One Piece on Netflix is one of the most successful live-action adaptations in history. The series launched on August 31 and quickly earned worldwide acclaim. As a result, Netflix renewed a second season barely two weeks after the first. It resonated with a large number of fans, even hardcore One Piece lovers making it one of the most successful live-action adaptations. The One Piece adaptation was viewed 18.5 million times in its first five days, making it the most-viewed anime adaptation on the platform by a large margin.
The series had many changes in the story from the manga which most of the fans liked a lot, one of which was the introduction of a character that Eiichiro Oda had forgotten to depict – the former Mr. 7 from Baroque Works. The show’s executive producer, Matt Owens, recently stated that his interest in the manga’s former Mr. 7 caught Eiichiro Oda off guard.
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Matt Owens Caught Eiichiro Oda Off Guard with Mr. 7
Owens shared a post on Instagram talking about how he wanted to introduce Zoro in an action-based scene, He stated that Oda told him about the character Mr. 7 and how he decided to include it in the series which shocked Oda. He said:
“I pitched a lot of ideas to Oda in our first meeting. One was about how to introduce Zoro in an action-based scene to show off what he can do before we meet him in Shells Town. In an old SBS (fan Q&A) Oda mentioned that Zoro was previously recruited by Mr. 7 of Baroque Works and killed him in combat. This was exactly what I was looking for: something within canon while never actually shown in the manga itself. Oda turned to one of his editors and said: ‘Did I say that?’”
When Oda talked about how Zoro was previously recruited by Mr. 7 of Baroque works, Owens knew that this would be the perfect introduction for Zoro, and rightfully so. Fans loved the action-based introduction of Roronoa Zoro.
Eiichiro Oda Drew Mr. 7 Only Once
Owens also stated that when he was handed over the drawing of Mr. 7, he felt that it was something really important and that it became one of the best interactions and conversations between him and Oda. He said:
“The next day I was presented with this drawing. The only time Mr. 7 has been fully drawn by Oda. He said he was impressed by my knowledge of his world and he liked the idea. Holding onto this felt like I was carrying the Holy Grail. The first of many great conversations and interactions with the man himself. Someone I’m honored to call a collaborator and a friend.”
Owens reminisced how Oda was impressed by his knowledge of One Piece and entrusted him with the drawing of Mr. 7 which made it into the series and shocked the manga creator.
Source: ComicBook
