One Piece Creator Eiichiro Oda Declares Live-Action Cast Deserves Acclaim

Ahead of One Piece‘s live-action debuting on Netflix in August, the creator Eiichiro Oda shared his thoughts with fans.

In his lengthy message, Oda says, “So, the live action One Piece! The teaser and trailer are now out, and the launch date for the show itself is set for August 31. I’ll say this. There were no compromises on this show!” He went on to share that planning for the series was set in motion seven years ago, and how much work went into the meticulous planning of the live-action, saying, “And the festivities have already begun! It’s already fun seeing the flurry of reactions after each release of information. And the very fact that adapting One Piece into live action was conceived 7 years ago is wild! How will this world be brought to life?! There was so much that went into it–all the efforts of the actors, the building of the world and the costumes, presenting things in a way that can only be done in a live action, the dialogue–and the entire process of so many people putting their heads together was a festivity in and of itself.”

Furthermore, Oda acknowledged that not everyone will be pleased with the adaptation because of one thing or another. However, he believes critics of the live-action will come from a place of good intentions, so he plans to take their comments in stride, explaining, “After the launch, I’m sure I’ll hear about some people pointing out how this character is missing or that scene is omitted, or this bit is different from the manga. But I’m sure they’ll come from a place of love, so I intend to enjoy even those comments! LOL The story will span 8 episodes and take us up through you-know-where!!”

It was previously reported that Oda wouldn’t allow the release of the live-action until he was completely satisfied with it, which he reiterated in his statement to fans. “Even after the shoot was over, there were numerous scenes the production agreed to re-shoot because I felt they weren’t good enough to put out into the world. On the other hand, there were also some lines that I thought didn’t feel like Luffy on paper… But when I was the filmed scenes, I went, ‘It works when it’s Iñaki performing it as Luffy! As a matter of fact, it works great!!’ (Iñaki is the actor who plays Luffy.) There were so many things that had to be done to keep things from looking too unnatural in the live action.”

Additionally, Oda went on to praise the production staff and crew, as well as the cast. He revealed that everyone involved with the production is a superfan of the series and that fans can see the love poured into it. He asserted his love for the production team and cast, and expounded on how he believes they deserve acclaim for taking part in the live-action: “By now I just love this production team and the cast so much that I can’t wait for them to get the acclaim they deserve from everyone around the world. And if by chance people have some gripes, I’ll be there to receive them together!”

One Piece‘s genius creator wrapped things up by telling fans, “Whatever feelings you choose to harbor in the meantime, it’s still going to be one month, so please have some tea as you wait!”

Source: Twitter