The story of the One Piece live-action is one of the most beautiful remembered in this vilified genre for years. Despite seeming impossible and many doubting its viability, Netflix got down to work hand in hand with Eiichiro Oda, the creator of the original manga. The result was a huge success both critically and with the audience.
Now, while awaiting the second season, we’ve discovered one of the secrets behind this success: the involvement of its showrunners. Steve Maeda and Matt Owens have been the individuals entrusted with translating the spirit of One Piece into such a different and challenging medium as live-action, and truth be told, they did everything within their power to respect Oda’s vision.
The story that moved Eiichiro Oda
As Matt Owens explains in an interview, the reason behind his involvement stems from what the One Piece anime itself did for him during one of his toughest times. He explains:
“When I was in my early twenties, I went through a really, really bad depression. I was trying to find a series that I could watch and that could occupy all my time so I wouldn’t have to do or think about anything… And I said, you know what? It’s time to watch One Piece. In a few months, I caught up from the beginning all the way to Punk Hazard.”
So, his love for One Piece stems from how much it helped him during that time. And he conveyed this to Eiichiro Oda when they met in person. “I told Oda: one of the best things about One Piece is that it’s a story about how everyone has tragedy, pain, and sadness in their life, but that’s not what defines you. What defines you is how you use it to motivate your future, and no one has to do it alone. No one has to do it alone,” he explains.
“When you find those people around you who motivate you, uplift you, help you, it’s the greatest power in this world. And that’s the story I want to bring to the world. I know One Piece means a lot to you, Oda. It means a lot to me because honestly, I think One Piece saved my life.” He looked me in the eyes, reached out across the table, and said, ‘now you have my 100% trust,'” he concluded.
