Netflix’s One Piece is doing really well, staying at the top of their charts for two weeks now. Even though Netflix hasn’t officially announced the second season of the live-action anime adaptation, fans, critics, and newcomers are enjoying this fresh take on Luffy and his Straw Hat Pirates’ journey.
Mackenyu, the actor who portrays Roronoa Zoro, is a fan of the popular manga Hunter x Hunter. However, his fascination doesn’t stop at Hunter x Hunter. Mackenyu is also obsessed with Tite Kubo’s legendary manga, which is highly praised by many fans.
Roronoa Zoro Actor Mackenyu Showcases His Manga Love Beyond Hunter x Hunter
In an interview with Boys By Girls, Mackenyu expressed his affection for several manga series, not just One Piece. He mentioned his love for Hunter x Hunter, Hajime no Ippo, and Bleach, saying:
“Oh yes! I love Hunter x Hunter. I love One Piece. There’s a Japanese manga called Hajime no Ippo that I love. I also like Bleach.”
Mackenyu has expressed his admiration for Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece manga. He mentioned that his favorite character is Zoro, which fueled his excitement for portraying Zoro when the One Piece adaptation came about.
Besides One Piece, he has also expressed his fondness for Hunter x Hunter and Hajime no Ippo. Additionally, he has included Tite Kubo’s Bleach in his list of favorite manga.
Mackenyu also talked about Japan’s increasing influence on Western entertainment.
“Well, there weren’t a lot of Japanese actors in the West in the past and also now, to an extent. But Japanese projects, like anime, are loved by a lot of people all around the world and it’s a great time for us Japanese actors to be on that road together to show the world what we can do.”
He noted that there weren’t many Japanese actors in the West in the past, and this remains somewhat true today. However, he pointed out that Japanese projects, such as anime, have gained popularity worldwide, creating a great opportunity for Japanese actors to showcase their talent on the global stage.
Mackenyu has Experience Starring in Many Live-Action Anime Roles
Mackenyu, who plays the green-haired swordsman in One Piece, has experience playing live-action versions of anime characters.
In addition to One Piece, he portrayed Scar in the live-action Fullmetal Alchemist movies, Seiya in Knights of the Zodiac, Souta in Tokyo Ghoul: S, and Okuyasu Nijimura in JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Diamond Is Unbreakable – Chapter 1.
He even took on a significant villain role in the final Rurouni Kenshin live-action films, demonstrating his dedication to bringing beloved anime characters to life.
