Oda

I’m Calling Nami the Weather Queen after This

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

One Piece Ep 1159 Review

Well, it looks like my prediction was spot-on! This is the last episode that we will be spending in this little mini-arc that was the Block Kingdom! On the last piece of One Piece, Luffy, Zoro, Nami, Usopp, and Chopper managed to confront the “Sun God” who created the LEGO set they woke up in and thoroughly enrage them. Now, they’re on the run from an angry Giant who wants to keep them captive forever for his own amusement. But, as I felt when I was reading the manga, this guy must not be very smart if they think they can hold Monkey D. Luffy!

RUN AWAY FROM THE GIANT!

The vast majority of this episode can be summed as resembling the climax to the classic fairy tale, Jack and the Beanstalk. Well, the parts where the main character is being chased by the Giant, at least. The only thing the Straw Hats stole was the blueprints to the Block Kingdom, and given how they woke up unwilling captives and want to escape, they’re justified. Using the giant cat that Luffy is forcing to obey them, they’re making a dash for the other side of the Block Kingdom. Which, in case it wasn’t obvious, is actually an old cell designed to hold Giants prisoner. Which, given how Luffy is stronger than most Giants by this point, is really not a problem.

I know people are still going to have some problems with the pacing of the episodes, but the anime makes up for the extended scenes with the high quality of its animation. The series has come a long way from the simpler look it had in 1999, with its look evolving to better suit the evolution of the craft. That means that it feels a lot closer to what Oda draws in the manga as he’s grown more and more confident over the years, much to fans’ enjoyment. And, if I’m being honest, I like seeing the Straw Hats continuously outsmart their captor as they try to catch them.

This Guy Technically Works for Luffy

Speaking of which, it’s already obvious that the one holding them isn’t a God, but I don’t think any of us were expecting him to be who he turns out to be. The Giant that built this fake world is named Road, a member of the New Giant Warrior Pirates led by Hajrudin. Introduced back in Dressrosa as mercenaries working for Buggy, they were one of the groups that chose to pledge their loyalty to Luffy and form the Straw Hat Grand Fleet. That means that Road is technically supposed to be one of Luffy’s allies, but he can’t stand the idea of Giants working for a tiny human. So when one of his pet crows found the Sunny and half the Straw Hats fast asleep on it out at sea, he got the bright idea of putting them in his Block Kingdom so he wouldn’t have to work under them. And, for extra renegade points, he stripped them of their clothes so he could put new ones on them, including Nami.

It’s been months since these events took place in the manga, and my thoughts on this whole reveal haven’t changed: this guy’s an idiot. I can forgive him for ignorantly thinking that he could hold someone like Luffy because he hasn’t seen how strong he is like his crewmates have, but he really didn’t think this through. If the other Giant Pirates found out that he was holding Luffy captive, then they would punish him for it! And while I respect him for the LEGO model he built and the hand-made outfits, he’s still giving our fellow nerds a bad name. The part where he pauses mid-chase to gush about how this unscripted conflict in his world is so awesome comes off as creepy coming from him.

So, he must be punished. And it’s fitting that it’s Nami who’s the one who pays him back.

One of Nami’s Best Moments Yet!

The way that Nami has Zeus grow to the size of a storm and then has him hit Road with a lightning strike was already amazing. But that smug, s*it-eating smirk on Nami’s face as she claimed it was “divine retribution” was hilarious! That might not have been divine retribution, but that was a case of karma at work!

So, much to no one’s surprise save for that of Road, the Straw Hats manage to escape from the Block Kingdom. And I am happy to say that next week, we are going to head straight into the good stuff: Elbaph. The actual Elbaph is about to appear, and it is going to be amazing, you guys!! You are going to love it!

I Give “Destroy the Miniature Garden – Escape Block Kingdom!” a 4.5/5

Oda Just Set off a Real Life Hunt for the One Piece

Aside Roderick J "Jay" Friz Uncategorized , , , , ,

Oda, you absolute mad lad! You just created a real-life treasure hunt!

At this point, One Piece is more than just an anime and manga series; it’s one of the most popular stories in recorded history. With hundreds of millions of fans worldwide, a long-running anime and film series, and a live-action Netflix series airing its second season, One Piece is more popular than ever. It’s gotten to the point where people are waving the jolly roger of its main protagonists, the Straw Hat Pirates, at protests around the world. And all of this has made Eichiro Oda, the creator, one of the most beloved authors in the world. And Oda just did something crazy to celebrate the manga selling 600 million copies. Something that is making his fans go absolutely crazy: he wrote down what the One Piece is and hid it.

