#inaki is casted so well

[thevirtualvalentine]

Every picture I see of him he just gets finer and finer.

[pokemon1oadvanced]

Thoughts on the live action one piece

Spoilers 😉

Yes, I binged all 8 episodes, and have work today and can’t see out my eyes but worth it.

I’ll try to keep it short.

Luffys character was immaculate. The way Inaki portrayed him and brought this man to life was so amazing to see. Oda really saw Luffy in him and he did not disappoint. The moves looked great, CGI was on point for a live action, and they really did break the curse.

Zoro’s character was beautiful. I love that he was more serious, and him throwing up the finger in his first scene?! I’m star struck. You can say what you want about the live action, but theres no denying this cast was perfect for these characters and the fight scenes were choreographed to the point where it looked so clean.

Nami 🥳 The emotion! The conflict! I absolutely love the way she had more action scenes and was more open with her care for the crew early on. Nami has always been my favourite character, and Emily did her justice.

I will be listening to her song on repeat.

Ussop! Ussop! Are you serious! Why do I love you in every reality! And Ussop and Kaya! The kiss! The scream I let out! I died😵‍💫 I wish he had more shooting scenes, but his true potential wasn’t seen until later in the anime so I can’t complain, cause season two Ussop is gonna pop off.

Sanji😳 First off, live action Sanji has a hold on me😮‍💨 Like what happened to the guy who couldn’t get any girls. Ngl, was keeping an eye out for the blonde at table 8, looking out for my competition👀 His kicks were so smooth and all, and I mean ALL, his fight scenes were perfect. Like how did they do this. You can see the care and effort he put into his character.

Buggy? I love our unhinged clown. His making a circus with trapped towns people. His CGI? Amazing. The little goof we were left with when they trapped his parts in the chest made me cackle!

The pacing of the show was done so well. I was worried that 8 episodes wouldn’t be enough (and I was right where’s season two I want Vivi), but the retelling was more then I hoped for. I will always love the anime more, as most of us know there’s not enough episodes in the series, but the live action did great in that respect. I did miss some of the characters they had to cut to make it flow better though. The ussop pirates live on in our hearts

Don’t get me wrong, there was some scenes I missed from the original show, like Zoro lifting Luffy’s cage, Nami burning her hands on Buggys cannon fuse, Nami stabbing Ussop. BUT, they wouldn’t have fit in this version of the show.

They did give us Zoro lifting the safe like he did Luffys cage which was cool. And Nami holding Ussops hand when Zoro was fighting, Nami showing up for the fight rather then leaving. I love her. Even though Nami didn’t get to show her care through the actions of saving Zoro or stabbing her own hand, she was still able to show those emtions through different actions. The hand holding with Ussop rather then the stabbing of her hand was so good to see. This version of Nami seemed more fragile in a way, so this suited her version well.

It was like watching One Piece for the first time all over again. I didn’t know what would happen. Getting more marines, and Garps relationship to Luffy being revealed so early in the series to cause tension within the crew *chef’s kiss* And Koby? ‘Be a good pirate.’? Like I love you? Not doing what Garp asked? Standing up for his beliefs? You are going to be a good Marine. You’ll be the greatest 💕

The relationships they explored?

First off Ussop and Kaya 😵 I love them so much. Them talking to the straw hats about their relationship was so cute, and Zoro saying it wasn’t his area of expertise 💅🏻✨ Jokes 👀

Nami being besties with Kaya😍 Her telling Kaya not to let someone tell her how to run her life, drawing connections to her own situation, telling Kaya not to be trapped. Her returning the treasure! I loved it so much. Ussop’s and Nami’s friendship has always been the one I cherished in the crew, and for Nami to support Kaya, and Ussop to see how Nami was good to his girl I feel will only strengthen their relationship.

Nami and Zoro besties? Didn’t know I could love them more.

Nami caring so much for Zoro after his fight with Mihawk showed her love for her new friends, and mirrored her care she had in the original series where she saved him from drowning at Arlong park. Even though we didn’t get the original scenes, they were supplemented with new scenes that held the same feelings.

Zosan- I mean Zoro and Sanji. The wings of the pirate king? I love their bickering in any universe it seems. The fish men fight was so good, them being unbothered with the guys trying to kill them as they fought with each other was so them. And Zoro licking his plate clean and saying Sanji’s food was okay? Not bad for a waiter huh?

And the most important pair. Captain and his first mate. I just loved how many times they reiterated that Zoro is Luffys right hand man 🥰 Luffy not stepping in the way of Zoros dream was beautiful, and his care afterwards reminded me of how he cared for Nami when she got sick in the original series. Asking Sanji to cook his favourite? So cute. He couldn’t decide if it was best for Zoro to eat or sleep or drink and him stressing for Zoro. All amazing. I’ve used amazing so many times but its just the word I need to explain it. Zoro waking up, Luffy engulfing him. I could go on and on.

Nami and Luffy? The amount of love I have for them. They were everything I wanted from them. The scene. THE scene. Beautiful.

I could go on and on about this show, but sadly I have work. Please show this version love, and don’t go into expecting the same series. It is different. It’s its own version and deserves its own category.

I love the cast! Thank you for making history with this adaptation! Xx

[skygemspeaks]

okay stop stop stop stop stop what you're doing and go watch the one piece trailer that just dropped!!!!

my thoughts:

literally the only thing i didn't love is nami's wig. honestly think it might've been better if they'd gone a more natural ginger route instead of the bright orange. like they did have a more natural blond for sanji's hair instead of bright yellow. not that big of a gripe honestly

LOVE what little of the chemistry we saw between our main cast. Luffy: I'm sensing a little bit of tension amongst the crew Zoro and Nami in unison: NOT a crew. ALKSJDALKJSDALKSDJ

Buggy's makeup is PHENOMENAL

Merry's figurehead 🥺It's really cute, I've said this from the beginning but I love how they decided to portray her figurehead. honestly, i really liked all the ships. baratie looks like a place i would DIE to go to dinner at, it's fucking gorgeous.

