After a wildly successful first season, "One Piece" returns with one of the most anticipated releases of the year. The Netflix live-action adaptation of the anime came to our screens on March 10, with all eight episodes dropping simultaneously. The new season follows the Straw Hats on their next journey as they travel into the Grand Line. Facing new foes and meeting new allies, this season is packed with world-building and character development, from the introduction of Baroque Works to the emotional backstory of fan-favorite character Chopper.
Thanks to the amazing people over at Netflix, I was able to watch all eight episodes, pre-release, and it was nothing short of amazing. As a fan, seeing familiar characters like Miss Wednesday, Miss All Sunday and even Laboon come to life was really chef’s kiss. The costumes and set design were so accurately based on the anime, really bringing the world of "One Piece" to life.
Rarely do live-action adaptations live up to the hype, but Netflix has done an amazing job.
REVOLT was also blessed to sit down with the Straw Hats cast and, separately, Miss Wednesday, played by Charithra Chandran, who is well-known for her role in another Netflix series, “Bridgerton.” As a huge "One Piece" fan, it was an amazing opportunity to get to know the actors and find out if they were fans of the anime before joining the series. “One Piece” is ultimately about freedom and chasing your dreams, so I also wanted to know if the show inspired any of them as it has so many others around the world. And of course I had to ask: If you could create a Devil Fruit, what would it be?
Sitting with the cast for the exclusive interviews, you could tell they had all become friends. Our conversation was filled with smiles, and the actors all seemed to be genuinely interested in each other's answers. When I asked Jacob Romero Gibson, who plays Usopp, the Devil Fruit powers question, the group let out a gasp and Emily Rudd, who is playing Nami, said, “You have been waiting for this one!” Gibson told REVOLT his Devil Fruit would be named the Giant-Giant Fruit and give him the power to be a literal giant. Not a bad choice if you ask me.
Mackenyu, who plays Roronoa Zoro, told us, “He is my favorite character. I grew up watching him, and just bringing ‘One Piece’ to life is a privilege.” Chandran, who immediately noticed me as a fan thanks to my Straw Hats-themed setup (see below), mentioned how being a part of the cast turned her into a fan as well. She told us that before joining the series, she “didn’t know anything about ‘One Piece’ -- and now it’s like my entire life.”
“One Piece” has become a global phenomenon embedded into both pop culture and politics. Stars like Tom Brady have been seen wearing a shirt from the show, Elmo was dressed as Luffy for Halloween and the Los Angeles Lakers hosted a collab night for their fans. Most admirably, the Straw Hats’ Jolly Roger is used all over the world as a symbol of hope. Join me as we get to know a little about the cast just in time for Netflix’s Season 2 release and find out how being a part of this massive project has changed their lives. Watch just above!
