One Piece's writer spilled his three criteria for each episode of the live-action adaptation for Netflix. Although One Piece began as a manga, it's since become a worldwide media franchise, with the anime alone clocking in at over 900 episodes.
Creator Eiichiro Oda has put years into building out the incredible One Piece world; now, his story is finally coming to life, in the most literal sense. This year, Netflix announced it was developing a live-action One Piece show, which immediately sent fans into a tizzy. However, while writer Matt Owens has become attached to the project, there have been few updates since, with Owens squashing rumors that casting had secretly begun for the show.
When speaking on THE REVERIE podcast, Owens explained he wants three specific elements incorporated into every episode he writes for One Piece. More specifically, Owens says, at its core, One Piece is comprised of three components: "it makes you laugh, it makes you cry, it makes you go, 'Holy sh-t." Owens affirms that if he can capture just one of these factors within every episode, then the One Piece live-action team will have done its job well.
Owens then breaks down each of these elements further. He starts with humor, saying this will be the most challenging aspect to adapt, particularly considering the more childish, cartoonish style of comedy within the anime. Next, he highlights that he wants at least a few episodes to consist of heartfelt, tear-inducing moments, such as the Arlong Park arc. Finally, Owens describes the scenes that will make a viewer have the desired "holy sh-t" moment, including action, world-building, and reveal scenes. In particular, Owens cites introducing Dracule Mihawk and the East Blue arc as two elements he's excited to incorporate into the show. That being said, it's clear that Owens already has a clear direction of where he wants to take season 1 of the live-action, and One Piece appears to be in good hands.
Owens is far more than just a One Piece fan. He's stated before how One Piece helped him out of a dark time in his life, which is one reason why he's so excited to be working on the live-action series now. As such, with Owens at the helm, there's little doubt that the magic of the anime will shine through in the live-action and that the three critical pieces of One Piece will undoubtedly fall into place.
Source: THE REVERIE podcast