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- Rumors of the One Piece Live-Action Test Screening Flopping Debunked
The hype for Netflix's live-action One Piece adaptation has taken a hit after its first test screening.
UPDATE: 2023/04/17 07:43 EST BY MIKI SUZUKI
Rumors of the One Piece Live-Action Test Screening Flopping Debunked
Greg Werner, an official collaborator for One Piece, debunked the rumors regarding the live-action's test screening performing poorly with audiences. In addition, as reported by ComicBook.com, social media users uncovered previously unreliable reports made by the Twitter account, calling into question the validity of any claims made.
According to Twitter account Divinity Seeker, a well-known Hollywood news outlet, viewers responded poorly to the private unveiling of the highly-anticipated series, citing poor CGI quality and confusing plotting as primary issues. Audience members who were not fans of the original One Piece series were apparently unable to grasp the story. At the same time, those familiar with the source material found themselves just as confused by the adaptation's changes to it. A notable deviation is the introduction of the show's central characters, with Zoro, Nami, Usopp and Sanji all supposedly introduced in the last 15 minutes of the pilot, while the anime took 20 episodes to reach this same point. Another complaint was the erratic tone of the adaptation, which jumped between ridiculously goofy and incredibly serious in a jarring fashion.
Although these reports may be concerning for One Piece fans, test screenings only offer a small sample size of reactions. There is still hope the live-action series can rise to the daunting task of bringing creator Eiichiro Oda's world and characters to life. Oda himself has stated his belief that One Piece as a franchise can succeed without him, putting faith in the staff of the One Piece industry to keep the story thriving, which may extend to Netflix's adaptation as well. The mangaka has been vocal about his support for the production in the past, expressing his approval of the casting and the direction taken with the material. So, there may not be cause to panic just yet.
One Piece Aesthetics May Not Translate Well Into CGI
Test audience complaints about the live-action show's tone, including the unnatural-looking character designs and overblown sets, do hold credibility given past anime adaptations. Netflix's live-action Cowboy Bebop similarly struggled to translate the look and feel of the original series in a convincing fashion. With One Piece's tone even more rooted in cartoon aesthetics than Bebop, its production may face an even bigger challenge. Fans have wondered how certain One Piece visuals, like Luffy's Devil Fruit powers, could look presentable with live-action CGI since the announcement of the adaptation. Based on these test-screening results, that technical hurdle may one that even Netflix's considerable resources can't clear.
The first season of the live-action One Piece series has a rumored premiere date of Aug. 31, 2023. Netflix is yet to confirm the date but has announced that the show will be on their platform sometime in 2023.
Source: Twitter