There were many surprises to Netflix's One Piece, including but not limited to how good it was compared to other anime-to-live-action adaptations, but one surprise that was lost on me until very recently (as in this morning) is how the live-action Buggy the Clown was received by fans.

Fans are thirsty for Buggy the Clown.

Buggy the Clown is one of the most bizarre antagonists in One Piece's long line of villains - even before he begins detaching his body parts. In the live-action One Piece season one on Netflix however, actor Jeff Ward clearly understood the assignment - pulling from the manga and anime renditions of his character, and then adding some sprinkles of something I'm still left wordless on to create a performance that became much more than a budget Jared Leto Joker, perfectly in tune with the One Piece fanbase as it grows into live-action.

Do you doubt the thirst? Check out the Buggy the Clown thirst posts over on Tumblr.

Given where Buggy goes in the anime and manga, I'm more curious than ever to see what Jeff Ward's Buggy the Clown does in One Piece season two and beyond.

One Piece: How to watch the pirate franchise anime & live action in chronological order before the Netflix show.