What do you think about the use of lesser-known and unknown actors for One Piece?

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Credits to the casting directors finding these lesser known talents and the actors themselves for doing an amazing job with their character.

As for the future, they should cast whoever makes sense for the role regardless if they are well known or not.

Im assuming, as the show gains more popularity especially with this upcoming season, more well known actors might advocate for roles for future seasons if greenlighted. In a business standpoint, it would make the most sense to choose the more popular actor to bring more eyes to the show but I hope they choose the actor that they feel will do the character justice.

also its just me but im putting Vincent Regan as an Alister lol my dude has been in 300 and troy

It's better. They come with less baggage and demands, are cheaper, and don't over shadow the story. Also, they might not be well known in the English speaking world, but Mackenyu is very well known in Japan.

1. Shocked you didn’t mention Vincent Regan. I wouldn’t really call him an A-Lister, but he’s a pretty decently known name. At least more than Emily Rudd. Similarly Peter Gadiot was a decent pull given his Yellowjackets fame

2. Realistically speaking they’re using lesser known names because the budget for the production is already insanely big. That way they can get away with paying the actors less because ultimately they aren’t bigger deals. This will become a double edged sword sooner or later though, as without a doubt some of those main actors are gonna score big roles or become famous via the show, and by proxy will ask for more money. I’d honestly prefer them continue this. Gives some spotlight on some actors we wouldn’t have been aware of and doesn’t bloat the budget more than it needs to be

I like the casting of lesser known actors because I feel the characters shine through more. It helps make the show more immersive for me if I can see past the actor a bit. I think all of the casting has been great so far!

Good actors who resemble their character really well > expensive famous actors who are only signed to boost the popularity of the show and put it on people’s radars

Enough said.

i think it’s great and hope they continue it, the amt of hidden gem talents they found in South Africa was great, like Steven John Ward killed it playing Mihawk

I really hope they use lesser known actors for most of the roles because I wanna be in Season 3-4. lol

It’s a good thing, because it lets those lesser known actors shine.

Before the first season, the only actor who I knew prior to the live action (besides Ian McShane who I didn’t know would be in it until it premiered) was Buggy’s actor Jeff Ward. I know him from one of my favorite (and also heavily underrated) shows Agents of SHIELD, where his character Deke Shaw joined the cast in Season 5 & became a mainstay standout all the way towards the show’s finale. I was glad when he was getting praise for his performance as Buggy, because he is a really good actor who deserves some recognition.

I hope the same for the new castings, especially when I know 3 of them prior to their castings in this show: Mr. 3’s actor David Dastmalchian (who has been in some high-profile stuff like the Ant-Man films, The Suicide Squad, Oppenheimer, & Dune), Mr. 5’s actor Camrus Johnson (who I know from Batwoman), & Crocus’s actor Clive Russell (who I know from Game of Thrones).

One Piece doesn't need big names to get people to watch it.

Big names also doesn't mean perfect casting. Rather than shove Chris Pratt into everything then cater the character to the actor, finding people who actually fit the bill of the written characters make it much better.

And oh boy, it worked perfectly for the first season. More live actions or things that are already well known need to learn this, you don't need star power if you already ARE good. COUGH BORDERLANDS COUGH

It's needed.

Shows like this will need too much CGI and too many expensive places to film and boats and whatnot built.

It would be silly to try to bring in people with huge paychecks. You don't need big names to sell anything, the world and characters sell themselves.

Whenever I have any doubts in casting, I just remember that Oda has handpicked these actors. So, there had to be something that he saw in them during their audition tapes.

I think it’s great. fame does not equal talent and fame of an actor can distract from their actual work on the screen. As someone that has followed the manga for decades and really enjoyed the live action, I’ve enjoyed sharing my love for one piece with friends and family that had found the manga and anime unapproachable and I’d rather they focus on the story itself than on some famous faces. 

Not that I’d mind if a famous actor were cast, not at all, it’s just that the most important determinant should be if they are the right fit for the role. As a long time fan I think I’d react viscerally if an actor just didn’t fit a character that I’m very familiar with and if that actor were to have been cast with fame as a factor well I don’t think I’d take that well. 

Other pluses are that less well known actors are more affordable, so more money can be allocated elsewhere including eventually the pay of the main cast which will start to increase as the series advances.

Also I think that there are a lot more talented actors out there than there are good jobs for them, so if one piece can be an opportunity for lots of them given how big the universe is then that’s pretty good too.

I prefer it to be honest! One Piece itself is famous enough internationally and doesn’t necessarily need the pull of big names to promote it. I didn’t actually know any of the cast in season 1 and it was quite a nice surprise how well they suited the roles. The casting directors seem to be very focussed on finding actors that really can fit the characters very well.

Sometimes big names can pull you out of the immersion as well. Like having a famous voice for an animated character can be a little jarring for me. Having big name actors can also pull the budget from other things, like special effects or costuming.

I think it good. It help to feel immersed to the story seeing the characters not the actor itself.

I personally prefer it. Mostly because, I don't want big names to shadow the characters they are playing. What I mean is, if Tom Cruise got hired to play a big role for example, you are only going to see Tom Crusie on screen, and not character X. Their star power supersedes the character they are playing. I like the more unknown approach, so that we as the audience do not get absorbed by star power. For most people, when they see Inaki, they see Luffy and nobody else. That's the way it should be in my opinion.

I prefer it. Gives lesser known / newer actors their day in the sun, and helps keep the budget from growing out of control.

It's a ton better this way. It adds more to the illusion and authenticity of the characters instead of seeing another more recognizable actor dressing up as a different character. Not just that, the show has proven to have a high standard in terms of talent, irregardless of the actors' popularity. I'm not really into Jamie Lee Curtis obsession which some of the fans has become really toxic about.

Don't care as long as they do a great job.

It's perfect. I like it more than people I might recognize because then it won't feel like X chatacter, but rather remind me of something else they did.

And cheaper too so win win.

It’s good because one, it exposes new actors who can get their careers off, and two, it will be less expensive to hire them so they can spend more of the budget on effects and set designs

Don't care. As long as the actors can do their roles well I have no preference as to how popular they may be outside the show.

idk they seem like they're all south african journeymen

Don‘t really care as long as the series is good - but I am still worried about how they‘ll pull off Mr. 2

They’ve, by and large, been pretty good, and it’s a great way to save money that could then be used for sets and CGI.

Nobody cares as long as they do their jobs well

Any production that has a lot of characters and a finite budget is going to have to rely on a lot of relative unknowns just to fill out the cast. On top of that, One Piece has some very specific casting requirements. Limiting yourself to exclusively Hollywood A-listers is how you get Chris Pratt as Mario.

i mean oda had a hand in casting and i think he didnt really take into account if the actor/actress is very well-known or not.

With all these comments considered, I fully understand why lesser-known and unknown actors are cast in One Piece. They consist of people dedicated to their characters and care about the material in question as well as for budgetary reasons.

It's absolutely a good choice, personally as an anime adaptation I demand they put all the possible budget in flashy effects, the cast just needs to be resembling enough