The one gum gum pistol we saw from luffy was a little bit cringe but that's not exactly inaki's fault and let's be fair, this is one piece we're talking about. if it's not a little bit embarrassing WHAT IS THE POINT

mackenyu as zoro and taz as sanji?? absolute perfection. i love everything about them, they embody their characters SO well. the others are also all really good, but taz and mackenyu especially shone!

the cg on the seakings and the ships is pretty decent! not the worst i've seen, and listen, let's not pretend we didn't all know that this show was gonna be a little wack given how cartoony one piece as a series is and how difficult that would be to translate that vibe to live action. i think it's gonna take a little getting used to, but i'm still really excited about it

love that they let inaki keep his curls, i think it really suits luffy! the scar on his face is really well done too! and the hat!!! really liked the costume design in the trailer tbh

love the palette of the show! i know i was complaining about the orange of nami's hair, but otherwise i love how bright and vibrant the show is from what we see in the trailer. the lighting is also really well done and it really helps establish the mood of the show

the barrel scene at the end made me really emotional 🥺it's exactly how i imagined it, and it looks like that might be where they're planning to end season 1? either on that specific scene, or just a little bit further at reverse mountain. 2 great potential scenes i think would be perfect to end the season would be either at the top of reverse mountain just before their descent, or if they want to go a mild cliffhanger route, they could end it on a shot of the merry on a collision course for laboon

[pangurbanthewhite]

I've mentioned this a couple of times but I think another reason the live action One Piece is working so well for me is that it's bringing in a lot of comparative unknowns.

Like, you can tell that they actually took the time to actually cast the best people for the roles. Rather than doing the usual thing of going "oh we hired the best people for the roles" after the fact to try and downplay how they actually hired the person with the most recognizable face and biggest box office numbers who'd also return their calls.

Jacob Gibson had a handful of television guest star roles and did 15 episodes of a drama series that aired on the Oprah Winfrey network.

I actually thought Emily Rudd was a bigger name going in but no, that's mostly because she was in all three Fear Street movies in 2021 and a now-deleted HBO film from 2022 on top of some scattered TV guest star roles.

Taz Skylar has mostly done short films that don't have Wikipedia pages and I think this is his first main television role ever.

Inaki Godoy is more well established with television roles going back to 2015. They have seem to have been largely been Spanish-speaking roles on Mexican and Latin American networks, however, and so in terms of reporting and coverage of the show it still seems like he's being treated as a relative unknown.

Out of all of them, Mackenyu seems to be the most established name, with film and TV appearances going back to 2015 (notably as the live action Kenshin Himura and Scar from a couple of FMA movies) but y'know, you kind of want the guy who's going to be swinging swords around to have been around the block a few times.

[sanaserena]

The actors of the One Piece live action did such a wonderful job bringing their characters to life in season 1. The cast also has such excellent chemistry - I'm such a fan of them, as someone who never follows casts or behind the scenes on most shows. OPLA is special.

So, I got curious. Which pairs of characters do y'all think have the most onscreen chemistry? It can be romantic, platonic, rivals, mentor-mentee. It's up to you how you interpret!

Personally, I love the growing platonic love between the crew in season 1. Nami and Luffy are great (Emily and Inaki do so well growing that onscreen bond), same with Nami and Zoro, Usopp with all, and eventually Sanji.

Sadly, I could only include 12 options here, so I've added the first 12 that entered my head (whether or not they had a lot of scenes together). Let me know if there's a pair that had more chemistry but didn't make my list! (I'm sure I'll have an ah-ha moment after I post this poll...😅)

[animebw]

So the live action One Piece is really, really good.

I know, far from the first person to say it. But it really must be stressed how absolutely bonkers it is that One Piece, of all anime properties, is what breaks the live-action adaptation curse in the West. So many attempts at adapting far more live-action friendly stories like Death Note and Cowboy Bebop ended up complete disasters, and yet it's perhaps the most unabashedly cartoonish anime franchise, the one defined by how it takes advantage of drawing and animation to portray people, places and things that would be completely unfeasable in the real world, that shows how to translate this medium to live action without losing what makes it special in the first place. It's not a perfect adaptation, but it pretty much nails everything it needs to, capturing the heart of this story in all its most important moments and making smart changes that serve its new form as a binge-worthy Netflix drop. So let's talk about the things I liked, the few areas I think it fell short, and how I think future seasons should play out! Spoilers, obviously.

The Good:

-The most important thing to get right was the casting, and they nailed it: all the Straw Hats and their supporting cast are just about perfect. Inaki Godoy just is Luffy, Emily Rudd does a fantastic job shouldering the season's core emotional weight as Nami, Vincent Regan steals the show every time Garp is on screen, and Jeff Ward is an absolute riot as Buggy. Special shout-out as well to Morgan Davies for nailing Koby's expanded screen time.

-Speaking of, I love how Koby and Helmeppo's title-card story is fleshed out into a proper B-plot throughout this season. Following their journey under Garp's command is a perfect way to introduce us to the Navy's inner workings and the more explicitly political side of the story up front, as well as foreshadowing plenty of future story beats to come.

-The action. Is. So. Good. Thank god we're finally remembering how to film proper hand-to-hand brawls, cause every punch-up is a blast to watch.

-Luffy actually has more of an arc here than he does in the manga! Manga Luffy can be a pretty static character a lot of the time, which I know is kind of his appeal, but this adaptation gives him a bit more to work with as he grapples with the responsibility of being a captain and the consequences his mistakes can have for his crew.

-Seriously Buggy is so fucking funny they nailed him so perfectly

-Putting more of a focus on Nami's struggles throughout the season was a great way to give it more structure for a binge format. Her emotional journey is really the heart of this adaptation as we watch her go from a paraniod recluse to fully embracing the Straw Hats as her new family.

-One benefit to being live action and produced in America? Way, way less casual sexism. Dare I hope that future seasons will avoid ruining Sanji's character among other pitfalls Oda fell into? Fingers crossed!

-The production design is immaculate. It strikes the perfect balance between the wacky cartoonishness of One Piece's world and the demands of filming in live action.

-Fantastic soundtrack too! It knows just where to deploy instrumental renditions of We Are while charting its own musical identity.

The Bad

-Some of the dialogue is a liiiiiiittle cringey? I know dialogue has never been OP's strongest suit, but there are definitely a few moments that feel overly anachronistic and "how do you do fellow kids?" There's a moment Buggy jokes about toxic fandom that really made me roll my eyes (especially since the OP fandom has by and large really embraced this adaptation, so it comes off like a cheap shot at a demographic of haters that doesn't even really exist).

-While the camerawork and editing are pretty great, the color grading is very much... not. Can we please stop shooting everything in boring desaturated yellows and greys and start lighting our night scenes so we can actually see what's going on?

-Shockingly, it's the strongest parts from the manga- the backstories- that I feel suffered the most here. Some of that's due to most of the child actors not being that great, which, well, that's a risk you take with child actors. But it also cuts out a lot of the personal culpability that made a lot of those backstories so compelling? Like how Sanji used to be pretty wasteful with food until his experience stranded on an island taught him how important it was to respect every bite? That aspect of his character is completely missing in his flashback here.

