The long-awaited Netflix adaptation of One Piece is now available and fans of the franchise will be glad to know the manga's longest running gag has also made the jump to live action.
As spotted by CreamyAndrew on Reddit, Pandaman himself makes at least one appearance in the live action show. This bizarre, half-man, half-panda character has shown up in various One Piece media for more than two decades.
His appearance in Netflix's version comes in Episode 4: The Pirates are Coming. In a dark, dramatic moment when Zoro uses the pain of his past to push himself up and out of a well, the white and black outline of Pandaman can be seen in the back right corner. It's very easy to miss on a normal viewing, but can be found at 33:40 for those eager to see him.
Pandaman first appeared in Chapter 44 of the One Piece manga, which was published way back in 1998. His appearances have ranged in depth over the years, but he most often appears as a random background character.
A wide shot with lots of random bystanders will include Pandaman among them, for example, or a pirate crew fighting the Straw Hats will include Pandaman in an action packed panel. He's made dozens, if not hundreds, of cameos so far, and has now added Netflix to his list.
One Piece fans have also been obsessed with the live action version of Buggy the Clown, who received a darker spin in the Netflix show. To see how he and other characters line up with their anime counterparts, check out IGN's visual comparison.
In our 6/10 review of the show, we said: "Netflix's One Piece is an entertaining adaptation that's hindered by a desire to recreate every major event found in its source material."
Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He'll talk about The Witcher all day.
