Highlights
- Netflix's One Piece Live Action series pays respect to the source material and closely follows the story of Luffy, making it enjoyable for fans old and new.
- The live-action adaptation of One Piece includes changes in the story that are necessary for a better flow in the live-action format, some of which are small and insignificant, while others have a major impact on the plot.
- There are notable differences in various characters' roles and their interactions compared to the original manga, such as the introduction of Nami in Shells Town and a more pronounced role for Garp in the Romance Dawn arc.
Netflix's One Piece Live Action series has proven to be a remarkable success and the show is most definitely one that fans both old and new have enjoyed to the fullest. The show closely follows the story of Luffy, from Oda's One Piece manga. One of the most important things that sets this live-action adaptation apart from the rest is the fact that it pays respect to the source material and doesn't deviate too much from it.
That said, there are certainly changes in the story that are somewhat necessary to make it flow better in a live-action adaptation. While some of these changes are small and, in the grand scheme of things, insignificant, others are major and affect the plot in many ways.
7 The Gomu Gomu No Mi
Luffy's Devil Fruit, the Gomu Gomu no Mi, is very important in his flashback. When Luffy is sailing with Koby in Netflix's One Piece Live Action series after freeing him from Alvida, the story digs into his flashback. The transition to his flashback is absolutely beautiful and fans get to see how he meets Shanks, his role model, and also how he eats his Devil Fruit.
More interestingly, the Devil Fruit box clearly has a symbol of the Marines on it. This is something that fans only found out in the manga in the Wano arc. In Netflix's One Piece Live Action series, eagle-eyed fans will have picked this up very quickly and come to the conclusion that Shanks was in a fight with the Navy and he secured this fruit from them.
6 Baroque Works
One of the most exciting changes made to the One Piece live-action series is the fact that Zoro is introduced to the fans on Sixis Island. It is revealed to the fans that Mr. 7, an Officer Agent of the Baroque Works, has been following him for about 3 days.
He offers Zoro a chance to join the Baroque Works organization, however, Zoro ends up rejecting the approach. The two end up fighting and Zoro slices him clean in half. This is only mentioned in the manga and not illustrated. In the manga, fans don't get to see this play out and that is certainly one of the best changes made to the Romance Dawn arc.
5 The Role Of Axe-Hand Morgan
When compared to the manga counterpart, the role of Axe-Hand Morgan is very different. For one, Morgan doesn't appear to be half as cruel as he is in the manga. More importantly, it is Morgan who is real to have the map to the Grand Line in the live-action adaptation.
This is starkly different from the manga, where the map actually belongs to Buggy, who was ardent about going to the sea himself. Furthermore, Morgan's fight against Luffy and Zoro is much more intense and makes him look much stronger than he was in the manga. Nonetheless, the vast majority of these changes are certainly fun.
4 Koby's Enlistment
Kobe's enlistment into the Navy is also very different in Netflix's One Piece Live Action series. In the manga, Koby and Luffy end up fighting after Luffy goads him into a battle. This allows the Navy members to see that they are not on the same team and Koby, after being questioned, is allowed to join the Navy.
In the live-action adaptation of One Piece, Koby ends up joining the Marines on his own and is later questioned by Garp.
3 Luffy And Nami's First Meeting
Perhaps one of the biggest changes in Netflix's One Piece Live Action series is the fact that Nami is introduced to the fans in Shells Town. In both the anime and the manga, Zoro is the only Straw Hat who is introduced in the Shells Town arc. In the live-action adaptation, Nami infiltrates the 153rd Marine Base in an attempt to steal the map of the Grand Line.
She ends up teaming with Luffy and the two end up meeting inside the Marine base for the very first time. In the manga, Luffy and Nami meet for the first time in Shells Town, after Luffy is carried to the island by a bird.
2 Zoro And Luffy's First Meeting
Zoro and Luffy's first meeting is also very different in the live-action adaptation of One Piece. They end up crossing eyes for the first time inside a bar in Shells Town. Later, when Helmeppo causes a scene, Zoro is unable to cash out his bounty and he decides to starve instead as punishment for assaulting Marines.
That is precisely when Luffy infiltrates the location where he is kept tied to a post and frees him immediately. In the manga, Luffy ends up finding Zoro's swords for him before the two team up to defeat Morgan.
1 Garp's Role
Perhaps the biggest difference in the Romance Dawn arc in the One Piece Live Action series is the fact that Garp is given a much more pronounced role. While Garp is a very important character in the story, he isn't given a prevalent role in the original source material in the Romance Dawn Arc.
Here, Garp is forced into action when he realizes that a man in a Straw Hat infiltrated the 153rd Marine Base and went on to steal a map to the Grand Line from there. Garp immediately realizes that it's his grandson who was responsible for this and he immediately starts chasing him, which is a plotline that is non-existent in the original series.
One Piece Live Action is available to watch on Netflix.