ONE PIECE set sail on Netflix on Aug. 31. 

The first live-action adaptation of the bestselling manga series of all time is here. An epic saga of adventure on the high seas, the story follows the adventures of Luffy, an enthusiastic young man with the singular aspiration of becoming King of the Pirates. 

A cultural phenomenon with millions of passionate fans around the globe, ONE PIECE is an expansive ongoing story about a group of misfits with a dream of joining together to become Luffy’s loyal crew, the Straw Hats. 

The live-action series is executive produced by series creator Eiichiro Oda (also known as Oda-Sensei), created in partnership with Shueisha, and produced by Tomorrow Studios and Netflix. Matt Owens and Steven Maeda are writers, executive producers, and showrunners. Marty Adelstein and Becky Clements also executive produce.  

ONE PIECE is currently the No. 1 title globally on Netflix with 37.8 million views amassed in less than two weeks since its release. The series reached the Top 10 in 93 countries, and debuted at No. 1 in 46. Certified Fresh with a 96% Audience Score on Rotten Tomatoes from 10,000+ ratings, it’s among Netflix’s highest audiences scores ever. A social media sensation with more than 4 billion search impressions for #onepiecenetflix on TikTok alone, ONE PIECE continues to generate buzz and trend globally across social platforms. Talent Instagram followings have soared, adding millions of followers over the last couple of months. The franchise follows young pirate Monkey D. Luffy (Iñaki Godoy) as he sails across the seas with his Straw Hats gang in search of the mysterious One Piece treasure. The series was renewed by Netflix on Aug. 14.

The adaptation starts at the very beginning of Luffy’s tale, introducing existing fans and brand new audiences to the live-action iterations of the manga’s beloved characters, antagonists, and destinations. Whether you’re curious to come aboard for the first time ever or a longtime fan eager for more details, we’ve got you covered — we even asked Oda himself. 

FOR THE NEWBIES

Casey Crafford/Netflix

First of all, what’s the ONE PIECE 101?

The ONE PIECE universe is the brainchild of Japanese writer and illustrator Eiichiro Oda. Conceived as a serialized manga pirate adventure, ONE PIECE debuted in July 1997 in the manga anthology magazine Weekly Shōnen Jump. A hit with readers, the first four chapters of ONE PIECE were eventually collected and released in December 1997. Since then, there have been 105 (and counting!) collected volumes of ONE PIECE stories, all written and illustrated by Oda-Sensei. 

In 1999, Toei Animation produced a ONE PIECE 2D animated series based on Oda-Sensei’s work. This brought Luffy and his Straw Hat pirates to life in a colorful way that retold their origin story. It gave dedicated ONE PIECE readers a slightly different take on the books, and was an opportunity to welcome nonreaders and anime fans into the mythology. It now boasts 20 seasons with over 1,000 episodes of adventures featuring Luffy and a huge ensemble of characters. 

The ONE PIECE world has also expanded into animated theatrical films. Since March 2000, there have been 15 movies that add original stories to the mythology or remix existing stories for the big screen. For gamers, Bandai has produced 40 different video game titles set within the world, and the ONE PIECE characters have appeared in Shōnen Jump video games.

Who is Eiichiro Oda?

In the world of publishing, William Shakespeare remains the bestselling fiction GOAT (or Greatest of All Time) with approximately 4 billion in sales. But slide down a mere nine slots on that list, and residing at No. 10 is Eiichiro Oda. ONE PIECE has sold 516.5 million copies of the books, making him the only manga writer and illustrator to rank in the Top 10. As such, he’s earned the distinction of being one of the most influential manga creators in the history of the medium. With 105 individually collected volumes of ONE PIECE stories, Oda-Sensei is the rare manga creator who has remained a singular creative voice charting an ongoing, serialized mythology. He plans to personally close it out by 2025. 

An interesting fact that even longtime Oda-Sensei fans may not be aware of: He always wanted ONE PIECE to be adapted into a live-action series. Various creative false starts and developmental dead ends delayed that endeavor until Netflix partnered with publisher Shueisha and Tomorrow Studios to bring Luffy and his eclectic crew of thieves, fighters, and dreamers into the real world. 

