When news of the One Piece live-action adaptation broke, it felt like Eiichiro Oda was constantly in damage control mode. Whether it was the mere existence of a live-action adaptation, concerns about pacing, or casting choices, there was always someone unhappy about something — and truthfully, nothing has changed since then.
At this point, most One Piece fans know that Oda recently took a two-week break due to illness —marking only the third time in 26 years that the creator has paused his work for health reasons. Yet even during this rare break, the author of the world’s most successful comic couldn’t truly rest. Before long, fans were treated to some exciting behind-the-scenes footage from the production of One Piece live-action season 2.
“Cape Town is where the Netflix live-action show is being filmed! I got to see firsthand the hard work of so many crew members across various fields!” Oda wrote in a message to fans, going on to describe the massive new sets and ships under construction. The scale of production has clearly reached new heights, and the expectations are higher than ever — but that’s not all.
Later in the letter, Oda addressed a topic that has been both incredibly contentious and timely: the casting choices for season 2. “I also managed to speak with not only the returning cast from season 1 but also each of the new cast members,” he shared. “My own casting selections were made from Japan based on photos and videos, but seeing them all in person convinced me: they were absolutely the perfect choices!”
This intervention couldn’t have come at a better time either. In recent weeks — particularly since the announcement of the new cast additions — the One Piece fanbase has become sharply divided. I would say a large majority embraced the new names, celebrating additions like Charithra Chandran as Miss Wednesday, an actress many recognized from Bridgerton. However, as is often the case, negativity echoed just as loudly as the cheers, and backlash quickly followed.
Chandran’s casting faced heavy criticism, primarily due to her ethnicity not aligning with Vivi’s Egyptian heritage. But that was hardly the end of it — it was the casting of Nico Robin that made all hell break loose. During Geeked Week 2024, the highly anticipated reveal announced Lera Abova (Pitch Perfect: Bumper Berlin) as the actress portraying Miss All Sunday — also known as Nico Robin (sorry about the spoilers).
Though Abova’s name may not immediately remind you of any familiar roles, fans wasted no time researching her background. They discovered that she is Russian, born in Slavgorod, Altai Krai, though much of her upbringing was in Siberia and Germany. Despite her international background, some fans deemed the casting choice inappropriate and even offensive, citing the current geopolitical tensions in Eastern Europe.
Fortunately, a large majority of fans have half a brain to their name and they quickly pointed out a simple truth: no one chooses the country they are born in — it’s simply a matter of circumstance. While a vocal minority continues to demand the removal of Chandran and Abova from the cast, it’s obvious that Eiichiro Oda is neither here nor there when it comes to baseless criticism and mindless hate.