Let me explain: The One Piece is the namesake of the entire series. It’s a legendary treasure hidden for centuries at the end of the world that was found by Gol D. Roger, the King of the Pirates. He told everyone about its existence right as he was being executed, bringing about the Great Age of Pirates. Finding it is the ultimate goal of most pirates in the series, especially for Monkey D. Luffy.

Here’s the crazy part, though: we have no idea what the One Piece is.

The series has been ongoing since 1997, and in all that time, fans still have no clue what the One Piece even is. The story’s given us hints about it. We know that it’s centuries old, was hidden away from those who seek to destroy it, and that whatever it is could potentially turn the world upside down. In other words, it’s something that those in charge want to make sure is never found. But we still don’t know what it is, and we likely won’t until the day Luffy and the Straw Hats make it to the final island, Laugh Tale.

At least, that’s how it was supposed to go. But Oda might have shot himself in the foot on that.

In a special video celebrating the manga selling 600 million copies, Oda did something he’s never done before: he wrote down what the One Piece is, something he’s kept to himself for almost thirty years, onto a slip of paper. He then locked it into a chest that was then sealed inside a pressure-resistant glass sphere. That chest was then taken out to sea and dropped into the ocean, coming to rest at a depth of 651 meters. The video proclaims that it will rest there until the day the series comes to an end, safe from the rest of the world.

That…might no longer be an option, though.

A big thing about One Piece fans is that when they want to know something, they will pull out all the stops. The series has a very healthy community of scanlators and leakers constantly posting the latest chapters online before they’re officially released. Now it’s claimed that Oda wrote the answer to one of the greatest secrets in the history of literature and left it someplace impossible to find? Most people would leave it at that. For the most die-hard One Piece fans, though, they’ve taken it as a challenge to a real-life treasure hunt. And they’ve managed to make major headway. In less than two days, people online have managed to narrow down the location of the chest using clues from the video.

The only real issue would be the location itself. 651 meters is about 2,000 feet. Only submersibles and the most advanced diving suits can survive that far down, and they cost millions to use. But Oda might have underestimated his fan’s determination. For example, IShowSpeed, an extremely popular streamer and huge One Piece fan, announced he wants to do a live-stream hunting for the chest. And with his influence and resources, he might be able to pull it off. Fans will no doubt attempt to crowdfund their own attempts to find the chest, and barring the Japanese authorities getting involved, I think they’re likely to find it. But what should they do with it if they do?

My suggestion: leave it there or destroy it. Whatever we do, don’t open the box and look at the paper.

Don’t get me wrong, I want to know what the One Piece is just like everyone else does. And I normally don’t mind spoilers. But when it comes to the ending of One Piece, I will absolutely refuse to hear a word. Why? Well, Luffy can say it better.

This scene encapsulates how I hope the vast majority of One Piece should feel about the chance to learn the truth prematurely. It would be awesome for the brief second that we learn it, but then, we would realize that there would be no point in continuing to read this incredible story. No point in getting to enjoy further adventures with Luffy and the Straw Hats. No point to the entire story! And I don’t think that I could live in a world where the ending to one of the greatest stories of all time is spoiled to me! If a fan does find it, they should destroy it without looking at it. That’s what Luffy would do.

Of course, I have a sneaking suspicion that Oda didn’t write the ending on that paper. I think he knows his fans well enough to to know we would try to find it, so he might have thought ahead and wrote a fake message on it. Or maybe he really did write the secret on there, and is trusting the fans to not spoil it. Either way, it’s up to us to decide what to do with this. We have the chance to learn the answer to one of the biggest questions in literary history before its time. Do we really want that, though?

Also, it should be noted that if someone decides to open it and spoil the ending for all of us, they will become a global pariah.

Netflix’s One Piece is Going to be Even Crazier in Season Two

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

One Piece Season 2 Trailer Review

This March, One Piece fans are going to break Netflix.

In the summer of 2023, Netflix released its live-action adaptation of the legendary anime, One Piece. And despite the streaming platform’s track record with adapting anime, One Piece proved that it’s built different by having a live-action adaptation that was actually good! From managing to make its characters and world loyal to Oda’s vision to faithfully retelling the early days of the story, Netflix’s One Piece has been a cut above the rest. It’s almost as if having the series creator serve as the end-all authority on what works and what doesn’t was a good idea. You hear that, Shyamalan?

It’s been almost three years since the first season dropped on Netflix, and while the anime and manga have continued apace, we’ve had to wait for the live-action version to return. On March 10th, though, the wait shall be over, and judging by the final trailer we’ve gotten for the series, it will be worth every second spent!

