One Piece, the beloved manga and anime series, has recently made its way to Netflix as a live-action adaptation. While fans were excited to see their favorite characters come to life, there have been some controversial changes, particularly in Nami’s origin story.

In the original manga, Nami’s story is a tragic one. Arlong and his crew attack Coco Village, killing Nami and Nojiko’s mother, Belle-Mere, when she can’t pay their tribute. The live-action series, however, takes a different approach. Instead of Belle-Mere fighting back and refusing to lie about Nami and Nojiko’s parentage, it simply shows the sisters getting spotted by Arlong’s crew.

Another significant change is how Nami joins Arlong’s crew. In the manga, Arlong kidnaps her after discovering her talent for map-making. When Nami returns to Coco Village, she reveals that she joined the crew for the money they paid her, causing the villagers to resent her. The live-action adaptation, on the other hand, has a young Nami openly approaching Arlong’s crew, which removes some of the severity from the situation.

But perhaps the most crucial change is the lack of knowledge Nojiko has about Nami’s plan. In the manga, Nojiko discovers that Nami intends to save up 100 million Berries to buy back Coco Village. The villagers, aware of Nami’s plan, endure Arlong’s terror in secret support of her efforts. However, in the live-action series, Nojiko remains unaware of Nami’s true goal, leading the villagers to hate Nami and view her as a traitor.

The live-action adaptation misses the essence of Coco Village. While Nami may have carried the burden of her secret alone, the village was always there for her. The manga emphasizes this when the villagers confront Nezumi, a thief trying to steal Nami’s money, showing their loyalty to Nami despite their apparent hatred.

It’s when Nami finally breaks down and asks for help from her newfound allies, particularly Luffy, that she fully accepts that she doesn’t have to face her struggles alone. This pivotal moment reinforces the significance of her joining the Straw Hat crew. Unfortunately, the live-action series overlooks this aspect, minimizing the impact of Nami’s character development.

What are your thoughts on these changes to Nami’s origin story in the live-action One Piece series? Let us know in the comments! And for more exciting updates on anime and other cool stuff, don’t forget to visit Fecomic!