The representation of Chopper was already a major topic among fans before the release of Season 2 of One Piece on Netflix. Ultimately, many are satisfied with the result, which is probably due to the author Eiichiro Oda.
What was the concern? As the creator of the One Piece story, Oda is concerned that his manga is received well. That’s why he is strictly involved in the planning and has a significant say in the matter.
In the official podcast from Netflix, the creator mentioned that Chopper’s appearance was one of the things that concerned him most in Season 2. The Tomorrow Studios had suggested to the mangaka at the start of production that Chopper should resemble a real reindeer rather than a puppet, which Oda was probably not entirely on board with.
Initially, they saw Chopper as a real living being and made sure to consider aspects like the skeletal structure of an animal and to give his appearance a certain realism. Therefore, I suggested that they consider him more as a plush toy. If he is designed too realistically, he falls into the realm of the uncanny. Thus, it’s better to treat him like an adorable doll.
With the suggestion, Oda probably wanted Chopper to appear more like an adorable companion than a bizarre monster. While that would be more realistic, it would feel somewhat out of place in the pirate adventure. Even in the anime, Chopper has become cuter over time, which is largely due to his Japanese voice actress.
Chopper was well received by the audience
How did it turn out? Even before the release, it was clear that Chopper in the live-action adaptation was well done. The actor for Zorro, Mackenyu, hinted beforehand that he is a big fan of the little reindeer.
There were similar reactions at his reveal in the trailer. The reindeer shows up as a small mascot on two legs. Only with his transformations does he become more reindeer-like or even more human-like. In recent days, several threads have also been circulating on Reddit, stating that Chopper looks adorable.
After the adventures on Drum Island, the Straw Hat crew continues. The Baroque Works is one of the major enemies that the pirates will also have to deal with in Season 2. On MeinMMO, we have listed what happened to the individual members after the events in One Piece: The Baroque Works is the biggest enemy in One Piece Season 2, but what happened to them?
