The Ultimate Starter Guide to Netflix’s One Piece

One Piece first started in the 1990s and since its shonen inception, creator Eiichiro Oda has weaved a tale of gallantry, swashbuckling, and rubber fisted fights that have become some of the best in the anime world. With over one thousand anime episodes and manga chapters, following the story of Monkey D. Luffy and his Straw Hat Pirates might seem a bit daunting. Luckily, Netflix is preparing to rewind and deliver a new take on the story of the Straw Hats with its own live-action series. Here’s everything you need to know before the premiere.

To this day, One Piece is continuing to release new anime episodes and manga chapters. For the anime, Toei Animation is adapting the manga’s stories with the production company also responsible for the Dragon Ball franchise. Since the beginning, mangaka Eiichiro Oda has been working tirelessly to bring Luffy’s journey across the Grand Line to life. In the manga, the final saga has begun, though Oda has yet to confirm how much longer the Straw Hats have before they sail off into the sunset. The players, both heroic and villainous alike, are being set for a final showdown the likes of which has never been seen in One Piece before.

What is One Piece?

If you are completely new to the world of One Piece somehow, the series follows the exploits of Monkey D. Luffy. The Straw Hat Pirate Captain is attempting to become the king of the pirates and has assembled a crew to help him in his journey. Over two decades of storytelling has warranted the aforementioned anime episodes and manga chapters, while also giving anime fans feature-length films, endless amounts of merchandise, and more than a few video games to leap into this universe. The world of One Piece is one that sees various powers vying for control, whether they be pirate, members of the military, or something far worse than both. 

What is NETFLIX’S One Piece?

Netflix’s live-action One Piece series will arrive on August 31st with eight episodes to explore its first season. This will be the first live-action production that has ever been brought to the small screen, with showrunners Matt Owens and Steve Maeda aiming to do justice to the source material. The series also sees the franchise’s creator Eiichiro Oda taking on the role of Executive Producer, with many decisions needing to get his approval when it came to the live-action adaptation. Assembling a cast of young and old actors alike, the live-action take has stayed amazingly faithful to the designs from both the manga and the anime when it comes to characters, landscapes, and even the ships they all set sail on. 

Who Are The Straw Hat Pirates?

Let’s go ahead and break down the heroes of our series. Monkey D. Luffy, played by Inaki Godoy, is the captain of the Straw Hat Pirates, series protagonist, and has the ability to stretch his body like rubber thanks to eating a supernatural edible known as Devil Fruit. His right-hand man is the swordsman Roronoa Zoro, played by Mackenyu, who wields three swords at a time, with one being in his mouth. The Straw Hats’ navigator, Nami, played by Emily Rudd, doesn’t have supernatural abilities, but she remains a tried and true member of the team with a dark secret. Usopp, the marksman of the Straw Hats played Jacob Gibson Romero, might seem cowardly but his heart might rival Luffy’s. Finally, to round out the initial Straw Hat Pirates, Sanji is the crew’s chef, played by Taz Skylar, and can back up his cooking skills with some fearsome kicks. 

Who Are The Villains?

Like the Straw Hat Pirates themselves, the villains of One Piece come in all shapes and sizes. Most strikingly might be Buggy, the swashbuckling clown that has the power to detach his own body parts and launch them at opponents thanks to eating a unique Devil Fruit. The very first villain Luffy encounters isn’t as flashy as Buggy, but Alvida is a pirate captain who has a raging temper and a giant mace to back her up. Perhaps the biggest villains of the series are the Fishmen, led by the nefarious Arlong. Seeking to create a world where fishmen are the rulers, Arlong and his gang rampage and plunder wherever they go and have more than enough power to threaten the Straw Hats in this first season. 

Don’t Forget The Military

While the world of the Grand Line might be fit to bursting with pirates, it also has another major power in the form of the military. Run by the World Government, the main military members who will be featured include Garp, Koby, and Helmepo. Without going too deeply into spoiler territory, Garp has a connection to Monkey D. Luffy that will be explored. Koby will meet Monkey in the first episode of the series, as shown in promotional material, with Helmeppo also playing a rather unique role before he throws on the navy uniform. 

The East Blue Saga

It’s been no secret that One Piece’s first live-action season will adapt the story of the East Blue Saga, the earliest arc of the manga. The initial storyline covers a lot of bases such as introducing Monkey D. Luffy, uniting the first five Straw Hat Pirates, introducing the shonen world, and throwing plenty of threats at the anime heroes. In a sense, the East Blue Saga is almost a prequel to the adventures that lie ahead for Luffy, assembling everything he needs to travel to the Grand Line. Most likely, the live-action series won’t show viewers the Grand Line, the stretch of ocean that has bigger treasures and bigger threats, but it will certainly be referenced. 

What is THE One Piece?

No one actually knows yet what the One Piece is. Despite releasing over one thousand anime episodes and manga chapters, creator Eiichiro Oda has yet to reveal the treasure that the pirate Gol D. Roger hid that kicked off the series. Whom so ever is able to find this legendary booty will gain fame and notoriety that will give them a serious leg-up in becoming the king of the pirates. Obviously, since this is Luffy’s dream, he is doing his best to find the treasure and discover what Roger had left all in “one piece”. 

Will There Be A Season 2?

This is something else we don’t know. Netflix has yet to confirm if the streaming service will bring back the Straw Hat Pirates for a second season. Certainly, the live-action adaptation would have plenty of material for a second season, which would most likely introduce the next Straw Hat Pirate, Tony Tony Chopper. Despite becoming such a juggernaut in the manga and anime worlds, it will be interesting to see if this live-action adaptation will be just as popular when all is said and done.