Can Netflix succeed where so, so many have failed when it comes to transforming anime into a bona fide live-action property?
Death Note, Bleach and Dragon Ball, to name just a few, have all been adapted for the big screen over the years, both by studios in the medium’s native Japan and Hollywood. Despite what you might think – that the former, in this context, would naturally be more qualified to deliver a crowd-pleaser – however, geography apparently has no bearing on the end result.
Time after time, fans of all three mega-popular franchises (and doubtless many more) have had unsavory thoughts to share with those responsible for the task of grounding fantastical worlds in real-life cinema, to the extent that attempts at doing so have become far less commonplace in recent years.
Despite this, however, Netflix has set the internet ablaze with excitement for its upcoming One Piece film with one simple image. Check it, as well as plenty of initial reactions, out down below.
Unsurprisingly, not everyone is on the same page for this one. Many have used the opportunity to criticize the lack of more English-dubbed episodes of One Piece‘s anime, while others have outright dismissed the project as an abject failure based on precedent alone. Cowboy Bebop, another anime on course to receive a live-action reimagining, has been the recipient of particularly harsh criticism over the last few days, mainly as a result of its casting choice for Faye Valentine.
Pessimists could well prove to be completely accurate in their baseless assumptions, but as is the case with all entertainment, those responsible for One Piece‘s live-action adaptation absolutely deserve the benefit of the doubt.
