One Piece‘s own Nami, Emily Rudd, has officially confirmed that Netflix’s upcoming adaptation of Eiichiro Oda’s original manga will include the tear-jerking scene involving Nami that serves as the pivotal point in her character arc.
Netflix’s trailer for One Piece has given viewers a glance at what is coming, including a first look at a definitive Nami scene, which is the one where she is sobbing and asking Luffy for help, resulting in him putting a straw hat on Nami’s head after accepting her cry. This scene is one of the most emotional moments for Nami both in the One Piece manga and anime, which showcases Nami’s importance as a character. Rudd has recently addressed the scene’s inclusion in the Netflix series in an interview with GamesRadar+ just in time for the live-action adaptation’s premiere.
Rudd explained that she was “deeply aware” that a lot of One Piece‘s story arcs would “hinge” on her character and performance, especially in the scene in question. The actress went so far as to say that this particular scene “locked her in” and made her “a fan of the show.” She remembered watching the moment for the first time, and, apparently, it was so emotionally charged that Rudd simply started “bawling.” This was not the end of it – the crying experience kept happening “every time” the One Piece star saw or read the tragic scene (and even when she just thought about it).
Rudd proceeded to mention that the straw hat scene was also the only one she was “actually nervous for” as it “meant so much” both to the fans of the manga and anime and the actress herself. She wanted to “make it right”, and she believed that she had accomplished that with the help of “the entire team” who “really turned it out for that moment.”
Aside from her concern with that Nami scene, Rudd felt rather confident about her acting and casting in general. She even joked that she had been “born to play Nami” because it was the first time in her career that she felt such a deep connection to the character. The specific reason that prompted this sentiment was that the One Piece star turned out to be just as much of a navigator as Nami herself. She stated that she was “the default person” of her family for getting around a new city.
One Piece will be available for streaming on Netflix on Aug. 31, 2023.
Source: GamesRadar+