As an executive producer on the series, Oda-Sensei has been deeply involved and played an integral part in all aspects of the development, including casting approval, post production, and refining the tone with an expert level of detail. He’s working closely with executive producers and series showrunners Owens and Maeda and executive producers Adelstein and Clements from Tomorrow Studios. The series is a collaboration where the original creator is woven into the fabric of an adaptation team, which ensures that the global fans of the manga and anime will see a live-action series that matches the creative intentions of Oda-Sensei’s original manga.

Is Oda-Sensei involved in the adaptation? 

Sure is. Oda is an executive producer on the series and has dropped personally penned letters (you can read them below) discussing the collaboration and assuring fans that the production is “burning with passion.”

Why is ONE PIECE so special to fans?

ONE PIECE is a legendary high-seas quest unlike any other. Luffy is a young adventurer who has longed for a life of freedom ever since he can remember. He sets off from his small village on a perilous journey to find the legendary fabled treasure, ONE PIECE, to become King of the Pirates! But in order to find the ultimate prize, he’ll need to assemble the crew he’s always wanted before finding a ship to sail, searching every inch of the vast blue seas, outpacing the Marines and outwitting dangerous rivals at every turn. 

The heart and soul of the story is Luffy (Iñaki Godoy) and his rambunctious, ragtag crew made up of talented misfits called the Straw Hats. Roronoa Zoro (Mackenyu) is the ambitious but guarded swordsman. Nami (Emily Rudd) is a thief who keeps her secrets close to the vest. Usopp (Jacob Romero) is another dreamer with adventure in his heart. And Sanji (Taz Skylar) is a skilled cook and charming rascal. Together, they embody what ONE PIECE is all about: the power of achieving dreams and the bond between found family and nakama (close friends) facing hardship together. 

The existing fandom of ONE PIECE already consider themselves as de facto Straw Hats, and this series will be yet another opportunity to welcome aboard an even bigger contingent of like-minded dreamers from all walks of life to join Luffy’s crew. 

Who else is in the cast?

Additional cast includes Vincent Regan, Ilia Isorelýs Paulino, Morgan Davies, Aidan Scott, Langley Kirkwood, Jeff Ward, Celeste Loots, Alexander Maniatis, McKinley Belcher III, Craig Fairbrass, Steven Ward, Chioma Umeala, and Michael Dorman.

Over to Oda:

Oda-san, for those less familiar with ONE PIECE, where did the idea originally come from?

“Back when I started writing ONE PIECE 26 years ago, we didn’t really have a lot of pirate manga or pirate fiction. I love movies, so I watched any and all pirate movies from Hollywood, but I didn’t find them interesting at all. But my love of pirates stemmed from watching Japanese anime as a kid, and I wanted to share that love with the world. That’s what inspired me to start writing ONE PIECE.”

You didn’t find them all interesting, but was there a favorite pirate movie you watched from Hollywood?

“It wasn’t until about six years after I started ONE PIECE, but I enjoyed the first Pirates of the Caribbean film. As a matter of fact, until that film came out, it was hard to find resources about pirates, but thanks to the global success of Pirates of the Caribbean, suddenly there were tons of books about pirates that became available, so research got a lot easier.”

Where does ONE PIECE take place for someone who might not know?

“Huh, I wonder... In the very beginning, I wanted to start with a simple, pleasant island that would immediately come to my mind. To me that was windmills, cows, a ship at the dock. Just like Luffy, I wanted to start with an island that’s simple to draw and has a good vibe. From there on, I came up with islands that may sometimes be inspired by real locations from around the world but are completely fantastical.”

Casey Crafford/Netflix 

Why is Luffy so optimistic? He goes through so much and runs into so much trouble, yet he’s always so upbeat.

“That might be true of other Shōnen Manga protagonists as well, but one of my personal philosophies is to not depict a world that is too bleak. Making someone like Luffy the hero allows me to take even the most serious of situations and make it fun somehow.”

Casey Crafford/Netflix

Why does Zoro have three swords?

“In Japan there was a real life swordsman named Musashi Miyamoto who was regarded as the greatest ever, and he was known for using two swords. My childish idea was to simply make Zoro even greater by giving him one additional sword.”

Casey Crafford/Netflix

Sanji only uses his feet to fight, is there a reason for that?

“Each of my characters have certain policies and philosophies that they live by. Since Sanji is a chef, I figured he would protect the one thing he needs for his trade (to cook), which would be his hands. Naturally it made sense that he would only use his feet.”

Casey Crafford/Netflix

Usopp uses a slingshot — is there a story behind that?

