Wealth, fame, energy. Within the two and a half a long time since Eiichiro Oda first created the legendary manga-turned-anime collection One Piece, it has obtained this and every thing else the world has to supply. Since 1997, the swashbuckling Shonen Leap serial has maintained a rare degree of adoration and recognition, culminating in record-breaking gross sales and one of many longest-running anime collection round. Suffice to say that, very like collection’ protagonist Monkey D. Luffy himself, One Piece has constructed up one thing of a fame for itself: a legacy stuffed with surprise, journey, exuberance, and only a pinch of notoriety, because of its ever-expanding episode rely. Now, the Straw Hat Pirates have set course for a brand new journey, by way of tumultuous waters and guided by the whims of streaming service executives; One Piece now has a live-action Netflix collection. And, very like the crew’s different ventures, it is a significantly enjoyable time.
Following the less-than-enthusiastic reception of Netflix’s Loss of life Word and Cowboy Bebop diversifications, there’s been a good bit of trepidation relating to the challenge. Whereas Japan has been creating profitable live-action anime diversifications for fairly a while, America has struggled to completely grasp the je ne sais quoi that makes these collection so beloved. Netflix’s One Piece, nonetheless, has discovered resounding success, creating an adaptation that clearly cherishes its supply materials whereas additionally forging its personal identification. Although it would undergo from a couple of of the pains that have a tendency to return with turning manga into live-action television–awkward dialogue and cinematography chief amongst them–Netflix has unearthed buried treasure with this one.
Set in a world comparable but dramatically completely different to our personal, One Piece kicks off shortly after the daybreak of the Nice Pirate Period–a time frame following the dying of the nice pirate Gold Roger, wherein numerous pirates took to the ocean to search out the fortune that he left behind in–wait for it–one piece. Amongst these pirates is Monkey D. Luffy (Iñaki Godoy), who goals of discovering this treasure and changing into King of the Pirates. Whereas some may discover Luffy and his agency perception in following his dream in any respect prices naive, all through the present he proves time and time once more that his tenacity and youthful vitality is his biggest power. Nicely, apart from the rubber physique he attained by way of supernatural means.
Luffy’s dedication to being a sort particular person and steadfast buddy finally endears him to a band of lovable (and badass) misfits with goals of their very own: Roronoa Zoro (Mackenyu), a proficient fighter who desires to develop into the best swordsman on the planet; Nami (Emily Rudd), a mysterious thief who desires to create a map of the world; Usopp (Jacob Romero Gibson), a tall-tale spinning marksman who desires to learn to be courageous; and Sanji (Taz Skyler), a flirtatious prepare dinner who desires to search out the world’s greatest substances to prepare dinner with. Over the course of the eight-episode run, these 5 people assist each other course of previous pains, tackle the World Authorities’s elite forces, fend off rival pirates, and in the end band collectively to type probably the most lovable crew of pirates round.
Whereas this may sound like rather a lot (and to be truthful, it’s), showrunners Matt Owens and Steven Maeda deal with it masterfully. The collection has character and coronary heart, largely because of its charismatic solid. There are a couple of character deviations while you evaluate the Straw Hats of the present to the Straw Hats we all know and love from the manga, however every actor manages to make their character really come to life and has a nice rapport with the opposite solid members. Secondary characters–from Shanks, Garp, Koby, Helmeppo, Zeff, and Kaya, to Arlong, Kuro, Mihawk, and the decidedly Joker-fied Buggy–are all dazzling, and really feel virtually delightfully spot-on to their manga counterparts.
The present’s visuals are extra of a combined bag, with the combat choreography, set items, and a few of the digicam work and particular results being significantly skillful, whereas different results, cinematography, and color-grading decisions depart a bit to be desired. Essentially the most egregious a part of the present may simply be its overly-sepia tone, which appears counter to One Piece’s colourful world and the way vivid the anime is. In the meantime, some results can hit CW-levels of awkward (one villain’s jolty tremendous velocity being a obtrusive instance) and the digicam work could be frenetic in a peculiar method, which makes a few of the extra pressured line deliveries really feel extra stilted than they already are.
That stated, Netflix’s One Piece manages to seize a lot of the sincerity, coronary heart, and spirit of journey that Oda’s magnum opus has constantly delivered for practically three a long time. With a charismatic and brilliantly assembled solid, dynamic choreography, an excellent quantity of anime absurdity left intact, and a handful of plot and character adjustments that make the collection extra digestible to Netflix’s viewers, it succeeds in creating a really endearing first season.