The Live-Action Adaptation of One Piece has been the talk of the town for quite some time now. It has broken many Netflix’s records and has climbed the ladder of success in a matter of few days. The story just like the anime and manga revolves around Luffy, an adventurous kid who aspires to be the King of the Pirates. Although the story is similar, the live-action adaptation has some changes either due to reality limitations or making the plot interesting. Some of these changes were criticized by the fans whereas others have been lauded by them.
One of these changes is in the fight between Mihawk and Zoro, which is considered to be one of the biggest fights of the One Piece series pre-time skip. Although the change is very minor it was instantly spotted by One Piece fans and they have loved the new modification.
The Breathtaking Change in Zoro vs. Mihawk
One of the best battle scenes in the season is between the pirate hunter Roronoa Zoro and the famous swordsman Dracule Mihawk. In both the manga and the live-action versions of the story, Zoro meets Mihawk at Baratie and challenges him to a fight. Zoro’s ambition is to become the greatest swordsman in the world, a title currently held by Mihawk, therefore it’s reasonable for him to want to challenge Mihawk for the title when the opportunity arises. Aside from having fantastic action sequences, this scene stands out because it brilliantly captures how far the Straw Hats still need to go in order to attain their dreams.
The scene is perfectly written and played in Netflix’s live-action adaptation, however, there is one small change that portrays entirely different emotions for fans and they actually love it. In the manga and anime, Zoro while fighting Mihawk, uses his traditional three-sword style from the beginning, whereas in the live-action adaptation, he only uses it for his final attack, when Mihawk decides to use his traditional sword Yoru. This little change may be normal for a common viewer, but One Piece fans know the power of that one extra sword in Zoro’s mouth.
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Difference Between Live Action and Anime Zoro
In the live-action adaptation, Zoro is played by actor Mackenyu who is the son of actor and martial artist Sonny Chiba. Fans were naturally eager to see Roronoa Zoro appear in the series’ live-action version, as he is frequently ranked as the second-most popular character in One Piece. Although the live-action Roronoa Zoro is expertly cast, his debut is slightly different. Helmeppo does not imprison him until much later than in the anime. Zoro’s portrayal in anime and live-action is nearly identical, save for a few minor differences caused by story alterations or live action constraints.
Despite the changes, the character of Zoro is brilliantly written by One Piece creators and is amazingly portrayed by Mackenyu, as he has become one of the most loved actors of the series just like his character.
Source: Stream Wars
