Netflix sometimes comes across series that, with proper care, turn into real gold. That’s what happened with the series “One Piece”which is an adaptation of a cult anime that is now 25 years old. The viewership results satisfied the streaming platform enough to order another season. Casting is already underway.
In recent days, we have learned the first names that will debut in the upcoming episodes, and based on the roles that have been assigned to them, we can predict what anime threads will the series use? Who joined the cast and what can we expect?
The series “One Piece” is an adaptation of the anime of the same name. It tells the story of the “Straw Hats” crew, whose captain is Luffy (Iñaki Godoy. His goal is to become the pirate king, which is not that easy because many others have similar dreams. The boy sets off on a great journey to obtain the mystical One Pieceand in this task he is to be aided by his crew, which currently consists of: Nami (Emily Rudd), Zoro (Mackenyu Maeda), Usopp (Jacob Romero Gibson) and Sanji (Taz Skylar).
In recently posted graphics, Netflix presented us with new characters from the series “One Piece”.
In the first slide we see David Dastmalchian (“Dune”, “Ant-Man”, “Oppenheimer”), who was cast as Mr. 3 – also known as Galdino in the anime. In the next picture we will find Camrus Johnson (“Comfort Zone”, “The Sun Is Also a Star”) as Mr. 5 also appearing as Gem. He will appear in the role of Mr. 9 Daniel Lasker (“Raised by Wolves”, “Abraham Lincoln”). An important character, Miss Valentine, also known as Mikita, could not be missing, played by Jazzara Jaslyn (“Professionals”, “Warrior”).
Casting requirements for other characters have also appeared online, and the list shows that they are looking for actors who will play: Princess Vivi, Nico Robin, Smoker (the character appeared in the last scene of the first season, but the face remained covered – the target actor had not yet been cast) Tashigi and Crocus.
Fans of the series who are not yet familiar with the anime are probably wondering who the new characters are and what their role will be in the upcoming season. So let’s take a closer look at these heroes and the stories they can bring with them.
The characters that have already been cast, i.e. Mr. 3, Mr. 5, Mr. 9 and Miss Valentine are members of a criminal organization Baroque Works, whose mission was to destabilize the political situation in the kingdom of Alabasta. The members of this group are usually bounty hunters and hunt pirates. All the new characters, except Mr. 9, are officers in this organization, whom Luffy and his friends had to face during his journey. We also cannot forget Nico Robin, who in the later chapters of the manga is an important character for Luffy’s pirate crew. It should be taken into account that the Baroque Works arc is extensive and placing the entire story in just a few episodes will require a lot of work from the writers.
The appearance of these characters gives us a clear hint that not only will the Straw Hats be involved in some epic fights, but they will probably also fight for peace in the kingdom of Alabastawhere Princess Vivi comes from, who can also be found on the casting list.
The final episode of the first season showed us a split second of Smoker – one of the navy colonels, who at the beginning of the Straw Hats’ journey across the sea is one of the fiercest opponents of our pirates. In the live-action version of the series, we will also see his assistant – Tashigi, and the action of the series should take us to Lougetown — the city where Gol D. Roger, the pirate king who started it all, was executed.
Crocus’ name appearing on the casting list suggests to us that we will probably find out soon Laboona – a whale who is still waiting for the return of his long lost friend. Crocus is a doctor who lives a quiet, retired life and takes care of the distraught Laboon.
Many anime fans want a large part of the latest season of the Netflix series to be the events taking place in Alabasta – a desert kingdom taken over by one of the Shichibukai (“Seven Lords of the Sea”). This country is becoming a huge arena of fighting. between the Marines, Baroque Works, the Royal Guard, Luffy’s Pirates, and the Revolutionary Army.
Fans of the series are eagerly awaiting new episodes, but longtime fans of the anime and manga are nervously eyeing Season 2. Will the showrunner capture the spirit of the beloved story? What decisions will the writers have to make to fit the most important storylines into just a few live-action episodes?
The great start of the series whetted the viewers’ appetite and attracted new fans. The creators face a difficult task – satisfying the demanding audience. How will they deal with it?