One Piece (Netflix series, 2023)
One Piece is a rollicking and fun-filled live-action pirate series, based on one of the most popular manga series in the world.
One Piece is the creation of Japanese artist Eiichirô Oda and since 1997 it’s not only been incredible successful as a manga series, but it has also inspired countless other media, like animated movies and video games.
In fact there so much lore out there, that it is easy to become confused. The thing to remember: it’s about Pirates! The same genre that brought us Pirates of the Caribbean, Peter Pan and Captain Hook, and if like me you’re really old, the swashbuckling Errol Flynn movies.
So why would anyone be a pirate? Well, according to lead character Monkey D. Luffy in the first episode: ‘It’s the best thing there is. Wind in your back, the salty sea air. Loyal crew by your side. You never know what’s on the horizon. It’s all about being free.’
In this series, however, there are two types of pirates: good and bad. The good ones not only try to find their own way in the world, they also oppose the World Government and its secret police, who want to keep everything and everyone in their proper place.
Good pirates are anti-authoritarian heroes, but the bad pirates are just plain evil. And the world in which all adventures take place looks like earth, but it’s a fantastical version, with a very different geography, filled with unusual creatures and places.
The story follows Luffy (Iñaki Godoy), a highly energetic pirate boy, who embarks on a journey to attain a mythical treasure: the one piece. This will make him King of the Pirates! His own pirate family is called The Straw Hat Crew and includes, amongst others, Zoro, played by Mackenyu (Knights of the Zodiac) Nami, played by Emily Rudd (the Fear Street-trilogy), Sanji (Taz Skylar), Usopp, (Jacob Romero) and Koby (Morgan Davies).
They are heading down to The Grand Line, a treacherous stretch of oceans with bigger islands and bigger pirates - that’s where they believe they are going to find the one piece.
The first couple of episodes place a lot of emphasis on both character drama and action spectacle. I guess the series will play best to a younger audience, but it looks like it has something for everyone. As long as you like pirates, it is safe to take the plunge and just dive in.
There is a sense of fun here that is rather infectious: the energy and enthusiasm the actors bring to their roles, the colorful settings and a general sense of aliveness: watching One Piece is basically a guarantee for having a good time.