The worldwide recognition of One Piece increased tenfold last year when the franchise released the live-action adaptation on Netflix. With the contribution of the series creator, Eiichiro Oda, and the perfect character adaptation by the actors birthed what was possibly the first-ever successful live-action adaptation of an anime breaking the infamous curse.
Among these highly appreciated character adaptations, the one that got the most love from fans was Mackenyu Arata, who played the role of the swordsman of the Straw Hat Pirates, Roronoa Zoro. His acting skills are nothing short of exemplary, but he elevated them with Zoro’s role, and the one person who felt it the most was Kazuya Nakai, the voice actor of Zoro.
Voice actor Nakai once revealed that Mackenyu introduced his own charm to Zoro’s character, and this made it difficult for him to follow through. But the voice actor took it as a challenge and made sure that he gave the perfect Japanese dub for the character.
Kazuya Nakai Had To Play Zoro Differently
Gamerbraves interviewed the entire voice cast of the One Piece anime, who also brought their talents to use in the live-action adaptation. During the interview, each of the voice actors was asked about how differently they played the role from the anime version. While each of them explained their own methods, Nakai was the only one who was faced with a challenge.
Nakai stated:
At the beginning of the adventure, Zoro has a huge expression, big eyes, or he opens his mouth very wide. But Mackenyu’s Zoro is very cool and calm. That was a new challenge to approach a different Zoro. But for me, in anime dub versions, you have your own ideas that you prioritize.
Mackenyu’s persona is very calm and confident. Just what the creators needed for Zoro’s role in One Piece live-action. However, this proved to be difficult for Nakai to catch up to because pre-time skip Zoro was more egotistical and loud. But the voice actor decided to prioritize his own ideas and managed to sync with Mackenyu’s Zoro adaptation.
Difference Between Live-Action Zoro and Anime Zoro
Although the current Zoro has become much calmer and more calculative, initially he was a little bit goofy and had exaggerated responses to things. He was often seen fighting with Sanji or scolding Luffy in a comical way, but when it came to fighting, his focus became spot-on. This was one of the reasons why Zoro became a fan favorite.
However, Mackenyu’s Zoro gives more post-time skip vibes as he is a little serene. Mackenyu decided to add his own charm to Zoro’s character, and it definitely worked in the favor of the series. Even Eiichiro Oda fell in love with Mackenyu’s performance. So much so that he started creating Zoro while thinking about how Mackenyu would play it in the live-action.
This was truly a great feat, and now fans are eager to once again see him performing the role of the swordsman of the Straw Hat crew in the second season of One Piece live-action, which is rumored to be released in 2025.
You can watch One Piece live-action on Netflix.
