One Piece Live Action Season 02

Live-action adaptations have a notoriously rocky track record, especially on Netflix. On top of that, One Piece was an even heavier lift than many of the platform’s previous attempts, most of which struggled to land. Projects like Cowboy Bebop and Death Note are far less cartoonish than Eiichiro Oda’s vibrant ode to pirates and freedom, yet they still failed to fully translate into live action.

One Piece, by contrast, features a wildly exaggerated world led by a main character made of rubber, pushing the boundaries of what the format can realistically portray. So when the live-action series was first announced, many people, including myself, were deeply skeptical.

Now, two seasons in, One Piece has become one of the most successful live-action anime adaptations to date.