One Piece Stampede Review
It is surprising to think that the One Piece anime series has turned twenty this year with over nine hundred episodes and thirteen previously released feature length films based on one of the most popular Shonen Jump manga titles of all time. And yet despite being an admirer of the publisher who introduced me to the likes of Dragonball and Naruto, I never watched, nor read, One Piece.
So with the fourteenth film marking a platinum anniversary and no UK release scheduled at the time of writing this review, the opportunity presented itself for me to watch it and I thought it would finally be worth diving into the high seas of the One Piece universe and write this review solely as a newcomer into the series.
The film does a great job at introducing newcomers to the set-up of the anime series of the legendary treasure from Gol D. Roger the pirate king and how every pirate is seeking it after his execution; including the lead character Monkey D. Luffy and his crew of rag tag members that make up the Straw Hat Pirates. From there we see them and a large cast of colourful and overly exaggerated band of characters and their equally obscure ships as they gather to an island where the Pirate Festival is set to find one of the legendary pieces of Roger’s treasure.
A majority of our protagonists are given enough screen time to make us root for them against massive obstacles, whether it’s Luffy childishly leading his crew through a lagoon full of ships that literally tower over theirs, Usopp the sniper overcoming his own insecurities, or Zoro dueling against an army of pirates on a battlefield. With their very unique designs to boot, you never get lost and understand why they all feel more like a family unit more than a bunch of pirates looking for their next score.
The production team at Toei Animation have delivered another high octane, over the top fight scenes of brilliantly choreographed pirates with unusual and strong abilities. Following up from the work the studio produced earlier this year with Dragonball Super: Broly, this film improves on the animation quality while also using colours more effectively to make everyone stand out from the beautiful, rustic backdrops. The use of computer animation isn’t used too much in comparison; but at the right time and place to seamlessly blend with the traditional animated characters.
Once Piece Stampede does a surprisingly good job at introducing audiences into the world, characters and mythos behind what has made One Piece stand out for as long as it has. It’s an action packed, non-stop roller coaster that knows how to hook the crowd into its world and pull you head first straight into it.