One Piece: Season 2 Review – The Straw Hat Gang’s Journey Along the Grand Line is Everything a Pirate Adventure Should Be
Plot: The Straw Hat crew sails along the Grand Line, toward mystery, adventure, and the unknown. During their journey, they encounter new villains, allies, and impossible wonders while searching for the ultimate prize: The One Piece.
Review: Who needs Disney to resurrect its Pirates of the Caribbean franchise when we’ve got One Piece? For my money, Netflix‘s adaptation of Eiichiro Oda’s legendary series displays all the best parts of a rollicking pirate adventure, then washes it down with a swallow of rum, zany characters, impossible powers, and a treasure chest filled with lessons about friendship, camaraderie, and surrendering to the unknown. After a knock-out first season, released in 2023, One Piece returns as Luffy (Iñaki Godoy), Nami (Emily Rudd), Roronoa Zoro (Mackenyu), Usopp (Jacob Romero), and Sanji (Taz Skylar) head for the Grand Line, an expanse of ocean of mythical proportions, where the One Piece treasure lies in shadow.
The word that I keep returning to while trying to describe One Piece: Season 2 is impressive. From the jump, it’s crystal clear that Netflix, along with the help of Tomorrow Studios, believes in One Piece as something worth pouring some money into. Not to knock Netflix’s output, but more often than not, it feels like they cut corners while presenting other programming with abysmal lighting, too much/shoddy CGI, and cliffhanger endings that go nowhere when the streamer decides to cancel a series after its first season. One Piece: Season 2 is the polar opposite of that, with every aspect of the show coming off as a point of pride, with spectacular, practical set design, inspired costumes, and whip-smart writing across the board. Even the CGI is precisely what it needs to be when used sparingly and to significant effect.
While One Piece: Season 2 is a visual spectacle, it’s the spirited performances by every cast member that make this installment of the franchise a fun, memorable, and lively experience. Every actor involved with Netflix’s One Piece understands the assignment. Everyone plays their roles with such gusto and unabashed love for the source material that, at times, I forget I’m watching a live-action version of the beloved anime. The new season includes plenty of Easter eggs for fans, deep cut character introductions, villainous guest spots, and surprises that keep you on your toes, never knowing who or what could show up next.
The core cast continues to entertain, with Godoy, Rudd, and Mackenyu clearly having lots of fun as Luffy, Nami, and Roronoa Zoro. Godoy is practically bursting at the seams as Luffy. At the same time, Rudd does an excellent job breaking down Nami’s walls as she embraces her new life as an essential member of the Straw Hat crew. Mackenyu gets to slice and dice like never before, especially during a scene akin to The Bride fighting the Crazy 88 army in Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill Vol. 1.
Still, the spotlight shines even brighter on Jacob Romero and Taz Skylar as Captain Ussop and Sanji, respectively. While I enjoyed Ussop in the first season, his character had yet to come into his own. In the new season, Romero works wonders to make Ussop a more enjoyable character to follow and root for as he sorts out his insecurities and finds his inner pirate warrior. Meanwhile, Skylar brings depth and sincerity to Sanji in the new episodes. I’ve always liked Sanji, but he’s even better here, particularly when an act of poisoning threatens Nami’s life, and he becomes a concerned caregiver for his dear friend.
Rounding out the Straw Hat gang this season are Charithra Chandran as Miss Wednesday and Mikaela Hoover as the voice of Tony Tony Chopper. Chandran adds some much-needed femininity to the Straw Hat crew. She’s mysterious, cunning, and in awe of the Straw Hats’ dynamic. She desperately wants to be part of their gang, but her commitment to her people keeps her from living her own dream. Miss Wednesday gradually lets her guard down, becoming a strong member of the group, and the show is better for her contributions. At the same time, Tony Tony Chopper is a fun, fan-favorite addition to the group. Chopper is a reindeer who ate a Devil Fruit, transforming him into a walking, talking, transforming ally and would-be doctor. Hoover is excellent as the voice of Chopper, while the character, with his tragic backstory, brings more drama to the deck. One episode of the season tells Chopper’s origin in great detail, a tale that’s equal parts dark and endearing.
Adding to the sophomore season’s deluge of fan-favorite characters are Lera Abova as Nico Robin/Miss All Sunday and David Dastmalchian as Mr. 3. Abova is a scene-stealer if I’ve ever seen one. With her ability to teleport her limbs (even through flesh and blood), Nico Robin saunters through the new season of One Piece like a runway model on fire, her attitude and unnerving power striking curiosity and fear into all who gaze upon her beauty. Meanwhile, Dastmalchian chews the scenery as Mr. 3, a demented villain whose talent for creating art with “unbreakable” wax. Dastmalchian plays Mr. 3 with an unhinged swagger that gives pompous as much as it gives dangerous. He’s the type of villain who will try monologuing you to death before his hubris leads to his downfall.
There are almost too many inspired performances to highlight, such as Mark Harelik and Katey Sagal as Dr. Hiriluk and Dr. Kureha, respectively. Both actors are featured prominently in the Tony Tony Chopper-centric episode, with Harelik playing a doctor searching for a cure-all while caring for a young Tony Tony Chopper. At the same time, Sagal’s Dr. Hiriluk is a witchy booze hound with a more stern approach to her profession. Harelik and Sagal nearly steal the episode from Chopper, though all three work together in concert to present a heartfelt origin story for one of the franchise’s most beloved characters.
The second season of Netflix’s One Piece is epic, sprawling, and offers more variety than the first regarding character introductions, jaw-dropping set pieces, and imaginative ways of recreating Oda’s legendary creation in live-action. The show never shies away from its anime roots, choosing to revel in One Piece‘s swashbuckling silliness, extreme sense of style, and powerful messages of optimism, adventure, and making your dreams come true. Hollywood often portrays pirates as crude, covetous villains of the high seas, but One Piece flies a different Jolly Roger, one that stands for exploration of strange lands, forging of unbreakable bonds, and limitless possibilities in the face of the impossible and strange. I can’t get enough of this series, and hope that Netflix continues to believe in it as much as Luffy does in his dream of one day becoming the King of the Pirates.
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