One Piece Is One of Netflix’s Most-Downloaded Shows, Paving the Way For More Live-Action Anime

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It’s easy to forget that there was a time when the idea of a live-action One Piece adaptation filled anime fans with dread. Eiichiro Oda’s manga and anime has long been one of Japan’s greatest franchises, and many felt that tampering with it was nigh sacrilegious. Adding to the skepticism, netizens were still reeling from Netflix’s 2021 live-action adaptation of Cowboy Bebop which received, at best, mixed reception. Yet when Netflix’s live-action One Piece finally debuted in 2023, audiences quickly embraced the adaptation.
In the end, even the most devoted One Piece fans were forced to admit Netflix got it right this time. From the casting to the visuals, everything fell in place for the ambitious original. Fans new and old flocked to One Piece, sparking a resurgence like none before for the hit series. And now, as One Piece stands as one of Netflix’s most-downloaded series in history, the door appears wide open for more anime and manga to successfully make a leap to live action.
Hollywood’s Infamous Struggle with Anime Adaptations
One Piece Succeeds Where Others Failed… Sorry, Dragon Ball
Custom image by Ana Nieves
In Japan, live-action anime is incredibly normal, let’s be clear. Both anime and manga titles aveh been adapted into live-action since the early ’60s. We’ve seen it all from clunky black-and-white versions of Astro Boy and Tetsujin 28 to modern adaptations of hits like JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure. However, Hollywood’s attempts at anime adaptations have been inconsistent at best. You can look at the examples at a glance and see; From Speed Racer (2008) to Dragonball Evolution (2009) and Ghost in the Shell (2017), Hollywood has struggled with anime at the box office and rarely recouped their budgets. The industry saw some success with adaptations like Alita: Battle Angle, but after the disappointment with Cowboy Bebop, netizens had every reason to doubt that live-action anime could ever be done right in Hollywood
And yet Netflix’s One Piece broke the dreaded anime curse. The live-action show dominated Netflix’s global charts from August 28 to September 3, 2023 as viewership climbed week after week. The adaptation currently holds an 86% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes and an impressive 95% audience score. From online marketing to Oda’s own seal of approval, One Piece did what few thought possible and brought Luffy into the real world.
The Future of Live-Action Anime Is Bright
One Piece Sets the Standard For Hollywood
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Once One Piece proved to be a bona fide hit, a second season — which is due later this year — was swiftly ordered. As anime is growing globally and shedding its once niche status, Hollywood is pushing forward with several live-action projects as we saw Marvel Studios do years ago with Iron Man. From My Hero Academia to One-Punch Man, anime’s biggest IPs are in development stateside. Of course, the most high-profile project of them all is Naruto which is currently in development at Lionsgate with no confirmed release date. So if Hollywood wants to do the anime fandom right, it will learn from One Piece as it works to bring Masashi Kishimoto’s Hidden Leaf Village to life.
No matter which anime gets the live-action treatment next, there is no doubt One Piece has set the gold standard for how to do it in Hollywood. The show’s success proves live-action anime adaptations are not destined to fail. Anything is possible with the right creative team, a respectful approach to the source material, and a clear vision. Whether Hollywood has truly learned from past missteps remains to be seen, but for now, One Piece stands as a rare victory in the ever-challenging world of live-action anime.