Pop Vault - Watching One Piece
My First Dip Into One Piece
I finally got around to watching the live-action adaptation of One Piece. I decided that I have too much to say about it in just one post, so I’ve decided to use it as part of my Pop Vault series to discuss my feelings after watching the first two seasons. This will be general impressions and sort of just getting it off my chest, plus I’m sure there are fans of the series who may read my stuff, and I figured it would be interesting to see the thoughts of an outsider, as I am a believer that the “normies” of a fandom can help you learn a lot about what you love.
My Quick History with Anime and One Piece
The peak of my anime-watching years were my childhood and high school years. I grew up on Dragon Ball Z and Sailor Moon (that’s right, let’s be truthful, fellas) after school, thanks to Toonami on Cartoon Network. Eventually, Adult Swim came along, and I watched a good chunk of anime, mostly as background noise, during late nights. Anime like Inuyasha, Rurouni Kenshin, Yu-Yu Hakusho, and, of course, Cowboy Bebop. There are others sprinkled in, but those are the ones I specifically remember. The thing is, I didn’t really fall in love with any of those except Dragon Ball Z. Yes, basic answer, and I’m sure there’s some eye-rolling from anime super fans, but it’s a story that I legitimately fell in love with. I loved the characters, the concept, the arcs, the villains, the music - all of it. To this day, Gohan’s arc from his debut to defeating Cell is one of my top ten personal favorite character arcs in any storytelling medium. Outside of that, I liked the anime I would bump into but never really fell in love with it.
Now, my twin brother and my sister are much more into anime and manga than I ever was. My sister, in particular, is an anime super fan. My brother did suggest Fairy Tail, which I ended up watching the first 100+ episodes before I fell out. Now, I really liked it, and it had interesting characters and concepts, but I felt it was starting to lose steam for me as it went on, and I never got around to continuing it. Then came One Piece, a series that both my brother and (especially) my sister became obsessed with. As you may have guessed, when people fall in love with something, it is pushed like crazy on me. And I want to say this - this isn’t me saying that as a bad thing. I myself understand wanting to share something when you fall in love with it, but it was pushed on me so much that I kind of just wanted to ignore it or let myself check it out without pressure. So because of this, I’m aware of the characters and certain themes; I just never got around to watching it.
A few years ago, I received the first twelve volumes of the manga as a Christmas gift from my brother. I believe I read the first three volumes, and I’ll admit I did like what I was seeing and reading. That being said, I did fall off it and sort of moved on. Then, the live action adaptation showed up, and recently, after seeing the hype around Season 2’s launch, I decided to sit down and watch it. As I’ve said when it comes to video games, live action adaptations work because they offer another way to tell a story for people who either have never experienced it or don’t have time to enjoy it in the original format, so it made sense for me to binge the show’s current sixteen-episode lineup and finally get a feel for the series.
The Negatives (Including Some Small Gripes About Manga/Anime)
Let’s talk negatives first. First, let me express my number one gripe with anime/manga storytelling. Now, let me say this is based on the stuff I’ve seen; I’m sure you can point to other examples, but I can only base this on my personal experiences. I am a big believer that romance arcs are a key part of great storytelling. Yes, I can see Gen Z rolling their eyes already about this, but I’m sorry; it’s how I feel. Also, to get this out, this isn’t a guy getting the girl trope either. I’ve always said it’s weak storytelling to claim an independent or powerful woman can’t fall in love either (no matter their sexuality as well). It doesn’t even have to be the main character; I don’t mind it with side characters. From what I’ve observed, manga and anime SUCK at this aspect of storytelling. It was something that hit me when watching Fairy Tail. Even if there is some sort of romantic aspect, it’s played off as comedy, and it’s something that has always bothered me about the medium. Okay, just wanted to get that criticism out of the way.
So, most of my negatives were actually addressed in Season two, but I still wanted to talk about it. First, the character of Usopp. I found him incredibly annoying in the first season, as in “throw him off the boat” annoying. My wife, who was watching more as background noise, made the same remark. Luckily, he gets much better in the second season, and I think doing his lying stories gimmick less helped me see him in a different light, especially during the Little Garden episodes. Maybe part of it was the actor’s portrayal in the first season, but I’m glad he was much more tolerable and even likable in the second.
Second, and I think in the long run this can be seen as unfair criticism, but at times the show is very corny, from the way it looks to hairstyles to some of the camera shots. I fully understand that this is probably because it’s based on anime/manga style, which isn’t something that we’re used to in a big-budget, westernized show, but it’s the first thing I noticed. It’s not a deal breaker, but it reminds me of the elements that make it harder for a novice in the space to get into the medium.
The last gripe I have has to do more with the first season feeling so episodic. I get it, they have to introduce the characters and get the crew together, but it wasn’t until the second season that I felt we were finally on an adventure. I am happy that feeling goes away in the second season, as well as the number of flashbacks, because I hate that it’s a thing in modern shows these days.
The Positives
Okay, let’s talk positive, and there’s a lot. First, the concept of this story is one of those that you sit back and think, how did no one think of this? I think the story’s hook around the One Piece and the world it sets up with pirates who range from good intentions to bad is just primed for countless stories, and I can see why the fandom wraps itself up in the series’ lore. The characters are very likable, even if some took time for me to get used to. I already explained my growth with Usopp, but I also took time to figure out Nami. Maybe it’s the way they wrote her in the first season, but she came off a little too cold. Yes, I understood by the final episodes why, but it made it a little harder to connect with her.
When I do watch anime, it’s always been the side characters that I fall in love with quicker than the main protagonist, and that’s due to the stereotypical goofy personality they give them. Luffy has those exact same tropes and gimmicks, but one thing I did like about him is how much he pushes people to follow their dreams. It makes his childlike personality fit. Sanji grew on me a lot in the second season; I found myself being more and more interested in him, and I hope we see him have more moments. The one that instantly became my guy, and even my wife agrees, is Roronoa Zoro. As a wrestling fan who likes these type of characters, this guy just oozes charisma, and I like how he’s that silent badass type, similar to many Clint Eastwood films. Every time he was on the screen, I was sold and bought in, and I am invested in his character arc and goals.
I also want to shout out the design of the show. Yes, like I said earlier, I think it can come off corny to people outside of the anime/manga fandom, but I do applaud that they went all in, even if it wouldn’t be a hit with everyone, because it makes it feel like a manga come to life and respects the source material. I especially like the wanted posters when they reveal new villains.
The real secret weapon of One Piece, however, is the side characters, which have always been the secret ingredient to successful series like Game of Thrones. If you can make people care about those who only show up every now and then, you’ve got them hooked. There’s also a theme here about different people and cultures coming together. I’m sure many fans recognize it, but it definitely stood out to me, especially in the second season. It’s a massive world full of different people, cultures, and races, and that adds to limitless possibilities.
The Future
So what’s next? Well, I’m definitely hooked on the live action show, and I’ll be awaiting Season 3. As for anyone asking me to watch the anime, that’s a wait and see. One thing that keeps me from doing it, and I think it keeps a lot of people from doing it as well, is how many episodes it has. I do think it’s a bit ridiculous how long this series/show has gone on, and I think that’s a valid criticism. Either way, even if it’s through the live action or whatever other means may happen in the future, count me in as finally understanding why One Piece has such a massive fan base.
I enjoyed the first season on Netflix. As someone who had only heard about the anime, I knew I could never possibly catch up with it this late, so I liked the fact that the live action series seemed to have the goofy style of an anime but was more condensed and forgiving for a newcomer like me. I should give season 2 a watch at some point.