One Piece‘s live adaptation is getting praise from everywhere because it has broken the disappointing trend for anime adaptations. The show’s great visuals, including costumes and CGI, helped it capture the anime’s essence.
However, most of all it’s the actors who have done such a commendable job in bringing the characters to life. Although Iñaki Godoy is loved as Luffy there is also another actor who has been praised equally. It is Mackenyu as Roronoa Zoro.
Mackenyu’s fight choreography skills are just unmatched. His attention to detail on body movement and transitions is a pure work of art. No doubt, he captures iconic Zoro poses effortlessly, showing the character’s true power and determination.
His comedic talent complements the character just like what we see in animated Zoro. But here’s the catch — the role didn’t come easily to him, he had to work harder than ever to get cast for this character.
Mackenyu Worked So Hard to Secure the Role of Roronoa Zoro
Mackenyu is already acquainted with live-action adaptations of anime and manga. He has already appeared in the Rurouni Kenshin films and is taking a leading role in the multi-national adaptation of Knights of the Zodiac.
The actor’s next major role is seen in Netflix’s adaptation of the iconic manga One Piece. In an interview with GamesRadar, he revealed what helped him secure the role of Roronoa Zoro. He went on to say:
“I have experience using two swords simultaneously and have done live-action shows using swords in the past, but when it comes to three, that’s a different story. The training I did for One Piece was specific for Zoro and the skills needed to really be him. My jaw had on-the-job training!”
This is what makes Mackenyu a perfect fit for a character who is known for his sword-fighting skills. He had worked with multiple swords earlier, but fighting with three swords (one in his jaw) seems like a hard nut to crack, which requires a lot of training. That’s not it, it also caused some cuts in Mackenyu’s mouth.
A Customized Sword Was Made to Fit in Mackenyu’s Mouth Which Caused Him Cuts
Roronoa Zoro’s Three Sword Style fighting technique is an important feature of his character, and it was essential for the live-action adaptation of One Piece to highlight this.
To perform his character’s unique fighting styles, it wasn’t enough for actor Mackenyu to simply hold a third sword in his mouth. His co-star Emily Rudd revealed to Netflix, a custom-made sword had been made to fit in his mouth. Over this, Mackenyu said:
“I was familiar with two swords, but three swords, it’s probably only Zoro. So that was challenging.”
When he was asked did he got tired of putting the sword throughout, he answered, “I had a lot of cuts in my mouth” which is obvious. It must have been challenging for the actor to do such an action, but his determination shows how much of a great action actor he is.
Source: GamesRadar, Netflix
