Entertainment
Fan or not, you should watch Netflix’s ONE PIECE
This is how live-action anime adaptions should be done
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.
I didn’t watch The Devil Wears Prada when it first came out in 2006.
I came to it a few years later, at a time when I was still figuring things out—career, identity, even the kind of movies I allowed myself to enjoy. It wasn’t something I would’ve picked on my own back then.
At the time, it felt like a story about love versus career. I was about to graduate with a Mass Communication degree, unsure of where I was headed, trying to make sense of both ambition and connection.
Watching it again recently, it lands differently.
It’s less about choosing between two things—and more about understanding who you are, and having the courage to follow that honestly.
That’s what makes The Devil Wears Prada 2 feel so deliberate. It doesn’t just revisit the past. It builds on it.
Growth over spectacle
There’s a version of this sequel that could’ve leaned entirely on nostalgia. Bigger moments. Sharper outfits. A louder version of what already worked.
This isn’t that.
The film is grander, but in ways that feel earned. It embraces the 20-year gap instead of ignoring it, placing its characters exactly where you’d expect them to be—not in status, but in spirit.
Miranda Priestly still commands every room, but no longer feels as unassailable as she once did.
Andy Sachs carries experience. She’s no longer the green assistant, but an accomplished journalist whose relationship with Miranda still shapes her decisions.
Emily Charlton feels fully realized—no longer orbiting power, but owning her place within it.
And Nigel remains a pillar. Dependable to both Miranda and Andy, an almost invisible hand that guides more than it claims.
None of them feel stuck in who they were. That’s the point.
What it says about the work
This is where the film hit me the hardest.
Working in tech media, I constantly see the push toward generative AI—toward making everything faster, more efficient, more scalable. A lot of it is impressive. Some of it is genuinely useful.
But some of it is also unsettling.
We’re at a point where generative visuals can fool people. Where audio—music even—can sound convincing enough that you stop questioning where it came from. That’s the part that lingers.
Because music, for me, is personal. It’s how I process things. And realizing that something artificial can mimic that emotional weight—even if imperfectly—feels dangerous in a quieter, harder-to-define way.
This film doesn’t shout about AI. It doesn’t need to. Instead, it argues for something more fundamental.
That the human touch still matters.
That taste, judgment, and intention aren’t things you can replicate at scale.
That the pain of heartbreak, the joy of victory, and the complicated weight of living—these are things that come from experience. And experience leaves a mark. We leave a part of ourselves in everything we create, whether we mean to or not.
That’s something I don’t think can ever be fully replicated.
AI is a helpful tool. But it should not be relied upon for things that require a piece of our soul.
Direction that understands power
A lot of that message lands because of how The Devil Wears Prada 2 is directed.
Blocking and staging do most of the talking. Who stands where, who moves first, who stays still—these choices define power before any dialogue kicks in.
The camera follows emotion closely. Moments of uncertainty feel slightly unsteady. Scenes of control are composed and precise.
It’s not trying to impress you. It knows exactly what it’s doing.
Sound that knows its place
The sound design follows that same discipline.
Nothing competes. Nothing distracts.
Every element feels intentional–supporting the scene instead of demanding attention. It’s cohesive in a way that’s easy to overlook, but once you notice it, you realize how much it’s doing.
Dialogue that winks, but doesn’t linger
There are a few “wink” moments–lines that echo the original, callbacks that longtime fans will catch instantly.
But the film shows restraint.
It never lets those moments take over. They’re accents, not the foundation.
Nostalgia used with purpose
That restraint carries through how the film handles nostalgia as a whole.
It doesn’t rely on it. It uses it.
Parallels to the original are there, but they exist to highlight change—not to recreate what once worked.
It’s less about remembering.More about understanding what time has done.
Why it works now
What makes The Devil Wears Prada 2 land isn’t just that it’s well-made.
It’s that it feels necessary.
In a world that keeps pushing toward speed, output, and efficiency, this film slows things down just enough to remind you what actually matters.
The intention behind every line, every scene feels sharp—like it could only come from people who care. Who care about the craft. Who care about making something that connects.
It might sound like a tired argument. But it’s still true.
The breadth and depth of humans who care is irreplaceable.
The teaser trailer for DC Studio’s horror thriller, Clayface, has just been released. It is the studio’s first-ever foray into the genre, with the film co-written by Mike Flanagan and directed by James Watkins.
The R-rated standalone film is still part of the new James Gunn DC Universe, taking place within the main DCU timeline before the events of the 2025 Superman.
It stars Tom Rhys Harries as the titular Gotham City villain. He is joined by Naomi Ackie, David Dencik, Max Minghella, Eddie Marsan, Nancy Carroll, and Joshua James.
The film opens internationally on October 21 and in North America on October 23.
Here’s a quick look at the film’s teaser trailer:
Clayface explores one man’s horrifying descent from rising Hollywood star to revenge-filled monster.
The story revolves around the loss of one’s identity and humanity, corrosive love, and dark underbelly of scientific ambition.
Joining Watkins in his creative team are director of photography Rob Hardy, production designer James Price, editor Jon Harris, visual effects supervisor Angus Bickerton, costume designer Keith Madden, and casting director Lucy Bevan.
In addition, here’s a quick look at the movie’s teaser poster:
Entertainment
DC’s Clayface teaser shows off a horror-filled superhero movie
Our first taste of James Gunn’s Gotham City will be frightening.
Last year, James Gunn’s Superman sparked an impressive wave of excitement for the new DC Universe. Though this year’s spotlight is on Supergirl, Clayface is also getting an eponymous film, giving us our first taste of Gotham City in this bustling universe.
There’s been a lot of mystery surrounding this film. For one, Gotham City’s DCU debut is based on, arguably, a secondary villain, rather than any member of the Bat-Family. Secondly, Gunn has confirmed that the movie will heavily lean towards the horror genre, a feat others have tried but often failed.
Today, DC Studios has released the first teaser trailer for Clayface. And no, Gunn wasn’t kidding when he said this is going to be a horror film.
Tom Rhys Harries plays Matt Hagen, a rising movie star suddenly scarred by a violent attack. Desperate to resurrect his career, he resorts to a scientific experiment that turns his skin into moldable clay.
As the teaser hints, the film will not shy away from body horror, including shots of Hagen’s disfigured face either from the attack or from the clay. It’s a big departure from the more traditional style of Superman or Supergirl. But it’s a gamble that might pay off for a universe as young as the DCU.
It’s also apropos that the DCU’s first horror film is getting a horror-themed premiere. Clayface will premiere in cinemas on October 23, 2026.
SEE ALSO: Superman sequel, titled Man of Tomorrow, comes out in 2027
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