Even Oda Himself Approved This Netflix's One Piece Casting

When Netflix announced its plans to adapt Eiichiro Oda's iconic Japanese manga One Piece into a live-action series, fans of the original were worried. After all, the streaming giant had already ruined The Witcher, and fans of Luffy and his ragtag crew of pirates just didn't want to see the same thing happen to their favorite manga.

However, it looks like Oda himself was heavily involved in the production, overseeing the scripts and even casting, personally choosing some of the actors to play his characters.

And while every single member of the main cast was essential to the success of the show, it can't be denied that the whole project could have been ruined if Iñaki Godoy wasn't so great at playing Luffy.

The Only One

When Godoy was announced to play Luffy in 2021, hardly anyone knew anything about this up-and-coming actor, so people wondered how he even managed to land such a big role. But as it turns out, it was apparently Oda himself who chose Godoy to star in the series, as he was blown away by the young actor's skills as well as his resemblance to the character he created.

According to some sources, Oda told Godoy that he couldn't imagine anyone but him playing Luffy in live action, which might be one of the most pleasant words the actor ever heard.

An Emmy-worthy Performance

It's not hard to see why Oda loved Godoy as Luffy so much. The actor really managed to capture the adventurous spirit of the character, making every frame with him in the center practically bursting with excitement.

Moreover, Godoy reminded a lot of people of Luffy in the anime, as the young actor somehow managed to channel the cartoonish spirit of his hero in live action. A truly masterful performance!

'One of those born to play specific role actors, he is literally perfectly casted. Great face muscle control to really sell the animated look from the source material. And he really brings that Peter Pan level of boyish charm,' a fan wrote.

Source: Reddit.