‘I have filmed so many anime adaptations and always feel the pressure when doing live-action manga’: ‘One Piece’ star was on familiar territory with Netflix’s hit series

To say that there’s a lot to love about One Piece is nothing short of trite at this point, but pirate cannon to head, if the show’s merits had to be narrowed down to just one standout, it would have to be the inch-perfect casting decisions.

Beyond the fact that each and every one of the talents shoring up the live-action Straw Hat crew seemed born for these roles, incisive work from the likes of Jeff Ward as Buggy the Clown, McKinley Belcher III as Arlong, and Morgan Davies as Koby raises the bar that much higher.

And while it’s hard to deny that Iñaki Godoy’s turn as protagonist Monkey D. Luffy is the cheekily-charged high point of the performances, there’s one Straw Hat actor in particular whose portrayal was indicative of the fact that he, in essence, grew up in this position.

That’s none other than Mackenyu, whose subtle, stoic performance as Roronoa Zoro was bolstered by the actor’s long history with not only the character, but with live-action anime adaptations as well, according to the actor himself in a recent interview with Deadline.

 “I have filmed so many anime adaptations in Japan and always feel the pressure when doing live-action manga. But, I want to do my best to please the fans and those who will first experience One Piece as live-action. I grew up with One Piece and I didn’t need to do much research because Zoro has always been my favorite character.”

The Japanese actor is no stranger to the world of bringing anime into live-action, boasting a list of credits such as Kamen Rider Drive: Surprise Future, Tokyo Ghoul S, the JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Diamond is Unbreakable Chapter I film in which he portrayed Okuyasu Nijimura, and, most recently, Knights of the Zodiac, the live-action feature based on Saint Seiya that he just might be trying to forget.

You may not have known it from his on-screen demeanor, but it sounds like Mackenyu’s inner child is jumping for joy now that he’s slotted into the role of Luffy’s first mate; a role he’ll hopefully continue to carry on in future seasons that, at the time of writing, may or may not happen.

One Piece is available to stream on Netflix.