“Usopp’s central character trait is that he’s always afraid, so he’d want a weapon that would allow him to attack from a distance. Considering the modest village where he grew up, a gun would be too dangerous, and a slingshot seemed to make the most sense. Each of their fighting styles always need to feed into their respective characters.”

Raquel Fernandes/Netflix

Why is Nami’s hair orange and does that have to do with the tangerine groves?

“It’s simply because there were no other characters in manga that had orange hair at the time. I just don’t want to do something that’s been done before.”

ONE PIECE is a fantasy, but when would you say it takes place?

“The Age of Discovery did serve as inspiration, but this is obviously fantasy. I do try to follow a certain logic within the universe, though, like how much technology would’ve advanced in civilizations given certain developments. It’s a world in which the one fantastical element is the Devil Fruits. We do eventually see characters who create robots, but this is a world in which they somehow never came up with the idea to build airplanes.”

For someone who knows nothing about ONE PIECE but hears about the One Piece treasure, what is it?

“[Laughs] All I’ll say is that it’s not something abstract like ‘the treasure is the friendships or the experience gained throughout the journey.’” 

FOR THE FANDOM

Oda-san, why do a live-action adaptation of ONE PIECE now? 

“Back then, 26 years ago when I started ONE PIECE, it was not an era when such a manga could be made into a film. However, at a certain point in time, the real technology of CG and VFX started to improve, and it became possible to visualize anything. I had seen many such things, so I decided to take the plunge, thinking that if I could have a truly reliable staff, I might be able to somehow make a film.”

What’s one change from the original anime in manga that you were most happy with?

“The characters and how they feel in real life. One of my biggest worries was how the Straw Hats would translate to the screen. But Netflix and I were able to get aligned, and I think we ended up with Straw Hat characters that work uniquely in live-action, with the actors breathing life into them in their own way. It’ll make sense once you watch their performances in the show.”

Casey Crafford/Netflix

What was one thing that you fought the hardest to include and keep the same in the live-action adaptation?

“Again, the answer would be the Straw Hat characters. Of course, in order to have the adaptation satisfy the fans, you have to ensure that everybody's favorite scenes — the big, important moments — are there. But the biggest constant throughout the show are the main characters, so if Luffy doesn’t feel like Luffy, or if Nami doesn’t feel like Nami, etc, nothing else will matter. So staying true to the characters was the most important factor.”

What was your biggest worry in making a live-action ONE PIECE? 

“Really my biggest worry about the live-action was whether we would be able to find someone like Luffy. So I watched a lot of videos of various auditions, and when I found Iñaki, I kind of laughed a little bit.” 

Why is Iñaki the perfect Luffy? 

“You are just like the person I draw in my manga,” Oda told Godoy during a visit to the former’s studio. “I intuitively thought, ‘That’s Luffy.’ I can’t imagine anyone else but you, so far. I’m so grateful that you were born to be just like Luffy.”

Executive Producer Matt Owens and Mackenyu Arata as Roronoa Zoro on the set of One Piece.

Casey Crafford/Netflix

Oda-san, what was it like working with Matt Owens and what kind of conversations did you guys have?

“He understands ONE PIECE more than anybody else. We did go through an earlier phase when we went through some trials and tribulations because there's no road map for a successful adaptation. For a while we struggled to figure out how to go about creating a live-action One Piece for a global audience. But one day—a few years in—I received scripts that showed that he and his team really captured the characters, which brought me great joy.”

Did the Netflix executives have any notes for you that you found funny or that might’ve stuck out to you?

“Netflix knew they couldn’t allow this one to fail, so they brought forth many of their theories about how to make a successful show based on learnings from previous productions. I understood a lot of them, but there were also things about how shows have been made recently that I disagreed with, so I was assertive with my dissent. We were able to mutually voice our opinions without holding anything back.”

A lot of fans have questions about the ethnicity of these characters and now that we’re seeing them being portrayed by real actors, what do you want to tell them about where these characters are from?

“When I initially commented on the characters’ nationalities on SBS [Shitsumon o Boshū Suru, or ‘I’m taking questions,’ is a special column in tankōbon versions of the manga where Oda answers fan questions], it was in a very light-hearted way. I didn’t imagine it would influence the production team so much. But as they started showing me candidates based on my SBS responses, they actually felt right. I realized there was truth in my light-hearted answers.”