-Hoo boy, they made some... choices with how they depicted Arlong's crew. I know the Fishmen are a big racism/discrimination metaphor, but between the trap music that plays whenever they show up, their overall "urban gangsta" fashion aesthetic and the design of Arlong Park, the fact Arlong himself is played by a black actor... there is some coding going on here, is my point. And considering how much I hated the direction this story arc went in Fishman Island, that does not give me confidence in this adaptation's ability to escape sucking just as much on that front.

Future Season Wish List:

Season 2: The Alabasta saga, starting with the arrival at Roguetown and ending with Vivi's send-off

Season 3: The Water Seven saga, maybe with a brief stop in Skypiea beforehand but not long enough to get bogged down in there like the manga did

Season 4: Possibly controversial, but I think this should take us to the timeskip. Spend an episode or two in Thriller Bark but cut out all the bullshit, one episode in Sabaody for the Shit Gets Real(tm) section, one episode in Amazon Lily, then onto Impel Down and the Marineford showdown, with one episode dedicated to the fallout of that battle and getting us to the timeskip.

Season 5: Big focus here should be Dressrosa IMO. If you must spend some time in Fishman Island then do it, probably don't need that much time in Punk Hazard since barely anything happens there, then get into the thick of Dressrosa.

Season 6: This should be the Wano season. One episode in Zou, maybe a couple in Whole Cake Island to set up Big Mom, (honestly we might not even need the extra Sanji backstory if this adaptation gets rid of his worst traits), then get straight into Wano so you have all the time you need for all those moving parts. Also, Gear 5 Luffy in live-action should just be him turning into his anime self Roger Rabbit style. Tell me that wouldn't rule.

[ffiamgoku]

I just finished the One Piece Netflix series. AND IT WAS FREAKING AMAZING! As a fan of the Anime, I am well aware of the 'curse' when it comes to Anime adaptations. But from the first episode you can tell the cast and crew held such a great respect, love and care for the source material. And the fact Eiichiro Oda was on board as executive producer definitely was an asset they embraced. He was involved in the casting, and handpicked Inaki Godoy as Luffy from the audition tapes. Also if you watch the cast and crew in behind-the-scenes content, and interviews, you can see the love they all had for the series and the process of making the adaptation. (Also, Inaki meeting Eiichiro Oda in person and the video of them talking on Youtube, you can tell he was the perfect choice for Luffy and Luffy's creator thought so too) I am on the edge of my seat! I need a second season, Netflix better not screw us over .....as they have so many times before. This was an amazing adaptation, that captured the heart and spirit of the original and brought it into the real world. (or live action world XD) And I am thankful for what we got, and hopping we get more.

[loveanaox]

One Piece Live Action Actors Ideal types

(Sorry yall I've been busy so a little inactive, but after I fix my schedule I will answer all the other requested readings on the kpop idols)

~☆~☆~☆~☆~☆☆~☆~☆~☆☆~~☆~☆~☆~~~☆~

Inaki Godoy (Luffy)

Cards pulled out: Five of pentacles reversed, eight of cups reversed, four of pentacles reversed, the devil reversed, nine of pentacles back of the deck

So I pulled cards once but then I didn't like how they came out and it was really confusing to interpret but it seems like some cards just want to come out

So this what im getting:

He definitely likes someone who likes to improve their financial situation. Someone who's stable, got their shit together. Very independent and secure. Someone who makes him feel welcomed in a way. He might like that either seeing them healing from their abandonment issues, or he likes when they're not completely yk for commitment, like scared of commitment. Someone who is very open and generous, but someone as I said who's independent and very like green vibes. Like green and sweet. Someone's who's been in it for the rough but like reclaiming their control and becoming independent.

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Jacob Gibson (Ussop)

Cards pulled out:Strength, king of wands, five of pentacles, the devil, page of cups

He likes someone who's very brave and Courageous, confident and friendly. Just like a "I am my own person" type of person. Someone who lives up to their own expectations and is just a funny, honest and just has a way with their words type of person. He wants someone who knows how it feel to be left out in the cold but then to become independent and detached from the world. He digs that. Someone very cheerful and optimistic like sassy but cute, someone sensible and emotionally mature. Very Youthful and a dreamer and actually works on those dreams.

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Emily Rudd(Nami)

Cards pulled out: Six of pentacles, the hierophant reversed, nine of cups, ace of swords, knight of pentacles back of the deck

Someone who is very generous and kind, but also someone who challenges normal traditions, someone whi doesn't mind or believes in gender roles reversed. I saw a house husband lmao. Someone who's very optimistic and abundant. A person who has a good intellectual ability. Someone who can stimulate her mind and other, a person who believes in justice. Someone who can concentrate well and see things from outside the box. Someone who's like different from others but "far ahead in life" someone who can provide stability and materialistic things and bring in things and be able to build with her on a mental level.

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Taz Skylar(Sanji)

Cards pulled out: Ten of swords, justice, chariot, the lovers, three of wands

Someone who has been betrayed or backstabbed before and just really ket down, causing that person to really believe in justice or karmic things. Someone he rebuild themselves and are now successful in life and victorious and those hoes can't even touch em. He wants someone where it can feel romantic and it feels like they're soulmates yk? Someone who he gad shared values with. Might like someone who travels a lot or a foreigner. He is attracted to someone who believes in themselves and someone who likes to experience life.

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Okayy hope yall enjoyed the readings. I didn't do all the casts just bc I don't think you guys all wanted to see all the actors. I didn't to Mackenyu cause he has a wife if anyone was wondering.

But ja I will now continue with the kpop readings I need to finish.

[catholicdogxxx]

every single thought i had abt one piece live action

alvida is so hot im praying when she comes back she’ll have the slip slip fruit and still be fat please god.

introducing zoro with baroque works instead of with helmeppo was fucking genius, and mr 7’s redesign is pique. and the gore of zoro killing mr 7? sets a great fucking precedence.

binks brew playing in the background of the flash back where luffy eats his fruit >>>>>

i want a copy of nami’s book as merch

i love the little homage to the original of luffy planning to just fly in

having luffy be there for the scene with helmeppo and rika >>>>

ive said it once ill say it a thousand times how do they manage to make zoro even gayer. ill never get over the whimpering caption with helmeppo just crawling on the ground.

nami girlboss girlslaying even

zoro you cryptic little gay freak “then he owes me money” “didnt wanna make a mess”

im mad they didnt make captain morgan tell helmeppo he didnt beat him as a kid is bc he’s too pathetic to hit.

captain “we should be working for the same team” morgan. bro you are an elder fag preying on a young gay man. THE SHOULDER TOUCH???

roronoa “i kinda got my own thing going on” zoro

“7 days? i could catch up on my sleep”

“when i get down from here, you’ll be the one begging.” MY GOD YOU FAG

tag urself im the bead of sweat in zoros eyebrow

“get lost”

“i am.. lost”

“heyhey no. dont do that.”

my god nami’s actress is perfect the body language, tone of voice, its so accurate to how she was pre joining strawhats. and GOD her facial expressions in her first fight scene w luffy…

zoro almost dipping then deciding he wants to fight lmao i love it

“arent you that drunk from the bar?”

