One Piece Creator Eiichiro Oda Personally Approved Netflix's Live-Action Cast
Netflix's track record with live-action anime is not a strong one. "Cowboy Bebop" fans and director Shinichiro Watanabe are still reeling from that adaptation. Netflix now has its sights on "One Piece," the absurdly popular, 25+ year-long manga/anime about pirate captain Monkey D. Luffy and his Straw Hat crew. This time, though, the series' original creator — mangaka Eiichiro Oda — is on board as an executive producer. From glimpses behind-the-scenes, this wasn't just an honorary title either.
Oda wrote a letter of support for the series, shared by Netflix on Twitter on July 21, 2023 (or "One Piece Day," annually celebrating the manga's debut). Oda praised the work of the cast and crew, saying "There were no compromises on this show!" while encouraging fans to give it a chance despite its differences with the source material. Calling the show's producers and crew "'One Piece'" superfans, he was just as complimentary of the actors: "There were also some lines that I thought didn't feel like Luffy on paper ... But when I saw the filmed scenes, I went, 'It works when it's Iñaki [Godoy] performing it as Luffy!'"
Oda concluded his letter by making clear that he'll be there to shoulder the reaction to Netflix's "One Piece," for good or ill.
"By now I just love this production team and cast so much that I can't wait for them to get the acclaim they deserve from everyone around the world. And if by chance people have some gripes, I'll be there to receive them together."
In the September issue of SFX magazine, the cast and creative team behind Netflix's "One Piece" affirmed that Oda was involved in the series right from the start.
'Involved from day one'
Showrunner Matt Owens, a "One Piece" mega-fan, didn't just get to meet his hero Oda: he worked alongside him. Owens described the experience to SFX as a nerve-wracking one.
"I don't think I've ever been more nervous for anything in my entire life. Here was this person who has created this story I hold so much love and reverence for, and I'm asking him to trust me with his baby."
Owens says that Oda was "tough in the beginning," apparently having been frustrated by previous, failed attempts to adapt his work. Though he understood that changes to both story and style would be needed, Oda also drew lines in the sand: the main characters' backstories and the Devil Fruit powers that gave Luffy his stretching ability were to be unchanged ("That was something we were asked not to mess with").
According to Owens, the love for the series on set won Oda over: "I think once he realized we were coming from the right place — trying to protect this series and create a new avenue for even more people to fall in love with it — he started to trust us." Emily Rudd, who plays the Straw Hats' navigator, Nami, echoed that Oda was hands-on in his role as executive producer.
"He's been involved from day one. He's read all of the scripts, he approved all of the cast members. For the creator of such an important series to have a hand over our adaptation is massive for me as a fan. I think it matters a lot to the other existing fans as well."
The series' teaser and trailer have drawn some skepticism from "One Piece" fans. While Oda's involvement seems deeper than mere PR, fans will have to wait and see if their favorite author delivered once more in this live-action take.
"One Piece" premieres August 31, 2023, on Netflix.