Netflix's live-action One Piece trailer is seriously dividing fans

It’s finally here. After months of build-up, Netflix has finally dropped the first trailer for its live-action One Piece series, and the internet can’t seem to collectively decide if it’s utterly cursed or genuinely promising.

One Piece is one of the most iconic manga and anime series of all time. Since 1997, over 100 volumes of the manga have been published, and the show (which kicked off in 1999) has racked up well over 1000 episodes in its time. And no, neither of these things are close to completion yet - it might just be the most difficult series to catch up with if you’re totally new to it. Those who do follow the manga, anime or both love the series to bits though, and so it’s no wonder that some are dubious about whether the live-action show is going to be any good.

Take a look at the trailer for One Piece (2023) below.

Netflix's live-action show will, like the series many already adore, follow the adventures of the Straw Hat Pirates, led by captain Monkey D. Luffy, on a quest to find the fabled One Piece - a legendary treasure which will turn whoever finds it into the next Pirate King. The cast includes Iñaki Godoy (The Imperfects) as Luffy, Mackenyu Arata (Rurouni Kenshin: The Final) as Roronoa Zoro, Emily Rudd (Fear Street) as Nami, Jacob Romero Gibson (Grey’s Anatomy) as Usopp, and Taz Skylar (The Kill Team) as Sanji.

On Twitter, many have been roasting the trailer for its humour: “I actually don't think the visuals are bad but the humour is awful. Luffy going ‘I'm sensing some tension amongst the crew’ followed up by Zoro and Nami saying they aren't a crew is just MCU-ass humour but it’s also not the dynamic these characters ever had with each other,” @GambitXIII tweeted. “This looks several levels worse than even Netflix's Cowboy Bebop adaptation. Good lord,” @KALS_Kingdom wrote.

However, others are more optimistic: “It's goofy, there's no denying that. But... so is One Piece. If it wasn't goofy it wouldn't be One Piece. It was never gonna be perfect, but it doesn't look horrible, it looks like it could be a fun time,” @Crimzin15 said. “It looks good in production design. The snippets of the fighting scene look a little bit stiff, but I hope [it'll get] better in full. I have hope, actually. Live action is a different media [from] anime or manga anyway. I am excited,” @arfebibots tweeted. “You know what? I’m gonna go in with an open mind. Not great [CGI] but it has a surrealist quality that might just make it entertaining. We’ll see!” added @Bitnerd_.

One Piece will set sail on Netflix on 31 August.