Entertainment

Fan or not, you should watch Netflix’s ONE PIECE

This is how live-action anime adaptions should be done

Published

September 5, 2023

MJ Jucutan

Spoiler Warning: If you haven’t seen Netflix’s ONE PIECE, please read with caution.

I’ve always loved Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece since I was a sprite-like hooman. I grew up excited every morning to watch Luffy’s adventures before I played Pokémon on my Game Boy Color. Millennials, where you at?

Even growing up, I kept tabs on One Piece‘s story by catching up on the manga and watching the animé. I still preach to people to find the time to keep up with the 1000+ episodes and chapters.

So when Netflix announced the live adaptation of the beloved manga, my friends and I were a bit excited and scared. Live-action adaptations tend to suck, let’s be real about it.

Sometimes, we just want our favorite series to remain faithful to the story we’ve always known. The only thing that pacified us was knowing that Eiichiro Oda also had his hands in producing the series.

Before I get nitpicky, I’d say showrunners Matt Owens and Steven Maeda did a good job. As a creative director, I believe that turning a fantasy series with lore-heavy two-dimensional characters into life-like films is quite an onerous challenge to pull off.

Bringing the characters to life

Having Oda all aboard the production of his beloved manga is a good chess move that prevented this adaptation from flunking like other Netflix’s live-action films.

They were able to give justice to the portrayal of characters, starring an ensemble cast starting with Iñaki Godoy to depict Straw Hat Monkey D. Luffy. A naive, optimistic young man who dreams of becoming the next Pirate King.

Godoy had the approval of Oda when he was cast. This surprised a lot of fans knowing that Luffy was the most difficult character to portray. After all, he’s an excessively smiling freak who looks dumb and thinks with his stomach. (And sometimes, with his heart).

Roronoa Zoro was also perfectly captured, and I say this as a Zoro-stan, Mackenyu is the perfect actor for the role. The Japanese actor is a heartthrob who stole the show, exuding the cool, nonchalant yet mysterious vibe that Roronoa Zoro exhibits even in the original series.

Jacob Romero Gibson portrayed Usopp, a pathological liar and sharpshooter, and Taz Skylar looked hot portraying the ever-handsome and gentlemanly yet foul-mouthed cook Sanji.

Emily Rudd, for me, has the most challenging role. She’s portraying Nami, the Straw Hat’s navigator and treasurer. It was a critical role since Nami’s story which ended in the East Blue saga was how most One Piece‘s fans fell in love with the series.

Rudd captured the cynical, frigid personality of Nami yet she failed to show the right emotions that would pull strings on the audience’s hearts. Some friends believe they still gave justice to that one particular, emotional scene in the last episode. However, I digress. I believe it lacked gravity in portraying how severe the situation is.

Getting it right

What I liked about Netflix’s ONE PIECE is how it brought to life the story I grew up with. While fans have expressed dismay long before the series even aired, I loved that the adaptation felt like a bridge between new and old fans, and people who have yet to discover the wonder of One Piece.

Visual effects are heavy, especially for a fantasy series. When my friends and I were watching it after our game night, I saw the complete astonishment in their faces when Luffy stretched his arms. Sticking to the magic of a manga/animé can be quite tricky, but Netflix pulled it off.

There was so much effort put into recreating the places, scenes, and overall vibe to remain faithful to the story. The first season tackled the first saga, which was the formation of Straw Hat Pirates in East Blue.

It was evident what Netflix’s ONE PIECE was all about. The series is being put out to reach a wider audience to be charmed by the story and its characters.

It felt short, though. The East Blue Saga in the anime covered 40+ episodes, which was shrunk to fit into eight episodes for the first season. Each arc was covered for at least two episodes each, diving into different narratives of each Straw Hat pirate member.

The good, the bad, and the crispy

Regardless of the pacing, Netflix highlighted all the important details of the story. Although, they removed some of the chuckles, constant annoyance, and witty banter between members.

I think that’s what got lost in translation. The bond they created while sailing together contributed to the emotional attachment between the characters and the viewers.

