Audiences tend to learn lessons about what works much faster than Hollywood. Fans used to be overjoyed to hear of a live-action adaptation of their favorite anime. With several terrible examples released directly into the garbage, that reaction faded. Most devotees are dismayed to see a series they love reach for a new medium. Avatar: The Last Airbender is up for its second attempt, but Netflix's recent take on One Piece should allay some surrounding fear.
M. Night Shyamalan's The Last Airbender is popularly considered one of the worst big-budget films ever made. It's an abomination with few redeeming qualities. Its tragic fate would have been a minor blow, as almost all of Shyamalan's films are terrible, but it was considered an attack on the legacy of a beloved cartoon. The idea of trying again is almost universally despised. It's happening despite fan outcry. One Piece might help them see the potential upside.
Netflix's One Piece Beat the Odds
Netflix announced a live-action adaptation of One Piece shortly after the failure of their Cowboy Bebop. That terrible attempt was canceled after 20 days of concentrated backlash. One Piece seemed like a much more demanding project. Translating Cowboy Bebop into live-action requires plenty of work, but it's a relatively grounded sci-fi series. One Piece is drenched in cartoon logic, bizarre character designs, and unfilmable scenes. This assumption, though correct in many ways, failed to consider the possibility that the failure of Netflix's Bebop was based on spirit rather than setting. The writing, characterization, and style were all wrong. One Piece would be seen as a success as long as it captured some of the fun of the original series. Now that the series is here, it has demonstrated it can do just that.
One Piece takes the wisest possible approach for adaptations of this sort. Instead of fully retelling every detail of the story, the series gives a kind of greatest-hits showcase recap of the anime. It recreates iconic moments from the anime's early days, often shot-for-shot with carefully composed cinematography. Almost every episode features a shot or a scene that thousands of One Piece fans could have drawn from memory. It's not perfectly faithful. Not everything makes the cut. Some creative changes will hurt the audience. However, it's more concerned with paying tribute to the source material than attempting to replace it. It would serve as a standalone piece for newcomers, but the series is best seen as a loving homage to art that inspired it. Netflix's One Piece is as different as possible from their Death Note or Cowboy Bebop. It knows what it wants to do and accomplishes its goal. That simple achievement is all it needs to provide. It can also stand as proof that Netflix could do it again.
Netflix's Avatar: The Last Airbender Might Understand the Assignment
Avatar: The Last Airbender comes somewhere between Cowboy Bebop and One Piece in terms of difficulty. It's set in a world of wonder and mysticism, but it doesn't feature anything as unabashedly silly as a man made of rubber. With some production value, Avatar could be a spectacular sight to see. The architecture, natural landscapes, and magnificent animals could be beautiful. Avatar's action scenes would translate beautifully to live action. Bending is based on existing martial arts. All they would have to do is hire talented martial artists and add excellent effects to their movements. These elements could make a live-action Avatar worthwhile if they can stick somewhat to the source material. They don't need to show every detail or keep every narrative beat. One Piece demonstrates that they just have to capture the spirit and nail a few key moments.
Animation is and will always be the best medium for these stories. There's nothing the live-action adaptations can do to supplant the works that inspired them. Though Hollywood hates to admit it, animation is an art form with different strengths and weaknesses. The best way to deal with that truth is to acknowledge it openly. Studios frequently pretend that the addition of blockbuster film elements has finally made the story worth watching. That disdain for the original medium can be felt in every moment of Dragonball Evolution or Cowboy Bebop. One Piece knows that it's a party to celebrate the material. The fact is, even if it can never be as good as the original, it's fun to see a life-size real version of the Going Merry unfurl its tangible Straw Hat Pirates Jolly Roger. That's all anyone wants from One Piece. The Last Airbender just has to aspire for the same goal.
Avatar: The Last Airbender could still be a failure, but it doesn't feel as doomed as it did before One Piece came out. There's no way of knowing whether the creative team will learn the lessons of its predecessor. One Piece felt like a gamble as it was playing. Any moment could have overturned the goodwill it earned. Avatar is still one bad choice away from widespread derision, but the blueprint is present. Like Aang, One Piece might be the hero that saves the world.