Eiichiro Oda’s detailed advice to the live-action One Piece team adorned a mural in Japan.
An unofficial One Piece news translator, who goes by the username Sandman on X (formerly Twitter), featured photos of the mural on their page, along with their rough translation. Among other things, Oda urges presenters to “believe in the story” and not get too concerned with technical aspects such as “filmmaking techniques”. He also expressed his excitement for the project, saying it has turned out to be “many times better” than he initially thought. “I was surprised that my Luffy, who I thought didn’t exist, existed in this world… it created an impression that only live-action can do,” said Oda.
Eiichiro Oda is closely involved with the production of Netflix’s One Piece live-action series, starring Inaki Godoy (Luffy), Emily Rudd (Nami), Mackenyu (Roranoa Zoro), Jacob Romero (Usopp) and Taz Skylar (Sanji). Oda said that he once believed that there was no way to make a successful live-action One Piece adaptation. However, his views on this have changed since then. “I used to think it was impossible to do live-action, but with today’s technology, it’s possible. We have to show the cruelty of the vast ocean,” Oda said.
Oda also emphasizes the importance of characters’ actions reinforcing their values and beliefs, arguing that “words without will is unnecessary.” The artist’s concern with how his characters are portrayed is evident in his approach to the series. According to the show’s host Matt Owens, Oda asked the writers to keep the Straw Hats storyline as it was in the manga “because they’re so important to who they are. [and to] what are their dreams and motivations…” Oda also asked the writer not to interfere with the cast’s Devil Fruit powers.
Netflix Series Is One Piece’s Last Chance to “Go Global”
Oda’s effort to preserve key plot and character elements stems from a deep understanding of his fan base. “There is a trust between me and the fans, and I can’t lie to them. You can’t call something interesting if it’s not interesting… it’s not inspiring at all because it’s not well prepared,” says Oda. Because of this, Oda advised the crew to “focus” on making the series interesting and faithful to the source material. Additionally, Oda encouraged the show’s creators to aim for an “unprecedented blockbuster success,” a wish echoed in previous discussions about the film, as Oda has stated that this will be Last chance to franchise “go global”.
Netflix’s live-action One Piece series will premiere on August 31. The One Piece manga is available in English from VIZ Media.
Source: X (formerly known as Twitter)