Casey Crafford/Netflix

Out of the villains that we see in this season, do you have a personal favorite?

“It’s hard to pick one as a favorite, but Buggy is a lot of fun.”

Now that visual effects have progressed so much, is there a character you’re most excited to see next in the live-action?

“Chopper.”

When you first watched a finished episode, what surprised you the most?

“More than anything, I felt the love. Everyone on the production always said they loved ONE PIECE, but once I watched it on screen, it was evident down to every little detail how much they really loved it and how knowledgeable they are about the world. That was touching to see.”

The fandom really cares about all the details too. Throughout the manga, anime movies and now the live-action, why do you think the fans have been so inspired and so loyal to ONE PIECE?

“I’ve always made a strong effort to create characters that’ll be embraced by the readers. I think it’s the love for the characters that compel people to keep wanting to see more of their adventures. If it was just story-driven, I doubt it would draw people and keep engaging them the way it has. I think it’s the love for the Straw Hats that keep fans loyal to ONE PIECE.”

READ ODA’S ANSWERS IN JAPANESE:

原作から改変されたけれどうまくいったと納得された部分は？

尾田：

キャラクターです。今回、麦わらの一味のキャラクターをどう描くかについて最も悩みました。結果、Netflix側と擦り合わせができて、実写ならではの麦わらの一味を描くことができたと感じました。実際に作品の中で動いている彼らを観てもらえば、理解できると思います。

逆にここは絶対に守りたいと強くこだわったところは？

尾田：

それも麦わらの一味のキャラクターでした。ファンの気持ちを予想するならば「名シーン」と呼ばれる、みんなが好きなシーンをしっかりキープするということも大事ですけど、何より全体を通して出続けるのはキャラクターだから、ルフィがルフィと思ってもらえない、ナミがナミと思ってもらえないと全部楽しくなくなってしまう。なので、キャラクターを理解してもらうことに一番気を遣いました。

マット・オーウェンズさん（ショーランナー）とご一緒していかがでしたか？

尾田：

彼は今のところ一番の理解者ですね。やはり最初はお互い試行錯誤していたというか、”実写の正解”というものが無いから、どうすれば『ONE PIECE』というものを世界水準で実写化できるのかというのはずっと悩んでいました。何年目かのある時に送られてきた脚本で、「（脚本チームが）キャラクターをつかんだ！」と感じた時は本当に嬉しかった。

Netflixから受けたフィードバックやコメントで特に印象に残ったものは？

尾田：Netflix側はやはり失敗できないという使命を背負っているので、今まで実写ドラマをつくってきた中で得た”成功するためのセオリー”というのをどんどん前に押し出してきました。理解できる部分もありましたが、最近の実写ドラマのつくり方・演出に対して僕が感じていた納得できない方法論もあったから、そこはちゃんと強く反抗して、お互いにしっかりと意見を言い合いました。

ファンの間では「ONE PIECE」のキャラクターたちの人種や国籍について気になっている方もいますが、実写版で生身の人間が演じることになった今、キャラクターの人種についてファンに伝えられることは？

尾田：

僕が国籍についてSBS（*「質問を(S)募集(B)するのだ(S)」の略である質問コーナー）で答えたのは、意外と軽いノリで、製作チームにもそんなに影響を与えるとは思っていなかったんです。結果、SBSに沿ったキャスト候補をたくさん見せてもらえて、納得しやすかったというのはありますね。SBSの軽い答えも嘘ではなかった。

実写版に出てくる敵役の中で最も好きなキャラクターは？

尾田：

一番は言いづらいけど…でもバギーが楽しかったです。

VFXの技術がかなり進歩した今、今後実写化されるのが楽しみなキャラクターは？

尾田：

チョッパーです。

初めて完成した本編を見た時、一番驚いたことは？

尾田：

一番は…愛を感じました。「撮影スタッフはみんな『ONE PIECE』が大好きだ」って言ってはくれていましたけど、映像で改めて観て、「ここまで『ONE PIECE』を愛してくれているんだ」というのを感じました。ちょっとした細部に、ここまで知ってるんだという『ONE PIECE』に対しての知識量みたいなものがどんどん見えてきて、それはすごくうれしかったです。

ファンも細部にこだわりますからね。これまで漫画原作からアニメや映画や今回の実写版まで様々な形で展開されてきた「ONE PIECE」ですが、ファンが今なお作品に熱狂し続けるのはなぜだと思いますか？