We know what they went through, what they’re going through, and how they all got entangled with each other’s lives. It’s true that they have each other’s back, teaching us the complexities of friendship — both in the anime and the adaptation.

As a fan, it was disappointing to see the lack of intensity in scenes that would cause you to break into tears. I did get goosebumps from certain lines and hearing the music accompaniment, though. But I was really looking for that tug in my heart that made me obsessed with this series for the past two decades.

Nevertheless, Netflix’s ONE PIECE is a show that can be enjoyed by ~literally~ anyone. Die-hard fans may keep on nitpicking and gatekeeping their beloved show, but this live-action series is a magnificent adaptation worthy of watching.

Go after your dreams

The story may have been all about being a pirate and clashing with the Marines, but only if you’ve seen the surface. Just like the oceans they cross, the series is quite deep. It tackles life, dreams, hope, survival, fear, and of course, friendship.

It’s what made me fall in love with the story; the highs and lows of the raging seas they travel on and the adventures of not knowing what’s next.

One Piece, both as a manga, anime, and live adaptation, pushes its audience to be spontaneous and go after their dreams. The Straw Hat pirates are a reminder that even when the odds aren’t in your favor, you’ll always find a breakthrough.

Even if you feel like your dreams are hard to reach, there are people who will stand by you. One day, you’ll find your own crew and you’ll get to be who you want to be.

Netflix, in a way, pursued its dream to finally create a live-action adaptation that gets it right. It’s surreal, magnificent, and wonderful in all aspects albeit with some hiccups that can be overlooked.

After all, it’s an enjoyable watch. It’s far from being a masterpiece, but it’s an example of how production companies should do live adaptations.

Just like in One Piece, it’s not just a new era of Pirates. It’s a new era of live adaptations, and Netflix has already set sail.

ONE PIECE is now streaming on Netflix.

Entertainment

Street Fighter special look: Blanka vs. Ryu

Jason Momoa, Andrew Koji’s characters face off

Published

August 2, 2026

GadgetMatch

Paramount Pictures has released a new special look for Street Fighter featuring Jason Momoa and Andrew Koji.

The short, minute-long clip shows the actors’ respective characters, Blanka and Ryu, in battle.

It opens with a chained prisoner struck by extreme electrical charges, transforming into the green-skinned, electricity-infused Blanka.

He unleashes a fierce roar. Meanwhile, Ryu drops into a fighting stance, but tells Blanka he does not want to fight him.

Forced to defend himself, Ryu then fires a signature Hadouken fireball towards Blanka, as the teaser cuts to the Street Fighter title card.

Street Fighter debuts in cinemas starting October 14. It is directed by Kitao Sakurai and stars an ensemble cast that includes Noah Centineo as Ken Masters, Callina Liang as Chun-Li, Joe “Roman Reigns” Anoai as Akuma, and Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson as Balrog, among others.

The film is set in 1993 when estranged Street Fighters Ryu and Ken Masters are thrown into combat when Chun-Li recruits them for the next World Warrior Tournament.

Entertainment

Now Playing: Spider-Man: Brand New Day

It’s a must watch for Spidey fans who want to see Peter Parker enter his sad boy era.

Published

July 29, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

The Holland-led Spider-Man trilogy is one of my favorite franchises in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Compared to other series with admittedly disjointed plots, all of Spidey’s storylines have a clear thread leading from one to the next. Since the fourth entries after trilogies are historically lackluster, I had a lot of trepidation heading into Spider-Man: Brand New Day.

Thankfully, all those worries were unfounded. Brand New Day follows the same throughline as its predecessors, once again reinforcing Spider-Man as the strongest franchise that Marvel offers fans today.

A brand new day indeed

Coming from No Way Home, Brand New Day still has Peter Parker live a new life as a literal nobody where no one remembers who he is. So begins his existence as just Spider-Man with no friends or family.

When a new and unseen threat ravages through New York City, Spidey starts to wish that he still had friends to help him out, which leads him on an inevitable collision course with Ned and MJ. Ironically, it also leads him to other characters in the city, including the Hulk and the Punisher.

