Mackenyu Raises the Stakes: Inside Zoro, Season 2, and the Art of Going Bigger
FUSION: As One Piece Season 2 has officially released, what do you think the fans are most excited about? What surprises, developments, or adventures are we seeing in this next chapter of the journey?
MACKENYU: BIGGER action, BIGGER adventures, and new devil fruit powers! There are a lot of new characters and new cast that all bring diverse challenges to the Straw Hats. Overall, we raised the stakes from season 1 tenfold and will always try to make the newest season the best season.
FUSION: What are some of your favorite memories from the Season 2 set as an actor, and how has your journey portraying Zoro on the big screen shaped your experience so far?
MACKENYU: Many memories come to mind, but perhaps the most memorable was filming the Whiskey Peak fight scene. We wouldn't settle for less than per- fection, yet with only 6 hours of prep time, the coordination of all 100 assassins and 'Zoro's' choreography were a massive but exciting challenge. We knew the fans were anticipating this scene and we created something we believe will be the highlight of the season for fans.
FUSION: Looking back at all your projects, what has been the most challenging role for you to embody so far—and what did you learn from pushing through that challenge?
MACKENYU: Zoro for sure. Due to the sheer amount of people from all different walks of life and the fact that this project and character are globally recognized, this has been my biggest challenge yet. It's always hard to please everyone, but it acted as motivation to make this character perfect. From this challenge, I learned that I can do it and excel. We can do anything we set our mind to.
FUSION: When you prepare for a new role, do you have a personal ritual, train- ing method, or way of getting into character that helps you fully transform?
MACKENYU: I like to see the sets, wardrobe, and the look of the character for the role. It helps me get into the character to see how they will be interacting, what they're wearing, and how they're perceived. I am not the most confident person, so I like to do the prep that I can by myself.
The majority of the prep, however, is done on set while I'm in character and in the atmosphere, which helps me understand the world better.