Netflix’s One Piece Reflects the Anime’s Themes of Freedom and Dreams

Netflix is now hosting the live-action rendition of Eiichiro Oda's iconic manga, One Piece, portraying two of its core themes: freedom and dreams.


Netflix's One Piece adaptation based on Eiichiro Oda's manga has finally landed with an impressive Rotten Tomatoes score, seemingly breaking the curse of live-action anime adaptations. The series has not only kicked off on a positive note but is also already slated for a second season. The show draws on numerous themes from the source material, with two central ones, freedom and the pursuit of dreams, playing a defining role and manifesting through the main character, Monkey D. Luffy (Iñaki Godoy).


Following the established storyline from the anime and manga, the live-action series centers on Luffy, who dreams of becoming the King of the Pirates by uncovering the elusive treasure known as the One Piece. On his quest, he assembles a group of misfits and forms the Straw Hat Pirates. The Netflix series, lauded for its impeccable casting, also bears the influence of Marc Jobst's previous directorial work on The Witcher and Daredevil. However, it approaches the story from a different angle, emphasizing the characters and their relationships. This deep understanding is reflected in how the live-action series masterfully conveys themes rooted in the character's experiences.


Netflix's One Piece rewrites the Pirate Code by Centering it on Freedom


As a character, Luffy personifies the concept of freedom, a theme also reflected in the live-action adaptation. He serves as a reminder that freedom extends beyond physical liberation and encompasses breaking free from societal norms and personal limitations. In the face of numerous challenges, Luffy steadfastly adheres to his beliefs. He frequently emphasizes that people should be free to pursue their dreams and be true to themselves, which he believes is the essence of being a pirate. His dream of being a pirate king symbolizes the ultimate freedom of exploring the world without restraints. This message deeply resonates with his crew members, each of whom harbors their own dreams but can't pursue them until Luffy comes along.


Nami's story, for instance, exemplifies this. She endured years of captivity under the Arlong Pirates until the Straw Hat Pirates helped liberate her. Nami's pivotal moment of asking Luffy for help is depicted in Season 1, Episode 7, "The Girls with the Sawfish Tattoo." In the subsequent episode, she expresses how her life is her own once again. Nami represents just one of the characters Luffy helped break free from the physical and physiological shackles that restrained them. As Luffy assembles his crew, each of them has their own distinct dreams, and by helping them achieve these, he brings them one step closer to freedom.


Netflix's One Piece Places Importance on Pursuing Dreams


For nearly his entire life, Luffy has harbored a dream: becoming a pirate. Even as a child, he possessed a clear sense of identity and was resolute in his determination, not even yielding to his grandfather, a vice-admiral in the Marines named Monkey D. Garp. Garp made every effort to mold Luffy into a Marine, but this strategy backfired, leading to Luffy's departure to pursue his dreams. This aspect of Luffy's personality is one of the reasons why the character was so challenging to cast, as it necessitated an actor capable of capturing the essence of Luffy's positivity and inspirational nature. In the live-action, Garp embarks on pursuing Luffy after he steals a map of the Grand Line in Season 1, Episode 1, "Romance Dawn."


As the series progresses, Luffy's dream of becoming the King of the Pirates is a topic he continually reaffirms to himself. While others may mock him for having such a lofty goal, he remains unwavering in his self-belief and refuses to let anyone deter him. This thematic development culminates in Season 1, Episode 8, "Worst in the East," where Luffy confronts his grandfather, who aims to confirm Luffy's unwavering determination to achieve his dreams. After Garp decides to no longer chase him, Luffy has to face the world on his own, standing firmly by his beliefs. As a result, Netflix's One Piece resonates with the source material's defining themes of freedom and dreams, effectively conveying them through these characters.


One Piece is now streaming on Netflix.

Popular posts from this blog

Sofía Vergara Is the Cocaine Godmother in First Griselda Photos

Netflix shares a sneak peek of the miniseries Griselda, created by the team behind Narcos & starring Sofía Vergara as Miami drug lord Griselda Blanco. Netflix gives viewers their first look at the upcoming miniseries Griselda, produced by and starring Sofía Vergara. First shared by Entertainment Weekly, the preview images show Vergara in the title role as Griselda Blanco, a Colombian immigrant who became involved in America's burgeoning cocaine business in the 1970s and a prominent figure in the Miami drug wars of '80's. The series was created by Eric Newman and Ingrid Escajeda alongside Doug Miro and Carlo Bernand, who previously created the similarly-themed Narcos for the streamer. Another Narcos alum, Andrés Baiz, will direct the series, though he specified that Griselda will have a different feel to the team's previous collaboration. "The stylistic landmarks of Narcos are not in Griselda," Baiz explained. "Griselda has its own identity ... its own
Read more

In ‘The Disappearance of Shere Hite,’ a canceled sex researcher is reclaimed

It shouldn’t be surprising by now that history is full of groundbreaking women whose accomplishments are overlooked and whose names get buried. Sex researcher Shere Hite’s near-Stalinist erasure from popular consciousness after writing an all-time-bestselling barnburner of feminist self-actualization — 1976’s “The Hite Report on Female Sexuality” — is the mystery that undergirds documentary filmmaker Nicole Newnham’s evocative, thrilling work of cold-case portraiture, “The Disappearance of Shere Hite.” The Missouri-born Hite had been a social-history graduate student at Columbia, chafing at the school’s dismissal of her interest in sexuality, when her activism in the burgeoning Second Wave feminist movement led her to start a project centered on women’s sexual experiences. Charting and analyzing thousands of open-ended questionnaires submitted anonymously by women of all stripes, she shocked an unsuspecting public by revealing in “The Hite Report” that women didn’t need men to achieve
Read more

Every Underworld Movie, Ranked by Rotten Tomatoes

Fans and critics have shared opinions of the Underworld franchise, and Rotten Tomatoes is no exception. The Underworld series is made up of action-horror films revolving around the ongoing war between vampires and werewolves, each trying to destroy the other. Amidst this conflict, the love story between Selene, a powerful vampire, and Michael, a hybrid being, is a recurring theme. Throughout the series, figures on both sides prove to have hidden agendas. At times, it's hard to tell who is an ally and who is an enemy. One group may be on the brink of extinction, but this might just be what they want the enemies to think. Eventually, even humans learn of the secret war. The Underworld franchise, made up of at least five films and an animated short, has an interesting history. There have even been planned canceled crossovers with I, Frankenstein, Blade, and Resident Evil. Thanks to its fan base, an Underworld reboot had also been planned for the small screen. This is in addition to th
Read more