Netflix's One Piece Showrunner Talks Keeping The Series Light
Matt Owens, the showrunner for the Live-Action One Piece series, breaks down the need to keep the Straw Hats from being too dark.
On August 31st, Netflix is set to release the first official live-action adaptation of One Piece, translating some major moments from the anime to the "real world." From numerous interviews featuring cast and crew alike, it's clear that those responsible for this upcoming take are giant fans of the source material. With One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda working as Executive Producer on the series, Matt Owens recently took the opportunity to explain why the television show would stick to its "lighter" roots.
Throughout the decades of stories weaved by Eiichiro Oda in the original manga series, Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates have dealt with some dark moments. The series might have a cartoonish look, but it has never shied away from some mature moments. The Straw Hats has seen death and destruction on a serious scale as they all search for their dreams sailing aboard the Going Merry and Thousand Sunny. Most recently, Monkey came exceptionally close to his own demise in the fight against the Beast Pirate Kaido, but luckily was able to get a last-minute save thanks in part to a transformation he has achieved. With the arrival of Gear Fifth set to arrive shortly in the anime adaptation, things are looking up for the Straw Hats in the War For Wano.
One Piece: Light Vs Dark
In a recent interview, One Piece's showrunner Matt Owens commented on how the live-action adaptation is hoping to avoid the trap that many other series fall into by being a bit too "dark", "A lot of the big epic series that are on tv at the moment – and no disrespect to them, I love them – but they're all so dark. We wanted to build a show with just as much mythology and lore and brilliance as some of those other blockbuster shows, but be the blue skies, sunny, optimistic version of them. We want to be able to sit on the same shelf as them, but be a beacon of light."
The promotional material for Netflix's One Piece has focused on the Straw Hats assembling to begin their journey on the Grand Line, adapting the East Blue Saga. While this arc is peppered with some dark moments, it definitely focuses on a lot of lighter fair as Monkey D. Luffy brings his crew together.
Do you think One Piece's showrunner is right to keep the Straw Hats in the light? 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.