read: One Piece Fans, This 21-Foot Luffy Is Coming to a QC Mall

Here's what we thought about Netflix's One Piece live-action adaptation:

Live-action adaptations can be a hit or a miss (for some, complete misses—just take a look at Death Note or Dragonball Evolution). There is an immense responsibility for creators and high expectations from audiences—especially if it's as legendary as One Piece, which has a world that spans 25 years and a fan base that basically spans the entire world, too. Some people literally grew up reading and watching the series or have been fans "for years and years," just like one of the showrunners, Matt Owens with Steve Maeda.

"Who better to make an adaptation than a superfan?" says Taz Skylar, who plays Black Leg Sanji. And it’s definitely paid off, as this adaptation is hitting the right notes. Best part? It’s just the first season.

The main cast

One of said notes hitting it very right is the casting of the Straw Hat pirates. Granted, they give life to beloved characters people have known for years, so it was a good thing they did right with the main cast. The character designs are just so on-point and they work so well together (even when they’re not a crew just yet in the first few episodes).

There’s Iñaki Godoy—who Eiichiro Oda, the creator of One Piece himself noted as being literally Luffy—with his ardent and unwavering determination that got everyone around him to believe that he will become the King of the Pirates and find the fabled treasure called the “One Piece.” With a quietly encouraging smile, he gives #motivational speeches that will make you want to follow your dreams or go for something that you really want (coughs resign coughs) after watching the series.

Then, Mackenyu. Ah, recent Google Trends will prove that people are absolutely obsessing over him. Mackenyu Arata has got Roronoa Zoro’s serious side in the bag. The Three Sword Style or santoryu doesn’t look awkward, and his choreography in the fighting scenes is cool and impressive. (He got lost once in the live series when he was trying to find his way back into the house in Episode 4, which is less than what his anime counterpart would have been. IFYKYK).

Emily Rudd’s Nami got her fair share of the spotlight during the Arlong Park Arc—and, well, she’s a showstopper even before then—in the latter part of the series. Rudd portrays Nami’s character well. There are more fighting scenes, sure; she’s even more mature, and probably a wee bit more serious—but still badass.

Taz Skylar’s Sanji found the right amount of flirtatious. Not to mention the accent that adds to his overall charm. He’s up there with Mackenyu in terms of fighting choreography, sans the swords. Jacob Romero does a great job playing the “God” Usopp, the long nose aside. His lying feels a lot more natural in the series. His Usopp and Godoy’s Luffy make for a great comedic duo.

And we also have to make a special mention of Jeff Ward because boy did he steal the show with his portrayal of Buggy the Clown. A lot of those on Twitter say, “If he’s a clown, then we’re the whole circus.”

The storyline

As a lot of fans knew beforehand, the debut season of the series will cover most of the East Blue Saga, wrapping just after the Arlong Park Arc. It stops a little into the Loguetown Arc or the Polestar Islands Arc, which is the sixth and last story of the East Blue Saga—with Luffy getting his first-ever bounty poster (which is somehow the greatest thing). Loguetown is the birth and death place of the infamous Pirate King, Gold Roger. It’s the last stop in the East Blue before the Grand Line.

The series tries its best to integrate all their narratives-slash-backstories into those eight episodes. And though there were a lot of changes (for which they always consulted the creator, like some of the character’s introductions) and missing characters, to fit the pacing and the medium, it was still faithful to a few vital scenes from the source material.

The set design is impressive, what with how vast and diverse the world of One Piece is. You can already see how much of Netflix’s budget has gone into production. The impossible became possible, so it seems.

The Verdict

It’s a good start to a long story, that’s for sure. As a newcomer, it’s enough to make you want to start on the anime series, whose 10 seasons are also on Netflix. As a longtime fan, it brings the nostalgia and allows you to see your favorite manga in a different light. 

Watch the final trailer below:

The live-action adaptation of One Piece is now streaming on Netflix.