When it was first announced that Netflix would adapt ‘One Piece’ into a live action series, I was a certified nay-sayer. To put it bluntly, their other adaptations of beloved anime ranged from stinky dog shit to raging dumpster fires. Besides, how could such a cartoony and bizarre series as OP work in the real world?
The first season proved me wrong handily. It wasn’t perfect, but it was still a stellar adaptation. Even my family got hooked, and their eyes glaze over every time I talk about the manga. That production was nothing short of a miracle.
Now, at last, season two is here. Excited as I was to watch it, I was also extremely nervous. Would the team behind this adaptation capture lighting in a bottle yet again?
Yes. Yes they did. Hell, they actually did it better than the first time!
This season covers everything from Loguetown up to Drum Island. Honestly, I’m amazed at how little was cut this season. Obviously not everything made it from the manga. But most of it did. Honestly, I thought they’d cover the entirety of Alabasta this season; the fact that they’re taking their time is a welcome surprise.
This adaptation does an incredible job of incorporating elements that weren’t present at this point in the manga. Lore, characters, and world-building from well past Alabasta are worked into the narrative. Unfortunately, I can’t get into those without posting spoilers.
So I’m gonna write a whole other rant just talking about those. You can expect that… sometime. I dunno when.
The special effects are very strong all around. Most of them are practical, and those look amazing! Even the CGI looks really strong. Throughout all eight episodes, I can only remember one shot that looked bad. One. In the last episode. That’s still a passing score in my book.
Fight scenes have also been massively improved. There’s far less slow-mo, and the choreography is stunning! Zoro’s battle in Whiskey Peak is one of the coolest fight scenes I have ever seen; it’s like a pg-13 version of ‘Kill Bill’! Not a coincidence, as Mackenyu‘s father had a role in that film. The stunt team went above and beyond!
The set design sees an enormous step up as well. The locations in season one were solid, but obviously limited by the budget. Not anymore. Loguetown feels huge, like an actual city! The bar of Whiskey Peak is an enormous three-floor pirate playground! Little Garden was shot in an actual jungle, and it’s nothing short of gorgeous!
But the real star of the show is the costuming department. Somehow, someway, they managed to take Oda’s cartoony character designs and translate them seamlessly into reality. They managed to make Wapol look good! In live action!
The attention to detail this team put into their work deserves an award. All of the Straw Hats’ costumes come from panels of the manga, including chapter covers, some of which were tiny in the original drawings. Some characters even get new outfits that weren’t in the manga (as far as I know, at least) to add some extra variety.
Of course, I’d be a fool not to praise the cast. All the returning actors are as excellent as ever, if not better. Emily Rudd is still the stand-out of the Straw Hats; she is solid gold in every scene, and she brings out the best in her co-stars. Iñaki Godoy is Luffy; there is simply no contest. Mackenyu adds a lot of dry himbo energy to Zoro this season, and it is consistently hilarious. Jacob Romero delivers an incredible performance as Usopp; he is the star of some of this season’s best moments. Taz Skylar is more charming than ever as Sanji; his monologue near the end of the season brought real tears to my eyes.
Now then: let’s talk about the new blood.
Charithra Chandran plays the role of Ms. Wednesday, and she is wonderful. She gives the character a playful sassy air that makes her early interactions with the Straw Hats very entertaining. But she also has the dramatic chops for the show’s more serious and impactful scenes. And her chemistry with the rest of the cast is absolutely wonderful. I can’t wait to see more of her performance next season.
Lera Abova is the perfect pick for Ms. All Sunday. She plays the mysterious and deadly assassin extremely well. The character may as well have walked off the page into real life! It’s honestly kind of a problem; I already had a huge crush on this character when she was a drawing, and now she’s played by one of the most talented and beautiful women I’ve ever seen!
Mikaela Hoover gives voice to our favorite reindeer, Tony Tony Chopper. In short: ten out of ten, no notes. The CG model looks great, and her voice makes him ten times more adorable. They even used facial-capture, so her performance always matches up with the animation. I’m still kind of sad it isn’t a puppet, but this is still fantastic.
Interestingly, Chopper’s battle form is not a CG effect. It’s a dude in a costume, played by Gavin Gomes! Mikaela is still the voice, so he’s mostly around for fight scenes. Still, he looks great in the suit, and he does a great job of making Chopper look badass. He’s a great addition to the crew.
But the stand-out performance comes from Mark Harelik as Dr. Hiriluk. This man was given one of the most ridiculous costumes of them all. Yet his role is by far the most powerful in the whole season. His delivery of the iconic “When does a man die?” is utterly mesmerizing. He almost single-handedly made Chopper’s flashback the strongest episode of the season.
The few complaints I do have are minor nitpicks. Character moments that didn’t land quite right, or changes that kind of annoyed me. Small blemishes on an otherwise outstanding season. The biggest real problem this show has is being stuck on Netflix.
‘One Piece’ season two is a slam dunk virtually on every level. An improvement on what was already the best live-action anime adaptation ever made. It’s a love letter to Oda’s work through and through, perfect for newcomers and old fans alike. I cannot recommend it enough.
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