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.