“glad i made an impression.”

morgan you didnt capture shit

inaki did a great job making luffy still look animated.

zoro cutting helmeppos hair is so fucking funny

garp knew exactly who it was when he first got that call

buggy youre sitting like SUCH a slut

buggy loves talking abt shanks like he’s an ex boyfriend

i wanna see what else buggy can do

zoro definitely had sex with cabaji and then killed his brother

i could watch yasopp shoot people all day

shanks casting is so well done im obsessed with the fact that none of the characters are the conventionally attractive roblox looking types

also the timing of luffy being drowned and the flashback to shanks saving him… timed perfectly great depiction of ptsd. same thing with zoros flashbacks.

“why gonna rob the place blind?”

“at least a little blurry”

i love the wlw mlm solidarity with nami and zoro, oh my god the scene of them getting dressed and nami picking out a shirt for him??? obsessed.

zoros pink ass drink

FUNKY BAR MIRROR BALL???

“arlonggg babyyyy”

“you dont think she like. like likes me do you?”

i love the way the meowmin twins move when theyre fighting in the stairwell

luffy grinning like a freak through kuros blades :333 and then the fucking thumbs up

luffys look to nami when kaya says they have a ship

damn they really just fucking murked merry

“they do know im the captain right?”

“let them have this one”

“we are” playing while they leave syrup village im obsessed

nami laughing for probably the first time in years at usopp and luffy fighting over who’s the captain

i could write an essay about the fear in garps eyes in that flashback (im going to)

“which way is port?”

“the left!”

“neverrrrrrr!”

“fine ya brat have it yer wae”

garp laughing bc he’s actually invested in his job again

the camera lense while luffy is smelling the baratie is fucking hilarious

“add food to the equation and suddenly he knows how to navigate”

ive said it once i’ll say it a thousand times inaki does a great fucking job making luffy still look animated

ill never get over sanji’s accent its so fucking fan indulgent

the little angry kick after he puts em on the fucking ground

“welcome to our shitty restaurant where the only thing worse than the ambiance is the food. my name is sanji what can i get for you?”

“any drinks one of our signature cocktails to help you choke down your meal?”

“apologies madam didnt see you there. would you care for an apéritif to start?”

sanji is such a freak oh my god i love him

zoro pointing it out is so fan indulgent

zoro grinning like an idiot when nami says “i need a drink”

im obsessed with usopps fishbowl

sanji’s smile talking about the all blue WAHHHH

i love live action sanji cooking

his fucking theme playing oh my god

zoro and nami comparing usopp to a sea slug

“i had friends”

“swords dont count”

“i had one friend”

“hell one more than i have”

zoro you fucking freak

why is he standing like that fucking fag

“because youre my friend you idiot” NAMI WAHHHHHHHH

zeff is so hot omfg

sanji’s desperate baby scream breaks my heart

i really like they went using with the original manga plotline for sanji’s backstory

“id eat both arms and legs to save zoros life”

putting buggy in the bag is so fucking funny

that zoom in on sanji yelling “zeff” what was that

god i love sanji and zeffs fight

zoro waking up scene is fucking adorable

zoro you fucking devoted freak i love you

ill never get over sanji’s theme

“the only thing i wanna hear from you is dinner specials”

baby nami is perfectly cast

BLACK NOJIKO BLACK NOJIKO

buggys body pinned up at arlongs base lmfao

“arlong has bled us dry”

“then find more blood”

i love helmeppo sitting like that lmao

bellemere’s death scene always makes me tear up jesus christ

“i thought itd take a lot more liquor to bring out your mutinous side.”

why was arlongs speech edited like that oh my god

“of course i will” makes me tear up every fucking time

nami drawing her maps in fucking blood is such great symbolism

“you look tired, maybe you should take a break”

“maybe you ought to get back in the kitchen”

“quit screwing around! luffy needs us!”

“you just got here you dont know what luffy needs.”

“i know he needs my cooking.”

“putting two slices of bread together?”

telling buggy to shut up in unison lmao

“im gonna get outta here.” while flipping them off

“fucking clown.”

USOPP EXPLODING STAR U GOAT

“i get it zeff was mean to you boohoo”

“you dont ever badmouth nami.”

“now youve done it.”

god i love taz skylar

“all great fighters call out there finishing moves”

“yeah youre gonna fit in just fine.”

SANJI WANTING TO HUG NAMI AND HER RUNNING PAST LMFAO

“back for seconds must have liked it.”

“at least i dont need 3 swords to prove im a man.”

garp jus beating the shit out of luffy

nami hitting nezumi >>>>>

god i fucking love nami talking at bellemeres grave

“i know what it means to fight for your family.”

luffy’s reaction to his bounty im in love

koby what was that gay ass look you want to kiss luffy so bad dont you

“be a good marine.”

“be a good pirate.”

luffy mimicking his poster

god i love makino

kaya with a different tea looking healthy 😭

luffy’s bounty up under employee of the month

BUGGY AND ALVIDA BUGGY AND ALVIDA BUGGY AND ALVIDA

god i love garp

helmeppo learning to be swordsman :33

“maybe the old chef was right. it id your turn.”

“i can still take you.” not in a fight…

their jolly roger 🥺🥺🥺

[saba-ody]

i watched the first episode of OPLA! and i really enjoyed it!! this is gonna be a long post and there will be SPOILERS for just the first episode of netflix's one piece.

here's what i thought:

-really love the core cast. inaki is a GREAT luffy. he really captures how luffy is both childish and rude and he SELLS it.

-mackenyu is fantastic as Zoro. he has some of the best fight choreography from what ive seen so far.

-i am in love with emily rudd as nami. she is fucjing perfect and i love that they gave her some badass shit to do in the first episode

-koby was great!! i thought he was fun and likable and i sure as fuck hope this show goes on long enough for his return in post-enias lobby.

