One Piece: Is Netflix's anime adaptation for kids? Look at the age rating

One Piece's live action debut is heading to Netflix. But what age range is it for?

One Piece is an anime some of us have grown up with. With the adaptation of Eiichiro Oda's pirate manga having first aired in the US almost 20 years ago, some fans that got into the show as kids now have their own kids. And with a live-action adaptation of One Piece coming to Netflix in just a few weeks, those OG fans are no doubt excited to share the franchise with their families.

But just how kid-friendly is One Piece, the anime or the upcoming live-action series? It's more adult than you might think, but that's okay. Popverse is diving into the series' age ratings to find out.

If I pitched you a show about a stretchy pirate boy and his sheep-headed ship, you might think it was aimed at a younger demographic. But you'd be wrong. US Netflix gives the One Piece anime a TV-14 rating which, according to the Federal Communications Commission, means it may contain intensely suggestive dialogue, strong coarse language, intense sexual situations, or intense violence. Along with a TV-14 rating, the FCC includes the note "Parents Strongly Cautioned." Netflix itself calls out the show's "fear, language, nudity, self-harm, smoking," and "substances."

Now, if you've seen the series, that might sound a little harsh. There's not a ton of swearing and sexual situations are seldom if present at all. But without spoiling anything, the warning about violence is warranted. There are some pretty fraught situations that the Straw Hat Pirates encounter, and a couple gruseome deaths along the way. And we can expect more of the same if the live-action adaptation is faithful to the story.

Fans hoping for a live adaptation that's close to the anime will probably be excited to hear that the upcoming One Piece series is also rated TV-14. According to Netflix's series page, that TV-14 rating comes with elements of language, nudity, self-harm, smoking," and of course, "violence."

Of course, this rating doesn't take into account your personal feelings of whether live-action or carton violence is easier to stomach, and again, this is just the rating for US viewers. Which reminds me...

The One Piece anime is rated 12A in the United Kingdom, a designation from Netflix that follows the guidelines of the BBC. 12A is pretty darn close to TV-14, in that it cautions parents to consider whether or not their younger children should watch the show. My guess is that the new live-action adaptaion will also earn that rating, but that's just speculation. We'll have to wait for the release to find out.

Netflix's live-action One Piece will be available to stream August 31.

Ahead of the first live adaptation of Eiichiro Oda's hit manga, check out our One Piece anime watch order.