After its initial announcement in 2017, not much else was revealed about the live-action adaptation of Netflixs One Piece. Slowly but surely, more and more news of this new adaptation has been trickling out this year.Welcome to Netflix Straw Hats! @InakiGodoy, @mackenyu1116, @emilysteaparty, @itsbookofjacob and Taz Skylar. pic.twitter.com/sLwsJlO37PONE PIECE() Netflix (@onepiecenetflix) November 9, 2021In 2021 alone, it was revealed that the series production was going full steam ahead, and that the first episode will be titled Romance Dawn, just like the first chapter of the manga.The cast of this new series has also just been revealed, with the actors of the five main Straw Hat pirates announced on Twitter. Iñaki Godoy will play the main character Monkey D. Luffy, Mackenyu will portray first mate Roronoa Zoro, Emily Rudd will be the crews navigator Nami, Jacob Romero Gibson as the teams sniper Usopp, and Taz Skylar as the ships chef Sanji.A special message from Eiichiro Oda to the One Piece cast. @Eiichiro_Staffpic.twitter.com/BT52Taxz2VONE PIECE() Netflix (@onepiecenetflix) November 9, 2021Naturally, fans of One Piece have split opinions about this casting, with one half praising the accurate casting of these iconic characters. The other half, however, said they do not have any faith in live-action anime and manga adaptations, no thanks to poor attempts like Dragon Ball Evolution and Netflixs take on Death Note.We here in IGN Southeast Asia have said it once and will say it again: it is okay to be cautiously optimistic or downright wary with this project. While it really is too early to say whether this series will live up to Eiichiro Odas manga series, lets take a closer look at each of the actors who will be bearing this heavy responsibility of portraying such beloved characters.Monkey D. LuffyOne thing that is pretty great about this casting is that the main characters consist of up-and-coming actors, which is similar to MCUs approach of casting rising stars like Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston to portray important characters like Thor and Loki.Which is why Iñaki Godoy seems to be perfectly casted as the future Pirate King. The introduction video posted by Netflix definitely shows that Godoy possesses that innocent and excitable charm that makes Luffy so loveable.Godoy has mostly previously acted in South American productions, with a handful of them being exclusive Netflix shows as well. Godoy is also set to star in the upcoming sci-fi series, The Imperfects, on Netflix as well.For what its worth, Eiichiro Oda has previously revealed his intentional real-world nationalities and ethnicities for his crew of pirates in Volume 56 of the One Piece manga. So far, this casting has been faithful to that, with Luffy already stated to be South American.Roronoa ZoroOut of all the cast members announced for One Piece, Mackenyu Arata is probably the most prolific actor. This Japanese-American actor has been in a number of movies and shows, even appearing in Pacific Rim: Uprising.Mackenyu has also had his fair share of live action anime portrayals, with roles in Rurouni Kenshin: Final Chapter Part I - The Final, and JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond Is Unbreakable - Chapter 1. He even played the main character in the upcoming Saint Seiya movie.Needless to say, Mackenyu is more than suitable for the role of the stoic and strong member of the Straw Hat pirates. And if you cant tell by his samurai demeanor, Oda has always considered Roronoa Zoro to be the only Japanese member of the crew.With a wide range of acting roles under his belt, were confident that Mackenyu can balance Zoros stern demeanor with his stoic loyalty to his friends. As for fighting with swords on each arm and another in his mouth, well just have to wait and see.NamiThe thieving cat burglar of the crew and their trusty oceanic navigator, Nami is an important member of the Straw Hat Pirates and will be portrayed by Emily Rudd. Rudd has had a handful of roles across TV shows like Dynasty and Hunters.Like Godoy before her, Rudd is no stranger to Netflixs programs or literary adaptations. Shes mostly known for her work on the Fear Street trilogy, which is based on the work of Goosebumps creator RL Stine.With this first season of One Piece having a huge focus on Namis backstory and motivations, Rudd will have a lot of chances to show off her acting range, more so than Namis actual combat abilities.Nami quickly became trending on Twitter upon this reveal, one of two characters to quickly trend on the site from this announcement. Many fans online believe that Rudd definitely looks like a real-life Nami.UsoppThe long-nosed liar and wannabe warrior of the sea, Usopp will mostly be the comic relief of the team, though he plays an instrumental role in the crews procurement of the pirate ship, the Going Merry. Tackling this role will be Jacob Romero Gibson.While it isnt as apparent in the manga and anime, Eiichiro Oda has stated that hes always envisioned Usopp to be black, just as he wanted Nami and Sanji to be caucasian.Gibson himself sports dreadlocks, which Usopp does not have. But surprisingly, his father Yasopp does in the series. Whether the series will make Usopp lose his trademark curls for his fathers locks remains to be seen, but it could work.As an actor, Gibson has played a handful of guest roles in a number of TV shows including Greenlead, where he plays a recurring character. Hopefully, well see Gibson putting a whole new spin on Usopps cartoony cowardice.SanjiThe last member of the crew to join and one of the best fighters Luffy has on his side, Sanji is one of the most versatile characters in the series. He regularly balances between being a badass martial artist, a kindhearted cook, and a head-over-heels ladies man.And the actor hired to portray the many sides of Sanji is Taz Skylar, who is known for his work as a stage actor in Londons West End. Hes also known to play a number of military roles as seen in The Kill Team and The Reserves.Just like Nami, Sanji quickly became trending on Twitter, with many comparing Skylars looks to the rapper Eminem. As much as Skylar does bear similarities to Sanji when it comes to facial features and height, fans wont be satisfied until they see Skylar with the characters signature hair and curly eyebrows.Sanjis more volatile emotions might just be the hardest to pull off in terms of acting, as compared to the rest of the Straw Hats. Hopefully, Skylar can manage this delicate balance, especially if this series goes beyond the timeskip.VerdictOverall, at first glance and upon further examination, this young group of actors may just bring their own spin to One Pieces characters, and that might just be what it needs.With Eiichiro Oda directly involved in the creation of this series, he may have played a key role in picking these actors and bringing his characters to life. As far as live-action casting goes, Netflix seems to have learned from the mistakes of Death Note.By all accounts, the casts of the live-action One Piece, Cowboy Bebop, and Avatar: The Last Airbender look promising.What is truly more concerning is how the series will portray the wacky world of One Piece, its many inhabitants and the special effects when it comes to the powers and battles that play a pivotal part in the story.How will they make Luffys elasticity look natural? What will fishmen like Arlong look like? How condensed will the story be to fully portray the first 100 chapters of the series? Truly, these are the elements that will make or break this live adaptation of One Piece.