尾田：

漫画の中でキャラクターを愛してもらおうということに対してずっと努力してきました。キャラクターが好きだから、彼らの次の冒険を見たいと思ってくれているんだと思います。いちいちストーリーで惹きつけているという作品では、なかなかここまで着いてきてもらえないと思うんだけど、麦わらの一味のことをみんなが好きだから着いてきてくれるのだと思います。

そもそも『ONE PIECE』の発想はどこから来たのでしょうか？

尾田：

海賊モノの漫画や海賊がモチーフの作品は、僕が連載を始めた26年前には世の中にほとんど無かったんですよね。当時ハリウッド映画も好きだったから、海賊と名のつく映画は全部観てみたんですけど、全然おもしろくなくて。だけど僕が海賊が好きだっていう気持ちは小さい頃からあって、それを世の中の人に見せたい、僕が海賊を好きな気持ちをみんなに紹介したい、という気持ちで描き始めました。

あまりおもしろくないとおっしゃってましたけど、ハリウッドの海賊映画の中で、これはおもしろいというのはありましたか？

尾田：

連載を始めて６年後くらいに出てきた『パイレーツ・オブ・カリビアン』の一作目が面白かったです。それまで世の中に海賊の資料が全然なかったんだけど、『パイレーツ・オブ・カリビアン』が世界的にヒットしたことで海賊の本がたくさん出版されて、資料に困らなくなりました。

『ONE PIECE』を知らない方に向けて説明するとしたら、舞台というか世界設定はそもそもどこなのでしょうか？

尾田：

どこなんだろうなぁ…。僕が一番簡単に描ける、思いつく風景、いいなと思う風景。風車が回っていて、牛がいて、船が停まっていて。ルフィもそうなんですけど、とにかく最初の島は自分が一番簡単に思いつく、いい雰囲気の島からスタートしました。その他は無国籍だけど、いろいろな国をモデルにしています。

ルフィは様々な困難に直面しながらも、あれほど楽天的なのはなぜなのでしょうか？

尾田：

少年漫画の主人公ということもあり、物語を暗くしたくないというのが僕のテーマのひとつだから、彼が主人公であることでどんな深刻な事態も楽しく描けます。

ゾロが三刀流なのはなぜ？

尾田：

日本で一番強いと言われている宮本武蔵という剣士がいるんですけども、その人が二刀流なんです。その人より強くするために、子どもの発想でもう一本増やしただけです。

サンジが足技しか使わないのはなぜ？

尾田：

キャラクターというのはそれぞれ確固たるポリシーがあるんですけれども、料理人である彼が闘うときにどうするだろうと考えたときに、やはり（料理をするのに）大事な手は守るんじゃないかと考えて、自然に生まれた戦闘態勢ですね。

ウソップがパチンコを使うという発想はどこから来たのでしょうか？

尾田：

怖がりだから、彼はまず遠くから攻撃する武器を選ぶだろうと。彼の育った村の環境を考えると、ピストルは危なすぎるし、パチンコがちょうどいいかな、と。キャラクターを踏まえて戦闘スタイルも考えています。

ナミの髪がオレンジなのは、みかん畑と関連するのでしょうか？

尾田：

当時の漫画界やアニメ界にオレンジ色の髪の女の子がいなかったから。何かと被るのが一番良くない。

『ONE PIECE』がファンタジー作品というのは分かりつつ、時代設定ってあるのでしょうか？

尾田：

大航海時代はモデルにはしていますが、科学の発展ひとつとっても、「こういうきっかけがあればこれぐらいの科学技術はあったんじゃないか」とか、ファンタジーだとしても自分の中での理屈は通しているつもりです。あと、不思議なことは悪魔の実という一点だけ、そういう世界観です。ロボットとかをつくる人たちは出てくるんですけど、偶然飛行機だけは思いつかなかった世界です。

『ONE PIECE』について全く知らない人に「ONE PIECEとは何？」と聞かれたらどう答えますか？

尾田：

（笑） 冒険の果てに手に入れた仲間やその経験が宝になるというようなオチではないということだけ言っておきます。

Stream ONE PIECE now and watch Godoy meet Oda in the video above.

Interview by Phillipe Thao.

‘ONE PIECE’ Live-Action Series Debuts Sets and New Cast