(Courtesy of Netflix)

With many childhood memories associated with the classic manga 'One Piece,' today it finally makes its debut as a live-action series! The main cast of the Netflix live-action adaptation of One Piece includes Inaki Godoi as Monkey D. Luffy, Mackenyu as Roronoa Zoro, Emily Rudd as Nami, Jacob Anderson as Usopp, and Taz Skylar as Sanji.

One Piece is adapted from the manga of the same name by the renowned Japanese manga artist Eiichiro Oda, focusing on a group of young adventurers eager to embark on numerous marine adventures on the beautiful, uncharted blue seas.

The story tells about a young man named Monkey D. Luffy, who wears a straw hat and dreams of a carefree life. One day, he learns that the late Pirate King Gol D. Roger hid the great treasure ONE PIECE somewhere in the world, igniting the adventurous spirit within him. Thus, Luffy sets out on a treasure hunt, and in the process of sailing the seas, he assembles a group of passionate adventurers: Roronoa Zoro, Nami, Usopp and Sanji. The Straw Hat Pirates, set to shake the pirate world, are officially born!

This live-action series is co-produced by Netflix, Tomorrow Studios, and manga creator Eiichiro Oda, a collaboration that took seven years to bring to fruition. Oda also took on the role of producer during the filming process and assured fans that they wouldn't be disappointed.

Transforming an animated series into a live-action drama or film is always a challenging task. After the release of One Piece, fans on platforms like X and Reddit praised the series, not only for the high fidelity of the cast in portraying the characters but also for faithfully recreating iconic scenes from the animated version. Fans were pleasantly surprised to hear the original Japanese voice actors lending their voices to the characters in the Japanese version.

The ongoing strikes by Hollywood actors and writers have resulted in short-term gains for Netflix. According to analyst Richard Greenfield of LightShed Partners, the strike is not expected to end until early 2024, as writers, actors, and studios remain far apart.

Greenfield points out that even without new programs, Netflix has the capability to keep audiences engaged with series like Better Call Saul. The strike is expected to accelerate the decline of traditional television businesses, benefiting streaming services. In the short term, it also favors streaming leader Netflix. Greenfield sets a target price of $500 for Netflix.