Rob Colletti, who plays Wapol in Netflix’s live-action One Piece series, has strongly defended his co-star Charithra Chandran against online criticism. Chandran was cast as Princess Vivi for the show’s upcoming second season, which recently wrapped filming, and is set to release in 2026.
The backlash began after Netflix released a teaser for One Piece Season 2 during a franchise celebration event in Tokyo. The preview showed first looks at new cast members, including Chandran as Vivi, Lera Abova as Nico Robin, and Callum Kerr as Smoker. Some fans took issue with Chandran’s casting because she is of Tamil-Indian descent, while the character Vivi appears with fair skin in the original anime.
Colletti called out what he described as a “small but far too vocal” group of fans who criticized the casting choice. In a statement posted on his Instagram story, he expressed shock at how these fans could accept fantastical elements like rubber pirates and talking animals but draw the line at casting decisions involving race.
Wapol actor highlights creator’s personal involvement in casting
The actor emphasized that One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda, who has been very involved in Netflix’s adaptation process, personally selected Chandran for the role. Colletti stated that Oda “has far more knowledge and understanding of his own characters than anyone else, particularly the hateful, unimaginative creeps who actually have the audacity to get on the internet to throw hate speech towards an actor without even seeing their absolutely amazing performance on the show.”
First official look at Charithra Chandran as Nefertari Vivi in the ‘ONE PIECE’ live-action pic.twitter.com/1bN52HRZIG
— ScreenTime (@screentime) August 10, 2025
Colletti also pointed out that the Kingdom of Alabasta, where Vivi’s character originates, draws inspiration from Middle Eastern and southern Asian cultures. He argued that Chandran’s casting actually honors Oda’s intended vision for the character and the world he created.
The actor thanked supportive fans while calling out problematic behavior within the fanbase. He wrote that fans who could suspend disbelief for devil fruits and sea monsters but not for diverse casting choices were the real problem. Colletti described this behavior as “ignorant” and “embarrassing,” urging these fans to “be better” and “do better.”
Meanwhile, Chandran has been dealing with direct harassment on social media. Her recent Instagram stories showed screenshots of abuse and criticism from fans, though she also thanked supporters for their encouragement. The actress simply wrote “Thank you so much for all your support” alongside a heart emoji in response to both the hate and the defense from fellow cast members and fans.
