A great follow-up to a great pilot and a much better version of the original Orange Town arc in the manga. Jeff Ward is unexpectedly the best actor in this episode (and series, too) as Buggy / Boogie / Binky. Directing is beautiful and the script is very fast paced in a positive manner. It manages to bind together the strangeness and humor of One Piece in an unique fashion, making Buggy a far scarier and more menacing character than he was at this point. The main trio also keeps up their game by delivering good performances overall. I can only hope for the best for the next episodes of East Blue!
4 Reviews
"Where are my freaks!?"
LegendaryFang566 September 2023
Warning: Spoilers
(480-word review) This was an excellent follow-up to the series premiere. The past (with Luffy and Shanks) and present (with the Straw Hat Crew), as well as the little less prominent focus on the Marines/Garp/Koby, were equally engaging and enjoyable. Both episodes worked well together; the pacing and structure are consistent and complementary, synergizing perfectly.
I was more interested and invested in everything with Luffy, Zoro, and Nami in the premiere, while the stuff in the past was less so - so it's a good sign here that it's reached the benchmark that our three main characters have set individually, partially together, and collectively. And, unexpectedly, as I would have thought the opposite, that portion with Luffy and Shanks was the most enjoyable for me, particularly their final scene; that score cue was phenomenal - Sonya Belousova and Giona Ostinelli are superb and masters of their craft.
Jeff Ward's performance was an anticipated highlight and episode-stealer - well, let's be honest, show-stealer, since he'll surely be up there, potentially at the very top, by the end of the season: easily remembered when looking back on it in the far future. While Steven John Ward may upstage or rival him, his position at the top is unquestionably secure.
Furthermore, Peter Gadiot fashioned himself into the role of Shanks in this episode: something in limbo previously. But he's already made an impression on me, requiring only a slight amount more screen time to perform his magic, reinforcing the now-confirmed but uncommon notion that he's excellent in this role, despite the early, initial doubts and skepticism concerning that.
Another plus was the VFX and CGI. The depiction of Buggy's powers looked well done: not too outlandish in uncanny territory, while the more prominent usage of Luffy's stretchy powers, compared to what we saw in the premiere, was the same way, and the CGI of the sea monster looked even better - both the design itself and its appearance, which didn't look fake in the sense of looking poorly-done. I was particularly taken with the visual effects of the splashing water as it descended. That stood out for some reason. And the last shot of the ocean and sunset during that was stunning.
My only criticisms were Zoro's quick loyalty and belief in Luffy (there was little lead-up, though you can attribute it to the possibility that he was drawn in and enticed by Luffy's carefree attitude and relentless confidence) and some instances of Emily Rudd's acting/line delivery that seemed forced; it was as if she wasn't uttering the words all the way/following through with the utterance. If it was a deliberate choice, I've only considered one explanation, and it pertains to Nami's ulterior motivations, which means she's also putting on a front: being "fake," hence the forcefulness of the line delivery at times. It could be a case of inexperience with the character portrayal currently.
I was more interested and invested in everything with Luffy, Zoro, and Nami in the premiere, while the stuff in the past was less so - so it's a good sign here that it's reached the benchmark that our three main characters have set individually, partially together, and collectively. And, unexpectedly, as I would have thought the opposite, that portion with Luffy and Shanks was the most enjoyable for me, particularly their final scene; that score cue was phenomenal - Sonya Belousova and Giona Ostinelli are superb and masters of their craft.
Jeff Ward's performance was an anticipated highlight and episode-stealer - well, let's be honest, show-stealer, since he'll surely be up there, potentially at the very top, by the end of the season: easily remembered when looking back on it in the far future. While Steven John Ward may upstage or rival him, his position at the top is unquestionably secure.
Furthermore, Peter Gadiot fashioned himself into the role of Shanks in this episode: something in limbo previously. But he's already made an impression on me, requiring only a slight amount more screen time to perform his magic, reinforcing the now-confirmed but uncommon notion that he's excellent in this role, despite the early, initial doubts and skepticism concerning that.
Another plus was the VFX and CGI. The depiction of Buggy's powers looked well done: not too outlandish in uncanny territory, while the more prominent usage of Luffy's stretchy powers, compared to what we saw in the premiere, was the same way, and the CGI of the sea monster looked even better - both the design itself and its appearance, which didn't look fake in the sense of looking poorly-done. I was particularly taken with the visual effects of the splashing water as it descended. That stood out for some reason. And the last shot of the ocean and sunset during that was stunning.
My only criticisms were Zoro's quick loyalty and belief in Luffy (there was little lead-up, though you can attribute it to the possibility that he was drawn in and enticed by Luffy's carefree attitude and relentless confidence) and some instances of Emily Rudd's acting/line delivery that seemed forced; it was as if she wasn't uttering the words all the way/following through with the utterance. If it was a deliberate choice, I've only considered one explanation, and it pertains to Nami's ulterior motivations, which means she's also putting on a front: being "fake," hence the forcefulness of the line delivery at times. It could be a case of inexperience with the character portrayal currently.
the cast interaction is great and jeff as buggy is the best
amd-565835 September 2023
I am one piece fan for very long time waiting for the anime episodes and manga chapters weak by weak, and mistakenly had low expectations from the live action as they always fail but this one is extraordinary.
