Cowboy Bebop may have tried and failed, but Netflix hasn’t heard any bell. The streaming service is pushing through with their live-action adaptation of One Piece and we have our first poster teasing the show’s arrival this year.
Check it out:
Adventure is on the horizon! ONE PIECE sets sail in 2023. Click Remind Me to add it to your list.https://t.co/c9RxnWdQiY pic.twitter.com/rQES39Gkmk
— ONE PIECE(ワンピース) Netflix (@onepiecenetflix) January 30, 2023
Opening the link will bring you to the show’s Netflix page, with a new banner featuring the first members of Luffy’s crew Zoro, Nami, Usopp, and Sanji. We also have a look at the crew’s very first ship, the Going Merry.
"ONE PIECE" Netflix Live-Action Adaptation Official Teaser Visual and Preview!
Set to Premiere in 2023. pic.twitter.com/mRUJ1prlz0
— ONE PIECE (ワンピース) Spoilers (@OP_SPOILERS2023) January 30, 2023
With Netflix having burned anime fans before with poorly received adaptations of Death Note and Cowboy Bebop, a lot of fans are already being pessimistic about One Piece. I guess it doesn’t help that the show kind of requires a lot of special effects and over-the-top action scenes, and the streaming service has been notorious for skimping on the budget for its shows.
Who knows, maybe Netflix is approaching One Piece with a different mindset. The series is one of the longest-running anime of all time, and if they succeed with this adaptation, it could be a huge new income revenue for Netflix, what with all the merchandising and promotion.
So far, it looks like the series is trying its best to stay faithful to the anime, but at this point, I’m already expecting some cracks in the first season. I just hope they manage to succeed to continue to tell the Straw Hat Crew’s story for a couple more seasons—maybe even a movie down the line.
One Piece is expected to premiere on Netflix sometime this year.
