Netflix’s Netflix poster promoting One Piece, as reposted via One Piece Netflix Fan on Twitter.
In response to a fan question about why the poster features Iñaki Godoy’s Monkey D. Luffy wearing shoes, the actor says she and her co-stars tried to do as much of their own stunt work as possible, with any gaps filled in by their “beyond talented” stunt team. She adds that the footwear allowed Godoy to show off more of his stunt skills, pointing out that sandals — which Luffy famously dons in the original manga and anime series — are not safe for performing such feats.
Will One Piece Overcome Netflix's Live-Action Anime Curse?
Netflix’s track record of adapting anime into the live-action format has been overwhelmingly disappointing thus far, particularly with 2017’s Death Note and 2021’s Cowboy Bebop. Among other criticisms, Death Note was compared to a teen drama that lost any cultural nuance present in the original series, whereas Cowboy Bebop failed to portray the original’s steam-punk aesthetic and lacked chemistry among its cast — a few of whom were also seen as unsuitable for their roles. The stakes feel even higher for One Piece considering that the anime’s run extends back to 1999 and is viewed as one of the golden age’s “Big Three,” alongside Naruto and Bleach.
However, One Piece’s potential has been noted by the fact that Tomorrow Studios and manga publisher Shueisha are producing the series; manga artist Eiichiro Oda is also serving as an executive producer. With the original creators in stow, One Piece can stay faithful to its source material and use that inspiration to depict something unique to the live-action format. Additionally, sneak peeks of the surreal, well-crafted sets and the cast’s alignment to the characters’ diverse nationalities have also been praised. As news about a specific release date awaits, One Piece has been showing lots of promise — and may be key to breaking Netflix’s live-action anime curse once and for all.
Source: One Piece Netflix Fan/Twitter