Netflix’s One Piece has finally become the ice-breaker Netflix always wanted it to be. The live-action adaptation of Eiichiro Oda’s Straw Hat Pirates opened to resounding success and critical claim. Among the many reasons that worked for Netflix, one of the primary ones was sticking to the source material. Fans of both the original as well as newcomers were enthralled by the richness of the world presented thanks to the fluid and maintained storyline.

However, in one segment of the show, it briefly deviates from the anime and has Zoro at the center of it. While the impact may not be noticeable, it is still a slight change from the anime.

Netflix hid the details in Zoro’s backstory regarding Kuina’s death

“…the world’s greatest swordsman,” Zoro confidently remarks in One Piece. Living up to it, he delivered some of the best scenes in the 8-episode season so far. However, the path that led to Zoro being skilled in his sword-fighting was never all glee. Zoro used to compete and challenge Kuina, his sensei’s daughter, back in his childhood. And it is precisely this backstory where the live-action deviated from the anime. Since Oda had already warranted that there would be changes, it comes as no surprise or fault. In both adaptations, the pair fought and honed their sword-fighting skills. 

Equally ambitious, the duo had a challenge that one day, only one of them would claim the title of the world’s greatest swordsman. However, every time that they fought, Kuina emerged victorious. The chain of defeats always prompted Zoro to come back stronger. However, in Episode 4 of One Piece live-action, Kuina was said to have died of a mysterious accident. In the anime version, she was said to have passed away after falling down a flight of stairs. 

As such, it is unclear as to why the cause of her death was hidden in the live-action version. It may also be something that could come into play later. Regardless, all the changes that were made to the live-action version were under the direct supervision of Eiichiro Oda himself. Thus, the original creator paved the way for the success of the show.

Eiichiro Oda sailed off a stuck ship for Netflix with One Piece

For long, Netflix had found itself stuck to the coast when it came to sailing off live-action adaptations. Its previous anime to live-action attempts like Cowboy Bebop failed disastrously. However, with One Piece, Netflix took its most planned approach yet. For one, Eiichiro Oda was onboarded as the executive producer and creative consultant for the project. And with it, Netflix had done a major part of its job.

Oda ensured that the cast, storyline, and twists all followed his vision for the original series. Additionally, the dedicated efforts of directors and visual effects supervision rendered a world that captured the story strikingly. The result was an overwhelming success. The series debuted to a 94 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes followed by outpacing records set by Stranger Things and Wednesday. All in all, it is an amalgamation of efforts that has brought Netflix’s most ambitious live-action to grand success.

What do you think about this change about Kuina’s death? Let us know in the comments below.