For years now, the very concept of live-action adaptations of Japanese anime has felt cursed. It seemed impossible for any studio, Japanese or Western, to properly capture the spirit of a popular anime series with live actors and practical effects. The stumbling blocks are many, from questionable casting choices and cosplay-esque costumes to rushed pacing, unimpressive CGI, or mangling the entire storyline. Dragon Ball Evolution is the most notorious example among many. Fortunately, things are changing.
At last, anime fans have been treated to the first truly great anime adaptation: Netflix's live-action One Piece series. By all metrics, the live-action One Piece series is a resounding success that has impressed fans and critics alike, all while racking up an impressive total number of hours streamed. Other live-action adaptations are encouraged to pay close attention to what One Piece did so the live-action stigma may finally be wiped away.
10 One Piece Had Direct Creator Input
No one will understand the messages, themes, and overall feel of a fictional work than the original creator(s). Even if those creators give advice to production crews, the end result may be much different than the original work—so, author Eiichiro Oda was fully involved with the live-action One Piece series.
Mr. Oda directly oversaw almost everything, and he provided input and suggestions on it all. This ensured that every detail was true to what Mr. Oda wanted for his franchise's newest iteration, and the results speak for themselves. The only complication for doing this in other adaptations is that some creators may not have the time, energy, or interest to do all that.
9 The Costumes Are Accurate & Practical
Costume design is another area where anime adaptations often struggle. Longtime anime fans know that many anime characters have outlandish, complex, or even impractical outfits, such as a magical girl's costume or an intricate suit of armor in fantasy anime.
Some adaptations, such as the live-action Fullmetal Alchemist movies, simply used high-quality cosplay for the costumes, and it looked odd rather than immersive. Instead, One Piece's Netflix series had costumes that matched the anime's original but were still practical, from Usopp's coveralls to Helmeppo's fancy suit. They actually look like clothes people could comfortably wear, not cosplay.
8 One Piece's Actors Matched Their Characters' Appearances Perfectly
One of the more sensitive issues of live-action anime adaptations, or any adaptation for that matter, is the appearance of the characters. In many works, it's essential that the chosen actors fully represent their characters, such as their ethnic or racial background. Anime fans greatly disliked the whitewashing of Ghost in the Shell and Death Note, for example, when those series became live-action.
Fullmetal Alchemist did the opposite, for its part, casting Japanese actors for characters who were obviously supposed to be representative of Germans. However, One Piece dodged all of these issues with its careful casting, most of all the tasteful representation of Usopp and his "African" origins.
7 One Piece Skipped Unneeded Fight Scenes
Plenty of anime series have fight scenes for the sake of it, and that might carry over to their live-action adaptations, too. A lengthy anime may have room for all those fights, but live-action adaptations are pressed for time, so each fight must mean something. Netflix's One Piece did this better than any other series.
Despite being action/adventure, One Piece's live-action series had few fights, and they were all fun and emotionally resonant. That's why the series smartly dropped the Don Krieg fight since it lacked the emotional punch that the Straw Hats' battle with Arlong did.
6 One Piece Didn't Significantly Change the Plot
For multiple reasons, most of all pacing, live-action anime adaptations tend to greatly change the storyline. This means skipping entire arcs and merging other scenes/arcs into a single lump. That's often done for adaptation movies in particular, but One Piece did no such thing.
Netflix's One Piece followed the original manga and anime's East Blue saga well, cleanly omitting the Loguetown arc and trimming the rest without sacrificing anything important. Longtime One Piece fans will find everything wonderfully familiar, while new fans can easily digest the core plot without any significant gaps in the narrative.
5 One Piece Has Smooth Pacing
The tendency to turn anime series into live-action movies will harm not just the plot, but also the pacing, all to fit in a two-hour time frame. No movie is enjoyable when some parts feel rushed and others are sluggish, but Netflix's One Piece avoided this issue because it was a show, not a movie.
That allowed the East Blue saga storyline to be brisk and well-paced without being rushed or disjointed at any point. Not every producer could afford to make a large, well-plotted anime adaptation like that, but even so, fans would rather have no adaptation than a rushed, disjointed one.
4 One Piece Ended On a High Note
A good ending is essential for any TV show or movie, anime or not. A proper ending will resolve the major plot threads, provide a payoff for character arcs, and give fans a strong, lingering impression after the story is over. However, some live-action anime adaptations have abrupt or unsatisfying endings that are only that—endings. They don't feel like true conclusions.
Netflix's One Piece sets a new standard for endings. Since the story had sharp pacing and ample material to work with, the ending provided a huge payoff. In this case, all five Straw Hat crew members felt like they had come a long way in just one season, and in the season's final moments, they officially declared themselves a crew.
3 One Piece's Ending Left Room For More In the Right Way
The first season of Netflix's One Piece ended well not just because of what came before it, but what comes after. Many anime adaptations tease further installments and new storylines, but One Piece did it much better since this story is purely about exploration and adventures, not just action.
For comparison, the live-action Bleach movie hinted at the distant Soul Society, but the movie gave fans no particular reason to look forward to it. Ichigo Kurosaki's adventure felt complete, but Luffy's is evidently just beginning. He and his crew are sailing toward the Grand Line, where many more islands and villains await.
2 One Piece Uses Foreshadowing & Name-Dropping Well
Not even the excellent One Piece adaptation could show everyone and everything from the juggernaut anime, but it could allude to those things to great effect. The original manga/anime franchise is famed for its foreshadowing, and the live-action series followed suit. That made the world feel much bigger without slowing down the story to show it all.
The main example was Baroque Works, a huge pirate organization that the heroes and villains alike alluded to. Even new fans could tell that Baroque Works was a big deal. The same was done for Gol D. Roger who, through a brief flashback and some name-dropping, was firmly established as an important and interesting character in this world.
1 One Piece Explored Its Heroes' Backgrounds & Motives Well
Most live-action adaptations will make some effort to explore the main characters' backstories and motives, but due to time constraints, not enough time is spent on that topic. One movie isn't enough to dig deep into the hero's mind, but One Piece's live-action series did have the luxury of time, including multiple flashback sequences.
With room to maneuver, One Piece visited the backstory of all five Straw Hat crewmates, and those scenes had serious emotional impacts, most of all Nami's. That helped make the crewmates feel like real, relatable people and not just an excuse for anime-style combat in live-action.
