When it comes to live-action adaptations, most of the time they’re flops. Half the time they cast actors as if they had never read or watched the source material. (I’m looking at you Dragonball Evolution and the Avatar: The Last Airbender movie.) And then the rest of the time it feels like a soulless cash grab that doesn’t catch the spark of the original property and why people loved it so much in the first place. But sometimes, there’s an exception to the rule. And that exception is Netflix’s One Piece Season 2.
Back when Season 1 premiered, I talked about how fans can clock when a show is pandering to them in Episode 1 “Romance Dawn.” And that’s what makes an adaptation fail. Like many, by the end of Season 1 Episode 8, I found myself bonded to the Straw Hats because of how they stumbled, revealed betrayals, and then took steps forward to creating the kind of life that they’ve always wanted but never had a chance to do. That remains true in the sophomore season of the Netflix show, but just in a more elevated manner.
Every single one of the Straw Hat pirates, at their core, is still the same person we fell in love with in Season 1. But Season 2 affords them an opportunity to work on those dreams without what was holding them back in the past. For example, you have Nami starting to chart her way across the world without Arlong tying her down. You have Luffy working through what it means to be a pirate outside of “let’s sail the world together and make our dreams come true.” And then you have the rest of the cast working in various ways to make their dreams a reality individually but also together.
I will say though that the standout when it comes to character development on this season, personally for me, was Usopp. Unlike the other characters by the end of season 1, his dream wasn’t as defined. And in Season 2 you saw him really grappling with what it means to be a hero, particularly in Season 2 Episode 4 of One Piece. And it wasn’t just based on the stories he told or the legends he fell in love with as a kid. He got to define his own hero’s journey while being supported in the same manner he was supporting other crew members.
Season 2 also acts as a platform to bring in new Straw Hats. And when you have an established crew like you do after Season 1, it’s hard to bring new people in. But every step of the way, especially with Vivi and Chopper, you could feel how much effort and time was put into everything from the script to their introductions, the outfits, and the CGI. Everything was seamless in creating distinct characters that stand out on their own but fit into the collective that was already built in Season 1. And now, I can’t think of the show without Charithra Chandran or Chopper.
Which, let’s talk about the outfits, makeup, and the sets of it all. Everything is bright and a little exaggerated to a point that might throw some people off. But it fits with the world that has been created for One Piece and what you see in the manga and anime. And I spent countless hours in Season 2 watching the episodes and then comparing the outfits, makeup, or set pieces to what actually happened in the manga or the anime. And yes, there were little changes here and there. But the attention to detail and the little Easter eggs just made One Piece Season 2 such a rich experience that makes you want to invest more and more of yourself in the show.
Season 2 of One Piece also had an emotional heart that had me crying left and right.
You had Laboon and his whole storyline pulling not just at Luffy’s heartstrings, but at the viewer’s heartstrings in One Piece Season 2 Episode 2. Because we’ve all experienced someone leaving us and the pain that comes with that. And One Piece managed to translate that feeling through a whale by breaking down loneliness down to a form that felt universal. The same thing goes with everything that happened with Vivi and Igaram in Season 2 Episode 3 and Chopper and Hiriluk in Season 2 Episode 7. Those were familial bonds that were easy to invest in because the emotional beats were clear, while not being condescending or pandering, and understanding that family is what you make of it.
Looking ahead at Season 3, I don’t know how this show could get any better. I’m invested in every single one of these characters, individually and as a collective. And it’s because this show has allowed all of them room for growth while showing us no one does this alone. But if I did have any complaints, I do think I would have loved to learn a little bit more about Sanji and what this journey means for him. And I would like to see how the team works together if Luffy is out of commission. Who takes leadership?
Besides that, I feel like One Piece Season 2 is a master class of transforming a beloved property so even if you haven’t consumed the source material, you understand these characters and this world and why it is so beloved. And that respect that I feel coming through in One Piece Season 2 for the original source material makes me want to invest in everything One Piece. Shows dream of having that loyalty. And One Piece has it.
One Piece Season 2 is now available on Netflix.
What did you think about One Piece Season 2? Let us know in the comments below!
Make sure to read all our episodic reviews for One Piece Season 2:
- One Piece Season 2 Episode 1 Review: ‘The Beginning and the End’
- One Piece Season 2 Episode 2 Review: ‘Good Whale Hunting’
- One Piece Season 2 Episode 3 Review: ‘Whisky Business’
- One Piece Season 2 Episode 4 Review: ‘Big Trouble in Little Garden’
- One Piece Season 2 Episode 5 Review: ‘Wax On, Wax Off’
- One Piece Season 2 Episode 6 Review: ‘Nami Deerest’
- One Piece Season 2 Episode 7 Review: ‘Reindeer Shames’
- One Piece Season 2 Episode 8 Review: ‘Deer and Loathing in Drum Kingdom’
