Too many cooks can often spoil an otherwise-delicious broth, but the creator of One Piece being so heavily involved in Netflix’s adaptation is shaping up to be a shrewd move, with expectations rising higher and higher ahead of the show’s debut.
The famously reclusive and mysterious Eiichiro Oda has been a key creative player in the process since the very beginning, something that will hopefully see One Piece avoid the traps that swallowed its live-action versions of Death Note and Cowboy Bebop whole.
Talking to ScreenRant, director Emma Sullivan couldn’t speak highly enough of his expertise and insights, which shouldn’t come as a surprise given that nobody knows the IP better.
“Everything went through Oda. For example, I had a scene where Kuina and young Zoro are fighting, and we shot that originally. Oda watched it, and he said, “I don’t want the Kendo masks on. I want it reshot.” So, we went back to Cape Town, and we shot it again. It was better, and it was good. Everything went through him. It’s an incredibly creative IP, so you’re constantly trying to do it justice, and you find the most beautiful visual way to tell his stories. But at the same time you have to go within the parameters of show.”
Editor Tessa Verfuss then chipped in by showering even more praise on One Piece‘s originator, despite his lack of live-action TV experience.
“He’s obviously been involved with anime, but this is his baby in a very different way. Some things might occur to us as a way of doing things, because this is how TV works, and he might have a comment that sort of throws that out the window. It’s like, “Okay, cool, let’s put a different hat on here and give this another go.” If we need to find something else in the footage, look at doing some things a slightly different way, or do another pass for him, then we would.”
The jury will be out on One Piece imminently, but you’ve got to think Oda’s hands-on approach can’t be anything other than a huge benefit.
Published: Aug 31, 2023 01:25 am