One Piece (2023)

I'm ready for more adventure

Speechless.

I don't know the first thing about One Piece. I've never watched an episode in my life and knew nothing more than Luffy. So essentially, I went in blind, and I'm so glad I did. I heard about this a while ago. Naturally, with the string of failed live action adaptations of anime, I was highly highly skeptical, but I decided to watch for Mackenyu anyway. Even from the first episode, it blew me out of the water (no pun intended).

It's so obvious how much love and passion they put into this project. Everything from the detailed sets, the costuming, the fight choreography, the personalities, the story arcs, and it acting, it all felt so genuine. Even as a non-OP fan, I couldn't help but smile at the world they were able to bring to life. I felt Luffy's passion. I felt their deep bond as they went from strangers to family. I felt their struggle to survive in the dangerous world. It took me on a rollercoaster of emotions as I went from laughing to tearing up within a few minutes.

I was so intensely invested in the crew's journey, I nearly forgot it was an 8 episode remake of a 1000+ ep anime. Now I think I can see why it's so popular and gone on for so long. Personally, I think Inaki did a fantastic job. Though I don't know Luffy's character, I can tell how much love he gave to his portrayal. In my case, he played such a lovable lead. His portrayal never felt overexaggerated or cringey to me. Whenever he showed up, I actually felt relieved? Zoro was certainly a standout too (or maybe i'm biased). Funnily enough, he had some of the best one-liners in the show. I also really couldn't ask for anybody else to play him. I think he's portrayed more seriously in this, which I personally thought fit with the overall atmosphere more. Buggy was fantastic as well. I'm excited to see more of him if they have future seasons.

In general, I adored the serious tone the show carried throughout. One of the things that always stopped me from watching One Piece was the comedy aspect, which I'm not a fan of. And this adaptation captured the more serious, realistic tone perfectly. Overall, it was just a splendid show. I'm in awe. I never would've thought I'd be as invested as I got. It created such a vibrant world, with addicting arcs, and likable characters. All in only 8 eps. I seriously highly recommend it to anyone a fan of action and adventure, even if you're a One Piece fan. It's honestly nearly perfect. I can't think of a single glaring fault.

Now I'm ready for season 2.

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Beginning of an EPIC journey

Wow! This live-action series really justifies the most popular and greatest manga of all time.

We tend to have this negative idea about the live-action series. They are based on the manga/cartoon/anime series that we all like. As a fan, we want to like them. But they can never meet our expectations. It is not easy to translate the manga/cartoon world into a live-action world. Most of the live-action series fail terribly. BUT, let me tell you, the one piece live-action successfully translated the magic of the One Piece manga/anime series. It is no doubt the best live-action series of all time (till now).

Questions & Answers:
1. What is this story about?
-This is a story about adventure, friendship, dreams, inspiration, reaching one's goal.
2. Is this series mainly for kids and young people (as many mangas and cartoons are targeted at young people)
-No, this is a series for all audiences. Especially for adult audiences. Anyone, kids, young and old people can watch and enjoy this series
3. Should you watch Manga/Anime before this?
-No, you don't need to watch. If you like this series, maybe you can start Manga/Anime after finishing this.
4. Does it feel unrealistic and manga/anime like other live-action series?
-One piece world is a fantasy world. It does feel unrealistic sometimes, but unrealistic in a good way. You get used to the world very quickly.
5. How is the pacing?
-It is fast-paced, and not many unnecessary events happen. Most of the events are important and have a meaning.
6. You don't like manga/anime, will you enjoy it?
-Yes, of course
7. Is it like other pirate series, i.e. Pirates of Caribean?
-No, only a few similarities. But overall it is different. It shows the pirates and pirate world in a totally different way that you never watched before.
8. Is there romance? (MDL viewers like romance)
-No, it is about friendship and adventure. It is full of emotions.
9. Is it better than the manga/anime?
-No, but almost the same. This series only covers the first part of the manga/anime series. Manga/anime gets far more interesting in the later part. If you only consider the first part, this live-action series is almost the same as Manga/anime.
10. How are the main characters and side characters?
-Very good! Very much likable. One of the best things about one piece manga/anime is its characters. The characters are some of the best in the entire book/TV industry. The live-action was only 8 episodes. It couldn't explore the details of the characters like the manga/anime did. But, still it did a pretty good job.
11. Should you watch it?
-A big yes. You should at least give it a try. There is a reason one piece is the greatest and most popular manga of all time.
12. You never liked other live-action series before, in fact, you disliked those. Will you like this series?
-Yes, this is unlike other live-action series. This is good.
13. Is there comedy? Will it make you laugh?
-Yes, yes. The humor is good, It will make you laugh in certain scenes.
14. How are action, and cinematography?
-Very, very good.

My Ratings:
Story: 10/10. One piece manga story will get a 10+ from me. Live action story gets a 10.
Acting: 10/10, just perfect. All the actors did a pretty good job
Music: 9/10, Very very good. All original tracks. All were good, but just wished they used some of the music/songs from the anime.
Rewatch Value: 9.5/10. Very high rewatch value. This is the kind of show that you would enjoy no matter how many times you watch it.
Overall ratings: 10/10

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