On March 10, Netflix released season two of the live action “One Piece,” based on Eiichiro Oda's anime and manga of the same name. The most recent season continues to follow the Monkey D. Luffy’s (Iñaki Godoy) journey to find the One Piece, an unknown piece of treasure, and become the next Pirate King.
As an avid fan of the manga and anime, I was apprehensive but anticipatory of the upcoming season. Live-action adaptations of anime have always been a slippery slope, as they have essentially never been done well.
Fortunately, “One Piece” is the one live action that worked. I gave this season a shot, because season one was better than I expected.
I must emphasize the special effects, one of the biggest additions to the live action. I am sure that the millions Netflix pumped into this eight-episode season went into the visual effects (VFX).
Luffy has the ability to stretch like he is made of rubber, which could be jarring and uncomfortable to witness when adapted to real life. However, in both season one and two, Netflix nailed Luffy's power. His abilities come to life so naturally. It could very easily become a form of body horror, but this was avoided well.
Season antagonist and assassin Nico Robin (Lera Abova) has the power to spawn copies of her body parts on living objects. For such a strange skill, it looks natural – or as natural as such a freaky ability can be – in the few scenes Robin utilizes it.
Another highlight is the highly anticipated first appearance of Tony Tony Chopper, a CGI-created reindeer and the newest member of Luffy’s crew. Voice actress Mikaela Hoover brought Chopper to life, providing both her voice and facial motion capture for the beloved character.
From his fur, hat, eyes and adorable demeanor, Chopper's live-action design couldn't be more perfect. It's like Netflix just shook the manga, and Chopper tumbled right out. Even his monstrous hybrid forms look great. The VFX team outdid themselves and made him come to life, reassuring fans of the original series who were concerned about how Netflix would manage his adaptation.
The atmosphere of the show is exactly as portrayed in the anime, with bustling towns, extravagant people and rambunctious music. Season two covers multiple story arcs: Loguetown, Whisky Peak, Little Garden, Drum Island and Reverse Mountain.
The sets of each location are incredible, and I must give Whisky Peak’s story arc extra praise. They made changes from the manga that are actually better than the original story.
“One Piece” deviates from the manga a handful of times. Several new characters get unexpected cameo appearances. For example, season two episode one covers chapters 95 through 100. These cameo characters are from chapter 400 and onward, which would translate to season five or six for the live action "One Piece." I think making these changes really helps in building the world of “One Piece,” because we are not just focusing on Luffy’s crew, the Straw Hats.
Not unlike season one, season two also provides screen time for multiple side characters unrelated to the main cast. Tashigi (Julia Rehwald) and Captain Smoker (Callum Kerr) have a subplot about tracking down the Straw Hats. I really enjoyed the screen time given to this duo, and Kerr was a perfect choice for the role, resembling Smoker in his build, voice and no-nonsense attitude. I don’t think he could’ve been adapted more accurately.
The costuming is another huge highlight. From wigs to clothing, everything was crafted to a tee. Wapol’s (Rob Colletti) tin-plate face looks amazing. Crocodile (Joe Manganiello) came right out of the books. Mr. 9's (Daniel Lasker) orange hair, crown and makeup make him a stand-out side character for the season.
Similarly, the original score deserves a mention. “One Piece” has some diegetic music played multiple times throughout the season that hits perfectly. A song played in season one and a beloved "One Piece" classic sea shanty titled "Bink's Sake" reappeared in a surprise cameo. Live jazz music played during the opening in the Whisky Peak saloon.
My biggest gripe with the live action is the characterization of the core crew, which includes Luffy, Roronoa Zoro (Mackenyu), Nami (Emily Rudd), Usopp (Jacob Romero) and Sanji (Taz Skylar). I have tried to look past it, but since I am plagued with comparing the live action to the original content, I cannot let it go.
In order from worst to best: Sanji has been butchered entirely. Luffy, admittedly a difficult character to adapt into real life, is unlike his version in the manga. Nami and Roronoa Zoro have a couple minor changes, from being too fearless to being too serious respectively. Usopp is great in both appearance and portrayal.
Characterization issues or discrepancies are certainly something that the average viewer will not realize if they are watching casually without seeing the source material. Netflix is not creating the live action for fans like me, so this is a losing battle.
Still, considering the massive amount of love “One Piece” season one gathered, season two certainly lived up to expectations. I actually like this season more than the previous. Everything that Netflix did right in the first season, they doubled down on.
“One Piece” season two deserves a 4.5/5. With the combination of the sets, music, general production, costuming and props, it blows every other live action out of the water. If you’re looking to avoid the lengthy commitment of the anime and the manga, with over 1,170 installments and counting for each, the live action “One Piece” is certainly worth the watch.
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Sam is a freshman from Peachtree City, Georgia. She is majoring in English and started with The Plainsman in fall 2025.
