It’s crazy to look back at the build-up to Netflix’s live-action adaptation of One Piece and for some time all we had was a logo. To be fair, we had a single message from manga creator Eiichiro Oda for almost 4 years before the series picked up any steam, but the new logo was the first sign of the series actually happening. A redesign of such an iconic logo was going to face some criticism but we got a very Western take on the iconic logo.
The 3D model of the lettering is something that’s not too uncommon in modern film or TV logos, but there are some nice touches that pay tribute to the original, such as the anchor in the “E” at the end and the straw hat-wearing skull in the “O”. There are even some small additions such as a mini Luffy hiding in the nose of the skull, which is a great little detail. In a new piece on the creative director Arisu Kashiwagi (Stranger Things) she offered some insight into how they approached the design.
The goal of Netflix’s live action brand identity is to further evolve One Piece into a compelling, modern brand – one that elevates the epic fantasy pirate genre while standing the test of time. By adding dimension, textural realism, drama, and a hint of humor, the new identity captures the eccentric, whimsical nature of the One Piece world and the cinematic scale of their wild, nautical adventures.
Arisu Kashiwagi
The piece highlights they wanted to include elements from the original manga logo while simplifying elements. There are some added details to the logo as the “weathered textures add life and realism to the title representing the many adventures that the Straw Hat Pirates crew have encountered at sea.” Part of me does wish that the logo may change throughout the series’ run and we see more and more of the weathered design as time goes on, reflecting the challenges they face throughout the Grand Line.
Still, i’s a good logo that mostly stays true to the original and the adaptation fits the fact it’s a live-action take on manga classic. The fact Luffy is in the nose rather than replacing the “I” was a nice touch, even if it would be nice if the rope was a bit more representative, especially with the rather simple font choice. Still, the texture addition is a nice touch, and hope to see it fully animated, which may add to the experience.
Source: Arisu
