One Piece on Ice Stars Talk Playing The Straw Hats
One Piece has had a big 2023 so far, and the shonen series is only looking to expand as the year marches on. While fans are waiting to see if Netflix will nail the feel of the original story with its live-action adaptation, Luffy and company have another live-action show taking place in Japan. One Piece on Ice is the first extravaganza that will recreate the story of the Grand Line in the rink, and the stars playing three of the Straw Hat Pirates have recently discussed their roles.
To start, the actor portraying Luffy, skater Shoma Uno discussed his part in One Piece on Ice and how he felt when he was given the news that he had gotten the part, "When I first heard about the offer, I was like, 'Are you okay with me?' I came to think that. I'm not the type to make people smile, so I honestly think that my personality is quite different from Luffy's." Since I was selected, I want to do my best."
The Straw Hats On Ice
Nami, one of the earliest members of the Straw Hat Pirates to join Luffy, will be played by Miyu Honda. She had this to add when it came to how excited she was for the play, before even being cast for the role of Luffy's most trusted map maker, "When I heard that Mr. Uno was going to play the role of Luffy in the news, I definitely wanted to go see it, but (when my own appearance was decided) I thought, 'I can't go see it"
Finally, Nobunari Oda will be taking on the role of Usopp, the hilarious marksman of Luffy's crew, and stated that he was a big fan of One Piece before joining the ice skating cast, "I really love this work, so I'm honored to be involved in the work in the form of an ice show."
The upcoming ice show is only slated to be performed in Japan at present, so North American fans might be out of luck. Taking place from August 11th to the 13th at the KOSE Shin-Yokohama Skate Center, the cast will return in the fall at the Dolphins Arena for an encore from September 2nd to the 3rd. Following the storyline of Alabasta, One Piece on Ice is treading familiar territory in a brand new way.