One of the biggest reveals that Netflix fans were most excited to see during last weekend’s TUDUM was any kind of news about their upcoming adaptation of One Piece, the long-running manga and anime series that has captivated hundreds of thousands of fans across the globe. Aside from bringing out the main cast composed of Iñaki Godoy, Mackenyu, Emily Rudd, Jacob Romero Gibson, and Taz Skylar to Brazil for the event, the streamer also unveiled the first trailer for the series and a release date that is just on the horizon.
After the trailer was unveiled, Collider had a chance to talk with the main cast about their favorite anime series, what they hope the One Piece live-action adaptation is able to accomplish, how long they want it to last, their favorite set pieces and locations in Cape Town and how similar they are to their characters. You can read the full interview below or watch it above:
COLLIDER: First of all, congratulations on putting One Piece together. We saw the first trailer yesterday, and we're very excited. I'm a fan, so I can tell you this! The first thing I want to ask you guys is, are you a fan of anime? I know Emily likes anime, so to start, what anime do you like?
MACKENYU: Give me that mic!
EMILY RUDD: [Laughs] Let him start.
MACKENYU: Who are you asking? I'm Japanese! Am I a fan of anime? I grew up with anime!
I have a specific question for you. Let me skip forward. You did Knights of the Zodiac, you did Rurouni Kenshin [Final Chapter Part I - The Final], you did Full Metal Alchemist, you did Brave [Gunjyo Senki], and Tokyo Ghoul. You've done it all, man! Is there any anime adaptation that you would like to do in the future?
MACKENYU: You know what, it's not something I would like to do, but one of my favorite anime is Hunter × Hunter, which I love. So, shoutout to Hunter × Hunter!
Who would you play?
MACKENYU: I will not play anyone!
For the rest of you, which anime do you like?
TAZ SKYLAR: I'm a fan of Trigun. It's a good show!
RUDD: Yo, yes! It’s a great show!
SKYLAR: We used to get a lot of anime on TV in Spain.
IÑAKI GODOY: Before doing One Piece, I didn't really watch a lot of anime. After filming One Piece, I did get into anime more. Honestly, One Piece is my thing. I tried Chainsaw Man, I think it's really cool, but it's a little too violent for me.
RUDD: Yeah, that’s a big jump from One Piece.
GODOY: I’m starting Demon Slayer right now, I was watching that on the airplane, and I really, really loved the first episode. I thought it was so good. So, I think I'm gonna stick with Demon Slayer and One Piece for a while. I think it's gonna take me some time. Attack on Titan I’ve heard is great!
RUDD: Attack on Titan or Jujutsu Kaisen. If you like Demon Slayer, you would also like JJK.
SKYLAR: There’s a show called Jiu-Jitsu Kaisen?
RUDD: Jujutsu. So close, man.
Is this your favorite?
RUDD: My favorite anime is called Made in Abyss, but I love Demon Slayer and JJK, Tokyo Ghoul. I've watched too many to name them all.
I feel like those are mandatory, right?
RUDD: Oh, absolutely. I'm naming the ones that are the basics, like, if you want to learn, you get into them. But yeah, Made in Abyss, I would say, is my top.
So what are you all most excited for people to see when One Piece finally premieres?
JACOB GIBSON: Oh, god. I mean, the sea beast is one of my favorite things. They killed it with the special effects on the sea beast. The action, really good action sequences!
MACKENYU: Thank you.
GIBSON: [Laughs]
GODOY: I'm so excited for everyone to see the amazing characters of One Piece. I think everybody on the cast did an amazing job with their characters, and I am just so excited to bring the Straw Hats to more people, and to the people who are already fans, to be able to relive those amazing iconic moments again.
So I see that you have a very positive and big energy like Luffy, right? Is he very different from you, or are you like that where you have that energy all the time?
SKYLAR: Oh, he's like that! [Laughs]
GIBSON: He’s definitely like that!
MACKENYU: You were Luffy from the start.
