The One Piece live-action has been one of the most anticipated and controversial series this summer. With just five days left before its release, fans have continued to express their excitement online.
Over the years, live-action anime adaptations have never really been successful projects, with just a handful being able to meet fan expectations. With One Piece, Netflix is looking to break the record in several ways, one of the most significant ways being the involvement of creator Eiichiro Oda. Who will serve as an Executive Producer on the show’s first season.
One Piece showrunner Matt Owens revealed that one of Oda’s demands for the project was that the Netflix series wouldn’t alter the origin stories of its five main characters.
Eiichiro Oda Meets Live-Action Luffy
Netflix recently released a promotional video for the One Piece series featuring a wholesome encounter between Eiichiro Oda and live-action Luffy actor Iñaki Godoy. Godoy personally met Oda at his studio in Tokyo, Japan. The brilliant manga artist warmly welcomed the starstruck actor by immediately embracing him.
The video featured a hilarious meet-up between Oda and the young actor, who was awestruck after meeting his idol. Oda recalled the time when he first saw Godoy’s audition video. He revealed how he started laughing when he saw the video. Godoy had an adorable fan reaction as he asked in disbelief, “I made you laugh?”
Oda hopes that Godoy will play Luffy for many years to come. Although Netflix has yet to confirm a second season of One Piece, the live-action series has plenty of source material to cover.
Oda isn’t the only celebrity Godoy met. He recently sat down with Mayumi Tanaka during his trip to Japan. The legendary voice actress has voiced Luffy in the long-running anime series since 1999. Like Oda, Tanaka also gave Godoy her blessing by ceremoniously placing a straw hat on the actor’s head.
Godoy wasn’t the only cast member who met the legendary mangaka. The rest of the crew had the opportunity to meet Eiichiro Oda during a promotional event. In an interview with collider Emily Rudd, who stars as Nami in the series, described their meeting as the “scariest moment of her life.” However, she admitted that Oda was a “lovely dude,” but his incredible legacy made her nervous.
Final Thoughts
One Piece is one of the world’s most influential and popular manga today, which puts a lot of pressure on the actors and staff to make it a success. The involvement of Eiichiro Oda has put many fans at ease as they prepare for the long-awaited premiere.