It’s been 25 years since One Piece graced the anime fans following the pirating adventures of Luffy and crew. Recently, Netflix decided to produce a live-action adaptation of this fan-favorite series. The live-action was really successful and was showered with numerous positive reviews.
However, the actor of Roronoa Zoro in the live-action, Mackenyu, opened up about the sheer pressure he felt during the casting of this series. Even other members of the production, along with his co-stars, shared their experiences regarding the anxiety they experienced while making this live-action.
Also Read: Every Pirate We Want in Netflix’s One Piece Season 2, Ranked
What did Zoro’s actor express about his role in One Piece Live Action?
Mackenyu starred as Roronoa Zoro in the One Piece live. He expressed the pressure and anxiety he felt while filming his role as one of the most popular characters in the entire anime industry from one of the biggest anime franchises.
“They are all different in their own special ways. But this one was definitely the biggest long-going manga ever. So, there was pressure, but I kept my focus on the role and how to bring Zoro to life.”
Mackenyu was really into his role as Zoro. He wanted to please the audience with his performance and was dedicated to making an adaptation so good that the anime fans would be delighted.
“I want to please the fans of that anime as well as people that may have never seen or heard of it before. But anime is anime, live action is live action.”
Mackenyu told the fans to have an open perspective towards the live-action. He understands that One Piece fans were looking forward to this but having an open mind to consume something new is necessary.
“If you love the anime, and that’s your thing, then that’s fine. But if you’re willing to open your mind a little and challenge yourself to watch something new, there is always something new that live-action can add. We are always thinking about how we can take things up a level and make it the very best we can.”
“Fans who love anime want to see it come to life exactly as they know it, however, translating to live action is not an easy thing and sometimes requires changes and additions as well as editing down to fit into a series. People unfamiliar with the anime can enjoy it as something original and that’s how everyone should enjoy it, as a new original that’s based on anime source material.”
Mackenyu said that converting a live-action from an anime wasn’t as easy as it sounded. There are several changes done throughout the production but the team must try to make these changes better for the series.
Why was Netflix’s One Piece challenging to make?
Zoro’s actor Mackenyu and even other cast members shared their perspectives on the matter as to why the live-action was so challenging to handle. Everyone involved in the production of this series was subjected to massive pressure as they’re responsible for creating the live-action of one of the largest anime franchises.
Generally, anime adaptations haven’t been all that great on Netflix. The recent attempt at creating the live-action Cowboy Bebop series in 2021 wasn’t seen in a good light by the audience. Fans were rather disappointed from the reimagined take of Shinichirō Watanabe’s classic space-western resulting in the series warning a meagre rating of 46% on Rotten Tomatoes.
While adapting something that is adored by the fans so much, there are a fair share of reasons why the actors were nervous in the first place.
Inaki Godoy, who was starring as Luffy in the live-action told his perspective regarding dealing with all this pressure and having fun on the set with the co-stars.
“But if there’s one thing that I have learned from ‘One Piece,’ it’s that even though things are challenging, you have to find a way to have fun. So yeah, there was a lot of pressure, there was a lot of anxieties, but there was also a lot of fun! And there was a lot of love. And just like any adventure, it was exciting. You know, I was so excited to get to be a part of something this massive and so incredible, and it’s an exciting adventure.”
He also shares that the enjoyment with the co-stars while filming this series along with their dedication and efforts, made the live-action good and honored the source material.
Source: The Direct