GODOY: I think I do have a lot of Luffy inside me. I've always been a very energetic person, that's for sure. I love to celebrate, I love to eat. I do feel like him in a lot of ways. I also feel like I can learn a lot from him. Unlike Luffy, sometimes I do second-guess myself, and I do have insecurities. I think when I play Luffy, I feel inspired to be stronger and be more brave. So there is a lot that I share with Luffy, and there's also a lot that I can learn from him, too.
That's great, that's great. I want to ask you guys now, did any of you get a chance to talk to (creator) Eiichiro Oda before filming?
GODOY: I had an opportunity to meet Mr. Oda. I cannot get too into detail about it, but I did have an opportunity to interact with him.
RUDD: I also was able to meet Oda-sensei, and it was easily the most scared I've ever been in my whole life [laughs]. He's a lovely dude, but you know, he's kind of like a god, you know?
GODOY: Oh my god!
RUDD: So I was like, “Oh man… hello, it’s so nice to meet you,” like just shaking.
I wouldn't say “kind of.” He is a god.
RUDD: No, okay, alright, alright. I was softening that, but you're right, you're right.
So you’re obviously not going to do 1,000 episodes, right? Because live-action is a lot more expensive, but Taz, how long would you like for this series to go?
SKYLAR: I'd like it to go for exactly as long as it takes to feel like it's come to an ending that all of us are happy—and by us, I mean the greater “us” of us five and every single person involved. I want everybody to be proud of where we end up ending. I don't want it to end short, and I don't want it to run long. That's my ideal.
GODOY: Agreed!
That's a great answer.
MACKENYU: I don't have anything to say. That was the best answer.
Yeah, I think you nailed it. Of course, I don't need to say it, but we all know One Piece is a huge, huge, huge title. During filming, did you ever feel the pressure of having to put together something as big as this?
GIBSON: Pressure makes diamonds, baby!
SKYLAR: That's our guy right there!
What about you, Mackenyu? You've been in many adaptations, right? How does this one differ from the other ones, or is it the same?
MACKENYU: They're all different in their own special ways, but this one was definitely the biggest long-going manga ever. So, there was pressure, but I've kept my focus on the roles and how to bring Zoro to life.
GIBSON: And he kills it.
GODOY: He's great. He is Zoro.
You filmed in Cape Town, right? Was there a set piece or a location that you really liked, that you thought, “This was awesome! I want people to see that?”
GODOY: All the sets are amazing. I mean, I got to go with the Going Merry. I think every set is amazing, but the Going Merry, specifically, just has so much emotion in it. So, if there is one piece of set that I really want people to see, it's going to be the Going Merry!
RUDD: [Laughs] One Piece of set.
GODOY: Oh, also, actually, there is one other set that I really loved. Luffy’s first boat! Yes, his first boat ever. That is also special.
Yeah, and it's also emotional, right? Because it’s the beginning. What about the rest of you?
RUDD: I mean, obviously the Merry is extremely special. That was something that, I think, for all of us seeing it in person for the first time, stepping foot on it was a dream, you know? I guess there's a set in Kaya’s (Celeste Loots) mansion where our designer took what used to be an indoor pool and actually made it into a sunken kitchen. And I was just like, “I want to be creative like that!” I would never look at an empty pool and be like, “Let's make that a kitchen.” And it looked beautiful, it was so cool. I want my house, my real house, to have that.
I have time for one more question, so I'd like to know if you guys have any message that you like to send to One Piece fans that are, like me, eager to see the series.
GIBSON: Man, we're just as excited to share it with you all. There's been so much love, and like Taz was saying, there are so many people involved in the project, and we're just so proud of everyone's work, so it's exciting to share.
GODOY: I love the manga, I love the anime, and I know you will love the live-action too. I am super excited about this project. We put our heart and soul into it, and you know, I hope that you are entertained, but beyond that, I hope that if you see our show, you decide to also go chase your dreams.
Netflix premieres Season 1 of One Piece on August 31. You can watch the trailer below:
