One Piece Success May Be A Long-Overdue Wake-Up Call For Netflix
The positive reception of the live-action TV series may change Netflix's approach to adaptations, as they have done what fans have been telling them to do for years.
Well, it seems that Netflix has managed to do what many fans thought was impossible for the streaming service, which is to create an actually good adaptation of an anime series or manga.
The first season of One Piece, a TV series based on the ongoing manga of the same name by Eiichiro Oda, which also has an anime adaptation, has just been released, and despite initial skepticism from fans, it seems to be a success.
Critics have given it an exceptionally warm reception, while fans have been even more positive, with some calling One Piece one of, if not the, best live-action manga adaptation.
This is especially shocking considering that the streaming service's previous attempts at adapting manga and anime, the most notable being 2017's Death Note movie and 2021's Cowboy Bebop TV series, flopped badly and disappointed everyone.
So why is the situation with One Piece so drastically different?
It is something of an open secret, as it seems that Netflix has finally done what countless fans have been telling them to do for years: respect the source material and hire competent people.
The involvement of the aforementioned creator of the original manga, Eiichiro Oda, was huge, with multiple sources stating that every decision about the live-action show was discussed with him.
Obviously, this approach paid off and One Piece was able to avoid the disappointing fate of its predecessors.
Some fans still can't comprehend what happened, as they say that if they had been asked 10 years ago to rank which manga is better material for live-action, Death Note would have been at the top, while One Piece would have been at the bottom.
But no, it seems that even grounded and realistic material can be turned into complete garbage, while a bizarre and hard to adapt pirate story can end up being a gem, it all depends on the approach.
Hopefully this realization will make Netflix take into consideration their past mistakes and help make other projects from the service even better, as many other Netflix adaptations, like the later season of The Witcher, have been criticized for poor handling of the source material.
Considering that the first season of the live-action One Piece only covered a small part of the story and its success, it will most likely be renewed for at least one more season, although the release date hasn't been announced yet.
Source: Reddit