One Piece

Live-action anime has always been a slippery slope. It wasn't because it was something nobody wanted but because it was never done well for a long time. This show has broken that streak. It’s scary accurate to the original series, from the outfits to the plot points.

One Piece is one of the longest-running anime/manga series ever created. They did the impossible by curating Oda’s greatest hits into a cohesive story with mass appeal. It is nothing short of exceptional. I am an avid watcher of the anime. So my favorite part of the show when I first started watching it was all the easter eggs. Knowing what I know about the show so far gave me a new appreciation for the series.

The fighting choreography was elite across the board. I enjoyed Zoro and Mihawk’s fight the most. Even the special effects are pretty good. What stood out the most to me was the title cards being a different Jolly Roger based on the episode. The way they incorporated the wanted posters with introducing key characters was fire.

World Building aside, the pacing for this series was surprisingly good. Considering they fit over sixty anime episodes into an 8 episode season. The chemistry between the crew had me worried at first. Each character was able to bring their dynamic to the table. Their synergy was on point as a collective.

Some characters suffered more than others though. Take Luffy for example. His character development did not benefit from this condensed story at all. Granted, it only makes sense that some of these moments were not going to have the same effect they did in the anime. The build-up didn't have enough time to marinate. I won’t say that it was bad but, I will say that it was good enough. I can’t deny that the drama is what makes One Piece hit different, and this series was missing a little of that. One Piece has always been about chasing your dreams no matter and, they got that point across so it is a win in my book.