Netflix’s One Piece

One Piece + LEGO= AWESOME!!

Aside Roderick J "Jay" Friz Anime, Anime Reviews , , , , , ,

LEGO One Piece Review

You know what I love? LEGO! I’ve been a fan of LEGO ever since my parents bought me LEGO ISLAND when I was a little boy, and I have seen many amazing themes over the years. BIONICLE, Star Wars, Ninjago, Monkie Kid, and more. But I thin one of the most recent themes that I’ve enjoyed seeing has been One Piece. Based on the Live-Action Netflix adaptation of the legendary anime, the Netflix series has been a surprising hit for both newcomers and longtime fans alike. Imagine my surprise when I found out that Netflix and LEGO teamed up to make us a two-part special. The result was something that I enjoyed just as much as I thought as I thought I would. And I thought that I would enjoy it a lot.

One Piece, But With LEGO

The framing of this two-part special is that Usopp is telling Chopper about the adventures the Straw Hat Pirates had before they met Chopper. Well, it’s more like Usopp is trying to tell the story in a way that makes him look cool. Because if there’s one thing that Usopp is known for besides being a master marksman, it’s telling tall tales. Though tall tales seem like a bit of a stretch in this case, as it should be noted that the LA Netflix series tends to tone down the more outrageous aspects of its cast. It’s less Netflix trying to make the story feel more grounded, and more about them accepting the fact that there were things from the series that are physically impossible to recreate. So, even when Usopp is embellishing the Straw Hats’ adventures, it’s not by much.  

The good news about being animated like its anime counterpart, One Piece is able to unleash its full creativity in LEGO form. And considering how good LEGO has gotten with these stop-motion-inspired specials over the years, it’s safe to say that our heroes were in good hands. As an added bonus, the softer and lighter tone that LEGO naturally brings to the field means that the series can more fully indulge in the comedic aspects that are a big part of the franchise. This aspect becomes more noticeable if you watch in Japanese. The seiyuu sound far more energetic compared to when they’re dubbing the live action. Or maybe that’s just me. Either way, it feels like a good cure for the withdrawal fans are feeling since the anime is on break until next year.

This was good stuff

The best way I can summarize these specials was put by someone from Gizmodo in his review: it’s like looking at how YouTubers like to abridge series, such as the famous TeamFourStar with DBZ Abridged. It keeps the general story beats intact but makes them funnier for the sake of entertainment. Which isn’t that hard, because, again, One Piece is an inherently funny series. Still, it did surprise me that LEGO would agree to make these specials. One Piece is already famous around the world, but the Star Wars shows and specials gave me the impression that they only did this with themes that are super popular. Then again, I’m pretty sure a big part of the reasons the sets have sold so well is because of the established fan base. Not that I’m complaining. I want more LEGO One Piece, and for LEGO to try their hands with more anime.

Which reminds me…

WE ARE GETTING A LEGO DRAGON BALL SET

This is not a joke. This is not a fake or something made by some AI prompt. There is, in fact, going to be a LEGO Dragon Ball set coming in November. The fact that cast members from Dragon Ball as well as the big anime fans out there were reacting to this pretty much confirmed it. I don’t know if I’m going to get it for myself as I already have an abundance of LEGOs in my house, but I think it would make a good stocking stuffer for Christmas this year. If it does well enough, maybe we’ll get more!

Netflix ‘One Piece’ Gets an Unprecedented Season Two

Aside Roderick J "Jay" Friz Anime , , , , , , , , ,

Why the Live-Action One Piece Getting a Second Season is a Big Deal

Over the years, Netflix has tried to adapt popular anime into a live-action format, only to fall flat on their faces. Their live-action Cowboy Bebop got canceled less than a month after first premiering. And their film adaptation of Death Note was hated so much, the director deleted his Twitter to avoid the death threats. Needless to say, anime fans are adamant about any adaptations being true to the source. Then, Netflix decided to team up with mangaka Eichiro Oda to adapt his legendary series, One Piece. And despite the stigma surrounding live-action adaptations, One Piece succeeded where so many others failed. It was good! It didn’t reach the same levels of comedy as the original story, but it captured the spirit of the series in a way few had.

The show’s success is apparent to Netflix and fans alike. At the time of this writing, it’s consistently remained in the top ten most-watched shows on the platform. In addition, it’s garnered more popularity than the Ahsoka miniseries. Fans waited years for that to come out, and One Piece blew it out of the water. Thus, it comes as no surprise when Eichiro Oda himself announced on social media that the series would be getting a second season.

An Unprecedented Decision

This decision is unprecedented. While live-action adaptations of anime have gotten sequels in movie format, such as Ruronori Kenshin, to the best of my knowledge, it’s never happened to a show itself. In a recent interview with Deadline, executive producers Marty Adelstein and Becky Clements admitted that they already have a roadmap planned out for six seasons of the show. If it does well enough, though, they have plans for twelve seasons. If that’s true, then Netflix could attempt to adapt the entire series over the next ten or so years. 

Those familiar enough with One Piece will know how Herculean a task this is. One Piece is a series with a thousand-plus chapters under its belt, and a near-equal amount of anime episodes. In other words, there’s a lot of material to cover. If the people at Netflix are truly investing in this for the long haul, then they’re going to have make a lot of hard decisions. How much of the material will they choose to adapt per episode? Assuming they choose to give season two the same number of episodes as the first one, they will have to condense a lot of material. At best, they’ll be covering the Loguetown arc all the way up to the end of the Alabasta Saga. That’s a tall order to fill!

Then there’s also the manner of how much this will cost them. As One Piece progresses, the fights become more elaborate and fantastical. Considering how many of the opponents that Luffy and the others will be facing from this point onward will have Devil Fruit powers, they will have to find a way to adapt them to live action. That means a lot of money will go towards special effects and related issues. One of the future Straw Hat’s alone will have to be created entirely by CGI. Adapting most of this will cost a lot of money!

Fortune Favors the Bold…and the Crazy

Regardless of the cost, though, it seems likely that Netflix will be willing to pay whatever they have to ensure that their adaptation of One Piece is a success. Despite some nitpicks, the show has largely been a success, capturing the spirit of the anime and manga in live-action form. Countless people worldwide are getting into One Piece thanks to the live-action series. Before, many would refrain from getting into the franchise, intimidated by its sheer length and size. The live-action series serves as a mean for newcomers to get into One Piece without having to spend days binging the anime or manga, making it an appealing alternative for those lacking free time. 

As for Oda, he’s getting the chance to retell one of the greatest stories in recorded human history: his story. It’s not even complete, and it can already stand toe-to-toe with legendary, centuries-old tales. With the right planning, advertising, and Oda’s steady hand, it could become the big show to watch in the 2020s. Even if it isn’t, though, One Piece has already secured its legacy for generations to come.

That, and there’s no way it could do worse than the end to Game of Thrones.