TV Review: One Piece Live Action – Season Two

Picking up the pace with more quirky characters, lots of fighting, and some tearjerker moments as Season 2 sails into the Grand Line.

After a long wait, the second season of Netflix’s One Piece live action series has finally arrived. Season One of One Piece was a hit with a range of fans as it explored the adventures of a pirate boy and his ragtag crew. Due to the quirky nature of anime in general, it’s normally a challenge to bring those fantastical stories and characters to life in a live action format. Fortunately, Season One managed to navigate the source material’s wild visuals and storytelling to create a show that appealed to everyone from complete newcomers to superfans. The show has strong diversity in its characters and great character chemistry which draws the audience in. In Season One we met the five original Straw Hat crew members, one at a time, with pacing that allowed for poignant backstories and the development of strong character chemistry in the midst of some big adventures. In Season Two, the slower pace is gone, and the show dives right into a dizzying array of new, outlandish characters along with lots of fight scenes brought on by the busy new antagonist, Baroque Works. While the new adventures lack the wonder of the first season, the characters are still charming and the adventures are still entertaining, particularly for long time fans.

Summary: Luffy (Iñaki Godoy) is an enthusiastic adolescent boy in pursuit of his dream to become a pirate and to ultimately become the “king” of the pirates. To do this he must find a hidden treasure known as the One Piece. Luffy gradually assembles a rag-tag but loyal crew to join him on his hunt for the One Piece which is hidden in a dangerous place known as the Grand Line. Among his crew are Zoro (Mackenyu), a fierce and cynical swordfighter; Nami (Emily Rudd), a cartographer and navigator; Usopp (Jacob Romero), a shipbuilder with a knack for exaggeration; and Sanji (Taz Skylar), a suave chef who is talented at both cooking and fighting. Luffy calls his crew the Straw Hat Pirates in honor of the straw hat he wears. Season 2 begins with Luffy and his crew finally entering the Grand Line and realizing how much they underestimated its wild nature and complicated politics. The primary antagonist for the second season is an assassin agency known as Baroque Works whose oddball killers target Luffy and his crew. But things get more complicated when Luffy comes to the aid of Vivi, an undercover princess, and meets a shapeshifting reindeer named Chopper. 

While the first season did a good job of entertaining a wide range of viewers, Season Two seems more targeted to established fans. Many of the new villains appear with little introduction and the plot moves fast as new obstacles and new adventures arrive. But, as in the first season, we are helped out by explanatory signs that fly onto the screen when a new character is introduced. The design and presentation are different from the first season, but it’s still a helpful tool, especially if it’s been a while since you’ve consumed the anime and don’t immediately catch the characters’ outlandish visual cues. The new adventure brings to life episodes of the anime’s early story arcs including the amusing giants of Little Garden and the tragic oppressed kingdom of Drum Island. As the plot and the pirate ship move along, several of the show-stealing characters from the live action’s first season are left behind, or only have brief moments on screen, including pirate captain Buggy the Clown, the pure-hearted Koby, and the stern marine commander Garp.

Fortunately, Season Two adds appealing new characters with particularly good acting. Among the best are the determined Princess Vivi, played by Bridgerton’s Charithra Chandan, and the stalwart, guilt-ridden Drum Island soldier Dalton (Ty Keough), the ultimate green flag hero who finds his true strength. But the most fun arrivals are the sweet and much awaited, Tony Tony Chopper (Mikaela Hoover) and his gruff mentor Dr. Kureha (perfectly played by Katy Sagal). One Piece stands out in anime for its particularly fantastical characters in very outlandish costumes. The live action show does a good job of adapting the character designs, rather than just directly copying them, so they fit in a real-life setting. This is especially true for the adorable Chopper, an orphaned reindeer who gets turned into a human-reindeer hybrid after eating a magical devil fruit. Chopper is the kind of character who seems impossible to pull off in a live action but the show succeeds in making him believably real and endearing, rather than artificial and creepy. Like Golum in the Lord of the Rings movie, Chopper is presented via motion capture so the facial expressions are heartbreakingly engaging.

Some of the future main characters like Brook and Nico Robin appear briefly as set ups for future story arcs in future seasons. The main plot of Season Two is Baroque Works versus the Straw Hat Pirate. With so many Baroque Works agents the story focuses more on adventure and fights and less on the slow moments of character introspection that we saw in Season One. However, we do get some thoughtful and emotionally impactful intervals with the tragic stories of Chopper and his former mentor Dr. Hiruluk, and also with Dalton finding his voice and strength to deal with the despotic oppression of his people. There is even a rare quiet moment of Sanji recalling cooking for his sick mother when he was a child.

While Season Two doesn’t have the same magic of the first season, it is still a fun adventure that manages to capture some moments of emotional storytelling and manages to showcase some appealing new characters. The pacing is fast and the tale feels like it is over quickly, leaving viewers anticipating the next adventure in the Grand Line. But overall, long time fans will enjoy seeing more of the major characters come to life in this latest wild adventure.

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The Math

Nerd Coefficient: 7/10

Highlights:

• Faster pacing, more fighting
• Appealing new characters
• Emotional moments buried in the non-stop action

POSTED BY: Ann Michelle Harris – Multitasking, fiction writing Trekkie currently dreaming of her next beach vacation.

