Netflix
Netflix ’s long - wait adaption of Eiichiro Oda’sbeloved manga - turned - animeOne Pieceis finally here , and against all expectations , it ’s a surefire hit . Critics react enthusiastically to the show , acknowledging its flaws but praising its many strengths . Equally of import was the interview reception , which has been cocksure enough for the show to debut near the top ofNetflix ’s 10 most popular movies of the hebdomad . And considering we dwell in one of the most divisive times for major information processing , the strong audience reaction toOne Pieceis quite impressive .
conform an gum anime as featherbrained and ego - cognizant asOne Piecewas always go to be a intimidating and potentially thankless task . Stay too close to the source stuff and peril accusations of not being polished enough for live - action at law ; veer too far away and provoke the wrath of millions of loyal fans . The show would also have to wear constant variation of the “ who is this for ? ” disceptation reviewers and viewers throw at the unceasing live - action at law adaptations studio and streamers churn out every year . Yet , One Piecedid so valiantly , daring to tread its own path and garner kudos from both side of the contention .
Netflix
Still , one question looms large over the show , and it ’s becoming increasingly manifest with the benefit of hindsight . IsOne Piecetoo faithful to its source textile ? A better head yet is , can something be too faithful ? After all , is n’t the purpose of an adaption to falsify these dimension and make them better suit for a new sensitive ? But can we do that in today ’s climate , where every change is considered a slight against the previously survive fandom ? Can an adjustment unfeignedly exist up to its name ?
A visual mixed bag
Let ’s get something straight : One Pieceis a good and occasionally great show . It stumbles in the midsection but follows the cardinal rule of storytelling : start and terminate with a bang to lead audience wanting more . Most impressively , it ’s a solid sentry even for new rooter who have never experienced Oda ’s manga or anime . Perhaps that isOne Piece‘s greatest strength : it condenses nearly 100 episode of the long - running Zanzibar copal into 8 hours of lively - action without lose sight of what ’s important .
consider this , One Piececan’t be too close ; how can it , when it modify and outright cuts numerous side stories to focus on the larger moving-picture show ? However , none of these changes are major enough to cause fans to sound off about cut characters or storylines . But the show often falls dupe to what bring down many big adaptations by hash over , rather than reinterpreting , the source stuff . Many shots are close to being unmediated copies of the manga and anime , lack the visual punch one might expect from an$18 million - an - episodetentpole . Zoro ’s polar fight against Dracule Mihawk is a near - staring replica of the anime , and while there is a sealed magic in seeing such a authoritative fight in live - action , Netflix ’s version provides nothing the original anime did n’t .
Few , if any , fans are in this expect a one - to - one replication of what they already view . But this is a fault underlying to any live - action task ; unlike a book , where the reader ’s mind does all the heavy lifting , an anime already offer enough visual rush to make any raw translation feel redundant . For a alive - action to succeed , it must adjust to its fresh culture medium , which commonly mean up the visuals .
In this scene , One Piecesucceeds with flying colors . The show has a distinctive optic language , largely thanks to its pep up intermixture of CGI and strong-arm exercise set . The scene is riotous and vivacious , echo the anime ’s style without looking like a cheesy copy . Luffy ’s famous Devil Fruit magnate also successfully transition to live - action ; they depend silly and cartoonish , but that ’s the point .
Visually , One Pieceis a mixed purse . It ’s too captivate with its germ material to venture on its own , but it triumphantly create a distinctive and almost cinematic visual nomenclature that perfectly enhances its admittedly safe plan of attack . WouldOne Piecebe well had it dared to try out more with its visuals ? It ’s hard to say ; more people would be angry , that ’s for sure . But it might ’ve stood out among the ocean of hebdomadal competitors , perhaps measuring up against HBO ’s stigma of prestige television rather than sitting atop Netflix ’s farsighted line of streamlet - of - the - John Stuart Mill content .
It’s all about the essence
When adapting something , most fans will say the important affair is to assert the “ effect . ” Just what exactly is this marrow , though ? It vary from project to project and has a dissimilar meaning for each fan . For something likeOne Piece , it ’s a sense of charm and unabashed positiveness that make the gum anime and its timeless protagonist , Monkey D. Luffy , such massive icon . And Netflix ’s unrecorded - activity has it in spades . Iñaki Godoy is an crying star as the show ’s atomic number 82 , wisely choosing to body forth Luffy ’s overwhelming and spirited personality rather than but acting it . The rest of the casting does brilliantly , too , andOne Piececan proudly say there are no faint links among its ranks .
Thus , One Pieceavoids the tragic luck that brought down many other abortive adjustment . Netflix ’s ownCowboy Bebopnotoriously flunk to retake its author material ’s cool and elusive blending of noir and Western . Its much - discussed , usually lampoon , and increasingly struggle adaptation ofThe Witchernails the charactersbut struggle everywhere else and lacks a coherent visual language . And let ’s not even go into its derided endeavour to bringDeath Noteinto hot activity .
Recapturing something ’s “ essence ” is far more unmanageable than imagined . One Piece‘s reverence for the source material pays off in this crucial department by see what make it work and effectively translating it into a new medium . Series originator Steven Maeda and Matt Owens transport the gum anime ’s gloriously over - the - top style without compromising its nature;One Pieceis as rarified as a live - action projection can be before derive into ridicule . It admirably walks the ok line between absurdism and genius , dipping one foot on each side without commit to one . It ’s a delicate counterbalance that becomes increasingly apparent as the episodes work up and the author material ’s more quaint aspects set about to polish .
Between fishmen and garbled clowns , One Piececan easy buckle under to its farcical machine . By remain ego - aware and unashamed of itself , the show emerges winning where so many others caved . One Pieceis in on the joke ; you express mirth alongside it but never at it .
Damned if you do, damned if you don’t
Adapting any darling IP is always a lose game , especially with the divided entertainment landscape painting we live in today . release anything is a bounce of faith , and while it ’s easy to disqualify something for being disappointing or in a flash bad , it ’s knockout to appreciate the nuances that come with translate something into bouncy action . One Pieceis not thoroughgoing and in all likelihood could never be ; embracing its source material guarantee it . However , the show made an empowered choice to survive within its ego - imposed confinements , for better and bad . It come after as an adaptation but limits itself to everlastingly live as an underling , rather than a peer , of Oda ’s innovation .
Think of the most successful springy - military action version – Harry Potter , The Hunger Games , The Lord of the Rings , Game of Thrones . These franchise exist on their own , standing side by side with the generator material that inspired them rather than serve as a mere complement . In fact , they now have exclusive and enduring legacies . How manyGame of Thronesfans survive for the show without ever reading a wordGeorge R. R. Martinwrote ?
One Piecewill never have that . It will everlastingly exist as a supplement to the manga and the gum anime , and that ’s okay . Not every IP can stand severally from its source material , principally because not every IP should . Netflix’sOne Pieceis good for what it is ; sure , it could ’ve been capital , but perhaps illustriousness is too much to ask from such a delicious show , especially considering the thrill of independence did n’t exactly last for most other franchises who carved path away from their source materials .
IsOne Piecetoo faithful ? Yes , to its ultimate detriment . Was there room for change that would ’ve result in a bolder , more rewarding adaptation ? Yes . In other word , One Piececould’ve beenanotherThe Last of Us ; the fundamental aspect here is it chose not to be , which is utterly valid . Not everything can be bang-up ; not everything has to be . Sometimes , “ good ” is enough . squeeze the “ good ” might be the way to savour thing again . God knows we need to .
you could stream all eight episodes ofOne Pieceright now on Netflix .
