Highlights
- Netflix's One Piece Live Action series has been a brilliant success, bringing Luffy's journey to life in a fantastic manner.
- The Syrup Village arc in the live-action series introduces the Going Merry ship at the beginning, while in the manga it is introduced at the end.
- The live-action adaptation of One Piece includes some changes, such as the death of Merry and the introduction of a shipyard in Syrup Village that doesn't exist in the manga.
Netflix's One Piece Live Action series dropped recently and has proven to be a brilliant success. The story follows the manga quite closely and brings Luffy's journey to becoming the Pirate King to life in a fantastic manner. Of course, given that the live-action is an adaptation to a completely different medium, there are storytelling differences that set the two apart.
The Syrup Village arc, which focuses primarily on Usopp, was also subject to quite a few changes. While some changes are small and don't make much of a difference, others are massive and add a unique twist to One Piece.
9 The Going Merry
The Going Merry, the first proper ship of the Straw Hat Pirates, is introduced to the fans at the very beginning of the Syrup Village arc in the live-action series.
In the manga, this ship is introduced at the very end of the arc, after it is revealed that Merry, who worked for Kaya, spent years trying to craft this perfect caravel. In the live-action series, Luffy immediately feels a certain connection to this ship and goes on to ask Kaya to allow him to buy it from her.
8 Shipyard
In the One Piece Live Action series, Syrup Village also has a massive shipyard, which is owned by Kaya's family. Given that her parents are dead, Kaya is to inherit their shipyard business.
This shipyard is where Luffy finds Merry for the very first time and eventually decides to go ahead with buying it. In the manga, Syrup Village is just a tiny village and doesn't have any shipyard whatsoever. In fact, the Going Merry and the Bezan Black are the only ships that the fans see in this arc in the manga.
7 Merry's Death
Merry is quite a close associate of Kaya in both Netflix's One Piece Live Action series and the manga. However, the roles the character ends up playing are somewhat different.
For one, Merry ends up dying in the live-action adaptation of One Piece. He is killed by Kuro after he's attacked on the night he intended to execute his plan. While he is also attacked in the manga, he ends up surviving and is responsible for telling Kaya about Kuro's falseness.
6 Sham
Sham is a member of the Black Cat Pirates and he's introduced quite late into the Syrup Village arc in the manga. Along with Butchie, he forms the Nyaban Brothers. The two go on to fight Zoro and the manga, which is unchanged in the live-action.
However, one major change in the character of Sham is that she is a woman in the live-action series. She also wields a sword, making her a perfect opponent for Zoro to take on in combat.
5 No Jango
Jango is the First Mate of the Black Cat Pirates in both the anime and the manga of One Piece. In Kuro's absence, he's the one responsible for taking care of the Black Cat Pirates.
Eventually, he makes his way to Syrup Village on the day of Kuro's plan. He ends up playing a huge role in the manga and the anime by going after Kaya and fighting against the Usopp Pirates. In Netflix's One Piece Live Action series,this character has been completely omitted and simply does not exist.
4 Kaya's Sickness
Kaya is sick in both the One Piece Live Action series, as well as the original source material. However, the cause of her sickness appears to be different when comparing the two. In the One Piece Live Action series, it is explicitly stated that her sickness was down to Kuro poisoning her slowly. This had a great effect on her health without her actually realizing that she was being poisoned.
In the original story, Kaya's sickness is down to her stress and depression. After she follows her dream of becoming a doctor, she starts feeling better.
3 Kaya's Relationship With The Straw Hat Pirates
Another major difference between the One Piece Live Action series and the original source material is the relationship that Kaya shares with the Straw Hat Pirates. In the live-action series, Kaya invites all of them to dine with her.
She also forms a very special relationship with Nami and the two spend an entire night talking together and exchanging stories. This adds a very interesting layer to the character of Kaya as well as the Straw Hat Pirates, especially Nami. This interaction simply does not exist in the source material.
2 The Involvement Of Marines
In the live action version of one piece, Koby and his group end up on Syrup Village in an attempt to defend off the pirates. They even go down to Kaya's mansion and speak to Kuro, who Usopp family refers to as a pirate. Koby ends up playing a major role in the arc and propels the Marine storyline even further.
1 The Fight In The Mansion
Quite easily the biggest change in the Syrup Village arc in the One Piece Live Action series is the fact that the entirety of the last fight takes place inside Kaya's mansion. After Kuro reveals his true nature, he locks down the mansion from the outside and decides to kill Kaya. Furthermore, he ends up fighting against Luffy inside the mansion as well.
Meanwhile, Zoro also encounters the Nyaban Fighters inside the mansion. The One Piece Live Action series manages to create a very intense and scary atmosphere during this fight, which is something that shines very brightly. In the manga, the entirety of the fight takes place outside the mansion across various locations.
One Piece Live Action is available to watch on Netflix.