Review: One Piece (Live Action)

A wild adventure that works for super-fans as well as newcomers seeking a break from the ordinary

One Piece is one of the traditional “Big 3” anime, along with Naruto and Bleach. Unlike Naruto, which leans heavily into intense character development, or Bleach, which deals with psychological and moral concepts, One Piece is more of an in-your-face anime with particularly bizarre characters and settings, as well as an irreverent attitude for just about everything. Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece manga has a record-breaking 500 million volumes in print. The anime adaptation began in 1999, and has over a thousand episodes and millions of loyal fans who can’t wait to see what will happen next in the twenty-four-year-old series. However, live action adaptations of anime (or any animated stories) are often difficult to execute because elements that work in animation often don’t translate well to live action. As a result, even hardcore fans of One Piece were unsure of what to expect from this new version of the story.

Fortunately, the One Piece live action series has managed to navigate the source material’s wild visuals and storytelling to create a show that will appeal to long-time fans as well as those with ambivalent feelings about the story and those who are completely new to it. Netflix’s adaptation of the One Piece manga is an ambitious and surreal journey through Oda’s world of wonder and mystery. Each storyline provides new takes on the classic journey of the iconic rubber pirate and his band of deadly misfits. A notable part of this show is the diversity of its characters, enhancing the feeling of immersion as the crew travels throughout the world. This is especially evident in the show’s main cast, which consists of actors from several different countries, all bringing their own style of acting to the show.

Summary: Luffy (Iñaki Godoy) is an enthusiastic adolescent boy in pursuit of his dream to become a pirate and to ultimately become the “king” of the pirates. To do this, he must find a hidden treasure known as the One Piece. The Marines are a multi-national government military force designed to maintain law and order. As such, they fight against, arrest, and execute pirates. Through various acts of kindness or heroism, Luffy gradually assembles a rag-tag but loyal crew to join him on his hunt for the One Piece, which is hidden in a dangerous place known as the Grand Line. Among his crew are Zoro (Mackenyu), a fierce and cynical swordfighter and former pirate hunter; Nami (Emily Rudd), a cartographer and navigator with a tragic past; Usopp (Jacob Romero), a shipbuilder with a knack for exaggeration; and Sanji (Taz Skylar), a suave chef who is talented at both cooking and fighting. Luffy calls his crew the Straw Hat Pirates in honor of the straw hat he wears—a gift from Luffy’s childhood mentor and protector, the pirate captain Shanks (Peter Gadiot). In his initial search for a map of the Grand Line, Luffy is opposed by fearsome Marine Vice-Admiral Garp (Vincent Regan), who has an unexpected connection to Luffy. He must also deal with the cruel pirate captain Arlong (McKinley Belcher, III) and bizarre pirate captain Buggy the Clown, fantastically played by Jeff Ward. Luffy is also befriended by Koby (Morgan Davies), a captive boy he rescues and who later joins the Marines.

Despite being a live action series, One Piece retains the fantastical elements from the anime and manga. Characters communicate through giant snail-phones (yes, actual giant snails). Luffy’s main superpower is his stretchy, rubber body acquired by eating a devil-fruit, which also steals his ability to survive in water (a bit of a problem for a career pirate). Buggy the Clown can pull off parts of his body and use them as weapons. The story’s main antagonist, Arlong, is a fishman with a sawfish face. The show leans into the fantastical characters while maintaining a dark undertone. This creates a balanced level of tension because the audience is never quite sure what will happen next—something that seems comic or campy may quickly turn violent or dark. Still, the show does tone down some of the over-the-top elements from the anime: Usopp has a normal face, Nami wears normal clothes (not bikini tops), Sanji is charming and flirtatious but not obnoxious. The least toned-down character is Luffy. Iñaki Godoy’s loud, childish, energetic portrayal of the main character is actually consistent with the source material, but is harder to pull off in a live action format.

Like Naruto in Naruto Shippuden, Luffy functions as the center around which other, more complex, characters orbit. He is the connecting point for Zoro, Nami, Usopp, and Sanji, all of whom have interesting backstories (played by five outstanding child actors) that lead them to join Luffy’s hunt for the One Piece. From cynical Zoro and Nami to lighthearted Usopp and Sanji, the characters take us on an adventure that feels like a journey through a grown-up version of The Wizard of Oz or The Neverending Story. ‘Grown-up’ is a key word because One Piece has significant elements of violence and oppression.

Long-time, hard core fans of One Piece should be aware that the live action series is based on the early episodes of the show and condenses or skips some storylines. After all, this is an adaptation. Many of the characters and stories are reimagined for the live action screen but still retain the spirit of the narrative.

The show emphasizes classic themes such as sacrifice, grief, and loyalty as seen in the backstories of the five main characters, each of whom has suffered a personal loss or has had someone make a profound sacrifice for them. The concept of morality is also explored through the different episodes. Nami is a cynical thief with a surprising motivation. Luffy explains that he is going to be a different kind of pirate from the violent marauders others have been. Idealistic Koby discovers the Marines have some very bad elements. Additionally, Koby’s relationship with the fierce Vice-Admiral Garp is contrasted with Luffy’s relationship to Garp as the show depicts the pressure of outside expectations versus individual determination. Koby also becomes a representative for the viewers, calling out absurdities that other characters take for granted.

Despite its flaws, the One Piece live action series will appeal to long-time fans or those who were unsure about the anime, as well as those who know nothing about Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates. When you are ready for a break from the ordinary, One Piece may be just the wild adventure you need.

Nerd Coefficient: 8/10.

Highlights

• Wild visual effects and excellent acting

• Uneven delivery of both of the above

• Well done updates while maintaining the spirit of the source materials

• Works for both fans and newcomers

POSTED BY: Ann Michelle Harris (with help from Chris Jordan) – Multitasking, fiction writing Trekkie currently dreaming of her next beach vacation.