One Piece

1st season - 90% - I have always just brushed against the phenomenon of One Piece in the past, because liking anime means sooner or later encountering it. I know approximately its plot, I also suspect a few major spoilers, but I have always just respected it, because daring to watch more than a thousand episodes today is not realistically possible. But I have huge admiration for it, because it has managed and continues to keep the pirate genre in mind, a scarce yet enticing commodity. And there are so many voyages, fights, sword fights, and treasures in it that sometimes I get chills down my spine, how much potential it has after such a wonderful first season. Seriously, this is the surprise of the year, in which the acting chemistry works to the fullest, the characters' pasts, tension, humor, and excitement for things to come. In addition, the casting hit unknown or almost unknown faces on the mark, especially Luffy and Buggy are downright comedic gems. So sail away, too, anyone looking for adventures of the old genre, which will sometimes be enriched by the fantasy of special powers, cannot choose better. (12/11/2023)

I had no idea about the existence of the manga “One Piece” until the series was released on Netflix, and after watching the first season I was pleasantly surprised by this project. Visually, the series cannot be denied the animated source material – whether it was the locations, the appearance of some characters or the peculiar choice of costumes – but even in terms of the characters' behaviour, I felt at times as if I was (nostalgically) watching Pokémon. Monkey D. Luffy, for instance, is indeed a quirky character with an infectious optimism and a clear goal, and the actor succeeded in capturing his thought processes on the whole. Of his crew, I wasn't entirely sold on Usopp, which was as much a due to the actor as the characterization of the character itself. Of the villains, I liked Klahadore and Mihawk, while the scenes with the Fish-men, who were given quite a bit of space, made me feel like I was watching the victims of poorly done sculptures. I liked that you are given a glimpse into the past of the main characters alongside the current storyline, with the line with Sanji and Zeff being the most interesting to me. The first season was indeed brisk, full of adventure and action, and even though I found the execution a bit too frantic in places (which was certainly influenced by the source material), I really enjoyed it and am curious to see what the creators will offer in any future seasons. (10/01/2023)