A cacophony of villains

When I first saw the trailer, I was worried about the astounding number of villains from the get-go. After all, one of the biggest problems in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 3, the most maligned entry in Spider-Man movie history, was the villains. Though far from the movie’s biggest problem, having too many bad guys without a solid plot led to its terrible reception. You can see why Brand New Day’s trailer raises some flags.

If you were thinking the same thing, Brand New Day does indeed have a cohesive plot. Everything flows neatly into one another. Each emotional beat of Peter feeling for his solitude mixes well with the action. In here, fight scenes feel like they have a purpose.

And there is a big bad here. It’s not just a collection of guys that Spidey has to go through. That big bad, who shall not be named at this time, doesn’t feel like just a placeholder for Peter’s internal struggles. They have a character of their own and their own struggles to solve. I wouldn’t say they’re at the level of Loki just yet, but they definitely have a better go at it than most of the MCU’s other villains.

Marvel’s New York City finally debuts

Despite being a prime location since 2012’s Avengers, New York City never really felt like the quintessential city for superheroes in the comics. In the movies, the city was just another city to be ravaged when a new villain comes along.

For the first time, Brand New Day makes the city feel like a lived-in world with a bunch of superheroes living in the neighborhood. And they do pop up.

Does Peter have a scientific problem that only a very specific hero can solve? It’s a good thing Bruce Banner is just around the corner. Does he need some muscle? Well, the Punisher is skulking around somewhere. Plus, there’s even a succinct reason why other superheroes can’t help out.

In this way, Brand New Day presents itself more like a comic book series than a one-off movie. It’s like following the story alone from issue to issue. It’s not the most perfect adaptation of the landmark city, but it goes a long way from just another ravaging of New York.

Peter’s sadness

Everything here hinges on Peter’s loneliness. Despite meeting a trove of characters across the cinematic universe, Peter yearns for time with his loved ones. But they’re gone.

Unlike the past three films where he always had someone to go home to, he has no one here. Tony Stark is dead. Aunt May is gone. Happy has gone to parts unknown. Ned and MJ have no memory of him. Brand New Day has a way of making you feel for his aches, whether the way he still keeps track of MJ or some physiological changes as a result of his predicament.

It also helps that the movie’s big bad has similar motivations. Both serve as perfect mirrors against each other, elevating both their stories effectively. And that’s all I’ll say about that.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day is a few steps behind from being a perfect Marvel movie, but it’s still an extremely strong part of the Spider-Man mythos. The trilogy, now quadrilogy, remains Marvel’s most consistent franchises to date. It’s an absolute must-watch.

Entertainment

UNDERTALE: The Determination Symphony hits Makati in October

Determination arrives in October.

Published

July 28, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

For so small of a game, UNDERTALE quickly made it into the gaming world’s hall of fame. Despite being only a decade old, the small title has had a major influence for modern-day gamers because of its unique gameplay, its lo-fi art, and, of course, its catchy soundtrack. If you’re a fan of UNDERTALE’s soundtrack, a unique concert experience is headed your way.

On October 17, Film Concerts PH, in partnership with SOHO Live, is hosting UNDERTALE: The Determination Symphony at the Proscenium Theater in Rockwell, Makati.

The concert will be performed by the Filharmonika Orchestra and conducted by Thanapol Setabrahmana. Personally curated by creator Toby Fox and developed by Lambert Jackson with Materia Music, the concert experience showcases the game’s most recognizable tunes laid over gameplay footage playing simultaneously. Plus, for the world tour, the experience will have expanded scoring.

In the game, you play as a small child stuck in the mysterious Underground filled with interesting characters and monsters. Unlike traditional RPGs, UNDERTALE asks players to choose between building relationships and chasing after wins. It’s a unique experience that’s defined by whether you chose to make friends or fought your way to the top. It teaches players to value different ways to solve problems, all while showering them with its one-of-a-kind humor.

Pre-sales for the concert, exclusively for members of the Film Concerts PH community, start on August 4. Public sales, however, will start on August 11 via Ticketmelon.