The One Piece live-action adaptation has finally joined the ranks of Netflix’s popular shows. It has shattered several Netflix records and ascended the success ladder in a matter of days. With its epic adaptations, character representation, updated storyline, and great editing, the series following Monkey D. Luffy’s journey to become the King of Pirates has created quite a stir. Although the premise is identical, the live-action version makes various alterations owing to reality constraints or to make the plot more engaging. Some of these alterations were criticized by fans, while others were praised.
Eiichiro Oda, the mastermind behind the epic story of One Piece, was initially conflicted by the idea of developing the story into a live-action. He later changed his mind, and after the release even admitted to the changes done in the series.
Eiichiro Oda Admitted Certain Differences in Series are Important
Despite being loved by a lot of fans, some did not appreciate the major changes done to the storyline. They believed that the changes altered the story largely and were unnecessary. In a rare interview with the New York Times, Creator Oda targeting the haters, admitted that although the series witnessed some changes to the story, they were necessary and had to be done. He said:
“A live-action adaptation of a manga doesn’t simply re-enact the source material on a one-to-one basis: It involves thinking about what fans love about the characters, the dynamics among them — and being faithful to those elements. A good live-action show doesn’t have to change the story too much. The most important thing is whether the actors can reproduce the characters in a way that will satisfy the people who read the manga. I think we did it well, so I hope audiences will accept it.”
The plot deviation may have changed the story somewhat, but the main storyline remains the same and follows the manga series to the ground.
Major Differences in One Piece Live-Action and Manga
One Piece live-action managed to become a huge success despite making major changes in the storyline. The most significant alteration in the One Piece live-action series is the early addition of Garp. Garp’s grandfatherhood was revealed 400 chapters later in the Post-Enies Lobby storyline, however, in the narrative, Garp is introduced in the first chapter. This was the most significant concern for many long-time supporters. Nami’s interactions with her village are another source of variation. In the manga and anime, her sacrifices are valued by the villagers, who are obliged to pretend differently. Unfortunately, the live-action version left out that detail, and Nojiko simply stated that they had no notion.
These changes, initially were not appreciated by the fans, but as the story progressed and developed entirely, it got appreciation and acceptance from a lot of hardcore One Piece lovers, including the creator Oda San himself.
Source: New York Times
