Title: One Piece (Rating)
Year:
Running Time: 8 episodes
Director: Marc Jobst, Emma Sullivan, Tim Southam, Josef Kubota Wladyka
Cast: Inaki Godoy (Monkey D. Luffy), Emily Rudd (Nami), Mackenyu (Roronoa Zoro)
Notes: None
Rating: 10
Thoughts: After the execution of an infamous pirate all the worst pirates aim to trace the hidden One Piece treasure. A young Monkey D. Luffy is the newest pirate on the scene.
This is originally a Manga story and the initial stages had me feeling that it was just a bit daft and silly. There's then something that just clicks. It remains daft and silly, but suddenly it seems to have a purpose.
Monkey sets about recruiting his own, initially reluctant, crew of misfits whilst encountering and defeating a range of infamous pirates. Let the chaos begin!
It's all set in an alternate reality present with some great fantasy elements, all placed in an ocean-dominated world. Fishmen are terrifying raiders who can leap to the attack straight from the sea. Various characters have odd traits after eating Devil Fruit. The lead character is made of rubber, another can't be dismembered, and another can move incredibly quickly.
The lead character is infectiously optimistic and Godoy really brings this to life. It allows all the others to focus on certain character traits. This includes Zoro, a tortured swordsman determined to be the best, who has a taste for strong drinks. Or Nami who is secretly working for another pirate while all the time wanting to buy back the village she appears to have betrayed.
The very different ideas just keep coming and the pace is great. It all looks very made up and thrives off that look. It was well worth keeping going after the start and it's no surprise a second series has been commissioned.
It's a tireless romp and the first series is in many ways just the lead character getting his crew together.