After more than two decades, it’s widely acknowledged among anime and manga enthusiasts that One Piece stands as the pinnacle of all series. This global phenomenon raised concerns among fans when Netflix announced their plans for a live-action adaptation. Surprisingly, unlike most live-action adaptations, the “One Piece” live-action series has managed to largely honor the source material. While there have been a few alterations, the Netflix series adeptly captured the essence of the most pivotal scenes.
One Piece chronicles the escapades of Monkey D. Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates as they navigate the treacherous waters of the Grand Line in their quest for a treasure that will crown Luffy as the new Pirate King. Eiichiro Oda, the series’ creator, played an active role in the production of the live-action show, and the show’s creators were committed to preserving his vision. This dedication to Oda’s vision accounts for the satisfaction of many fans with the adaptation.
10 Shanks Losing His Arm
When Luffy falls into the clutches of Higuma and their vessel faces an assault by a Sea King renowned as The Lord of the Coast, a deadly confrontation ensues. Tragically, Higuma meets his demise, and it falls upon Shanks to rescue Luffy from this perilous situation. The Lord of the Coast is notorious for its relentless and ferocious nature, providing a rationale for its attack on Luffy and Shanks.
In both renditions, the Sea King inflicts severe harm by claiming Shanks’ left arm. Undaunted, Shanks fixes a stern gaze upon the formidable creature and, harnessing his Haki abilities, commands it to retreat. This display of dominance sends the Sea King fleeing in terror. While the anime portrays this incident with Luffy and Shanks submerged in the water rather than aboard a vessel, the Netflix adaptation adeptly captures the emotional intensity and vivid imagery of the scene.
9 Buggy’s Introduction
Buggy the Clown marks the initial adversary encountered by the Straw Hat crew. Upon their encounter, he boasts a bounty of 16 million berries and possesses the extraordinary ability to disassemble his body into segments, a power granted by the Chop-Chop Fruit. In both interpretations, his introduction follows Nami’s theft of the Grand Line map.
In the anime rendition, his introduction unfolds in an outdoor setting, with Buggy seated in a chair while one of his crew members conveys the unfortunate news of the missing map. Conversely, in the live-action adaptation, Buggy exudes a considerably more intimidating and fearsome presence. Nevertheless, in both iterations, his menacing aura is a focal point, with the live-action adaptation successfully elevating this menacing quality even further.
8 Gol D. Roger’s Execution
Gol D. Roger, renowned as the captain of the Roger Pirates and universally acclaimed as the King of the Pirates, ultimately met his capture at the hands of the Marines, culminating in his execution at Logue Town. This execution stands as an argumentatively pivotal juncture in the narrative of One Piece since it ushered in the inception of the Great Pirate Era.
In the anime adaptation, the execution was initially presented as a swift precursor to the first opening of “One Piece,” yet it was subsequently expounded upon in more extensive detail. Conversely, the Netflix series opted for the comprehensive rendition, which incorporated fleeting glimpses of youthful pirates like Mihawk and Shanks witnessing the event. Notably, in the anime, Garp was not situated on the execution platform, a departure from their historical context, which added a meaningful twist to the scene.
7 Mihawk Vs. Zoro
Roronoa Zoro aspires to attain the esteemed title of the world’s most formidable swordsman, an ambition that necessitates his triumph over the current titleholder, Dracule Mihawk. Although the circumstances of their initial encounter may vary, both adaptations depict a duel between them at The Baratie. While there are distinctions in the fight choreography, the core moments remain consistent.
Mihawk skillfully parries Zoro’s attacks with his diminutive blade, culminating in a final clash that concludes identically: with Mihawk shattering two of Zoro’s swords. In both renditions, Zoro incurs a gash from Mihawk’s ominous black blade after avowing that a swordsman’s disgrace lies in bearing scars on their back. The anime rendition showcases Mihawk’s greater admiration for Zoro, yet aside from this nuance, the duel remains faithful to the original source material.
