Netflix's One Piece Is Much Darker Than The Anime, And Fans Should Be Ready
"One Piece" is not just one of the most popular manga ever, but a total phenomenon, and one of the best works of modern fiction. Eiichiro Oda crafted a story with great thematic depth, one that explores subjects of imperialism, oppression, racism, slavery, and that's just scratching the surface. It also expands its world to become one of the most fleshed-out fictional landscapes ever. Each island and each character exude a rich history and mythology, which make for a fleshed-out saga with extensive lore.
What keeps it such an entertaining and not at all convoluted story is the fact that Oda has never lost track of the sense of childlike wonder, of adventure, or the goofy tone from the early days of the manga. Even at its darkest moments, when someone died or when we experienced huge battles against governments, "One Piece" always has moments of absurd and ludicrous humor that make you smile. After all, "One Piece" is a Shonen Jump manga (the magazine's name is literally named after its target demographic of young teenagers). The anime is also produced by Toei Animation, a studio primarily known for shows aimed at kids and teenagers, like "Candy Candy," "Sailor Moon," "Digimon," "Transformers," and "Dragon Ball."
This is why it is more than a little surprising when, even in the first episode of the Oda-approved Netflix live-action adaptation of "One Piece," we get characters swearing, and fighting rather bloody fights. The show is clearly a product of the post- "Game of Thrones" era in more ways than one, between its split storylines that eventually converge and its grittier tone — all of which change the way the show tells its story.
Guts and swears, oh my
This is not to say "One Piece" isn't dark or violent in the manga or anime. In addition to the aforementioned themes of imperialism, slavery, and oppression, the anime and manga are full of fantastic action, and plenty of violence — including many a bloody duel and tragic deaths — but blood is used about as much as in a PG-13 movie, with slashes and cuts showing brief blood before getting promptly covered up.
That's not the case with the live-action "One Piece," which in its first few minutes shows Alvida the private clobbering someone to death, the camera lingering on the blood for some reason. Zoro straight-up decapitates a dude in the first episode — even though it is a bit of a recurring gag that none of the Straw Hats kill people in the source material.
And it's not just graphic violence, but a general tone that is darker. Take the character of Buggy the Clown, one of the first pirates Luffy beats up, and a rather silly and dumb character in the source material. In the live-action adaptation, however, he is less Bozo and more Art the Clown, a psychotic and creepy murderer. Likewise, the pirate Kuro, already a big menace in the source material, is portrayed as a Freddy Krueger-like slasher villain, while cursing is common throughout the show, including an F-bomb.
A matter of perspective
This is not to say that it is inherently wrong to make "One Piece" more adult or to have more blood, and thankfully the show isn't exactly going full Zack Snyder in "300." Instead, what is important is how the show as a whole changes because of the more adult tone. For one, it may alienate the potential target audience of the source material, the kids who may see Luffy's story and get inspired by his grand adventure.
But there is also an upside, a big opportunity the live-action show creates for itself with the new tone. Because Luffy and the other Straw Hats remain as goofy as their anime and manga counterparts, the live-action show makes it even clearer from the start that Luffy is not ready for how dark and dangerous the world is. If the original was a story about teenagers changing the world and going after adventures at sea, this version is about a group of young buffoons way in over their heads who somehow manage not to get killed immediately.
The new tone also makes some of the show's jokes funnier because the juxtaposition between Luffy and the other characters is bigger. Pirates like Arlong and Kuro may look silly, but they act like bloody killers, while Luffy is usually running around carefree with a huge smile on his rubber face. The more adult tone makes sense for characters like Zoro, who is inherently broody and serious, and it makes the rare moments of levity involving him hit harder. Besides, it also gives "One Piece" an opportunity for actual romance in the Kaya and Usopp episode — which is something shonen manga and anime severely lack — while toning down the perviness of characters like Sanji.
No, this isn't suddenly "Game of Thrones," but it is making the implicit explicit.