One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda had specific demands for Netflix ahead of it adapting his work into live action.
As reported by ComicBook.com, showrunner Matt Owens said in a message from manga publisher Shueisha that Oda wasn't willing to give up full creative control to Netflix.
The first demand was related to the Straw Hat crew's backstories: Luffy, Zoro, Nami, Usopp, and Sanji's origins had to stay the same. "They're so pivotal to who they are as people, what their dreams and motivations are, and how Luffy digs into that as he meets them and helps them rediscover those dreams," Owens said.
On a similar note, the functionality of each devil fruit — the special fruits that grant bizarre powers like Luffy's super stretchiness — was also locked in.
"Specific devil fruit powers and other skill sets were all carefully crafted by Oda and a lot of imagination went into what different people can do and what the rules are with that," Owens said.
One Piece makes its live action debut on August 31, with Iñaki Godoy playing Luffy, Mackenyu playing Zoro, Emily Rudd playing Nami, Jacob Romero Gibson playing Usopp, and Taz Skylar playing Sanji. The Japanese version may sound a little more familiar though, with the anime's original voice cast reprising their roles.
Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He'll talk about The Witcher all day.
