A long line of unsuccessful and unworthy adaptations marred the reputation of live-action anime. Netflix, too, was struggling to find its feat with anime adaptations after delivering underwhelming takes like 2017’s Death Note and 2021’s Cowboy Bebop. No one could even imagine a live-action take on a shōnen like One Piece would ever succeed after 2009’s Dragonball Evolution movies.
However, after many efforts to get live-action anime right, Netflix surprised everyone with its One Piece adaptation. After two seasons, the show is still going strong, showing absolutely no signs of slowing down. The Netflix live-action anime not only worked because of Eiichiro Oda’s active involvement, but also because of the show’s incredible casting and tangible worldbuilding and VFX.
Since the One Piece live-action series has allowed Netflix to finally figure out what works and what does not, the streaming service’s anime adaptations will likely get even better with time. Interestingly, Netflix is all set to adapt another ambitious animated action fantasy franchise, which even has the potential to give One Piece‘s live-action a run for its money.
After One Piece, Netflix Is Adapting Solo Leveling
<<img src="https://static0.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/solo-leveling-sung-jinwoo-and-eleceed-kayden.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=825&dpr=2" />
Custom Image by Umair Nakade</figure>
Produced by Kakao Entertainment and Sanai Pictures, Netflix’s upcoming adaptation of Chugong’s bestselling Solo Leveling manhwa is officially in the works. Reports suggest that the adaption will ground itself in the original story beats, Hunter Guild dynamics, and character arcs of the original webtoon.
The show has a star-studded cast that includes many renowned Korean actors like Byeon Woo-seok, Han So-hee, Kang You-seok, Sung Joon, Lee Sung-min and Jung Ji-hoon, among others. The show’s filming has already kicked off in Summer 2026 in South Korea, and it is expected to premiere on Netflix around late 2027 or early 2028.
It has also been confirmed that the live-action show’s season 1 will follow Sung Jin-woo’s awakening in the Double Dungeon and his early dungeon raids with Yoo Jin-ho. As seen in the anime and the manhwa’s early arcs, the live-action series will also walk through how Jin-woo rises in the Hunter ranks to become the world’s most powerful.
Given how live-action adaptations of manhwa can often be hit or miss, it is hard not to be carefully optimistic about the upcoming series. However, Korean productions have a good history of delivering some incredible live-action anime/manhwa adaptations like Sweet Home, Parasyte: The Grey, Hellbound, and All of Us Are Dead. This seems to spell promise for Solo Leveling‘s live-action series.
Solo Leveling’s Anime Proves It Is The Perfect Fit For Live-Action Storytelling
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Custom Image by Vanessa Piña</figure>
Solo Leveling and One Piece might share a few tropes, but they are significantly different anime. One Piece often thrives on absurdism and has an extremely vast worldbuilding that includes everything from hundreds of interconnected storylines to a massive roster of characters. Solo Leveling, in contrast, is fairly linear and laser-focused with its storytelling.
Unlike One Piece, Solo Leveling also avoids featuring too many fillers and unfolds at a breakneck pace almost throughout its runtime. Even its story remains fixated on the protagonist, Sung Jin-woo, as he raids dungeons, finishes quests, and levels up as a character.
Translating anime humor to live-action can also be quite challenging. While One Piece‘s live-action still struggles with this, Solo Leveling does not have to worry about this issue because its anime and manhwa are largely serious and atmospheric in tone. The upcoming live-action anime on Netflix will still require a good budget to be able to recreate the anime’s slam-bang action.
However, if One Piece and Parasyte: The Grey can work as live-action anime adaptations on Netflix, Solo Leveling, too, should be able to follow their footsteps.
