Since the earliest days of Netflix’s One Piece’s production, the showrunners and creative minds responsible for this new take on Monkey D. Luffy and his crew haven’t minced words when it comes to the show’s faithfulness to its source material. The eight-episode series is only hours from arriving on Netflix as the first series will arrive on the streaming service on August 31st. As fans wait to see this wild new take on the East Blue Saga, a first look of the Black Cat Pirate Captain Kuro has found its way online.
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Kuro, as One Piece die-hards know, was introduced as a part of Usopp’s introductory storyline. Lying in wait as an assistant to the young woman named Kaya, the Black Cat Pirate aims to gain control of her family’s mass fortune and influence but finds Luffy and his newly formed crew in his way. While on the surface he might appear charismatic and charming, Kuro hides some wild brutality along with some finger knives that might put the likes of Nightmare On Elm Street’s Freddy Krueger to shame. In Netflix’s live-action One Piece, the role will be played by actor Alexander Maniatis and he won’t be the only Black Cat to get a live-action iteration.
Black Cat Kuro Pounces
It should come as no surprise that Netflix’s rendition of the world of the Grand Line is sticking to its source material, as One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda is acting as Executive Producer on the project. With showrunners like Matt Owens stating in the past that many decisions needed to receive Oda’s approval before being filmed, even Kuro’s appearance is almost identical to his look from both the original manga and the subsequent anime adaptation.
There has been a lot of groundswell when it comes to Netflix’s One Piece, though the streaming service has yet to confirm if there will be a season two. Luckily, the live-action adaptation will have plenty of storylines to choose from should it continue. With over one thousand plus episodes of its anime released to date, the live-action series could continue for quite some time if it is a success.
What do you think of live-action Kuro? What has been your favorite live-action One Piece character you’ve seen so far? Feel free to let us know in the comments or hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics, anime, and the world of the Grand Line.
