One Piece Live Action Season 1 Review: Over The Top But Fun

Netflix’s live action One Piece season 1 is very over the top at times, as it tries to remain true to its anime roots, but is still lots of fun.

It is very hard to translate anime to live action because of the nature of them. Anime is often filled with over the top action and comedy, as well as complicated lore and characters. One Piece is a very popular anime and manga, with over one thousand episodes. Taking that and bringing it to live action is a feat that is not easy. Netflix’s One Piece season one has released on the streaming service, with eight episodes and a cliffhanger stinger at the end in the hopes that there will be more seasons. 

Note: This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. One Piece would not exist without the labor of the writers and actors in both unions.

This series follows Monkey D. Luffy on his journey to find the one piece and become the king of the pirates. Along the way he forms a crew with some ragtag misfits, and takes on a whole lot of pirates. Luffy is known for his signature straw hat, and often claims that he is a different kind of pirate, as he is nice, kind, and helpful.

The Marines are set to take out pirates, even those that claim to be the good ones, giving Luffy and his crew even more to put up with.

Knowing that there are literally over a thousand episodes of the One Piece anime makes it clear there is of story to be shared. For those who are fans of the manga or anime, the live action series is likely going to be pretty easy to follow. However, for those who are completely new, the start can be struggle. 

The first two episodes introduce new viewers to the type of show they are going to get. There is over the top humor and visual effects, Luffy is optimistic but rather annoying at times as he leans in too hard to it, and there are so many characters being thrown at you that it is a bit confusing. 

The camerawork allows those that are new to realize when something is an Easter egg or reference to the anime. The zooming in and lingering, along with the score, makes it very obvious that these are things fans will get excited for. However, that doesn’t really do anything for those that know nothing about One Piece prior to watching the live action series. 

While there are a lot of fun action sequences, they often go a bit too far and end up looking ridiculous — especially in the first couple of episodes when newcomers are trying to settle in. This is a style that works in anime, but is hard to translate to live action. It doesn’t always work. 

Thankfully, episode three starts to do things a little bit differently. What the show has been lacking up until this point is character development. The story is outlined well, but without the audience knowing why they should care about these characters, it is hard to relate. 

There were always flashbacks with Luffy, but once we start to see what shaped the rest of the characters into who they are today, it becomes much easier to care about them. At the same time, episodes three and four deliver some true horror vibes that fans of that genre can’t help but love.

The production design and set pieces throughout One Piece live action season 1 are insane. They are massive and add a lot to the story. Luffy and his crew visit many different islands and each one offers a unique enough look to feel like it is part of the same world, but still a new place. 

In One Piece there are many people who have powers. They gain these abilities by eating a fruit, one that offers different powers to different people who eat it. Luffy himself ate one as a child and gained the ability to stretch. This is very much a necessary part of the story, but it doesn’t always work on screen. Stretching limbs is very hard to pull off in a way that is visually pleasing, and more often than not Luffy just looks weird and bizarre.

As stated above, Luffy and his friends run into a lot of pirates on their journey. Each one is introduced in a brilliant way — by their wanted poster. Not only does this tell us their name, but it allows us to realize just how bad and how formidable they are by how high their bounty is. They also make for some great visuals.

The visuals themselves are very hit or miss, however. We already talked about Luffy’s stretchiness, but there is another character whose looks are distracting. Morgan has a metal jaw that doesn’t look real at all. It seems that in the anime it is supposed to be his actual jaw, but in the live action version it looks like a metal piece he puts over his face (think Hannibal style).

Overall Thoughts

Netflix’s live action version of One Piece starts off being really hard to follow. It lacks the necessary character development for viewers to care about them. Actions, comedy, and many lines are over the top, as they try their best to remain loyal to the anime.

That being said, this is a series that grows on you. Eventually we are given flashbacks for each character that allows us to fully understand where they are coming from, and why we should root for them. 

The action sequences are a lot of fun, especially when the special abilities are involved. The set pieces are massive and beautiful, for the most part, and the bond that this pirate crew develops is heartwarming and brings the necessary emotion to the story.

While there is no news yet of a One Piece season 2, at the end of the eight episode season 1 there is a cliffhanger stinger that suggests Netflix is certainly hoping for one. The biggest advice we can give is that if you are not all in after the second episode, continue to watch, as the show really does find itself eventually.

It should be said that those who are big fans of the anime, knowing it inside and out, could certainly feel differently about the live action series. Not knowing it makes it impossible to compare the two.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

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About One Piece

Based on Japan’s highest-selling manga series in history by Eiichiro Oda, ONE PIECE is a legendary high-seas adventure unlike any other. Monkey D. Luffy is a young adventurer who has longed for a life of freedom since he can remember.

Luffy sets off from his small village on a perilous journey to find the legendary fabled treasure, ONE PIECE, to become King of the Pirates! But in order to find the ultimate prize, Luffy will need to assemble the crew he’s always wanted before finding a ship to sail, searching every inch of the vast blue seas, outpacing the Marines, and outwitting dangerous rivals at every turn.

One Piece season 1 is streaming on Netflix now.