'One Piece' Live-Action TV Show: Creator Eiichiro Oda Makes One Huge Plea

By Rachel Cruz, Christian Post Contributor Tuesday, July 25, 2017

The popular animated series "One Piece" will be remade into a live-action TV show. Creator Eiichiro Oda appeals for one thing from the planned adaptation under Tomorrow ITV Studios and "Prison Break" scribe Marty Adelstein.

Oda said in a statement that the adaptation should remain true to what the fans want. He also said he has been asked about the live-action adaptation for the past two decades but only considered it as recently as three years ago.

"I will never betray the fans who have supported me for 20 years," he said. "This is my condition."

In a press release to announce the live-action adaptation of "One Piece," Adelstein said that this could be the "most expensive TV series." Oda reportedly agreed for a foreign studio to be behind the live-action series because of its capacity for bigger funding, which can potentially raise the TV show's quality. Tomorrow ITV Studios is the same outfit behind the live-action "Cowboy Beebop" film.

The announcement comes as "One Piece" celebrated the 20th anniversary of its first release as a manga on Weekly Shonen Jump, a Japanese publication. But details on the live-action show's production cost, the number of episodes, writers, directors, cast and filming schedule have not yet been divulged. No network has been attached to the project for now as well.

Shonen Jump editor-in-chief Hiroyuki Nakano was privy to the deal between Oda and Tomorrow ITV Studios. He confirmed there was various interest for the live-action adaptation of "One Piece" that never panned out.

"This time, it's finally come to the point where we can make an announcement," Nakano said. "This means that we consider the project this time to have exceeded our expectations, so please look forward to it."

"One Piece" centers on a young man, Monkey D. Luffy, who goes on a quest to find the One Piece. He enlists help from a swordsman, a navigator, a sniper and a chef who have questionable qualities. The manga series also features mythical creatures like dwarves, giants and mermaids that weave different mythologies.

The manga series also features mythical creatures like dwarves, giants and mermaids that weave different mythologies. Over 873 chapters and 85 volumes have come out in print while the anime has 800 episodes. The manga has sold over 400 million copies since its release.