Live-action One Piece is a bit like the legend of the bumblebee that couldn’t fly, but didn’t know it and did it anyway: it ignores skepticism and forges ahead, even if it means coming across as exaggerated. The second season, “Towards the Grand Line,” was something of a litmus test for the Netflix series: we all knew that even more production limitations would emerge that would significantly undermine our suspension of disbelief. So how do you transpose giant flesh-and-blood creatures, wax men, talking reindeer, and individuals with improbable hairstyles into an adaptation without falling into ridicule? The answer is in these new episodes: you do it, and sometimes you achieve ridicule. But you have a blast doing it.
A transitional but dense season.
All in all, the first iteration of the Netflix live-action series succeeded in its intent, condensing some things and cutting others. From this point of view, “Towards the Main Route” had more breathing room: there were “only” six volumes to adapt, and no more than thirty episodes of the anime (speaking of canonical events and excluding fillers). As a result, the events narrated in this second season are even more faithful to the original material, because they leave out little or nothing and, in fact, add to it. The story therefore picks up where we left off, with the Straw Hats ready to leave the East Blue Sea to embark on the dangerous Grand Line: the crew will stop at Rogue Town, Whisky Peek, Little Garden, and Drum, thus following the same vertical structure as the previous edition, divided into mini-narrative arcs. Now, however, there is a much more cumbersome common thread than the Marines or Fishmen running through the entire season: Baroque Works, the association of assassins that aims to get rid of Princess Vivi and bring down the kingdom of Alabasta, in a chain of events that will continue into the next season, the third.
As a result, despite providing self-contained stories, One Piece: Verso la Rotta Maggiore is a very transitional season, which cleverly scatters various narrative elements throughout. In this regard, it must be said that the authors have been superb in scanning the various arcs, diluting various foreshadowings, and inserting many gems that will drive even those who are up to date with the manga crazy.
I won’t go into detail to avoid spoilers, but one of the main strengths of this live-action series is that it is written by people who, under the direct supervision of Eiichiro Oda, know what they are doing: they know how and where to insert even very important fragments of lore, making them consistent with the current story, they know how to tease “those who know” and how to intrigue “those who don’t know.” There is at least one Easter egg, cameo, or piece of juicy information in every episode. There is an awareness (but also the material available) of being able to “play” with the mythology of One Piece, placing here and there many narrative ideas that Oda would only explore or reveal later on, because there is obviously a much broader vision than Toei had at the time on the original work.
And there is even room, in a package of eight episodes, many of which exceed 60 minutes in length, for further moments of exquisite fan service, which even reference some famous fillers from the anime series. In short, there is a maniacal respect for Oda-sensei’s original work, an almost religious reverence and fidelity so that the spirit of the work and the characters is not even slightly misunderstood or strays from the pre-set tracks. Because this seems to be the only possible way to transpose One Piece into live-action. But there is a price to pay.
An ambition that is beginning to become cumbersome
It is precisely this extreme fidelity that is, in part, an Achilles’ heel for the series’ production ambitions. It is inevitable: those who did not digest the fake scenery and effects, or the inevitable ‘cosplay effect’ already in the first season, are unlikely to change their minds this time around. As the journey continues, One Piece becomes a catwalk parade of oddities, funny characters, and ever-greater powers, and inevitably, season 2 amplifies and exaggerates everything that was done in the first eight episodes.
Often, the end result can be off-putting: costumes and hairstyles become increasingly exaggerated, the powers of the Devil Fruits even more bizarre, and the staging sometimes suffers as a result. Due to their over-the-top nature, some battles become complex to bring to the screen, and in this sense, it is certainly commendable when less production effort is put into trying. Precisely for this reason, however, compromises must be accepted: shots that necessarily become very tight to “hide” flaws, improbable (and at times somewhat ugly) CGI extensions, implausible stunts, and, above all, the artisanal creation of some creatures that has an alienating effect. on the other hand, much more complex Devil Fruits are beginning to emerge, between Rogia and Zoan, and the visual rendering of some powers has its ups and downs. For example, while Smoker’s smoke effects are well done, animating a creature like Chopper—with all his various hybrid forms—was undoubtedly complex, and the final result, which combines CGI with prosthetic effects, has both strengths and weaknesses.
The point is that in One Piece you also have to “get into it.” That is, make a pact with the work itself and accept that, especially from here on out, the road ahead will be all uphill for the production, and that the “live-action cartoon” effect will be constantly lurking around the corner. The production team is well aware of this, constantly playing with not taking itself seriously, entertaining and having fun. It’s as if we were looking at a huge toy in a large playground.
However, the work on the characters, casting, and individual performances mitigates all this. Because in the end, despite everything, this live-action One Piece has heart to spare. Starting with the main characters, who have embraced their roles more than ever, proving that they are the first to believe in them. And then there’s the script, which enhances what Oda has done with his protagonists and tries to mix things up, deepening and expanding the various bonds between the Mugiwara: Luffy and Zoro, Usopp and Nami, Zoro and Usopp, Sanji and Nami, and so on. The live-action film is full of many small moments in which the stratospheric chemistry between the main cast members emerges in all its power.
So, in the end, it doesn’t really matter if it’s ridiculous to see a head stretching out to grab an unconscious companion with its teeth: under all that rubber, there is a soul beating as hard as the drums that sooner or later we will hear echoing in the air…
Netflix has worked its magic once again: One Piece Season 2 reaffirms the strengths and weaknesses of the first season with even greater force, bringing all the oddities of the universe created by Eiichiro Oda to the screen with even greater intensity. Behind a sometimes problematic staging, obviously fake sets, and rather artificial digital effects, however, beats a powerful heart, that of a live-action adaptation that ultimately knows what it’s doing: giving fans what they want, playing with the mythology of reference, and having fun constantly winking at the most attentive readers of the manga. The horizon seems clear for this live-action film, but the waters are beginning to get increasingly choppy…
