The primary correct trailer for the second season of the “One Piece” live-action present is lastly right here, and we bought our first take a look at some extremely anticipated areas and characters, from Smoker and Vivi to Brogy and Nico Robin. To this point, this present already has a relatively good monitor document relating to casting, and the trailer doesn’t disappoint.
The present adapts Eiichiro Oda’s legendary manga, which was already tailored in a still-ongoing anime that is equally legendary, and follows Monkey D. Luffy (Iñaki Godoy), a boy who goals of changing into King of the Pirates and discovering the legendary treasure often known as the One Piece. The present is stuffed with folks with extraordinary skills introduced upon by Satan Fruits, in addition to all types of creatures and wildly ingenious ships. Season 2 is anticipated to cowl the Loguetown, Reverse Mountain, Whiskey Peak, Little Backyard, and Drum Island arcs, which elevate the stakes and introduce much more wild concepts and creatures.
Arguably, the larger information of the weekend was not the discharge of the trailer, however relatively the announcement on the very finish of it that “One Piece” will even get a 3rd season within the close to future. That is implausible information for followers, in fact, particularly as a result of it means the present will get to adapt top-of-the-line story arcs in Alabasta. That being mentioned, it does elevate one crucial query: How lengthy can the present realistically final?
Can One Piece ever be an entire adaptation?
The issue with adapting “One Piece” into live-action is that the story is overwhelmingly lengthy. There may be arguably no single fictional story with as massive a scope or as lengthy a story as Oda’s “One Piece,” as it’s presently at 1156 chapters and counting, of which the primary season of the live-action adaptation solely lined about 96. Even with out in the present day’s extraordinarily lengthy wait instances between new seasons of high-profile TV reveals, there’s little likelihood the live-action “One Piece” may take lower than 15 years to get to the place the manga is at now — which remains to be not even the ultimate arc of the story! Provided that the principle forged is of their late 20s to early 30s (aside from Godoy, who performs Luffy and is 21), it is unlikely Netflix will proceed making the present with the forged approaching 50 however nonetheless taking part in youngsters.
This isn’t even accounting for the truth that “One Piece” solely will get weirder and larger from right here. Even when the trailer for season 2 does a great job of translating a few of the extra fantastical parts, just like the giants or the whale Laboon, we’re nonetheless solely within the early days of the story. There may be nonetheless an extended solution to go earlier than we begin often assembly mermaids, cyborgs, zombies, large zombies, or the intense variety of characters who’re 20 ft tall for no cause. And we’ve not even talked about the absurd energy scaling that occurs because the story progresses, with characters with the ability to flip into large dragons and all types of creatures. Usually, the story not solely will get larger when it comes to scope (are you able to even think about Marineford or Wano being tailored in live-action with out Netflix going bankrupt?) but in addition simply the tone of the story will get increasingly absurd as the dimensions will increase. It is a cartoonish, wacky, and foolish world, and even when season 1 of the live-action present did a beautiful job capturing that, it will get more durable as soon as the cartoonish parts lengthen not simply to costume selections, however the very cloth of the story’s actuality.
In any case, the largest power-up within the story is actually Luffy turning into Bugs Bunny, which works splendidly in animation, however can it’s finished in live-action?
When ought to One Piece cease?
If “One Piece” is destined to cease earlier than it reaches the top of the story, it is price speculating the place it may (or ought to) finish. Arguably, a very powerful factor is that the present must discover a place that can provide it essentially the most satisfying stopping level attainable, whereas nonetheless being early sufficient within the narrative that getting there would not change into prohibitively costly.
Meaning absolutely the newest the present may theoretically end is with Marineford, because it comes proper earlier than a timeskip the place the story all however stops for 2 years in-universe. The issue with that is that Marineford is each a massively costly and expansive story arc with a battle larger than any within the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy. The opposite downside is that Marineford ends on a relatively bitter be aware, a second of defeat for our characters — so not precisely the purpose the place you wish to finish the present.
If not that, then the subsequent apparent place to cease the story is Water 7 and Enies Foyer. For me, this might be the most effective case situation. Enies Foyer is top-of-the-line story arcs in the complete collection: It is the second Nico Robin absolutely turns into a member of the Straw Hats, the second Luffy goes from being a small-time however nonetheless mighty pirate to grabbing the eye of the complete world, and the second “One Piece” turns into about greater than only a group of buddies happening their very own little journey. Stopping right here means the viewers is left to surprise and picture simply the place the story goes subsequent (an ideal promoting level for the anime and manga) whereas nonetheless being a relatively passable finish to the story of the Straw Hats (a minimum of those who joined as much as that time) coming collectively as a gaggle.
Provided that season 3 is all however assured to cowl Alabasta, it’s going to arguably need to cowl a few of the subsequent storyline as a result of eight episodes on a single arc is just too lengthy (particularly for the tempo the present has taken to date). The probably situation is that season 3 will get us as much as the very begin of Skypeia or shortly earlier than it, whereas season 4 will get us to Water 7 and the place every little thing begins to go flawed for the Straw Hats. This provides the fifth season the possibility to conclude the story in a grandiose approach. We’ll have to attend and see, however within the meantime, season 3 of “One Piece” drops on Netflix in 2026.
