Just like the original series, One Piece live-action also became a great hit and broke several records. There are so many reasons behind the One Piece Live Action success that make it the most successful live-action anime of all time.
As is well known, One Piece already dominates the manga industry by becoming the top-selling manga of all time with a sale of over 500 million copies. Moreover, the One Piece anime also currently dominates the anime industry and is considered the greatest anime of all time.
As a result, One Piece fans expected the same thing with its live-action adaptation, and they were all right. One Piece Live Action not only broke records of past Netflix’s live-action but also surpassed Netflix’s past record holders’ Stranger Things and Wednesday.
Also Read: One Piece Chapter 1097: Spoiler & Plot Leaks
That’s why it is very necessary for all anime lovers to know the reasons behind One Piece Live Action success. What they do that other anime live action lacks and how it sets a new bar in the live action industry. So, let’s get started!
How successful is One Piece Live Action?
Before moving forward to the reason behind One Piece Live Action’s success, you first have to know how successful it is. One Piece became the most watched TV series on Netflix in its debut weekend, crossing over 18.5 million views.
By doing that, it surpassed Stranger Things and Wednesday, the past record-holder TV series on Netflix. Moreover, it also ranked in the top spot on Netflix in more than 84 countries. While seeing these stats and records, you can estimate how successful One Piece Live action is and what fan following it holds.
And believe me, this is just the beginning because its live-action adaptation just adapted the first saga, the East Blue Saga, including five story arcs. There are plenty of arcs yet to adapt that are far more engaging and amazing than the current one.
Moreover, Netflix already knows that, which is why they can’t take much time and have already announced One Piece Live Action Season 2.
10 Major Reasons Behind One Piece Live Action Success
1. One Piece is for Everyone
One Piece’s adventure is something that we all want to join, filled with thrills, fun, mystery, suspense, action, emotions, and so on. It has funny moments that make you laugh out loud. While its emotional moments will also make you cry out loud.
On one hand, the series brought us plenty of action sequences while also filling us with their fanservice. Its captivating, vast world-building, supernatural devil fruit powers, and mysterious creatures will add a fantasy element to the series.
No matter what age group you belong to, you will definitely find someone relatable to you out of the series’ wide range of attractive and inspiring characters. Each character in the series has their own way of living, which has taught us plenty of life lessons.
That’s why One Piece is for everyone, whether you are an action lover, fantasy lover, drama lover, romance lover, or even harem lover.
2. Eiichiro Oda’s Involvement: The Key Factor Behind One Piece Live Action Success
If this live-action series is also created without any involvement of the series’ original creator. Then it might not be as successful as it is now. As we all see in several other anime live-action series, their stories and characters are not as good as their original anime series.
That’s why it is very essential for any live-action anime to involve its respective original creator to match the essence of its original version.
On the other hand, Oda sensei was not just involved in the series’ live action but also wrote an open letter for fans. In the letter, he shared his concern about bad live adaptation and assured everyone that they would do great in this field too.
While Netflix also gave all creative liberties to Oda to delete or cancel any scenes he thought unfit and make any changes to them. Eiichiro Oda’s involvement played a major role in One Piece Live Action’s success.
3. Successfully Adapt the Original Series
One Piece Live action not only followed the same arcs of its manga part. But also captured the same essence of it. Even though they make some minor changes in plot and character, they do not deviate from the core theme of the series.
It perfectly conveys the same message as its original series, such as friendship, freedom, and adventure. Despite covering the five arcs of the series in just eight episodes, the series does not meet fans’ expectations. The pace of the show is outstanding and covers every possible event and moment of the series.
As a result, the fans of the franchise can’t help but appreciate their hard work for doing such a great job. Lastly, we all have to admit that this live action is truly faithful to the original source material that other anime live action lacks.
4. Netflix’s Epic Marketing Campaign
No one can deny that Netflix is the mastermind behind One Piece live action success. If this live action is made by any other company except Netflix, then it definitely can’t perform as well as they are currently performing.
Whether talking about their epic marketing campaign or strategically decided release date, it left every anime live action behind. Before the release of One Piece live action, Netflix did not leave a single spot to talk about it. Netflix went all out in almost every popular magazine, podcast, social media platform, and media interview.
They create a lot of buzz among anime fans in different parts of the country before relaxing with one-piece live action. As a result, everyone is aware of this upcoming anime live action, whether they watched anime or not. They do not just stop there; they also strategically chose August as the release date of this live action.
This is because August is the start of the school year in most countries. So, this is a great time for people who are looking for something to watch with their whole family.
