Last Updated on September 6, 2023 by Dexter Roona
The One Piece live-action adaptation on Netflix is going down a storm with fans and we at AFG have noticed some big Netflix One Piece differences between the live-action and the original anime.
Netflix always intended its One Piece live-action adaptation to rewrite the history and that is exactly what it has done with the One Piece live-action series.
But does Netflix faithfully follow the original story? No… and why is the Netflix One Piece different from other anime and are the Netflix One Piece differences just too much for fans to stomach? Today we discuss all the Netflix vs. anime changes that have been made.
Instead of just rehashing the original One Piece story, the Netflix series takes a different creative approach to the story while still staying true to the characters and their story arcs. The new Netflix series is marketed to a more adult audience and that is not specific to anime and manga.
They really want to go for a mass market appeal and so there are quite a few differences between the Netflix One Piece and the original Anime. All the characters remain the same, there are no new characters written into the story.
The friendships and bonds between crew members all remain faithful to the original. The differences occur in the story itself and the general pacing is very different
7 BIG Ways the Netflix One Piece is Different from the Anime
Many One Piece character’s introduction scenes are different from the anime
The introduction of any character is always extremely important in any form of fiction.
In the One Piece anime, Luffy is introduced to the audience appearing out of a barrel. We do see Luffy come out of a barrel but how it happens and when it happens in the story is very different.
Likewise in the anime, Roronoa Zoro is first seen when he is captured by Marines while Netflix decided to treat fans to a display of Zoro’s sword skills as his introduction.
In the live-action series, Luffy witnesses the altercation between Roronoa Zoro and Helmeppo. In the anime, Luffy hears about the confrontation from a little girl. Nami the navigator/thief and Luffy’s first meeting in the anime is hilarious but this encounter also changes completely.
Another example of changing introductions is how Luffy and Usopp met. In the Netflix version, they meet when Usopp is working on Going Merry while in the anime Usopp threatens Luffy
Character introductions are one of the biggest Netflix One Piece differences. Those new to One Piece will no doubt like these new intros but will the hardcore anime and manga fans?
The Story Changes
It is understandable that story changes occur but every scene of the Netflix version reminds anime fans of just how much it does drift from the original story. Changes have been made not just for story clarity or for the pacing of the show.
Some have seemingly been made just for the sake of changing them. In live-action, Luffy steals the map of the Grand Line from Captain Morgan while in the anime the map is stolen from Captain Buggy.
Another change is Genzo wearing a pinwheel on his head in the anime this is important to the story as it helps show his love for Nami. The pinwheel is absent from the Netflix live-action adaptation.
Netflix One Piece has fewer comedy scenes
Fans of One Piece agree that the show is absolutely hilarious, especially during the East Blue Saga. This period of the series is much less and generally just more fun to watch and chaotic. But the live-action One Piece in comparison has a much more serious tone with the comedic side of the show having greatly decreased.
Nami, Luffy and Zoro – One Piece live-action
It still has its moments and is fun to watch but it is just very different from what fans see in the anime. No doubt this change in comedic tone has been made to accommodate the newer, more mainstream, and older audience. The original anime fans will still watch regardless so why not make changes to get a greater audience is Netflix’s thinking behind the shift in comedic tone. Another one of the noticeable Netflix One Piece differences between the live-action and the original.
Characters are introduced much earlier in the live-action series
The Netflix One Piece begins with Marine Vice Admiral Garp present during Gold D Roger’s execution. Of course, we now know he wasn’t there in the original manga.
The Baroque Works organization was first mentioned after the Straw Hats entered the Grand Line during the Arabasta Saga. Zoro’s encounter with Mr. 7 is only briefly mentioned whereas, we see their entire explosive fight in the Netflix One Piece. Likewise with Arlong. He is a villain that features in the “Arlong Park Arc,”. There is really no reason for Arlong to wreak havoc in Baratie as he does in the One Piece live-action.
One Piece live-action is much darker than the anime
The One Piece manga and anime are in no way dark or violent. The original story is jam-packed and full of amazing action sequences and violence. The Netflix adaptation is the same but also mixes masses of gore and gallons of blood.
The series’ lighting, the editing, and the overall production make the series much darker compared to the original.
This is one of the Netflix One Piece differences that we are onboard with here at AFGeek!
The Straw Hat Pirates – Netflix One Piece Differences between the live-action and anime
A number of East Blue Saga characters are missing
When you make a series that covers 95 chapters and condenses it into just eight episodes, then there can be no surprise that things change and that some characters are cut from the series.
The bounty hunters Johnny and Yosaku teamed up with Zoro in the original version but are very absent in the live-action. Momoo, Mohji, and Chouchou are also characters who could’ve made small appearances but were left out of the live-action.
Condensing the storytelling streamlines One Piece
The biggest difference between the anime and the live-action is the condensed storytelling. Netflix One Piece season 1 covers the whole of the East Blue Saga, except for the Loguetown Arc. Although the story is massively compressed it still manages to retain the true spirit of what really makes One Piece, One Piece. The live-action is much more streamlined.
As the viewer, is it not kind of fun working out the Netflix One Piece differences vs. the anime and spotting what is missing and what is new?
