'One Piece' Creator Explains Why He Changed His Mind About Making a Live-Action Adaptation
justjared.comOne Piece creator Eiichiro Oda wasn’t always on board for a live-action adaptation of his long-running manga.
In an interview with the New York Times, the Japanese artist explained that he became interested in making a live-action version of the series after seeing technological advances and watching 2001 sports comedy Shaolin Soccer. Keep reading to find out more… “When I first started, I didn’t think there was any point in drawing a manga that could be remade in live-action,” Eiichiro told the outlet. “But when I saw the movie [Shaolin Soccer] , it felt like a manga-esque world brought to life.” He continued, “I realized times had changed, and there was technology available that could make a live-action One Piece happen.
So I shifted to finding the right partner to bring the manga to life.” Eiichiro noted that he was also concerned about the history of anime adaptations not performing well, with shows like Ghost in the Shell, Cowboy Bebop and Death Note being met with lukewarm responses from fans and critics. Eiichiro said this “history of failure” made him act like a “guard dog” over his property as it was translated to a live-action television show. “Various manga had been made into live action, but there was a history of failure; no one in Japan could name a successful example.
Would fans of One Piece — and viewers who don’t know the manga — accept it?” he told the outlet. “Thankfully, Netflix agreed that they wouldn’t go out with the show until I agreed it was satisfactory.
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