Summary

• Netflix's live-action adaptation of One Piece was a huge success, debuting at the top position in 46 countries and hitting the Top 10 in 93 countries.
• One Piece succeeded because it captured the essence of the beloved anime and manga franchise, unlike Netflix's previous failed adaptations.
• The live-action Yu Yu Hakusho adaptation faces challenges as it lacks the same marketing efforts and will be following the success of One Piece.

The newest live-action anime adaptation in Netflix’s lineup has a tough road ahead after One Piece’s remarkable success. With overwhelmingly positive reviews from critics and audiences alike, Netflix’s live-action One Piece debuted in the top position in a staggering 46 countries and hit the streamer’s Top 10 in 93 countries. One of the streaming service’s top-rated original series ever, One Piece managed to shine, thus side-stepping the overwhelming failures of Netflix’s other anime and manga adaptations. Given that Eiichiro Oda’s source material is the best-selling manga series in history, One Piece certainly had the benefit of a built-in fan base.

However, a ionate, pre-existing audience isn’t the only thing Netflix’s One Piece had going for it. If that were the only key to success then the streamer’s adaptations of Death Note and Cowboy Bebop wouldn’t have been so maligned. Unlike Netflix’s failed live-action adaptations of the past, One Piece distills the beloved media franchise’s charming essence and brings it to life with a lot of heart. It’s the kind of approach that works well with the show’s over-the-top antics and larger-than-life pirates, so it’s hard to gauge whether Netflix’s future live-action anime adaptations will achieve One Piece’s level of success.

Netflix’s Live-Action Yu Yu Hakusho Is Releasing Right After One Piece

Set to premiere on December 14, 2023, Netflix’s live-action Yu Yu Hakusho is the streamer’s next anime adaptation. The incredibly popular ‘90s anime was based on Yoshihiro Togashi’s best-selling manga series of the same name. It centers on teenager Yusuke Urameshi, who’s killed while attempting to save a child from oncoming traffic. In the afterlife Underworld, Yusuke is presented with a series of tests, only to be revived as an Underworld Detective and tasked with investigating the paranormal entities that plague the human world. Unlike the boisterous One Piece, Yu Yu Hakusho is firmly entrenched in the horror and mystery genres.

That’s not the only difference between the two franchises though, especially when it comes to Netflix’s takes on the series. Netflix’s One Piece garnered an impressive 37.8 million views in less than two weeks, partially because of the streamer’s big-budget marketing campaign. According to Deadline, Netflix’s One Piece marketing team “created more than 70 assets across 18 months” to drum up excitement among pre-existing fans and intrigue franchise newcomers. Given that Yu Yu Hakusho has way less marketing efforts behind it just a few months ahead of its release, it won’t have the same pre-premiere visibility. Plus, following One Piece is a tall order.

Will Yu Yu Hakusho Continue Netflix’s Positive Live-Action Adaptation Streak?

Netflix has remained tight-lipped when it comes to its adaptation of the Yu Yu Hakusho anime series, releasing very few stills or clips. Cowboy Bebop aside, Netflix has a decent live-action anime and manga adaptation streak. One Piece is one of the streamer’s top shows, while Alice in Borderland has also garnered solid reviews and viewership, with its first season cracking the Top 10 in 40 territories. That said, if Netflix’s live-action Yu Yu Hakusho is able to tap into the essence of its source material, the series will shoot to the top of the streamer’s Top 10 faster than Yusuke can say, “Spirit Gun.”

Sources: Deadline