Netflix has continued its quest to assimilate as much content as possible by announcing that they will be producing a live-action adaption of One Piece. Reactions from fans have ranged from cautious optimism to portents of doom. While little is known about the adaption at this point, there is plenty of evidence to support both opinions.
Let’s look at the pros and cons of a Netflix adaption of One Piece, and see what side has more to offer at the end.
Pro: Netflix Money
One Piece is set in a world filled with supernatural abilities, fantastic islands, and insanely over-the-top fights. None of these things are cheap to make. Fortunately, Netflix has demonstrated what it can do when it places the full weight of its finances behind a project. Marco Polo was a flop, but nobody was complaining about the production values.
While some things will have to be toned down if Netflix gives One Piece the same generous budget as some of its previous projects, there’s no reason it couldn’t have the same visual splendor as the anime.
Con: Previous Netflix Anime Adaptions
This is the main point of contention for many anime fans. Netflix has tried its hand at adapting anime into live-action before, and the results have been less than spectacular. Live-action adaptions of the beloved Fullmetal Alchemist and Death Note franchises were both lambasted by fans and critics upon their debut. What’s to say it won’t happen again?
Well, there have been signs that live-action adaptions may not be a completely lost cause. Rurouni Kenshin and Battle Angel Alita have both had adaptions that were generally well-liked by critics. Time will tell if One Piece will join their ranks.
Pro: The Talent
While not always indicative of a work’s quality, or lack thereof, the people behind the camera can often give an idea of the direction a project is going in. Screenwriting veterans Steven Maeda and Matt Owens are set to write the series. Perhaps most importantly, the author of the manga, Eiichiro Oda is set to serve as executive producer.
Oda’s involvement potentially bodes well for the series. It is traditionally a bad sign when the creator of a license wants nothing to do with an adaption. For examples see The Last Airbender and Watchmen.
Con: Expensive
As mentioned in the above entry, Netflix has the money to give the series a generous production budget. But if it’s done right, a faithful adaption of the anime is going to be expensive. If the ratings don’t live up to expectations, it’s entirely possible that the series could be canceled even if critical and fan response is positive.
Good shows have been done in by their budgets before. HBO’s Rome only lasted two seasons because it was so costly to produce. Almost Human, a futuristic buddy-cop show on Fox, was also axed in part because of how much it cost to make.
Pro: Lot’s of material to work with
One Piece is a massive franchise. At the time of writing, it sits at ninety-five volumes and it is still going. It will soon hit its thousandth chapter, along with an anime with over 900 episodes. All of this adds up to a plethora of content for the producers of the show to pull from as they craft their adaption.
Ultimately some parts will have to be left on the cutting room floor to fit into shorter seasons of around 13 episodes. But if done properly, the things that get left behind won’t be missed too much.
Con: Maybe Too Much Material
Of course, if the pruning shears aren’t wielded with a judicious hand, Netflix risks cutting out vital parts of the story. No matter what the showrunners cut, there’s going to be fans crying foul. It’s impossible to please everyone, and fans of anime or manga can express their displeasure with the best of them.
Adding to this problem is Oda’s penchant for foreshadowing. Small details often become relevant to the overarching narrative hundreds of chapters after they debut. It would be easy to cut out a seemingly unimportant character, only to have them turn out to be a vital part of the story.
Pro: Exposure to a wider audience
Anime has been on the upswing for years; going from a niche medium to a part of mainstream culture in a very short period. Nowadays, it isn’t uncommon for your average consumer to be at least passingly familiar with anime. If the Netflix adaption of One Piece is well received, it could normalize anime fandom even further.
While it isn’t stigmatized like it once was, anime is still not fully accepted by the casual market. Perhaps this adaptation can do for anime fans what the MCU did for fans of western comic books.
Con: The weirdness
One Piece is a series about a pirate with a rubber body named Monkey D. Luffy on a quest to become the Pirate King. He is accompanied by a man who fights while holding a sword in his mouth, a liar with a slingshot, a cyborg, a thief who can control the weather, a talking reindeer, a woman who can sprout limbs wherever she pleases, a break dancing cook, and a living skeleton with a fixation on women’s underwear.
Saying this series is weird is an understatement. Some people like weird. Others are turned off by it, and the series could hit trouble if more people fall into the latter category than the former.
Pro: More Adaptions if it succeeds
Adaptions, such as the aforementioned Alita: Battle Angel, have proven that live-action versions of anime don’t have to be terrible. It’s just a matter of getting talented people to want to work on them. The more successful live-action adaptions are released, the more those talented people will want to form part of future adaptions.
Just look at comic book movies. The more successful they got, the higher the caliber of talent they were able to attract. There’s no reason the same couldn’t be true of anime movies.
Con: Fewer Adaptations if it fails
By the same token, if the series turns out to be a flop, it could kill interest in future live-action adaptions, both from a public and production standpoint.
Look at video game movies as an example. To date, most adaptions of video games have flopped critically, commercially, or both. Consequently, few creators want to work on a project they know is facing an uphill battle. If anime films get the same reputation, we could miss out on some truly great adaptations.
So let’s hope that the pros end up outweighing the cons.
