One Piece by Eiichiro Oda is currently the reigning anime/manga (ongoing) of the Shonen genre. So far, it has received various adaptations like movies, games and even the hit One Piece Live-Action series by Netflix. But did you know it has also been adapted into an ice show?
For those who are not familiar with ice shows, they are productions that are performed by ice skaters and are mostly musical or dramatic in nature. No, it’s not a skating competition, ice skaters actually combine their skills on ice with acting to produce a dramatic representation of a series.
A Retired Grand Prix Medalist was cast as Vivi in the One Piece Ice Show
The One Piece Ice Show debuted in the summer of 2023 and adapted the Alabasta Arc from the manga. It was an instant hit among fans, which led to the performance being scheduled again for September 2024. But there’s one thing that not many One Piece fans know about the show. The ice skater who plays Vivi is actually a famous retired Japanese figure skater, Marin Honda.
Marin Honda began her career at the age of two, around the time when most of us were busy being a menace to our parents. After a promising few seasons at the Japan Junior Championships, she debuted at the ISE Junior Grand Prix (JGP) in 2015-16. She won a silver medal at JGP in Colorado, losing by a margin of 8.06 points. However, she recovered it soon when he won gold in her second JGP season. She was placed sixth at the 2015-16 Japanese Junior Championships.
Her career has been marked by outstanding performances as she won bronze at the 2015-16 Junior Grand Prix Final. She was also the bronze medalist at the 2-16-17 Japanese Junior National. After a successful career, she announced her decision to retire on January 5, 2024. Her statement at the time was:
I really like skating. As long as I can continue skating, I will continue skating if everyone wants to watch it.
As it turns out, Honda really meant it because she was already cast as Nefertari Vivi in the 2023 One Piece Ice Show. Her sister, Miyu, was chosen to play Nami.
Marin Honda is Dedicated to Her Role as Vivi
The 2023 One Piece Ice Show was a huge success, and in April 2024, the official X account of the series announced that it would return for a second run on September 7 and 8, 2024. However, the second run will not adapt a new arc and will simply be a rerun of the Alabasta Saga.
Honda, on the other hand, is just as excited to play her role as she was the first time she was cast. She described Vivi as someone who cares for her friends more than herself. But she was in doubt whether she could portray the strong-willed yet fragile princess.
I was conscious of wanting to perform in a way that would reach every corner of the venue, with my facial expressions and body movements, so that people would see me as “Vivi,” not as “Honda Marin.“
Once again, the figure skater shared that she was really looking forward to playing Vivi again and wanted to experience the same emotion she felt the first time she performed it. It is unbelievable that the One Piece Ice Show is so popular that it could cast champion skaters like Honda. And fans wonder if Eiichiro Oda is aware of the huge casting decision.
One Piece is available to read on Viz Media, and the anime is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.