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TV-14
Action
Adventure
Fantasy
7/10
2658.8/10
Release Date
August 31, 2023
Network
Netflix
Cast
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Iñaki Godoy
Monkey D. Luffy
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Emily Rudd
Nami
Young pirate Monkey D. Luffy and his diverse crew embark on a daring quest for treasure and notoriety. Kicking off with the Season 1 release on Netflix in 2023, One Piece brings the adventurous world of the popular manga to life in live-action, capturing Luffy’s relentless pursuit of the legendary One Piece treasure.Directors
Tim Southam, Marc Jobst, Josef Kubota Wladyka
Writers
Tiffany Greshler, Diego Gutierrez, Allison Weintraub, Lindsay Gelfand
Main Genre
Creator(s)
Matt Owens, Steven Maeda, Eiichiro Oda
Producers
Ted Biaselli, Amie Horiuchi, Takuma Naitô
Seasons
2
Streaming Service(s)
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TV-14
Comedy
Action
Adventure
Anime
Fantasy
2009.2/10
Release Date
October 20, 1999
Network
Fuji TV
Enjoying this article? Support our work with a small crypto donation.Cast
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Mayumi Tanaka
Monkey D. Luffy (voice)
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Kazuya Nakai
Roronoa Zoro (voice)
The One Piece anime began in 1999 and follows the adventures of Monkey D. Luffy, a boy with rubber-like abilities, as he embarks on a journey to find the legendary treasure “One Piece.” Inspired by the pirate Shanks, Luffy aims to become the King of the Pirates, accompanied by a diverse crew.Directors
Hiroaki Miyamoto, Konosuke Uda, Junji Shimizu, Satoshi Itō, Munehisa Sakai, Katsumi Tokoro, Yutaka Nakajima, Yoshihiro Ueda, Kenichi Takeshita, Yoko Ikeda, Ryota Nakamura, Hiroyuki Kakudou, Takahiro Imamura, Toshihiro Maeya, Yûji Endô, Nozomu Shishido, Hidehiko Kadota, Sumio Watanabe, Harume Kosaka, Yasuhiro Tanabe, Yukihiko Nakao, Keisuke Onishi, Junichi Fujise, Hiroyuki Satou
Writers
Jin Tanaka, Akiko Inoue, Junki Takegami, Shinzo Fujita, Shouji Yonemura, Yoshiyuki Suga, Atsuhiro Tomioka, Hirohiko Uesaka, Michiru Shimada, Isao Murayama, Takuya Masumoto, Yoichi Takahashi, Momoka Toyoda
Main Genre
Creator(s)
Eiichiro Oda
Producers
Yoshihiro Suzuki
Seasons
5
Streaming Service(s)
Crunchyroll, Netflix, Hulu, Pluto TV
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Followed
TV-14
Animation
Action
Fantasy
13369.4/10
Release Date
2024 – 2025-00-00
Network
Tokyo MX, Gunma TV, BS11, Tochigi TV
Cast
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Taito Ban
Sung Jin-woo
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Genta Nakamura
Yoo Jin-ho
Solo Leveling follows Sung Jin-woo, the world’s weakest hunter, who gains extraordinary powers through a mysterious program after surviving a brutal monster attack. As he navigates his newfound abilities, Jinwoo embarks on a quest to uncover the secrets of his powers and the dungeon that altered his fate.Directors
Tatsuya Sasaki, Toru Hamasaki
Writers
Shigeru Murakoshi, Shingo Irie, Fuka Ishii
Main Genre
Creator(s)
Chugong
Producers
Kanako Takahashi, Kang Kyewon, Kim Ayoung, Park Jin-hae, Sota Furuhashi
Seasons
1
Streaming Service(s)
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Young pirate Monkey D. Luffy and his diverse crew embark on a daring quest for treasure and notoriety. Kicking off with the Season 1 release on Netflix in 2023, One Piece brings the adventurous world of the popular manga to life in live-action, capturing Luffy’s relentless pursuit of the legendary One Piece treasure.
Your Rating
The One Piece anime began in 1999 and follows the adventures of Monkey D. Luffy, a boy with rubber-like abilities, as he embarks on a journey to find the legendary treasure “One Piece.” Inspired by the pirate Shanks, Luffy aims to become the King of the Pirates, accompanied by a diverse crew.
Your Rating
Solo Leveling follows Sung Jin-woo, the world’s weakest hunter, who gains extraordinary powers through a mysterious program after surviving a brutal monster attack. As he navigates his newfound abilities, Jinwoo embarks on a quest to uncover the secrets of his powers and the dungeon that altered his fate.
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