The reviews are now out for Netflix’s live-action “One Piece” series, and from the looks of it, the streamer has succeeded and avoided the problems of their last anime-to-live-action adaptation with the disastrous “Cowboy Bebop”.
On Rotten Tomatoes, the show is pulling in an 83% (7.7/10) positive rating from critics along with a 94% (4.7/5) from audiences.
Critics, who’ve seen the full eight-episode run, have praised the work for capturing the tone of the original anime and manga, complete with its fun quirks, and praise is especially high for Mexican actor Inaki Godoy who portrays Monkey D. Luffy.
Here’s a sampling of review quotes:
“Luffy’s still searching for his treasure, but Netflix’s quest to successfully adapt a popular anime into live-action is finally over. It’s the fun, quirky adaptation that One Piece fans and newbies alike deserve.” – David Opie, Empire Magazine
“Given everything stacked against it, it’s pretty impressive how much Netflix’s version fits into such a short season, and it’ll be a relief for novices and die-hard fans alike that the end result is an enjoyable summer binge-watch.” – Kayleigh Donaldson, The Wrap
“There is so much story left to tell by the end, and my hope is that we do see it one day. But with just these eight episodes of One Piece, the cast and creatives pull off a fantastically pulpy, old-fashioned, and, most importantly, satisfying adventure.” – Arezou Amin, Collider
“One Piece is a lot of things all at once, in the end, but above all else an adventure. One which proves sea-worthy for newcomers, at least.” – Liz Shannon Miller, Consequence
“An entertaining adaptation that’s hindered by a desire to recreate every major event found in its source material.” – Kenneth Seward Jr., IGN Movies
“Whether you’re a diehard One Piece fan or a novice like myself, you’ll find something to love here. Heck, you may even start to have more faith in live-action anime and manga adaptations.” – Belen Edwards, Mashable
“There is real treasure to be found here, a genuine celebration of Eiichiro Oda’s work just under the surface of these eight episodes. Maybe we’d see it, if the show came from anywhere else.” – Joshua Rivera, Polygon
“If the best result one can hope for is an approximation of the original, close or far, what does this version of “One Piece” provide that the original can’t?” – Alison Herman, Variety
The franchise’s creator Eiichiro Oda was heavily involved in the series throughout production. The show is now available to stream worldwide on Netflix.