-fucking HELMEPPO stole the show. he was funny and entertaining to watch and he had some of the sillier bits of the episode. i like that they chose to make him have long hair that gets cut by zoro. also his whole booty cheeks were out while flexing in the mirror with zoro's swords and i thought that was funny.

-they managed to make axe-hand morgan fun! i think he's one of the less entertaining early OP villains but I thought they did a good job with him!!

-i really liked shanks' appearance in this episode. the scenes with him and young luffy hit exactly like they were supposed to!!

-alvida was really fun to watch too!! i'm excited to see how they adapt her later appearances.

-okok i gotta talk about the fight choreography again. this shit was GOOD. i mean actually good. i feel like in a lot of shows in the recent past, fight choreo has gotten.. lazy? what i mean is that in this show the hits FEEL like they're hitting. and that is a compliment of the highest regard. luffy's fighting style is well adapted (and i will GET to his devil fruit in a moment) zoro's 3 sword style was both well choreographed and utilized within the scenes it was needed. i love how they play with it a little bit, not having him use all three until the climax of the episode. NAMI has some fantastic shit with her staff and i'm genuinely so glad they dont have her basically sidelined until alabasta like they do in the manga. alvida and morgan both have their weapons have true weight that you can feel to them and i'm so glad. this was the thing i was the most concerned for and its safe to say i'm happy with it.

-luffy's gum gum fruit and the cgi used for it was surprisingly good!! going into live action with a main character made of rubber is one of the most difficult things CG artists have to deal with and i hope they know how fucking good rhey did. body stretching hasn't ever looked this good.

-i liked garps inclusion and i really hope they don't reveal that he's related to luffy until way later. i get the feeling they might since he's there and i think he's going to still be important throughout the season.

-i LOVE. and i mean LOVEEEEEEEEEE that they are already setting up for season 2 mentioning baroque works so much. that shit is fucking AWESOME and i couldn't be happier that they're going ahead and foreshadowing shit for later that is amazing and i'm so damn happy.

-the setwork and costume design are FANTASTIC. the atmosphere becomes amazing because of these two things in conjunction and its fucking great. you absolutely are pulled into the world and its amazingly believeable. everything feels real. the locals, the outfits, really theres some great shit in here so far and i am DAMN excited to see more. they truly went all out and it feels fantastic.

-this show is really funny. not exactly in the way that the anime is, but in a way that works a lot better for this medium. zoro, especially, i thought they really nailed on the head. he's funny!! and luffy is too!! so is nami!! they're all really funny and entertaining to watch and i just cant believe this show exists at all.

-buggy showed up and i'm so excited to see more of him. what a god of a man. he is. kinda bad asf too.

i have one or two critiques too!!

-i liked the original way of making it known that koby wasnt working with luffy and i think its a bit lame the rest of the marines aren't shown to be glad that morgan's gone.

-theres some camera work in this show that just seems,... off? theres these closeups with a shitton of gaussian blur and it just looks. unprofessional to say the least. luckily, its not completely like this (which is kinda what i thought the show would look like at first, which had a bit of apprehension in me.)

-i just realized they didnt show shanks' arm being cut off by the sea monster. i'm sure they will but they didnt here. i sure hope they do that shits an iconic scene.

-uh. that was pretty much it. netflix was being stupid as shit for me so i didnt really get hd quality but i was watching it on netflix party w my girlfriend and it was just so exciting that i didnt really care. but fuck netflix btw.

so, pretty much, you might get the jist that i'm enjoying this show, and i am!! its honestly hitting all the marks i was hoping it would and a lot more. i love that its a show that knows what its doing. it doesnt feel lost. it feels like its confident in itself and its production. i really hope its a hit, and i sure as fuck HOPE netflix doesnt drop it if it doesnf make a gazillion dollars. i'm not religious but i'll pray for that.

[moviewarfare]

A Review of “One Piece (2023)”

One Piece is one of my favourite manga. I was genuinely flabbergasted when I heard that there was going to be a live-action adaptation of this. One Piece is a very weird and wacky world that I just don't believe could be brought accurately into live-action. Additionally, Netflix was going to make it and they have failed miserably with manga/anime live-action adaptations. Death Note completely butchered the characters and was not a faithful story. Cowboy Bebop had none of the charm of the anime with terrible writing and also not a faithful story. My expectations for this were at an all-time low but the creator of One Piece, Oda, was involved in this project. So maybe 3rd time is the charm?

The first thing I noticed from the first couple of episodes, was the stunning set designs and costumes. I was surprised at the amount of practical sets that felt like great replications of places in the source material. The iconic ship, The Going Merry, looks 1 to 1 exactly like it does in the manga and it looks beautiful! CGI is implemented to further bring the world to life but it is never overused or bad to look at. The characters look exactly like the source material from their clothes to their hair. They use practical make-up and prosthetics for non-human characters and they look great! The action scenes are also very well choreographed while having no shaky camera which is awesome! Nami, Zoro and Sanji have such terrific fight scenes. I was worried about how they would do Luffy's rubber powers in live action but it is done very well. The music score by Sonya and Giona is terrific. They created a score that really gives off the adventure and pirate feeling. They also do an awesome cover of the iconic opening "We Are" as well.

On that note, the casting of the Straw Hats is perfect. Inaki Godoy captures the optimism and silliness of Luffy without feeling cringy. Emily Rudd, Mackenyu, Jacob Romero Gibson and Taz Skylar manage to bring the core personalities of their characters Nami, Zoro, Usopp and Sanji to live action respectfully. For example, Nami still has her flirty scenes to trick people and Sanji still has the flirty treatment with women albeit no longer bothering them which is an understandable change. The villains are also well cast with each of them pulling off the character in live action phenomenally. The great highlight is Jeff Ward as Buggy who somehow manages to be incredibly scary yet silly which is exactly who Buggy is.

One of the biggest reasons for the failure of previous adaptations by Netflix is the butchering of the story. I can thankfully say that this is not the case in One Piece (2023). The main core of each story is still here and the iconic moments are replicated here as well. It was awesome seeing the moments I loved in the anime being done here in the same manner. The adventurous and fun yet violent nature of One Piece is still retained here. There are changes to the story which is understandable because they need to put the story in an 8-hour series. For example, they removed side characters like Johnny, Yosaku and Jango or changed how fights are resolved and how arcs end. Nonetheless, these changes don't hurt the series and it is quite impressive that they managed to still tell the same story. The tone of the show is a bit more serious than the source material but this is also understandable. Manga and Anime are different types of media than a live-action TV show. Not everything can be brought to live-action without coming off as weird but the showrunners understood that and struck a good balance between serious and wacky fun without leaning too hard in either direction.

