Eiichiro Oda, the creator of One Piece and executive producer of Netflix’s upcoming adaptation, revealed that he initially dismissed the idea of a live-action version of his manga. However, after seeing the 2001 film Shaolin Soccer and witnessing the advancements in technology, he changed his mind.
In an interview with The New York Times, Oda explained, “When I first started, I didn’t think there was any point in drawing a manga that could be remade in live-action. But when I saw the movie [Chow’s], it felt like a manga-esque world brought to life.”
He added, “I realized times had changed, and there was technology available that could make a live-action One Piece happen. So I shifted to finding the right partner to bring the manga to life.”
One Piece follows the story of Monkey D. Luffy, a teenager with rubber-like abilities who embarks on a quest to find the legendary treasure known as the One Piece and become the Pirate King. The series debuted in 1997 and has gained immense popularity, spawning an anime adaptation, video games, and films.
However, previous attempts at live-action adaptations, such as Cowboy Bebop and Death Note, received less-than-welcome receptions. Due to these failures, Oda was cautious about the Netflix adaptation of One Piece.
Oda expressed, “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 shared.
“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.”
