One Piece

Parenthetically I don't know anything about the source material in particular or anime in general.

The series is compulsively watchable for several reasons.

The first is the world-building. The setting is fantastical but the show makes it effortlessly understandable and relatable.

The second is the characters. The characters here are mostly tropes but they're so likeable and well-realized by the performers that you can't help getting invested in them.

The third is the sense of light-hearted positivity that pervades the series. It touches on some pretty dark issues but the show and its irrepressibly-optimistic protagonist always have a positive outlook. People's faith in one another is actually rewarded rather than being mocked or denigrated. Image that in 2023.

It made me laugh, it made me cry, it made me happy. I feel like I spent my time cheerfully while enjoying a fantastic whimsical journey.

Standing ovation for all the casts (yes, all of them even the ones that performed while wearing full prosthetics), especially Inaki Godoy. A very talented young actor. The show literally would never work without him.

Amazing production with practical sets, finally.

But the best part of it was the story telling, all the backstories broke me, I adore these characters and I want to support them.

All I can say is give it a chance, an episode or two, if you open your mind this is a magical world of entertainment that we all love and adore.

Despite the negative reviews from some people who judged the series before watching it, I decided to give it a chance and watch the first episode. I was really surprised by how well they adapted the story from the manga, even though they made some changes to the plot. The changes did not affect the overall narrative and actually added some depth and complexity to the characters and the setting. The production value was impressive, with realistic costumes, props, special effects and PRACTICAL SETS. It felt like I was watching a movie rather than a TV show.

The first episode left me wanting more and curious about how the series will progress. I hope they will keep up the quality and the faithfulness to the source material.

This is bar none one of the best live-action adaptions to any animated source material I have ever seen. I have been a diehard One Piece fan since I was a preteen; it was one of the first manga I ever read and I still watch it to this day. Admittedly, when I first saw a remake was in the works and saw the promos for it, I could feel myself almost instinctively getting nauseous. I saw the characters and bauked at the mere aesthetics of the show, let alone the other details. My heart sank into a pit as I pleaded pitifully in my head, "Please, PLEASE don't touch this one. I still haven't recovered from the massacring of Avatar TLA, Dragonball Evolution (I know those weren't Netflix, but still), Death Note, AND FullMetal Alchemist, please don't destroy something else from my childhood just for the sake of playing pretend and trying to get subscriptions ."

But lo and behold, I watched the trailer for it and every previously described feeling of dread in me was evaporated by a sudden rush of euphoria and excitement. I had goosebumps on my goosebumps and my heart was in my throat. I immediately resubscribed to Netflix and began watching and MY-GOSH, guys.

I will restate that this is the best adaption of any source material I've ever seen. I will warn you the more "human" looking rendition of the characters takes some getting used to, but my gosh, it's all there - the humor, the action, the heart, and barely a single editorial or filmographic choice is wasted. You're not going to find a cut-by-cut (no pun intended, Zoro) rendition of the original story, but that actually works here and keeps things moving and working in a cohesive way.

For first time fans or devoted veterans like me, you could not ask for a better introduction to an anime series in this medium. Please give it a chance.

I've never watched the anime or read the manga before, and honestly, wasn't fully sold by the trailer, but after I started watching it, I was hooked. I did not expect to enjoy this show as much as I did. The actors were well cast and the story was fun and compelling. You really get to like the characters, both heroes and villains, and want to see what happens to them. There's also a lot of heart to the story that goes beyond cliches. It was probably tricky to adapt an anime series into a live action format, and I feel it struck the right balance, and succeeded where other adaptations didn't.

Now I'm going to have to start watching the anime series, and it's a good thing Netflix has them.

Netflix had better renew this for more seasons or I'm canceling my subscription. After I watch the anime series, though.