Netflix’s upcoming LEGO ONE PIECE animated special puts Usopp at the center of the story, a creative decision the showrunner says was made to offer both newcomers and longtime fans a fresh way to experience the series.
Showrunner, writer, and executive producer Tom Hyndman said the two-part special uses Usopp’s larger-than-life personality to retell the events of One Piece Live-Action seasons 1 and 2 from a completely different perspective.
“We wanted to make something that would ease new viewers into the massive world of ONE PIECE while also giving longtime fans a new, fun perspective to see the iconic stories of the first two seasons,” Hyndman said.
The animated special is set shortly after Chopper joins the Straw Hat Pirates on Drum Island. With Chopper having missed the crew’s adventures in the East Blue, Usopp eagerly recounts their exploits as though he were the mastermind behind nearly every major event.
Hyndman also said bringing back the live-action cast for the English dub gave the production more freedom during recording sessions because the actors were already closely connected to their characters.
“It was incredible to have them on board. It allowed us to really go wild during the records because we didn’t have to take extra time to have them find the character—they are the character. This freedom led to some extremely fun and funny improvised moments that really added to the episodes,” Hyndman said.
He added that the cast enthusiastically embraced the LEGO adaptation, recalling that there was “a lot of giddy giggling” throughout the recording sessions as they saw their characters reimagined as LEGO figures.
The English voice cast includes Iñaki Godoy, Mackenyu, Emily Rudd, Taz Skylar, Jacob Romero, and Mikaela Hoover reprising their live-action roles, while the Japanese version features returning anime voice actors Mayumi Tanaka, Kappei Yamaguchi, Kazuya Nakai, Akemi Okamura, Hiroaki Hirata, and Ikue Otani.
Produced by the LEGO Group, Shueisha, and Atomic Cartoons, LEGO ONE PIECE will stream exclusively on Netflix worldwide beginning Sept 29.
Source: Netflix
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