One Piece will have a second season, which is wonderful news for fans of the live-action adaptation. Netflix confirmed this just two weeks after its premiere, making it clear that the series has been a big success and has become a new flagship for the platform. However, there are now more challenging aesthetic aspects to address.
The first of these challenges is how to design Tony Tony Chopper. This endearing character is one of the most beloved by anime fans, but bringing him to life is obviously more challenging than many others. The main problem is that he is a hybrid between a human and a reindeer… but he takes on various forms and is often in a “chibi” style.
A very challenging design to bring to reality
Having this in mind, the main characterization team at Netflix has given a brief interview to GameSpot, and when asked about this character, they had a clear answer. It was Jaco Snyman, who already designed all the characterization for the first season, who answered the audience’s question.
As we can see, the One Piece characterization team believes that the best approach to create Chopper should be using the same method as with Arlong; that is, a mix of prosthetics and practical effects. This means we can forget about a digital Chopper like in Detective Pikachu, which might be a joy for the fans but also a cause for concern.
What will Chopper’s final design be like? Will it fit well with the rest of the series? Either way, it’s clear that Netflix is putting a lot of care into the live-action adaptation of Eiichiro Oda’s manga. And so far, everything seems to be going smoothly for them.
