The live-action adaptation of one of the most popular anime series – One Piece – was a big gamble for Netflix and one that has a lot riding on it. Netflix has a big-budget live-action adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender on the way, as well as live-action versions of My Hero Academia, Sword Art Online, and Pokemon in development. Therefore, the success of One Piece is crucial if these other live-action shows are going to work. Well, the good news is that One Piece is a hit!
One Piece debuted on Netflix on August 31, 2023, and in the five days since then, it’s made it number two on the UK charts, and is number one in TV shows today on US Netflix. Our One Piece live-action review says that it’s the best live-action anime adaptation that Netflix has made yet, after misfires surrounding Dragon Ball, Death Note, and Cowboy Bebop.
One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda’s involvement is clear, as it has made an effort to keep the fans in mind, embrace the anime’s style, and honors the source material by including details and Easter Eggs for fans of both the manga and the anime.
On Rotten Tomatoes, One Piece has a positive rating of 83% from 40 reviews. Considering that the upcoming Avatar: The Last Airbender reportedly has a budget of over $15 million per episode, putting it up there with the likes of The Mandalorian, The Last of Us, and The Rings of Power as one of the most expensive TV series ever, One Piece’s success is good news for Netflix.
If you’re looking forward to the other big pirate show, you may be interested in the Our Flag Means Death season 2 release date and more. If you want to know more about One Piece, check out our guides to devil fruit, the world government, the One Piece treasure, and to the One Piece live-action cast. Find out what we know so far about the Avatar: The Last Airbender live-action release date.