6 Luffy Beating Arlong
The culmination of the Arlong Park arc sees Luffy prevailing over Arlong, the ruthless sawshark Fish-Man who subjected Nami to years of torment. Both in the anime and the live-action series, Arlong and Luffy share a climactic encounter within the Map Room, situated on the fifth floor of Arlong’s stronghold.
In this face-off, Arlong refrains from employing his teeth as weaponry, unlike his anime counterpart, but he wields his trusty long sword. Luffy, mirroring his actions from the anime, takes deliberate measures to obliterate the Map Room and subsequently strikes Arlong with his initial Gum Gum Gatling attack. True to the anime rendition, the live-action showdown concludes with Luffy delivering a thunderous battle axe kick, resulting in the complete annihilation of the entire base.
5 Bell-Mere’s Death
Bell-Mere, a former Marine, came to the rescue of Nami and Nojiko during their childhood, and she made the heartfelt decision to raise them in the humble Coco Village, where tangerines were their staple sustenance. Despite their modest means, their hearts overflowed with contentment. However, their idyllic existence took a tragic turn when Arlong and his crew launched a devastating attack.
Mirroring the anime storyline, Arlong demanded tribute from Bell-Mere, and upon discovering that she lived with two dependents, Nami and Nojiko courageously interceded. In a selfless act of maternal love, Bell-Mere paid the tribute on behalf of her adopted daughters rather than herself, only to face Arlong’s ruthless shot right before Nami and Nojiko’s eyes. Although minor disparities may exist, the scenes closely parallel each other, and Bell-Mere’s parting words resonate with poignant intensity.
4 The Going Merry’s Maiden Voyage
The Going Merry is the Straw Hats’ first ship, and they go on to form a genuine bond with it. In the Netflix series, they get the Merry at the end of the 4th episode. Kaya gives it to them in both adaptations after they save her from Captain Kuro.
In the anime, Luffy is overjoyed to have a real ship, but the Netflix series takes it up a notch by having him shouting on the figurehead. In the anime, Merry’s maiden voyage includes upbeat music, but in the live-action, the song that is used is an altered version of “We Are” – the anime’s iconic first opening song.
3 Sanji Seeing Zeff’s Leg
The live action series did a great job with Sanji and Zeff’s flashback. Just like in the anime, they are left stranded on a large rock after their ships are destroyed in a storm. Zeff forces Sanji to the other side of the rock, and he gives the boy a bag of rations.
By day 70, Sanji has no food and confronts Zeff who supposedly had twice as much food. It is then that Sanji finds out that Zeff gave him all the rations and survived by eating his own leg. In both adaptations, Zeff does this because he and Sanji shared the same dream. The live action adaptation nailed the tone of the scene, and the actors did a fantastic job.
2 The Barrel Scene
In both adaptations, the Straw Hats have an official cast-off ceremony after they defeat Arlong. This is an important moment because it makes them an official crew. In both series, the crew gathers around a barrel and each member states their dream while placing their foot on the barrel.
The live action Straw Hats went in the same order as their anime counterparts, with Sanji mentioning the All Blue, Luffy wanting to be King of the Pirates, Zoro wanting to be the world’s greatest swordsman, Nami wanting to draw a map of the world, and Usopp wanting to become a brave warrior of the sea.
1 Nami Asking Luffy For Help
The most impactful scene of the Netflix show’s first season was always going to involve Nami asking Luffy for help. In the show, this scene takes places at night after Nezumi and his Marines steal the 100 million berries from Nami. In the anime, this happens during the day, and Nezumi shoots Nami’s sister.
In the anime, Nami also meets with Arlong prior to the scene taking place. In both versions, Nami falls to her knees and screams Arlong’s name as she stabs the Arlong Pirates’ tattoo on her arm. Luffy stops her, and she finally asks him for help. Emily Rudd deserves a lot of praise because this is Nami’s biggest scene, and she nailed it.
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