Netflix continues its live-action anime kick, this time with a One Piece adaptation

Netflix is quickly becoming the Disney of anime and manga, aggressively remaking classic series into live-action form.

On Wednesday, the streaming service announced a live-action adaptation of popular manga and anime One Piece. This comes after a 2018 announcement that Netflix would distribute a live-action adaptation of popular manga and anime Cowboy Bebop, which came after a frankly bad (and whitewashed!) Netflix adaptation of popular manga and anime Death Note.

The One Piece live-action series was announced back in 2017 to be produced by Tomorrow Studios, but like the Cowboy Bebop series, Netflix announced a partnership to “bring this story to audiences around the world,” as the press release for the series says.

One Piece has been serialized since 1997 and follows a pirate named Luffy who has rubbery limbs. How that will translate to the screen, we simply do not know. What we do know is that Tomorrow Studios cast a Corgi and also John Cho in the Cowboy Bebop adaptation, so if precedent holds up, the One Piece cast won’t disappoint. One Piece has never gotten a live-action movie or show — Japanese or internationally — before, though it has had a live-action stage show at an indoor Japanese theme park. Somehow the rubbery arms work?

The best sign for this live-action series? Writer and illustrator of the manga Eiichiro Oda will serve as executive producer. He commented on the adaptation via Netflix’s Twitter.

“I know I announced the production of this back in 2017, but these things take time! Preparations have been slowly progressing behind the scenes,” the NX on Netflix Twitter relayed from Oda. “It seems that I can finally make the big announcement: Netflix, the world’s leading streaming entertainment service will be lending us their tremendous production support! This is so encouraging!! How far will the story progress over the 10 episodes of Season 1? Who will be cast!? Please be patient a little longer and stay tuned!”