Why the 'One Piece' live-action film is a sensation.

Việt Nam•14/09/2023

The cast of "One Piece" performed their own action scenes and trained in martial arts for months before filming.

The One Piece anime series garnered attention from fans even before its release, thanks to the brand's massive fanbase. The series adapts the first 100 chapters of the manga of the same name – the best-selling manga of all time with over 500 million copies sold.

The One Piece live-action film gained popularity for capturing the spirit of the original work, breaking the "curse" of manga adaptations. Most adaptations of manga or anime, such as Attack on Titan, Dragon Ball: Evolution (2009), and Death Note (2017), have been criticized. For example, Dragon Ball: Evolution received a 15% "rotten tomato" rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a 2.5 rating on IMDb with over 78,000 reviews. The reason for these failures is that the content changes many details, losing the core elements of the original work.

In contrast, One Piece skillfully constructs its storyline and character designs to closely follow the original source material, with many scenes recreated to resemble the anime, satisfying most fans. Details are only changed to fit the eight-volume runtime, without negatively impacting the main plot or the characters' development. The series' cast is directly selected and the entire production process is overseen by author Eiichiro Oda, thus maintaining the spirit of the manga.

Furthermore, the film's coherent storytelling makes it easy for viewers who haven't read the manga to follow. With adaptations, viewers unfamiliar with the original work often find it harder to grasp the plot. The producers of One Piece paid attention to this issue, striving to create a world suitable for a wide audience.

Jacob Gibson (left) and Iñaki Godoy during the filming of "One Piece". Photo: Netflix

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The series made its mark thanks to meticulous investment in every aspect, from promotion, script, setting, costumes, to the training of the cast. Before the film's release, the team organized more than 10 media events worldwide in Los Angeles, Paris, Jakarta, and Tokyo. They also collaborated with Zara, Hot Toys, and UK's HMV to launch character t-shirts and figurines.

A team comprising executives from Netflix's US, Japan, and South Korea was formed to develop the series. Each episode cost approximately $17 million, making it one of the most expensive series ever made. The show primarily uses real-life locations for filming and minimizes the use of CGI, giving viewers the feeling that it is a real world.

To deliver realistic fight scenes, the actors trained diligently for their roles, performing most of the action sequences themselves. Iñaki Godoy, who played Luffy, underwent extensive training, calling himself a "stunt master." Stunt coordinator Franz Spilhaus stated that the team strived to convey the fun and agility of Luffy's fighting style. He praised Godoy highly, saying, "He handles things effortlessly; this kid can even fly."

Behind the scenes of Taz Skylar (blonde) fighting alongside Arata Mackenyu in "One Piece". Photo: Netflix

Arata Mackenyu is a fan of One Piece and the character Zoro, so he was determined to prove his abilities through the role. Having studied martial arts and used a sword, Mackenyu brought many of his styles and experiences to the battles.

To play Sanji, Taz Skylar trained 8-10 hours a day, including taekwondo, mixed martial arts with experts, and cooking lessons from professional chefs. Emily Rudd studied karate from a young age, so the crew created more daring stunts when she played Nami. To play Usopp, Romero learned how to use a slingshot.

The series currently tops Netflix's viewership in 86 countries and territories, breaking the record of Stranger Things 4 (2022) and Wednesday (2022) reaching number one in 83 countries, revolving around the Straw Hat Pirates' quest for the greatest treasure, One Piece. On film forums, many fans say it's the best live-action adaptation to date.