'One Piece' live-action TV adaptation will feature diverse cast

A poster featuring the characters of "One Piece." Twitter/opcom_info

Since it was announced that Tomorrow Studios would be moving forward with the live-action television adaptation of "One Piece," fans have been curious to see how the studio would fill its roster. Thankfully, the manga creator Eiichiro Oda himself has an ideal cast in place for the project.

Twitter user Sandman shared a live-stream link to an interview with the "One Piece" voice actors during the series' 20th-anniversary celebration in Tokyo, Japan. Kazuki Yao, who voices "Iron Man" Franky in the anime series, revealed that Oda has an ideal roster for the live-action adaptation.

For instance, "God" Usopp, the sniper of the Straw Hat Pirates, is said to hail from Africa, while Nico Robin, also known by her epithet "Devil Child," comes from Russia. Lastly, the series' main protagonist, Monkey D. Luffy, could be of mixed Japanese and Brazilian descent.

In the meantime, Oda recently opened up about the manga's live-action adaptation, assuring fans across the world that it is something to be amped up for. While he has been asked about making a live-action adaptation of "One Piece" for the past 20 years, the manga artist only considered it about three years ago.

After many twists and turns, Oda has finally found a good partner and personally picked Tomorrow Studios due to its capacity to handle big projects and have bigger funding; thus, ensuring the series' overall quality.

"I will never betray the fans who have supported me for 20 years," the 42-year-old manga artist said in a statement. "This is my condition. There may be many who are uneasy, but please, give me your voices of hope. Please be excited for the follow-up reports. Please look forward to it."

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