those of Netflix One piece still sailing strong. Season 2 reached the top spot after debuting in March with 16.8 million views, while the manga recently surpassed 600 million copies in print.
So naturally, the cast talk is already somewhere deep in Wano.
Susann Alicia, the German content creator known online as LienSue, has turned handmade anime costumes into a seven-figure career and amassed more than 6 million followers across her platforms. Now she’d like to add one more merit: playing Yamato if Netflix’s live-action adventure ever reaches that part of the Grand Line.
“I’ve read the manga, watched the anime, and defended Yamato in more comment sections than I can count,” Sue said in a statement. “At this point, I’m basically Yamato. Learning the lines would be the easy part.”
For anyone who needs a quick hacker briefing, the role is important. Yamato is the horned child of Kaido – a powerhouse from the Wano arc who idolizes the legendary samurai Kozuki Oden. Fans love the character, ranked 17th out of more than 1,500 contestants in the mid-term results of this year’s global competition. One piece popularity poll.
Sue doesn’t come to this role cold either. Her cosplay work has repeatedly gone viral on Reddit, Instagram, and Twitch since 2022 and has even been covered by gaming publications.
In 2024, she participated in streamer Emiru’s fourth annual cosplay contest as Yamato and placed second in the fan-voted Favorite Cat category, winning $2,500. The competition awarded over $50,000 to all cosplayers, with Sue standing out in a field full of Diablo, Ancient Ring, Destiny 2 And Final Fantasy XIV built.
Still, the OnlyFans model knows that winning on the internet with horns and a wig is not the same as getting on a set. “You can’t pretend to like Yamato,” she explained. “This fandom would see through it, which is exactly why I think a cosplayer should at least be a part of the conversation.”
This idea is not as far-fetched as it seems. Viral cosplayer Jessica Nigri built a name for herself on the convention circuit before landing voice roles in RWBY and Super Sonico. Even the current casting makes Sue’s speech a little less wild. Emily Rudd grew up watching anime, she fell in love One piece and said she wanted “just one chance” to play Nami. She landed the role from just one audition tape.
The good news for Sue is that she has plenty of time to make her point. Production on Season 3 wrapped in June and is heading to Alabasta, with Xolo Maridueña joining Ace and Cole Escola as Bon Clay. In other words, Wano is still far away on the map. “One piece fans know how to wait,” she teased. “I’m just making sure Netflix knows where to find me when the story finally gets to Yamato.”
Tags: Netflix One Piece