Ron Does Stuff

Yes, it’s a year late, but to be honest, I didn’t know if I even wanted to watch this in the first place. I’ve never read the mange or watched the anime, so I wasn’t one of the excited ones when this was first announced. But I was interested when the fans seemed to like it, and since a new season is coming, I thought why not catch up so I can join the ride at the same time as everybody else when the new season arrives?

Okay, maybe I am easily impressed, but that opening scene was…pretty impressive! Especially for a television show! Or maybe it’s not and I need to watch more television. But the past few months I’ve been watching either reality shows or shows made in countries whose budgets aren’t as big so this opening scene really wows.

And maybe this is sacrilegious to One Piece fans so apologies in advance but this execution scene with Gold Roger reminds me of Pirates of the Caribbean if they played it straight. Is it obvious that I haven’t watched a lot of pirate-themed media?

There are a number of faces focused on while God Roger makes his speech, so I’m guessing these people are going to be important later on. I feel like I’ve heard about them when this was first aired a year ago, but damned if I remember any of them now. But Gold Roger’s declaration that his treasure is for everyone to find results in chaos as everyone now wants to sail the seas and become the Pirate King.

We then jump to 22 years later, and Monkey D. Luffy — of course this character I know — is stranded on a boat in the East Sea. At least I think he’s stranded? He’s in search of a crew but even the seagull isn’t biting.

Luffy’s boat starts to sink, and since he can’t swim, it’s very bad news. He gets inside a barrel that he’s emptied of fish and my god I like eating fish but the raw smell inside of that? No sir.

Moneky eventually floats towards a ship battle? Between a tiny ship and a huge pink one captained by a woman named Alvida with the cunty red nails. I’m not familiar with the character BUT I am familiar with the wanted posters conceit! That’s something I remember happening from when this first premiered.

Thanks to circumstance, Luffy finds his barrel brought onto the ship. Turns out that Alvida attacked that ship because she’s looking for Roronoa Zoro, another character I know because every two-bit male celebrity here in the country was Zoro during Halloween. Alvida wants to know if Zoro is after her because she thinks she’s the most-feared pirate on the seven seas but she wasn’t even on the list. Ouch.

Later that evening, Luffy emerges from his barrel and runs into Koby, and if that whole hand on mouth scene didn’t inspire anyone to write some fanfic then they ancient ways have been lost forever. It’s a whole enemies to lovers thing brewing here! Koby thinks pirates are scum but then there’s this lean, cheeky pirate that just charms him off his feet and shows him that, hey, not all pirates.

Then we get a flashback to 10 years ago, and I feel like they should have chosen a child actor who had the same accent as well? But Jesus Christ Luffy stabs himself I was not prepared for this? Yes, I’ve grown soft in my old age I was a little taken aback by a kid stabbing himself.

And again, no disrespect meant here One Piece fans, but just like in Pirates of the Caribbean, Luffy loves being a pirate because of the freedom it stands for. Although to be fair I think this is the point of all shows about pirates, I think? Anyways, Iñaki Godoy is really good in this, he has that happy-go-luck charm that just makes you want to watch him.

Okay maybe I am a simpleton but I really enjoyed the fight scene with Alvida? I thought the special effects looked good? I don’t know the initial reaction to it but I bet someone out there a year ago was all “Yeah the special effects suck!” and maybe they’re right and they have more knowledge but to little old me it looked good! Anyways, Koby finally gets off of Alvida’s ship, thanks to Luffy. At least give him a handjob Koby!

Now the scene shifts to Sixis Island, where Mister 7 asks Zoro to join the Baroque Works. I know nothing about what all of these means although I do know that in the recent casting announcement the other Baroque Works members were mentioned? I think? I don’t want to google because I might spoil myself. Anyways, Zoro turns down Baroque Works’ offer and eventually Darth Maul’s Mister 7.

Now I liked this fight scene, but I think they could have maybe pushed Mackenyu more? He can do a lot more than this! Just watch him in Rurouni Kenshin: The Final! But then again this is just the first fight and not the climactic one like in the video below.

Anyways, back to Koby and Luffy! Koby is curious how Luffy became the way he is and now we go back to 10 years ago after the face stabbing. Here we see how Luffy got his moral code, thanks to pirate daddy Shanks. We also find out that because of Luffy eating the Gum Gum fruit, he’s now got an elastic body.

Then we get Luffy slapping Koby? My, my this relationship is progressing quickly. Koby tells Luffy that he’s always wanted to be a Marine and Luffy tells him he’ll help him achieve that dream. He’s really just sunshine and I kinda see why people love Luffy so much.

We then get introduced to Nami, who has a map that maybe Luffy could use. And again maybe this is me being simple but that transition from the drawings on the map to an actual real-life scene? Amazing!

Nami, Luffy, Koby, and Zoro are now all in a town with a Marine base, and they’re all in a tavern either eating, drinking, or scheming. And then there’s a scene where a character steps on food that was meant for Zoro and is mean to the little girl that brought it and Zoro eats it off the floor and why is it both disgusting and hot?

We get another great fight scene that I still think doesn’t utilize Mackenyu to the fullest BUT I guess they’re conserving his energy since this is a show and not a movie, after all. The fight leads to Zoro getting strung up in the Marine base yard for assault, without a bounty to boot.

Outside, Luffy and Koby are lying beside each other in a boot and come on. The glances? The “You’ll be one of the good ones”? Luffy trying to reassure Koby? Surely there’s fanfic of this.

The next morning, Luffy and Nami separately get into the Marine base, and there’s yet another moment of Luffy being just sunshine as he frees Zoro from being strung up in the yard. Iñaki Godoy really just embodies that cheer, I gotta say!

Luffy and Nami eventually run into each other and sorta? teams up to get a map of the Grand Line from Axe Hand Morgan’s room. And who didn’t you know it they run into Axe Hand himself.

Elsewhere in the base Axe Hand’s son is playing with Zoro’s sword while he’s naked. We even get a butt shot. And then Zoro walks in on him and again, somewhere out there there is fanfic of this.

Elsewhere elsewhere in the Marine base, Nami manages to steal Axe Hand’s keys from him and she and Luffy look for his room to steal a map to the Grand Line. Just like with Zoro, Luffy asks her to join his pirate crew and just like Zoro, Nami has not plans of doing so. But despite that, the two of them manage to steal the safe that presumably holds the map of the Grand Line, a sequence that conveniently leads to the fight scene in the yard that I know I’ve seen online.

Anyways, the ragtag crew flees on Nami’s stolen ship, with Koby and Luffy saying goodbye to each other. Koby had a nice arc in this one episode, finally learning how to make his own decisions, and I’m excited to see where this story is going to take their relationship.

At the end of the episode, we get the two antagonists for the rest of the series, I guess. The same Marine that caught Gold Roger, as well as Buggy, who I definitely know because everyone and their mothers were thirsty for him.

All in all, I enjoyed this first episode! Can’t wait to watch the rest of it and maybe I might even watch the second season!