Netflix’s live-action adaptation of One Piece has become a huge success. The streamer’s co-CEO, Ted Sarandos, has nothing but good words for the series and can’t even help himself to compare its feat to the other original shows they have. He even reveals the one thing that One Piece managed to do that the likes of its equally successful originals, Stranger Things and Wednesday, don’t.
Since its release on August 31, One Piece, based on Eiichiro Oda’s long-running manga, has ranked in the Top 10 TV in 93 countries as of this writing. And as of October 9-15, it still ranked sixth on the list, with 14.3 million hours viewed and 1.9 million views. Despite being on Netflix for almost two months, it was on the Top 10 TV list in 23 countries during the said week.
That said, in a video detailing Netflix’s third-quarter earnings, Sarandos revealed that One Piece outshined some of its most popular original shows. “One Piece is #1 in 84 countries around the world, which is something that Stranger Things didn't do, that Wednesday didn't do,” he said.
He explained that it was a rare event that an English show became a hit in other countries, like Japan, Korea, and Brazil, at the same time in the US. The executive also praised the series’ lead star, Iñaki Godoy, who he said was “one of the most difficult casting challenges” in Netflix’s history of original programming. As Luffy is one of the most iconic characters in the manga and anime world, it was a big question then on who could perfectly play this role, and Godoy did it effortlessly.
“One Piece is a great example of Netflix's variety, reach, recommendations, and fandom at play. Based on the best-selling manga series, our live-action adaptation generated stellar reviews, loud conversation on social media, in particular, TikTok, and a huge watching,” Netflix’s third-quarter report reads.
What did Eiichiro Oda say about Netflix’s One Piece?
Aside from Sarandos, Oda-sensei also praised the successful live-action adaptation of One Piece. As the creator of the franchise, he was heavily involved in the making of the show. He was even one of its executive producers. In an interview with The New York Times, the mangaka revealed he wanted to remove the curse that came with Hollywood’s adaptation of successful anime and manga series.
Though he was initially skeptical about it, Netflix assured him it would never release the series without his approval, with the material being adapted correctly. True enough, the service did as promised, perfectly adapting 11 volumes and seven-story arcs into eight episodes. Aside from delivering the right storyline, it also featured the great dynamics of the characters.
“A good live-action show doesn’t have to change the story too much. The most important thing is whether the actors can reproduce the characters in a way that will satisfy the people who read the manga. I think we did it well, so I hope audiences will accept it,” Oda said.
Netflix has already renewed One Piece for a second season. And with the success of its first outing, fans now have high expectations for its return.
