“One Piece” is an incredibly popular manga penned by Eiichiro Oda, with an empire worth over twenty billion dollars. The first installment was published in June 1997 and was adapted into an anime just two years later. 

“One Piece” is a beloved story that tells the tale of a band of rookie pirates sailing to find a hidden treasure. 

The manga is immensely cherished, so much so that when Netflix announced a live-action adaptation in early 2020, they were met with harsh criticism from all around the world. This is due to Netflix’s infamous track record with anime-based live actions, with shows like “Death Note” and “Cowboy Bebop” being very poorly received by both critics and everyday viewers. 

Netflix seemed to take notice of their shaky track record and did not want to make the same mistakes while bringing the fantastical world of “One Piece” to life. Oda worked closely with Netflix, and every single element, big and small, had to be approved by him. 

The show was released on August 31 and was immediately met with rave reviews from fans, critics, and even viewers who have never indulged in “One Piece” before. The stunning sets, incredible cast, and immense attention to detail skyrocketed the show to number 1 on Netflix all around the world.

Iñaki Godoy took on the main protagonist Monkey D. Luffy, accompanied by Emily Rudd as Nami, Mackenyu Arata as Zoro, and Taz Skylar as Sanji. Clips and edits of the actors portraying their characters took over TikTok and other social media apps, boosting the show’s already immense amount of popularity.

The cast was incredible, but it was the spectacular set design that truly stole the show. Fishing boats, mansions, naval ships, castles, and more were all prominent throughout the manga and anime. This worried fans of the franchise as they questioned how such demanding locations could be brought to life. 

These worries proved to be over nothing, as the team in charge of sets replicated everything perfectly. Every color, every bolt, and every screw was identical to the show, which earned a lot of points in the eyes of critical fans. 

A highlight amongst the sets was the floating restaurant, “Baratie.” The structure is a massive fish-shaped boat with over ten stories, something seemingly impossible to transfer from a 2-D animation to real life. The team in charge of sets defied these odds and created a breathtaking feat of architecture, using barely any visual effects. 

Another jaw-dropping aspect of the show was the makeup and wardrobe. 

The world of “One Piece” contains many whimsical non-human creatures. Fish-men hybrids with extremely absurd facial features are prominent throughout the manga, a task that would be daunting to a makeup artist. Just like the set design team, the makeup artists did incredible with translating the bizarre character designs into live-action.

Netflix’s live adaptation of “One Piece” proves to defy the streaming service’s shaky track record with live-actions. Incredibly talented people worked on the show and proved their ability to honor the beloved franchise. As of September 15, Netflix has announced the renewal of the show, and I speak for fans all around the world when I say that we cannot wait to see the cast and crew back at it.