One Piece

My kids play and watch One Piece anime and love it! I wasn't terribly interested, but decided to give it a go. I'm glad I did! I enjoyed most of the Witcher (played the games as well), but in all honesty, this show is just more entertaining (yes, i realize a different genre but i was thrilled for the witcher series). The characters, especially Buggy (the clown), are well acted, fights scenes different and action-packed, and the cgi is rather good...that sea dragon should be in GoT or House of the Dragon! Now i have a fun show where i can kickback and relax, discuss the show with my kids, and now i'm a slightly intrigued about the game/anime. Thanks netflix, season 2 please!

I've never watched the anime or read the manga before, and honestly, wasn't fully sold by the trailer, but after I started watching it, I was hooked. I did not expect to enjoy this show as much as I did. The actors were well cast and the story was fun and compelling. You really get to like the characters, both heroes and villains, and want to see what happens to them. There's also a lot of heart to the story that goes beyond cliches. It was probably tricky to adapt an anime series into a live action format, and I feel it struck the right balance, and succeeded where other adaptations didn't.

Now I'm going to have to start watching the anime series, and it's a good thing Netflix has them.

Netflix had better renew this for more seasons or I'm canceling my subscription. After I watch the anime series, though.

One Piece has definitely lived up to all the hype surrounding it. One Piece is based off the anime show of the same name. It's about a guy named Monkey D. Luffy and his pirate crew. They explore the fantasy world of oceans and exotic islands in the search for the worlds ultimate treasure and the right to be called the Pirate King. Yes, it sounds like a kiddy version of Pirates of the Caribbean but it's not. As you can see it's gotten great ratings from fans and critics alike with a 8.5 score here and a 83% on Rotten Tomatoes. This is definitely going to be one of Netflix's next big shows. I just finished season one and already looking forward to next season.

Despite the negative reviews from some people who judged the series before watching it, I decided to give it a chance and watch the first episode. I was really surprised by how well they adapted the story from the manga, even though they made some changes to the plot. The changes did not affect the overall narrative and actually added some depth and complexity to the characters and the setting. The production value was impressive, with realistic costumes, props, special effects and PRACTICAL SETS. It felt like I was watching a movie rather than a TV show.

The first episode left me wanting more and curious about how the series will progress. I hope they will keep up the quality and the faithfulness to the source material.

Parenthetically I don't know anything about the source material in particular or anime in general.

The series is compulsively watchable for several reasons.

The first is the world-building. The setting is fantastical but the show makes it effortlessly understandable and relatable.

The second is the characters. The characters here are mostly tropes but they're so likeable and well-realized by the performers that you can't help getting invested in them.

The third is the sense of light-hearted positivity that pervades the series. It touches on some pretty dark issues but the show and its irrepressibly-optimistic protagonist always have a positive outlook. People's faith in one another is actually rewarded rather than being mocked or denigrated. Image that in 2023.