It’s a-boat damn time! Netflix just released a full trailer for the upcoming live-action adaptation of One Piece, and in anticipation for the reactions, creator Eiichiro Oda has offered his commentary in the form of a written letter. The acclaimed Japanese manga artist expressed that he’s unbothered by criticism from devotees and understands that it comes “from a place of love.”
The series is based on Oda’s popular manga series and the long-running anime of the same name. During last month’s Tudum fan event, Netflix shared a teaser trailer and revealed the show’s August 31 release date. But now, viewers have gotten more insight into the show’s epic tale of friendship, adventure and…. killer clowns.
At nearly three minutes long, the trailer introduces Iñaki Godoy as pirate captain Monkey D. Luffy as he accumulates his Straw Hat pirate crew after leaving his small village in search of treasure. Along the way, they face off against several dangerous rivals, including a shape-shifting killer clown and a series of fantastic creatures.
Upon the release of the trailer, Oda wrote in his letter, “I’ll say this. There were no compromises on this show… After the launch, I’m sure I’ll hear about some people pointing out how this character is missing or that scene is omitted, or this bit is different from the manga. But I’m sure they’ll come from a place of love, so I intend to enjoy even those comments!”
Oda went on to break down the collaborative nature of the production which entailed re-shooting scenes that he felt “weren’t good enough to put out into the world.” Though, he also discovered there were portions of the script that he was skeptical about, but ended up working well within the context of the series. “When I saw the filmed scenes, I went, ‘It works when it’s Iñaki performing it as Luffy, as a matter of act, it works great.'”
In June, Decider had the chance to chat with Godoy about portraying the infamous character and he expressed that he faced challenges while “adapting something that is huge.” Part of the complications came from the iconic nature of the work and the other part was the depth of his character. Luffy is a young dreamer but also a fierce fighter, and as teased in the trailer, he has a special physicality that allows him to turn into a rubber-man.
So, Godoy closely studied the source material for reference. “I can see how this guy fights. Why wouldn’t I use that as a reference? When he throws a punch and he takes it back, he puts his hand on his bicep or his shoulder. So, if he does that, I should do that too, right? And when he’s about to throw a punch, sometimes he lifts up his leg. I just tried to look for those little details in the original product,” he shared.
Oda echoed this sentiment in his letter, explaining that the producers and crew who worked on the Netflix series are “pros at live-action” and are also superfans. “The more knowledgeable you are about One Piece, the more you’re likely to notice the love they poured into this,” he said.
In fact, when Decider spoke with Emily Rudd, who portrays skilled navigator Nami in the series, prior to TUDUM, she expressed that she bonded over the IP with the showrunner prior to being cast. “I’ve always known about One Piece… but I didn’t start watching [the anime] until I met our showrunner, Matt Owens, who has been my best friend for the last six years.”
Oda ended his letter with a kind call-to-action to everybody watching the trailer: “Whatever feelings you chose to harbor in the meantime, it’s still going to be one month, so please have some tea as you wait.”
One Piece sets sail on August 31, 2023 on Netflix. Watch the trailer in the video above.