There are some bigger changes in the story such as introducing the character of Garp very early and having Arlong as the villain in Baratie arc instead of Kreig. I am kind of mixed on these changes as I do understand why but they also create some problems. The introduction of Garp who is chasing Luffy is done to create some tension and stakes for the characters that would be present for the whole series. It was also done to give perspective for the Marines in the form of Koby who has a bigger role in this series compared to the source material. Garp comes off as more scary than he normally is, to the point that he almost feels nothing like Garp should be at times. His character has weird tantrums that feel a bit odd as well. The subplot of the marines also ends up taking a lot of screen time from the main plot which leads to the main story feeling short at times. Arlong's early introduction was also done to hype him up as the big bad of the series. The problem is that the Baratie arc is meant to be focused on Sanji but he ends up feeling overshadowed in his arc by Zoro and Nami who are now more focused. Sanji's decision to leave and join Luffy isn't as well built up because of this change. The creators did very well with the 2 episode limit per arc but the Baratie arc suffered the most.

Overall, I honestly can't believe that the one I thought would be the most unadaptable, ended up being the best adaptation Netflix has done so far. They managed to accurately bring the world of One Piece to live action, which is quite an achievement. It seems Netflix has finally learnt from their mistakes and started respecting the source material. Them bringing in the creator to be more involved seems to have also paid off. I'm not sure how many seasons can be made for this considering how long-running this series is but I certainly want a season 2 if this is the quality of the show!

For more reviews like this visit: https://moviewarfarereviews.blogspot.com/

[kaolinite91]

My review about One Piece Live Action (OPLA)

(Pic source: OPLA Netflix twitter)

Okaaay, you probably knew that I was one of old Nakama, since I've been following one piece for around 20 years (since elementary school haha)

And honestly when I saw the first plan about OPLA from Netflix.. I have a very great cynicism..because you know how baaaaad most of Hollywood anime adaptation were. The good anime adaptation which I think best was Gintama n Kenshin live action, but that's has major Japanese casts and in Japanese languange. But One Piece gonna have diverse casts..how scary. I really put my expectation bar..really...really low back at the time.

But then I saw the list of the casts and honestly, when I saw Inaki Godoy as Luffy for the first time, I kinda unsure and was like "hmm..let see his IG profile first", and I saw him somehow being naturally cheerful and goofy just like Luffy. And I saw his still from one of mexican drama where he looks really cool and badass. I was like " maybe this kid can be Luffy", my expectation kinda growing.

The cast for SH crew looks promising after I saw their profile..except from Taz because back then he has no IG yet. Very2 limited info from him. But after some times, I can see how he & the other cast really2 love the characters they are playing and worked hard for it. They were working with heart and it's shown..

Oda- sensei gives his thought about the adaptation too..and apparently he was the one who want the OPLA to be happened, tho he will be really strict about it. And I honestly I was starting to believe (I mean if the creator already said so), but great doubt still lingered in my heart.

Some months pass..finally the first picture of the cast with full outfits appeared, the first teaser during One Piece day..my expectation started to grew again. I got really hype tho people around me still really sceptical.

More info about how Oda approved Inaki as Luffy because his audition tape made Oda laughed. How Inaki got a strawhat from Luffy's seiyuu,Mayumi Tanaka, and all original anime seiyuu gonna voiced the chara in the live action too. He got a warm support from Shueisha and even met Oda himself and got a STRAWHAT from Goda? Well I started to BELIEVE!! I mean..this OPLA got support from the original source material!! How very awesome! I want this to succeed!

As a long time fans I got a secondhand nervousness.. I really want this live action to be successful. I already saw how the casts chemistry works really well during the interview etc..I want it to succeed!! I even shared a lot of the promotional media to my IG story which was rarely happened from me..hahaha

and after a bit more wait, the series released Yesterday at 31 August 2023. It's during weekday, on Thursday and the Netflix premiere in indonesia was at 14.00 wib. I applied for leave just to watched this Live action yesterday. How was it?? WORTH IT!!

I am so glad I love One Piece and so happy that my favorite manga got a very well made live action.

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Here're some of my faves things & moments:

- Many different approach in telling the story, so it felt fresh!! Because the main point were still conveyed but the location differ and some interaction between characters got adapted to catter the limited episodes (only 8 eps)

- many interesting new interaction!! Luffy and Nami interaction, zoro & nami, zoro & sanji etc..haha loves when SH crew appears

- I got teary eyes during flashback moments (Shanks gave his hat, Zeff advice to little Sanji, Bellemere moments 🥲🥹)

- Zoro very very cool and awesome..and honestly trying to rewatch with JP dub really made him even more WHOLESOME..omg

- when Sanji called Zoro mosshead

- when Ussop and Kaya kissed..hahaha (so there will be romance?)

- when Nami only hugged Zoro and Usopp & Sanji only saw from the sidewalk..

- love Nami theme song because it's pretty and sung by Aurora!

- loves the hidden easter egg: binks sake song, anime ost instrumental, mentioned Jaya, and story of Mobran Noland (even the story book!) Etc

- Garp denden mushi looks cute somewhow haha

- how Buggy looks super creepy like Joker hahaha but I love it! It's super interesting

- Helmeppo really annoying just like in the comic, Koby looks very similar with the comic counterpart too!!

- I love how the story combines SH POV with Koby as marine POV (which should be after vol 45), but it makes the introduction of the world more seamless and easier for the new fans ro enjoy

- JP Dub really a whole other experience!!! You must watch it at least twice I think! Hahaha original voice and JP dub!!

What I don't really like or can be improved:

- need more episodes, 8 was too short and made the story telling too packed.

-This also impacted the timing of the screen which supposed to build up the impactful scenes: like when Gold Roger dies,Zoro almost died from hunger, Shanks arm got eaten, Sanji's thankfulness to Zeff, Luffy's promise to helps Nami and when he yelled that Nami is his Nakama from Arlong park ruins.... it's not really highlighted. Kinda felt like just another ordinary scenes 🥹🥲😭

- somehow Luffy fight not really as dynamic as Zoro, so I kinda feel sad..but in east blue saga he still kinda weak(?) So maybe that's okay

- No Hachi in arlong park, no battle with Krieg...No usopp's little kids crew and somehow Merry died (I know he's more like NPC but it still sad because Kaya alone now)

- a bit more gory with blood etc

- Garp characterization...somehow a bit confusing. He seems a lot stricter than in the manga, and rarely laughing too.. which is okay. But why he really want to captured Luffy is still not understandable for me...? In vol 45 he just want to Meet Luffy as his Grandpa, but not sure in OPLA, is he still want to makes Luffy a marine? (Maybe I need to rewatch it). He contacted the Shichibukai to captured Luffy a bit stretched too..since Garp division in manga should be the part of marine who didn't believe in Shichibukai as 'protector of the sea'.

