Mackenyu Arata is on the cusp of a new horizon. Born and raised in Los Angeles, the Japanese actor has been cast in an onslaught of dramatic, high-impact action films, from the live-action adaption of the wildly popular anime One Piece (out on Netflix today), to Knights Of The Zodiac, a live-action remake of Japanese anime Saint Seiya, where he battles extraterrestrial beings as the film lead, Seiya.
Knitted short sleeve sweater, trousers with apron, boots, Dior Men.
Mackenyu is no stranger to live-action, but is quick to recall the pressure when working on a film with an existing, and oftentimes hardcore, fanbase. “I want to please the fans of that anime as well as people that may have never seen or heard of it before. But anime is anime, live action is live action,” Mackenyu notes, explaining his position on the matter. “If you love the anime, and that’s your thing, then that’s fine. But if you’re willing to open your mind a little and challenge yourself to watch something new, there is always something new that live-action can add. We are always thinking about how we can take things up a level and make it the very best we can.”
In the upcoming series One Piece, Mackenyu stars as the beloved Roronoa Zoro, right-hand man to crew captain and series protagonist Monkey D. Luffy. “As a Japanese kid, everyone knows about One Piece“, he smiles. Produced by Tomorrow Studios and Shueisha, who also published the fan-favourite manga, the live-action show-runners paid immaculate attention to detail to recreate the set and stay true to the complex worldbuilding by original writer Eiichiro Oda. “When I stepped foot on that Going Merry ship… It was something else. I couldn’t wait to tell all my friends and brag about it”, he laughs. “It was just awesome. It’s hopefully going to be a special experience for the fans too. We really brought One Piece to life and I just hope they’re going to like it, too.”
Charcoal grey top, charcoal grey trousers, white and black boots, charcoal grey belt, ‘Dior’ ring, Dior Men.
With these intensive, high-impact action roles comes a large physical undertaking. Leading up to his new films, Mackenyu devotes a good chunk of time to getting into character, which is a process he takes in stride. “There was a scene where I needed to take my shirt off for Knights Of The Zodiac, and leading up to filming we had an intense four months training. I actually enjoyed it a lot.” Becoming the body of the character was part and parcel of Mackenyu’s journey to better connect with his role. “I like to be as close to how I imagined that character when I first read the script”, he explains. “It’s something I look towards and always strive for from the beginning. It’s a process I need to do that keeps me confident about the role.”
The star had always been well acquainted with acting and entertainment, given his late father’s involvement in the industry. “I have been very familiar with the industry since I was a little boy, but my father never pressured me into being an actor.” Rather, acting came to Mackenyu naturally. “It was something that slowly developed inside me over time.” While Mackenyu’s father encouraged him to take his own path, this included his own journey within acting. “The most important thing I learned from him was to find my own path in the industry. Just to be myself.”
Yellow jacket, grey top, white trousers, brown helmet, white belt, Dior Men.
Aside from acting, Mackenyu is also an impassioned aesthete, and founded his own brand INCRM to bring a contemporary wardrobe of understated designs to his fans. “I love clothing and jewellery. I wanted to create a curated wardrobe with just the pieces I like.” The actor worked with designer Keiji Wakabayashi to bring his vision to life. “I just really loved his taste. He was the one who pushed me to make good clothing that I truly liked.” Despite his sharp dress sense and keen eye for streetwear, Mackenyu also loves to keep it casual. “Truthfully, my favourite outfit is a T-shirt, loungewear, and some socks”, he reveals with a grin.
An actor, a designer, a creative at heart. Mackenyu joins a collective of young Asian talent seeking to pave their own path in this industry. “I don’t really have anyone to look up to right now,” he admits. “I would love to be the one to influence others, you know, ten years from now. I would love for Japanese actors to really show the world what we’re capable of.”
Photographer: Maciej Kucia @AVGVST
Stylist: Masayuki Sakurai
Producer: Fumiko Sumi @AVGVST
Photo Assistants: Kimiko Ishikawa and Joshua Helius
Stylist Assistant: Manami Chiba
Hair and Makeup Artist: Itatsu
Hair and Makeup Assistant: Momone Nakamura
Editor
Carina Fischer