Summary
With many doubts and concerns among anime and manga fans ofOne Piece, and how it would be adapted into live action, those fears have been relinquished. Considering theprevious live-action adaptationsof many popular anime series and some with their overwhelmingly negative feedback, the success and praise of Netflix’sOne Piecehas come as a major surprise for many, being dubbed as the best adaptation yet.
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As talk of a potential second season is already underway, fans will be excited to see Inaki Godoy reprise his role as Monkey D. Luffy, with his incredibly faithful and well-crafted representation of the beloved character. Despite many fans maintaining their preferences for theoriginal voice actor Mayumi Tanaka, Inaki manages to provide a pleasing performance for all.
Warning - Some anime/manga spoilers ahead
5Nonchalant Demeanor
One of the more notable traits within Monkey D. Luffy that fans ofOne Piecewill be aware of is the laid-back and carefree nature that is present almost throughout the ongoing story. While there are most certainly various situations that will draw out his anger and serious attitude, Eiichiro Oda has always managed to convey a character that is composed.
With Netflix’s adaptation, Inaki Godoy manages to capture that exact trait, especially when coming up against foes early on such as Axe-Hand Morgan andCaptain Kuro. The series manages to capture a character who has a great deal of strength and potential as fans of the anime and manga have come to know while keeping his friendly and casual nature at the forefront of it all.
4Comedic Timing
As displayed numerous times within the source material, Luffy’s silly and idiotic antics are what make him one of the most popular and adored charactersamong other shonen. Whether this is a moment of a serious matter in play met with Luffy chasing after meat or laughing hysterically at a Pica’s voice in the Dressrosa arc, it all contributes a massive part towardOne Piece’s success over twenty years.
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Convincingly representing this is a tough ask, to say the least, and Inaki Godoy finely does just that. Despite Season 1 only containing a few foes for Luffy that are no match for those later to come, it was the best way for Inaki to get underway and into Luffy’s shoes as a character and commit toward the comedic persona.
3Stance
One of the crucial parts of embodying Luffy given the plethora of unique aspects of the character was his stances during certain scenarios. Given the plethora of fighting styles Luffy now has at his disposalwith 5 different ‘Gears’, this would have been one to take note of, especially if plans for multiple seasons are at hand. Whether this is while facing off against a villain, speaking with his crew, or in battle stance, it has always been enough to draw fans into each sequence that has Luffy present.
Fortunately, Inaki Godoy displays this very well, especially after throwing a Gomu Gomu No Pistol, and ensuring his hand is placed directly on his shoulder. Every detail such as this plays an important part in bringing Monkey D. Luffy to life, and on this occasion, it has been executed effectively.
2Serious/Angry Nature
Fans who are familiar with the anime will be aware of the many moments in which Luffy isno longer in his laid-back nature and is far more serious and aggressive. This mostly occurs whenever foes intend to harm any of his crew, following the motto of Shanks, and whenever this happened during the pre-time skip phase, it often meant lights out for any villain.
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Coming up against Arlong in the live-action adaptation, Inaki conveys this very well, which shortly leads to Arlong’s defeat just as it did in the anime. This is an aspect within Luffy that is very crucial to the overarching story and his character development, particularly in Marineford, which includes some of the most heartbreaking moments for the character, and the performance here is a good start leading into what is to come.
1Determination
While thelive-action adaptation changes some of the sequences quite drastically, especially the confrontation between Arlong and Luffy, it still serves as an example of Luffy’s biggest character trait. Defeating Luffy upon meeting him on this occasion, Arlong leaves Luffy with very little room or opportunity to fight back and opens up the door to their second encounter.
This is similar to the numerous times that Luffy has suffered defeat to some foes within their initial encounter, in Crocodile during the Alabasta arc and Kaido in the current anime arc, Wano. It is this undying determination that keeps Luffy capable of coming up against some of the strongest characters in theOne Pieceworld, and Inaki Godoy’s performance showcases this in the best manner, as Season 1 only covers the early arcs of the story. If Netflix producers and directors along with Oda himself can keep up with this same approach in the aspect of Luffy’s actions in Season 2 and anything beyond, it will make for even greater success of this live-action adaptation.