- how Genzou not have importance to the plot as Nami's and Nijiko's father... He should be the reason for the pinwheel, but in OPLA Bellemere the one who made it.

- Bellemere's name in the EN subtitles only written as Woman.. during Nami episode her name never mentioned and only written in her graveyard (saaaad)

- Sanji needs more screentime!! Huhuhu he just started join the crew in EP 7 and the episodes already finished at 8...saaad. I need more of him too 😭

- the SH crew interaction very limited because of the packed pacing and short number of episodes. I wish they can be explored more. It's funny because the screentime got divided into coby, helmeppo and garp interaction too. They really felt like another main characters.

- how Luffy recruitted the crew also not really highlighted, thus it's a bit weird on why suddenly Zoro want to follow him as his crew. it's kinda felt random..

-Luffy a lot more...wise and mature? I wish he looks more goofy like how Inaki in his IG stories. And because not many interaction with usopp yet..his childish part seems not really explored?

Maybe that's that for now.. but TLDR. It's a fun & fresh live action and I recommend you to watched it and be a new Nakama!

For me OPLA season 1 score was: 8.5/10

Ps. Above was the objective score from me because I kinda particular.. but subjective score with EN dub was 10/10, for JP dub is 11/10 because I love how fun and fresh it is!! (I still rewatching it for the JP dub hahaha)

[hanarchy]

the one piece live action casting and production design is so fucking genius its really wild like.

when it hit netflix i hadnt heard or thought abt one piece in like 20 years, never watched it or any other anime really, could not have told u what it was abt and if/how it was different from other anime and only remembered luffys stupid grin and a vague pirate theme

and yet when i saw inaki godoys grin i was IMMEDIATELY back on the school yard with the boys in my class talking about it and me thinking it looked stupid while at the SAME TIME being like ‘he looks like so much fun maybe i should give this a shot’

like ok its possible that this was targeted specifically towards me since i do have those memories and a well documented soft spot for ppl with big goofy grins, but…

god sorry that show is so good. like divorced and separated from the anime too, its SO good

[roseaesynstylae]

Thoughts About OPLA

I like it a lot. It's not perfect, but what is? It's easily the best live-action manga adaptation. The actors are perfect, the effects are excellent, everyone involved clearly loves One Piece, the plot is well-translated, and the changes actually make it more interesting in my opinion. I don't mind the extra gore; in some ways, I feel that it fits this version of One Piece even better that if it was kept similar to the anime/manga. I also like that, unlike Oda, the show has no qualms about killing off minor characters. My only quibble is that, in the future, I'm hoping there are more episodes in a season. There's a lot of One Piece, and there's only so much that can be removed without unbalancing the story.

Random, specific things I like:

The actor who plays Koby. They were practically born for the role and they make the character even more adorable.

Krieg getting killed off. He's easily my least favorite part of the East Blue Saga and him getting axed was rather satisfying.

The bounty posters that show up with various pirates' first appearances. I love the way they look, the fun and slightly intimidating way they blow across the screen, the person with the bounty casually destroying them.

The set design is magnificent.

Helmeppo's bare ass, not as a form of fanservice, but for the sheer WTF-ness of the whole scene. Seeing a single picture of it makes me laugh hysterically. I'm calling it now: That scene is in the top 10 Funniest Scenes in One Piece, if someone will compile that list.

Buggy. Jeff Ward shines as him, they made him surprisingly scary while still foreshadowing his humorous turn, the make-up is wonderful, they got his Devil Fruit right, and I love him the way he looks when Luffy tells him that he can't make people love him.

I like that they showed Mr. 7. I don't know why; I just do.

Inaki (I can't figure out how to add the tilde to his name) is perfect as Luffy. I mean, everyone is perfectly cast, but he stands out. He captures the innate "no brain-cells" look of the character.

Usopp and Kaya becoming officially a couple.

Kaya in general, really.

Stuff I hope to see in future seasons (mostly pre-timeskip, because if I listed everything, this would go on forever):

The Eleven Supernovas. Several of them are some of my favorite One Piece characters, period, so I'm excited by the mere idea. Very specifically, I think that once I see their bounty posters with them in their introductions, I'll expire from bliss. I'm particularly interested in how they'll portray Law, Kid, Killer, and Drake. I think it would be cool if in, I'm guessing season 3 or 4, each episode has a stinger featuring one of them and their crew, with Law being the last. The best part is, if they stick to the eight episode seasons, they'll be able to feature each of them anyway, as Kid and Killer are part of the same crew.

Camie. Hopefully, Hatchan being adapted out doesn't mean she won't show up. She is my all-time favorite minor character, after all.

I can't make up my mind about what the best way to portray Chopper would be. Maybe a combination of all of them?

I can't wait to see Ace!!

With things being bloodier, Marineford is going to be even worse.

[smokeybrandreviews]

Gum-Gum no Excellence

I finished Netflix's take on One Piece yesterday and, i must say, it was superb. I did not think they'd be able to actually capture that kinetic, endearing, emotional, slapstick energy that the Straw Hat's exude but, to my joyful surprise, they absolutely did. This version of One Piece is every bit as valid as the manga and anime versions. In some regards, I'd say it's even better. Certainly the pacing is far superior. I mean, we spent, like, two episodes in Syrup village which is all you need. I hated that arc because it was so goddamn meh. Not in this adaption. You get in there, you get what you need (Usopp and Going Merry) and you're out. It's actually kind of amazing how adept the writers on this show were able to distill forty-five half hour episodes, into eight hour long entries, without losing the plot is borderline miraculous. There were changes made due to budget concerns and the like but, overall, the alterations were more positive than negative, something that is quite rare in modern Hollywood. I have an issue with the fact that this thing cribs way too much from that Pirates of the Caribbean aesthetic (this show is nowhere near as colorful or explosive as the manga and anime) but that, i think, is just for normie yankee appeal. I doubt the masses would except the technicolor camp of the original vision but who am i to day? What i can say is that the cast is pitch-perfect.

