One Piece

Every live action anime that I've briefly seen has been nothing short of a disaster, and considering how many times Netflix tried to bring Anime's to life I thought One Piece was about to receive the same fate. But to my surprise I was wrong.

Just 3 episodes in you could tell the care the creators put into this show. The set designs, the action sequences, and even to my surprise the actors bring so much.

Iñaki Godoy as Luffy is to my surprise holding his own in this role. Luffy is such a love or hate character and imagining a live action for him seems like a recipe for disaster. But Godoy somehow is able to maintain the goofiness within the character without making him unbearable, and that deserves some applause. I think Emily Rudd, Mackenyu, Morgan Davies, and Jacob Romero are great as well.

And as someone who's only watched the first 10-15 episodes of One Piece, I love the route they went with Buggy in episode 2 compared to the beginning of the Anime/Manga. Jeff Ward made him extremely terrifying in the show and the way they used the crowd as prisoners, forcing them to clap was slightly terrifying.

I wasn't even sure if they'd do the iconic Shanks moment early on for budget reasons, but they did it and it was actually great. Not to say everything is perfect because at times the show can get a little too cartoony for me, but my low expectations were blown away. I'm glad to see the awful live action anime stereotype take a hit and potentially make room for other people who aspire to bring an anime to life, and even with a very small chance, potentially do it justice like we saw here.

It's only season 1 and there is plenty of room for error, but I'm glad to say I've been proven wrong and I actually have hope for this adaptation.

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.

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.

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.

I'm a 60yo man & old school like the The Marine Admiral 😄. I've never heard of One Piece anime, in fact I'm not into anime at all. But this, this was a complete experience, it is bloody addictive.

The main characters optimism & acceptance of others pursuing their dreams regardless of whether or not he agrees with them or indeed they're the dreams of his enemies is a thing of beauty. The kids attitude to his fellow man is admirable & his attitude toward pursuing his own life should serve as a lesson to us all.

The other characters come together nicely too, each different but each with unique problems & gifts - they gel nicely.

I can't put my finger on why I loved this show, I just did. It's quirky, it's violent, it's gentle, it's about battles, friendships, dreams, courage, fear & loyalty, & all of it done meaningfully.

It's also beautiful to look at.

I hope there is a season 2. It deserves to continue.

Bravo 👏