How ‘One Piece’ Used VFX, Prosthetics and Performers to Deliver Tony Tony Chopper’s Live-Action Season 2 Debut (Exclusive)

Share on Facebook Share on X Google Preferred Share to Flipboard Show additional share options Share on LinkedIn Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share on Tumblr Share on Whats App Send an Email Print the Article Post a Comment Logo text [This story contains spoilers from One Piece season two.] In Netflix ’s live-action One Piece adaptation, the epic journey of the Straw Hat Pirates is as much about where you go and what you face as who is along for the ride. And in season two, one of the most anticipated characters joining Luffy (Iñaki Godoy) and the Going Merry crew on their journey through the Grand Line is Tony Tony Chopper. Straight from Eiichiro Oda’s best-selling manga, the beloved talking reindeer makes his official debut as part of the Drum Island arc. A character bursting with emotion — and the occasional profanity — Chopper’s story is connected to one of season two’s biggest themes. “Chopper and Dr. Hiriluk’s story is so much about saying nothing is impossible,” co-showrunner Joe Tracz tells The Hollywood Reporter . “Which is a mantra that is very close to Luffy’s heart, too.” Related Stories TV Bert Kreischer's Netflix Sitcom 'Free Bert' Renewed for Season 2 Movies Oscars: Canadian Animators Win Big With 'KPop Demon Hunters,' 'Girl Who Cried Pearls' According to actress Mikaela Hoover, who serves as Chopper’s voice and facial motion capture performer, the character’s backstory and interpersonal relationships were deeply relatable. “At the end of the day, he just really wants to be accepted,” she explains. “I’ve also experienced not feeling seen, somebody loving you, and then turning their back on you. I feel so connected to him in those ways that it was easy to pull from my own experiences when I embody him. I feel like I’m healing some childhood wounds in myself.” While Chopper’s journey to becoming a Straw Hat is poignant, translating the character into a live-action form that could earnestly capture that presented a few challenges, with Oda even ack...