‘One Piece’ Creator Eiichiro Oda Demanded Netflix Re-Shoot Numerous Scenes For Live Action Adaptation Because “They Weren’t Good Enough To Put Out Into The World”
In honor of One Piece day, which commemorates the franchise’s 1997 launch in Japan, Netflix unveiled latest trailer for the live action adaption of Eiichiro Oda’s manga at San Diego Comic Con.
Adapted from the best selling manga by Eiichiro Oda, Netflix’s latest action packed One Piece trailer features iconic scenes from the straw hat pirates adventures in the East Blue and gave fans a first look at McKinley Belcher III’s Arlong confirming the eight episode first season will at least cover up to the manga’s Arlong Park arc.
In addition, Netflix confirmed the original One Piece Japanese anime voice actors will reprise their roles for the Japanese version of the live action adaptation.
Alongside the trailer, Netflix released a letter from series creator and executive producer Eiichro Oda, who revealed he had a “no compromise” policy throughout the entire adaptation process with Tomorrow Studios, which included demanding re-shoots of scenes when he deemed necessary.
“So the live action One Piece,” Oda prefaced. “The teaser and the trailer are now out, and the launch date for the show itself is set for August 31. I’ll say this there were no compromises on this show. And the festivities have already begun!”
He continued, “It’s already fun seeing the flurry of reactions after each release of information. And the very fact that adapting One Piece into live action was conceived 7 years ago is wild! How will this world be brought to life?”
“There was so much that went into it–all the efforts by the actors, the building of the world and the costumes, presenting things in a way that can only be done in live action, the dialogue—and the entire process of so many people putting their heads together was a festivity in and of itself,” he added.
“After the launch, I’m sure I’ll hear about some people pointing out how this character is missing or that scene is omitted, or this bit is different from the manga,” he anticipated. “But I’m sure they’ll come from a place of love, so I intend to enjoy even those comments! The story will span 8 episodes and take us up through You-know-where!!”
“Even after the shoot was over, there were numerous scenes the production agreed to re-shoot because I felt they weren’t good enough to put out into the world,” Oda disclosed.
The One Piece creator briefly talked about Monkey D. Luffy actor Iñaki Godoy, praising his performance as the titular character. “On the other hand, there were also some lines that I thought didn’t feel like Luffy on paper… but when I saw the filmed scenes, I went, ‘It works when it’s Iñaki performing it as Luffy. As a matter of fact, i works great.'”
“There were so many things that had to be done to keep things from looking too unnatural in live action,” Oda acknowledged. “The producers and the crew are pros at live action, and frankly, they’re One Piece superfans, too.”
He then claimed, “The more knowledgeable you are about One Piece, the more you’re likely to notice the love they poured into this.”
The One Piece creator reminisced, “It was June when we made the final decision to go ahead and launch this show. My editor who’d worked so hard on this actually cried as he said, ‘It was such a long journey…’ LOL,” before admitting, “Not that working hard on something guarantees success, of course.”
“By now, I just love this production team and the cast so much that I can’t wait for them to get the acclaim they deserve from everyone around the world,” Oda gushed.
Before concluding his message to fans, the One Piece creator committed to acknowledging any complaints fans of the long-running series may have with Netflix’s live action adaptation.
“And if by chance people have some gripes, I’ll be there to receive them together,” he promised. “Now, whatever feelings you choose to harbor in the meantime, it’s still going to be one month, so please have some tea as you wait!”
Netflix’s live action One Piece sets sail onto the platform on August 31st.