I Think Dragon Ball Should Follow One Piece's Lead With a Live-Action Return

Dragonball Evolution was released 17 and a half years ago, and it’s a flop on par with the Star Wars Holiday Special, but should that one release end the franchise’s future live-action prospects? No, Dragon Ball should absolutely return as a live-action product. In fact, the fan base should be in favor of the idea more than ever before with what One Piece accomplished in its first two seasons on Netflix.

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Now, this idea does come with the obvious caveat of staying true to the cornerstones of the show’s foundation. Nevertheless, numerous IPs could give Dragon Ball a revival or road map. I’m excited at what it could look like in the hands of a director that understands the story. It could broaden the fanbase while still adding another installment that longtime fans can appreciate.

Live-Action Anime Just Needs Care

For those that don’t want to remember, Dragonball Evolution tanked and featured nothing close to the source material. Goku’s personality was more serious and not as lighthearted. The original work always merged a funny side tone with potential world-ending battles. The movie didn’t understand that unique blend that made the animated series so enthralling. As a lifelong One Piece fan and 20-plus year reader of the original manga, I was a massive skeptic that its live-action series would do the same.

After just watching what Paramount+ had done with Halo a year earlier, I was out. For more than two decades, the games never revealed what Master Chief’s face looked like, and the streaming service decided to show it in less than one episode of airtime. An immediate turn off for longtime fans. The fact that the team in charge of the Halo show specifically wanted to create an original story isn’t bad overall. It was the lack of care shown for how the game portrayed those characters.

The thought that someone might do the same to One Piece was definitely worrisome. Would the director try to create a whole new storyline or change a character’s identifiable characteristics? Would Gum-Gum Fruit attacks look incredibly awkward and out of place when it’s not in an animated form? And when the show dropped, it was exactly the opposite of what I was expecting. The characters were faithful to their roots.

Yes, the adaptation featured some changes, but they didn’t subtract from the story. For instance (SPOILERS AHEAD), One Piece introduced Vice Admiral Monkey D. Garp in the first season of the live action as Luffy’s grandfather. The same plot point isn’t revealed until years later in the anime. The detail wasn’t wrong, but the timeline was just adjusted in order to move the plot along.

Casting Is Key For Next Dragon Ball Live-Action Attempt

One of the most important pieces of One Piece’s success is that those in charge cast the perfect actor for series protagonist Monkey D. Luffy. Iñaki Godoy dove headfirst into the role and made Luffy’s personality look real, which is no easy task considering he’s a man made of rubber. Just like Goku, Luffy’s over-the-top, cartoony goofiness can become a caricature easily or, even worse, one-dimensional. Godoy made the character’s move to TV appear seamless. He brought Luffy’s trademark impossible optimism, fiercely loyal friendship and unbeatable spirit to life.

On the contrary in Dragonball Evolution, Goku was not even remotely close to the kind-hearted, jovial, while simultaneously, powerful Saiyan fighter from the anime. In the movie, he has to deal with bullies, lacks plenty of the previously mentioned humor and is a little more cocky. It felt like they tried to combine his character with Vegeta at times. It proved that the director and script are always paramount when it comes to these decisions, and it didn’t connect with Dragonball Evolution.

It’s understandable that editing these works can be difficult, but that’s where the people involved should be reading the original works. Any anime is difficult to produce an exact carbon copy for the big screen or American TV. Between filler episodes, a bevy of one-off characters and mature subject matter, it’s impossible to completely retell the story exactly the same. However, a faithful retelling of Dragon Ball can still occur with a fresh take and some tweaks.

In addition to what One Piece put out, there are multiple other live-action anime that proved to be of quality too. The American comic book industry is saturated with one successful reboot after another too, so there’s a pattern already in place. When one movie or show falls flat on its face, another creative team finds a way to breathe new life into it. When Batman and Robin was panned, the franchise went dormant for nearly a decade until Christopher Nolan picked it up and turned it into the gritty, dark, vengeful tale that everyone grew up on.

There’s still hope that Dragon Ball can make its return with a new a live-action entity. It just needs to be done the right way with a creative team that approaches it with the fans in mind. Do you think Dragon Ball could work with a new live-action series like One Piece? What do you think it would need to succeed? Let us know all of your thoughts about it in the comments!