The Netflix live action series “One Piece” has been released and netizens are gushing over the actor who plays the role of Roronoa Zoro.
Japanese actor Mackenyu (Mackenyu Arata) plays the role of swordsman Roronoa Zoro in “One Piece.” He is 26 years old and was born in the US in 1996. He started his activities in Japan in 2014. His marriage to a non-celebrity woman was announced last January.
Mackenyu as Roronoa Zoro in "One Piece" (Netflix)
After “One Piece” was released on Netflix on Aug. 31, netizens were charmed by Mackenyu’s handsome features and sexy body.
“One Piece” topped Netflix’s Global Top 10 English TV list from Aug. 28 to Sept. 3 with 18.5 million views and some netizens commented that it got popular because of Zoro.
“It’s all because of Zoro,” one netizen commented while another wrote, “Yung FAN daw ng OP, pero si ZORO lang kilala (Claiming to be a fan of OP [One Piece] but only knows ZORO).”
Since the release of “One Piece,” the number of Mackenyu’s Instagram followers has skyrocketed and reached 4.1 million.
Since Aug. 30, his Instagram followers have increased by nearly one million. As of Sept. 7, his Instagram followers totaled 4,128,853, an increase of 944,408 followers from 3,184,445 on Aug. 30, according to analytics firm Social Blade.
Before the release of “One Piece, Mackenyu got a daily average increase of 4,635 followers on Instagram from Aug. 26 to 30.
In November 2021, it was announced that Mackenyu was cast in "One Piece."
Netflix's announcement (Netflix)
In an article on Netflix’s Tudum, series co-creator Matt Owens praised Mackenyu for his portrayal of Zoro.
“He’s a phenomenal fighter and having an actor like Mackenyu playing this role… every time I see him doing his own stunts, doing action, fighting, it’s one of the most exciting parts of the show, and Mackenyu really brings it,” said Owens.
Mackenyu said he grew up idolizing the swordsman.
“I was born in 1996, so ONE PIECE has been around my entire life… If you’re Japanese, it’s impossible not to know about it,” said Mackenyu.
For “One Piece,” Mackenyu had his ears pierced.
“They were painful. But for Zoro, I’d do anything,” he said.
In 2017, he won Newcomer of the Year for “Chihayafuru” at the Japan Academy Film Prize.
Mackenyu (Instagram)