Netflix’s One Piece Trailer Is Keeping Its Cards to Itself, and It May Be Because of Cowboy Bebop’s Failure

Based on Eiichiro Oda’s seminal manga — which has also been adapted into one of the most popular and long-running anime series of all time — Netflix’s live-action One Piece follows the adventures of Monkey D. Luffy (Iñaki Godoy) who longs to become the legendary Pirate King. While eager fans had previously gotten a teaser for the show, Netflix released the first full trailer for the series over the weekend. And while it looks like a ton of fun, the trailer is also decidedly lacking in detail.

Viewers who are already familiar with the series surely recognized the iconic Straw Hat Pirates and might even have spotted some of their most notable rogues who pop up briefly. Otherwise, the trailer plays its cards pretty close to its chest when it comes to what the experience of watching the show will actually be, and that’s probably the point. Following the disappointing reception (and subsequent cancellation) of their live-action Cowboy Bebop adaptation, Netflix is likely keen to avoid the same mistakes that it made with that adaptation of another beloved anime series.

Though it ended up being one of the streamer’s most notable failures, the hype leading into the release of Cowboy Bebop was immense. Fans had long dreamed of a live-action adaptation, and with a sterling cast, a score from the iconic original composer Yoko Kanno, and a big Netflix budget, expectations were off the charts. Those were only raised when the Netflix Geeked social team released a promo that showcased the live-action cast playing with the famed sweeps, cuts, and dynamic stylized edits that are part of what make the original anime series so visually unique. But when the show eventually dropped, it was clear that aesthetic inventiveness wasn’t a part of the live-action series at all; it had instead just been a really smart marketing angle.

So keeping things simple with the One Piece trailer potentially protects the show from a similar issue. The simplicity of the trailer — which essentially just acts as a logline for the series concept: Monkey D. Luffy wants to be the Pirate King and needs a crew — is likely also because the show is going to be taking on the monster feat of adapting a series that was the best-selling manga on Earth for 11 years running. This is a story that’s arguably even more well known than Cowboy Bebop and has an engaged and excited fandom with high expectations, so playing to what they already know and expect without taking any big swings makes sense. (Of course, there’s also the chance that the reason the trailer isn’t showing us that much outside of the series’ basic setup is because Netflix is still working on the finishing touches in post-production, but surely they could tease bits and pieces from later in the season if the wanted to.)

This is a story that’s arguably even more well known than Cowboy Bebop and has an engaged and excited fandom with high expectations.

One of the big challenges for the series is that in just eight episodes the show is hoping to adapt the East Blue Saga, which takes place over 12 volumes of the manga and encompasses multiple story arcs. It’s a lot to fit into a single eight-episode season and could see a lot of nuance, detail, and story glossed over. Playing the trailer relatively simple is a smart way to avoid people getting upset about what may or may not be included when the series finally hits. 

Whatever the choices that led to the stripped back trailer, something that makes the potential of One Piece really exciting is just how involved creator Eiichiro Oda has been in the process of creating the show. In a letter which was released along with the new trailer, Oda shared that “there were no compromises on this show” before praising the actors and creatives who brought One Piece to life. He even alluded to the likelihood of fans being disappointed by what didn’t make it in, but had a positive take on any potential criticism, saying, “I’m sure I’ll hear about some people pointing out how this character is missing or that scene is omitted, or this bit is different from the manga. But I’m sure they’ll come from a place of love, so I intend to enjoy even those comments!”

That positive approach is refreshing and hopefully promises an exciting new vision for One Piece, a story that’s been charming readers and viewers for decades. But with a trailer that may leave newcomers a little less than clear on what the show has in store, let’s hope that the series manages to appeal to those who aren’t familiar with One Piece as well as diehard fans.