The live action adaptation of the original One Piece anime and manga felt like a separate but parallel universe. It flawlessly captures the essence of the anime while also incorporating some distinct differences. It just adds a unique and enjoyable twist. I found great pleasure in watching this film.
I’ve been a One Piece fan for years and the show is an actual adventure. The thought that was put into the plot was amazing. However, the characters in the film didn’t quite live up to the mimicry of the original show which left me disappointed, as I had re-watched numerous episodes from most of the 20 seasons and I didn’t find many resemblances.
Staying loyal to the anime while also making the live action look good is very complicated. This always breaks my immersion watching adaptations. Certain additions to the movie were not very logical. There was one scene where it was stated that Zoro had gone without food for three weeks. He appeared completely healthy. This discrepancy felt strange.
Zoro’s introduction remains consistent in both the anime and manga and remained impressive because he did not have proper motivation to remain bound to the cross. He prevented Luffy and Koby from freeing him for an entire episode in the source material. The live action Zoro could have stopped them as well. This aspect of his character is actually very significant. It’s a shame it was not included.
One of the things I particularly enjoy about One Piece is how the crew as a whole and the individual characters develop. That made the show so relatable. I’m afraid it will not be the same without it. They also missed the chance to drop that epic scene when all of the marine’s strike Luffy with swords.
The adaptation has its perks and flaws but that doesn’t change the way I feel about the anime. I generally liked the movie and I feel that it remained faithful to the source material.
