Netflix's One Piece Star Mackenyu Discusses the Show's Biggest Hope

Netflix's One Piece is a global hit, and its star Mackenyu is opening up about the show's biggest hope.

By Megan Peters

One Piece has been around for decades, and it is getting its flowers stateside at long last. The hit anime stumbled with American audiences ages ago courtesy of its infamous 4Kids dub, but Monkey D. Luffy is turning that reputation around. On the heels of a stellar anime arc, One Piece is now converting fans on Netflix thanks to its live-action series. And in a new interview, one of the show's stars says they hope the live-action series satisfies fans and newcomers alike.

The comment comes straight from Mackenyu as the actor spoke with Vogue Man in Hong Kong. It was there the Japanese actor spoke at length about his career leading up to his role in Netflix's One Piece. Mackenyu, who plays Roronoa Zoro in the live-action series, has been in a number of productions based on anime. But when it came to One Piece, Mackenyu's expectations were high.

"I want to please anime fans as well as people that have never seen it. If you're willing to open your mind and challenge yourself there's always something new that live-action can add. We're always thinking about how we can take things up a level & make it the very best we can," the actor shared.

"As a Japanese kid, everyone knows about One Piece. When I stepped foot on the Going Merry, I couldn't wait to tell all my friends & brag about it. It's going to be a special experience for the fans. We really brought One Piece to life and I just hope they're going to like it too."

As you can see, Mackenyu's investment in One Piece goes way back. The franchise is absolutely massive in Japan, and over the years, One Piece has gone on to take over the world. With its manga outselling giants like Batman, any adaptation of One Piece had big shoes to fill. Thankfully, series creator Eiichiro Oda found the perfect collaborators at Tomorrow Studios and Netflix to make his vision a reality. So judging by the hit One Piece has become, we think Mackenyu's hope for the Netflix series has come true.

If you are not familiar with One Piece, the Netflix series is now streaming. You can also binge the original One Piece anime on Netflix or find up-to-date episodes on Crunchyroll. So for more info on the seafaring series, you can read its official synopsis below:

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"As a child, Monkey D. Luffy was inspired to become a pirate by listening to the tales of the buccaneer "Red-Haired" Shanks. But Luffy's life changed when he accidentally ate the Gum-Gum Devil Fruit and gained the power to stretch like rubber...at the cost of never being able to swim again! Years later, still vowing to become the king of the pirates, Luffy sets out on his adventure...one guy alone in a rowboat, in search of the legendary "One Piece," said to be the greatest treasure in the world..."

What do you think about Netflix's One Piece? Does the show live up to Mackenyu's goal? Let us know what you think in the comments below as well as on Twitter and Instagram. You can also hit me up @MeganPetersCB to share your take!

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