Picking up where the first season left off, season two will see Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates finally enter the Grand Line, and discover just how insane it truly is. Judging by everything that we know, this season will cover the tail-end of the East Blue Saga that started it all to the first half of the Alabasta Saga. This is when One Piece really started to find its stride, as Oda began to drop any remaining pretense of realism in favor of telling a story that’s absolutely crazy, and it shows in the trailer. Everything that we see in the trailer is something that we’ve seen in the series, no matter how crazy it may seem. That includes fighting otters, giants, a whale big enough to rival the one from Pinocchio, giants, dinosaurs and more! And that’s not even getting into the Devil Fruit powers we see. Newcomers should prepare themselves, as from the moment we enter the Grand Line, Devil Fruit users are going to be found in almost every antagonistic group we’ll meet, with powers just as crazy as Luffy’s.

However, what I think fans, especially longtime ones, are most excited about are the introductions of two important characters: Miss All Sunday and Chopper.

Chopper Still Cute as Ever!

I won’t spoil anything about Miss All Sunday in case you’re a newcomer to the series, but when it comes to Chopper, I don’t think I need to hold back. With his chibi form and childish innocence, Chopper is pretty much the mascot of One Piece. It’s to the point that the One Piece YouTube channel has a little comic strip about him. The series knows he’s adorable and has spent years selling merch of him, and it’s not hard to understand why. But despite how cute he looks, Chopper has one of the saddest backstories out of any member of the Straw Hat Pirates. Granted, a lot of characters in One Piece had a hard past, but Chopper’s is one of the saddest. I sincerely hope that Netflix gives his backstory the justice it deserves.

We have less than a month before the series drops its second season, and I’m even more excited for it now than I was for the first one. The reasons being that now that I know that Netflix can pull this off, I want to see how far they can go. Secondly, the Alabasta Saga was when I started getting into One Piece back when it was being dubbed by 4Kids. Their dub might have been terrible, but it still turned me into a lifelong fan. So I hope that Netflix does this justice!

‘One Piece’ Getting a Remake from Studio Wit

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

2024 Shall Be the Year of One Piece

This year, One Piece fans got to eat well. Next year, One Piece fans will be eating even better than before. 

One Piece is a modern-day epic that few can measure up to. It’s a story about following your dreams and living life to the fullest. And right now, it’s more popular than ever. It’s the latest film earned big money in North America. Luffy got his balloon at this year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. The live-action Netflix series broke the curse of lousy live-action adaptations. And when Crunchyroll posts clips from the anime on YouTube, they trend. Bottom line, One Piece is more popular than ever. And next year, it’s going to get even better. 

Early One Piece is getting a Remake

Next year marks the 25th birthday of the One Piece anime, and it will be commemorated In a big way. In an announcement on Twitter, Netflix announced that they would be remaking the anime from the start. More importantly, instead of being made by Toei, this remake, named The One Piece, will be produced by Studio Wit. Wit is renowned for creating the first three seasons of Attack on Titan. More recently, it’s also Co-animated another popular Shonen anime, Spy x Family, alongside CloverWorks. 

This is big news for One Piece fans. Despite being more popular than ever, One Piece can still intimidate a lot of potential fans from enjoying it. At 1,100+ chapters and 1,078+ episodes long, it takes a lot of dedication for newcomers to work through. Even factoring in the movies that abridge some of the earlier arcs, it will still take a while to get through! An ongoing fan project, One Pace, cuts out much of the filler and padding by Toei, but it’s still long.

This remake offers a chance to retell the earliest days of One Piece better than ever. With updated animation in the vein of Attack on Titan and the ability to not include filler, One Piece can retell its early days and attract even more fans. 

In Other One Piece News

In addition to the remake, there are plenty of other things that One Piece fans have to celebrate going into 2024. In January 2024, Netflix will be debuting the ONA Monsters: 103 Mercies Dragon Damnation. Based on a one-shot One Piece mangaka Eichiro Oda created in 1994, the ONA tells the story of the Samurai Ryuma as he travels his country and fights powerful monsters. It’s also a story that’s been retroactively added to the timeline of One Piece, so this is official lore.

There’s more: The live-action One Piece series is getting a second season. Making huge waves in the summer of 2023, the series broke the trend of bad live-action adaptations of popular anime. It helps that Oda actively guided production, and Netflix listened to him. 

Lastly, January 7th will mark the anime’s official start to the Egghead Island Arc. Currently ongoing in the manga, this arc has already seen multiple jaw-dropping moments and reveals that fans are eating up:

  • The official introduction to the mysterious Dr. Vegapunk. 
  • The backstory of the enigmatic Bartholomew Kuma
  • The rapidly changing status and allegiance of several named characters.
  • Confirmation that one of the most hotly anticipated locations in the series is imminent.

The bottom line is that now is a great time to be a One Piece. With the series directly into its final saga, it’s the perfect time for people to participate in this legendary story. One Piece could go down as one of the greatest stories ever told. Stories like it only come once in a generation or even generations. 

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.