Months ago, when the cast was first announced, i wrote an entire essay about how perfect it was. If you're curious, it's titled "Bon Voyage". Search that up and give it a read. In short, i thought the cast was perfect. There was a lot of frustration about "forced diversity" and perceived "wokeness" but that wasn't the case at all. The characters actually skewed to how Oda, himself, saw them. Luffy was Brazilian, Zorro was Japanese, Sanji as French, Nami was Swedish (i think), and Usopp was Black. That sh*t is chock full of proper diversity and, surprise-surprise, the cast reflected that. Hell, Oda even praised Inaki Godoy for his portrayal of Luffy, even though he's Mexican, not Brazilian. To be perfectly honest, i think that cast, the chemistry of the main characters, is the strength of this show. Godoy's Luffy is a standout, capturing that naive yet powerful energy Luffy exudes. Dude is the engine which makes this show go but his energetic presence doesn't overshadow the rest of his crew at all. Emily Rudd's Nami is every bit the sardonic straight man i expected her to be and Mackenyu's take on Zorro is every bit the bad ass i imagined the Pirate Hunter could be in live action. The lone weak link, i think, is Jacob Gibson's Usopp but that's mostly because Usopp is useless in these first few arcs. Kid gets much more bad ass as the narrative progresses. Hopefully, we'll get to see a bit of Sogeking before Netflix inevitably axes this show because, if we're being honest, that Alabasta arc is about to cost a ton of f*cking money, and Netflix is notorious about not cashing out. I'm curious if this thing makes it past the three season death date because, seriously, even the supporting cast kills. Morgan Davies' Koby, Aidan Scott's Helmeppo, and Vincent Regan's Garp are perfect contrasts as the stalwart Marine contingent in pursuit of the free-wheeling Straw Hat pirates.

The villains, too, were pretty solid. I thought Arlong was kind of rushed but both Buggy and Mihawk were perfect. Their portrayal gives me hope that cats like Crocodile and the CP9 can be executed in live action rather faithfully. I don't know what the future holds for this adaption but i adore what we've gotten so far. and so do general audiences. Outside of the weird slather of grime the US perspective pushed on this technicolor wonderland of camp, Netflix seems to have cracked how to adapt anime. Well, if I'm being honest, that was more James Cameron and Robert Rodriguez with Alita: Battle Angel but One Piece is the next step in that growth. In terms of Comic adaptions, I'd say Alita is akin to Blade and One Piece is this genres X-Men. Cats can look at this show and see the ground work laid. They can crib that formula, tweak it as necessary, and really understand how to translate the very Japanese feel of anime toward the more mundane and formulaic notions of the American palate. I love what I've seen in these first eight episode and look forward to what comes next. I want Skypiea. I want Lougetown and Dragon. More than anything, i want Alabasta because i NEED Nico Robin. She's my favorite character of the entire series and it would be an absolute shame if we didn't get such an integral part of the Straw Hats. Hell, even Tony Tony Chopper needs to at least make a cameo. Netflix's One Piece was excellent. On it's own, as a show, it was fun, whimsical, entertainment. As an anime adaption, it's one of the best I've ever seen, up there with Alita and Speed Racer. All eight episodes are out right now. Go binge them right now. Support this fantastic show because we need more of this and less of sh*t like Bebop and Death Note. Even though i kind of like Netflix's Death Note.

[sanaserena]

YAY, OPLA is still in the top 10 - top 4 most streamed last week - this week, in it's sixth week of airing! See ↓↓ from here: Twitter Link

In my personal opinion, that's looking good. It's also interesting to compare OPLA's streaming stats week by week compared to several other shows in the top 10 (but in saying that... I haven't had time to do a full comparison, just bits here and there, so I can't say anything for sure...still, it's very interesting to look at!! And considering, I usually don't have the time or effort to follow any other show in such detail... but One Piece has such a special place in my heart!)

I finally am back round with screenshots from Episode 6 - and my thoughts on the episode. I also really loved this episode, the cast has so many good moments, and I love how we see the crew bond and develop through one of the biggest trials of the Straw Hat pirates friendship.

Highlights of Ep 6:

Do you know how much I love these sets? Why sometimes I love live action? Because we get to see even more sides to the manga panels, to the anime scenes that probably weren’t important or thought about at the time. For example, I love that we get to see more of the inside of the Going Merry (we do see this in the manga, but there's something more intricate and detailed about the live action's adaptation)

The interactions between Koby and Garp. The more times I re-watch OPLA, the more I like these interactions. I like them because we get to see Koby develop and how Garp becomes his and Helmeppo's mentor (something we only see in cover stories in OP, before their big appearance at the end of a specific arc, where the Koby and Helmoppo have clearly grown up.)

The interaction between Garp and Mihawk. This is OP only, and we see a different kind of Warlord/Marine interaction past the East Blue Saga in the One Piece Manga. I liked that this was introduced in OPLA season 1, it does so many wonderful things like, give us more Mihawk time (those who know, know how rare he is in the manga, but beloved despite those rare appearances), show us more of how the Warlord system works/or does work, and of course hammers in other plot points for OPLA. (Also, Steven John Ward is such a magnificent Mihawk.)

The interaction between Sanji, Usopp, and Luffy. When Luffy speaks of Wado Ichimonji, and pronounces the name completely wrong in a very Luffy way, sometimes I ask myself, do I love this line in OPLA because I know it’s a very Luffy trait from the manga, or do I love it because Inaki delivers this line so well?

This episode gives us more wonderful expressions from the cast. Taz is such a fantastic Sanji and Jacob is pretty good as Usopp. They're both great in this episode. I've heard some people complain that Usopp and Sanji were done a bit dirty in season 1, but truthfully, I have high hopes that the showrunners will give them more space for development in season 2 now that they've been introduced. If you squash everything into season 1, that only leaves less space for character development on screen later on. So I'm looking forward to seeing OPLA develop some of our favourite OP characters in their way, but faithful to Oda's vision.

I love how they did Sanji's backstory. They did not skimp on the truth behind Zeff's leg, which the anime does, and the manga is a little more brutal on.

You know, sometimes I had my doubts, before OPLA was released, on whether Craig Fairbrass would make a good Zeff. There were so many white actors and I like hmmm. But, damn it all, he’s perfect. He brings Zeff alive with so much zest and flavour. Both in present and the past flashbacks. It was wonderful. (Also, it does make me laugh every time I see his braided mustache jumping when he speaks, love it.)

Christian Convery is also fantastic as young Sanji. He acts wonderfully. He's like a little angelic cherub, and thus for the extended starvation period, he was a little too fleshy, however, this is a child (and we can't ask him to starve just for acting at his age, and for something like this in a tv series, I'd much rather the vfx went to the bigger elements, like Buggy's devil fruit powers, Luffy's devil fruit powers, the Sea King, etc.), and his acting still managed to convince me that he had been starving for days.

And as usual, I can't fit all the screenshots here ... see Part 2: Here, and Part 3: Here.