I am not a big anime guy. So when the news came out that there was a live-action version of a long-running manga and anime series, it did not pique my interest at all.
However, more and more people whose opinions I respect came back with reviews saying that this particular show was actually incredibly entertaining.
With that in mind, I decided to take a chance on Netflix's One Piece.
And it is as good as advertised.
One Piece takes place on a fictional world where most of the planet is ocean with one major strip of land dividing the hemispheres along with several islands throughout. Chaos is reigned in by the massive and restrictive World Government. Anyone who defies them is labeled a "pirate."
Enter Monkey D. Luffy (Inaki Godoy), a young man in a straw hat with a mischievous grin and an indomitable spirit. Luffy wants to get a crew together so he can go to a dangerous place called "The Grand Line" and find a mythical treasure called "The One Piece." Once he finds he, he plans to become "King of the Pirates." Early on, Luffy meets an enslaved cabin boy named Koby (Morgan Davies), who is timid and shy, but dreams of becoming a Marine for the World Government because he wants to protect people. Luffy ends up breaking into a local Marine headquarters in order to steal a map to the Grand Line. While there he meets up with Rorona Zoro (Mackenyu), a green-haired, deadly-serious swordsman and pirate-hunter. Luffy also encounters an orange-haired thief named Nami (Emily Rudd), who is also trying to steal the map. Also in their adventures, they are thrown together with people like Usopp (Jacob Romero), a teller of tall-tales and Sanji, (Taz Skylar), a fighter with deadly kicks who dreams of being a great chef. Together they must evade enemies like Vice Admiral Garp (Vincent Regan), psychotic clown-pirate Buggy (Jeff Ward), and brutal fishman villain Arlong (McKinley Belcher III). Along the way they learn about each other and get into all manner of situations as they look for the One Piece.
While that sounds a bit convoluted, the show does an excellent job of balancing all those elements while doing a fair bit of world-building. Rather than focusing on every single bit of lore upfront, the show wisely understands that if the audience can attach itself to the main character, then we will follow him through, no matter how strange the path turns out to be.
One of the things that makes this show work so well is that the main characters are well-defined, distinct, and the play off of each other with excellent chemistry. It is so boring when you watch a show with an ensemble cast that all talk and behave in such similar ways. That isn't the case with One Piece. Luffy is Don Quixote: a dreamer with and impossible dream that he believes in with all of his heart. He improvises his way through most situations with an undying optimism and a wide smile. Godoy could have played him as less-than-intelligent. And while Luffy is no genius, he is also not stupid. He just sees the best in people and in most situations and he wants people to follow their dreams. When you meet Luffy, you want to be his friend too.
This relentless positivity clashes well with the stoic Zoro, who speaks with a flat affectation as if every topic is the most serious in the world. It also sparks well against the cynical Nami who always sees the worst in the world and the people in it. The show could have easily fallen into the trap of having Luffy always be naively right and his companions having to learn a lesson at the end of each adventure. Instead the show is smart enough to show how their characteristics both help and hurt themselves and each other.
Usually when translating an anime into a live-action, there is an attempt to ground the visuals in something closer to reality. One Piece does not do that. Everything about it feels like a cartoon. This is not a detriment, but it is a stylistic choice. I think my recent exposure to Bollywood movies has broadened my tastes for the radical tonal shifts that can occur. Movies like RRR go from over-the-top action to melodrama to comedy in the blink of an eye while maintaining their overall aesthetic. One Piece invites you into this cartoon come-to-life and accept that the rules of the real world don't fit. If that does not comport with your tastes, then this show will turn you off.
The performances are generally good. Actors have to perform characters with several dimensions. But while the characters are layered and multi-faceted, they are not subtle. There is absolutely no subtlety in One Piece. Characters make bold declarations at the top of their lungs for seemingly no reason. Things are big, bold, and theatrical. That isn't to say that there isn't symbolism are depth. But everything is easily accessible. The symbolic and emotional meaning of something like a straw hat is so powerful that when it is placed on someone's head, it speaks more powerfully than any bit of dialogue.
And again, the lack of subtlety does not mean lack of complexity. There is something very Catholic about seeing that every person, no matter how they appear on the outside, has an entire inner life that humanizes them in our eyes if we can see it.
The relationships between the characters, particularly when at odds, causes the narrative to twist and turn in incredibly interesting ways. What does Luffy do when one of his crew wants to follow a dream but could get him killed?
Returning to the performances, they are all competent, but have potential to grow. Godoy is able to hold the entire show as its loveable center. Emily Rudd shows some charisma and range, though she is basically recreating Mary Elizabeth Winstead's Ramona Flowers. Many of the others play the characters very broadly, which works for the show, but could be made even better with a little more depth.
My biggest criticism of the show is the overall inconsistent aesthetic. Some people dress like pirates, but others wear t-shirts. There doesn't seem to be electricity unless there is. Nothing feels like it belongs together. This isn't a deal-breaker, but it sometimes took me out of the story. When Peter Jackson did The Lord of the Rings, he made sure to give Middle-Earth a sense of consistent reality. In One Piece, some things look like they were taken out of a costume shop and don't feel like they belong in that world.
Ultimately, One Piece works because it is about friendship and adventure. There is a refreshing innocence to the story. Mind you, it is not necessarily for little kids. There are murders and swearing, so this may not be appropriate for little ones. But at the core there is a strong beating heart, not weighed down by cynicism. Everything about this world, with its oppressive governments and violent pirates, should crush down our heroes into horrible pessimists. But Luffy's unstoppable belief gives wind to their sails and pushes them on to the horizon.
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