5. High Production Quality: Playing a Major Role in One Piece Live Action Success
Netflix can hold back when they are adapting the highest-grossing manga of all time. According to several sources, Netflix spent approximately 138 million USD on producing One Piece Live. Well, the given budget is totally suited to the show; after all, its set seems quite big and realistic.
It perfectly captures the diverse and colorful world of One Piece. Moreover, the costumes and makeup of the characters were also top-notch, giving them a very close look. On the other hand, the action sequences and visual effects of the series are truly magnificent. The officials try to give as much thrill as its original series delivered.
Lastly, the budget is smartly spent on some of the most talented and attractive cast members of the series, especially the main ones.
6. Excellent Casting of the Show
Most of the live-action adaptations failed due to their bad casting. They all tried their best to find actors or actresses who resembled their series’ original characters. However, they forget that the original characters are not fans’ favorites just because of their looks.
It is very essential to choose the cast of the live action according to their looks and skills. And Netflix did a great job of it; they found the hidden gems across different parts of the country for the show.
As you can see, Inaki Godoy, who played Luffy, is a Mexican actor; Mackenyu, who played Zoro, is an American actor; and Taz Skylar, who played Shanji, is a Spanish actor. Every cast member of the show did a great job by playing their respective characters and earning respect from fans.
7. Catchy Soundtrack of the Show
Just like the anime series, live action also needs catchy soundtracks to enhance the mood and atmosphere of each scene. In order to compose the musical score for One Piece Live Action, Netflix chose Sonya Belousova and Giona Ostinelli.
They are a very popular duo of music composers who composed the music for the Witch series, one of the most successful series on Netflix. In order to create the entire musical score for the first season, they were acquainted with 110 talented musicians.
At last, they create a total of 79 tracks that last for 241 minutes. Moreover, Netflix also released the first two tracks of the series, such as “Wealth, Fame, and Power” and “My Sails Are Set”. These release tracks get a great response from fans, which denotes how great the soundtracks of the show are.
8. Popularity of Original Series: The Biggest Reasons for One Piece Live Action Success
Of course, the popularity of the original series is the biggest reason for its huge success. As we all know, the original One Piece series has dominated the industry for over 26 years. By doing that, they created a huge loyal fan base in several countries around the world, and it is still increasing.
Whether talking about its manga, anime series, anime merchandise, video games, anime films, or anything else, they get incredible responses from fans. So, it is very obvious that the loyal fans of the franchise will definitely give their love and attention to the franchise’s first live action.
Not just One Piece, every live action had an upper hand because of the original series. However, all these advantages are only valid until the release of the show. After that, it completely depends on the quality of the live action as to how far they take it.
9. The Show has a Global Message for Everyone
One Piece is not only known for its epic world-building, supernatural devil fruits, inspiring characters, and incredible fight scenes, but also for its global message. Through Luffy and his team’s adventures, the series provides plenty of messages for viewers.
No matter what age group or society’s section you belong to, you will definitely resonate with some of its global messages. One Piece shows the true meaning of family and friends, how to show courage, what it takes to fulfill our dreams, how to show loyalty, and how to bring justice.
Just like in our real world, Luffy also meets several types of characters who belong to different species or casts and adds them to Straw Hat. He shows how to overcome the challenges of life and grow as a team. Lastly, One Piece inspired and influenced everyone to achieve their goals while also enjoying the journey along the way.
10. One Piece Live Action Has A Sense of Nostalgia
One Piece anime is not your typical series where you start, break, start again, break, start again, then end. It debuted in 1999, and to this day, it’s been ongoing for over 24 years without a single break. As a result, fans and series characters have grown up together, which connects them through an invisible thread of love.
Now, when they watch One Piece live action, they all get deja vu of their childhood memories from the first time they watched it. This is why the show creates a sense of nostalgia among viewers.
Lastly, it is also the best way to celebrate the legacy of One Piece. And pay tribute to our beloved Oda sensei, one of the greatest manga artists and his team for blessing us with such an epic franchise.
That’s it for the post. We hope you now know the reasons behind One Piece Live Action success. Stay tuned for the latest update from anime networks.
Frequently Asked Questions:
1. When will One Piece Live Action release season 2?
The officials have not yet revealed the release date for One Piece Live Action Season 2. However, the second season is currently in production, and the officials might soon reveal something important about it.
2. Who developed One Piece Live Action?
This Netflix live-action series was developed by Matt Owens and Steven Maeda along with the direct involvement of Eiichiro Oda.
3. What are some of the popular anime whose live action version are released?
Some of the popular anime live-action series are One Piece, Dragon Ball, Ruruouni Kenshin, Death Note, Gintama, and Fullmetal Alchemist.
Source: Netflix