The actors clearly studied the characters very well and the interaction between them were fabulous especially between nami and luffy The pilot were actually good, had a better pace than the anime, close to the manga story, and the fight was good esecially for zoro,
in this episode the CGI was fantastic, the and jeff ward as buggy was on point this series is a must watch whether you are anime fan or not.
The actors clearly studied the characters very well and the interaction between them were fabulous especially between nami and luffy The pilot were actually good, had a better pace than the anime, close to the manga story, and the fight was good esecially for zoro,
in this episode the CGI was fantastic, the and jeff ward as buggy was on point this series is a must watch whether you are anime fan or not.
Incredible episode, but the issues become more obvious
gerardsanchis-723071 September 2023
Amazing episode! I liked the pilot, but this one took the grand prize. How they elevated Buggy's character, the intertwining between the flashbacks and the current storyline and Nami's change of view towards Luffy were made wonderfully; some may say it's even better than the original scenes in the manga. But at the same time, the two major problems this series has had have become crystal clear. The reason why I'll focus on the mistakes rather than what is good is because I'm already giving this project a 10 star rating, but the writers need to know what the audience feels, especially the fans, after watching some of the content that didn't suit us well.
The first main problem is that the pacing kills the world-building. Not only for the world itself but for the main characters. Their traits don't have time to sink in since the dialogues are way too short and explicit, almost like they're reading a summary of their real performances. But of course, it's not only that; the citizens and side characters are also forgotten.
The manga was always careful to make every island the strawhats visited a very special place, with memorable characters that we will definitely want to see again. The first episode already had a problem turning Rika into a brief plot point to make the story advance, but that wasn't as relevant because Romance Dawn was never intended to create strong characters. However, in this episode, all we see is a circus tent. We get a glimpse of the village, but it's reduced to dust. The only sense of world-building we have is from the mayor, who has minor lines in the episode. From the amazing content Oda gave us in the manga for characters like Shushu and Boodle, now they're reduced to mere Buggy victims that can only wait for their demise. Some may say that their content wasn't as good as what we got in the live action, but it did completely kill the world-building for Orange Town. This is a mistake they can't make again if they want this series to work.
Following this very same problem, the same applied for Morgan in this episode. While we know from episode 1 that he is a narcissist, he did well arresting Zoro for injuring marine soldiers. Even if Helmeppo started the argument by simply being stupid, Zoro was definitely provoking him to make the scene happen. Morgan's corruption wasn't very well portrayed, and that's why the scene in this episode felt out of place. If they want to make a point with these characters, they first need to dedicate enough time to them to make them shine. Otherwise, it won't work.
The second main problem is the non-canonical events, especially the ones that affect the narrative. While innovating is always good, and this episode was handled perfectly, they need to take care about the themes that they introduce. Buggy being creepy is fine, but pushing a storyline where he tries to make people love him despite his goals and traits having nothing to do with that takes time that could be focused on the real theme of this episode, which is treasures. I felt like they sacrificed some of Buggy's depth for aesthetic purposes. While in the manga everything that happens reinforces one theme (Shushu guarding his treasure, Boodle fighting for his treasure, Gaimon accepting the animals as his real treasure, Buggy leaving a crew fooling them for mere money, Luffy accepting the villagers rage despite them being wrong because he acknowledges their love for their treasure), this anime episode had to rely on flashbacks to make the point more clear. It wasn't bad, but it could have been that and way more. I think this could have been easily handled with more time to create more storylines, but I understand the East Blue is difficult to recreate in this short span of time.
Following that, they tried to make a scene of Zoro's views changing, but in the ending of the last episode, he has the same attitude that he had at the beginning. Nothing really happened to make him have a change of heart, so that felt out of place and like a sorry attempt to make Zoro's path to joining the crew more special. They already changed Zoro's character; the least they can do is do it correctly. Show, don't tell! And be coherent.
I feel I will be doing these super long reviews for every episode, but it is important that we remain critics despite our love for this series. We want the second season to be even better!
The first main problem is that the pacing kills the world-building. Not only for the world itself but for the main characters. Their traits don't have time to sink in since the dialogues are way too short and explicit, almost like they're reading a summary of their real performances. But of course, it's not only that; the citizens and side characters are also forgotten.
The manga was always careful to make every island the strawhats visited a very special place, with memorable characters that we will definitely want to see again. The first episode already had a problem turning Rika into a brief plot point to make the story advance, but that wasn't as relevant because Romance Dawn was never intended to create strong characters. However, in this episode, all we see is a circus tent. We get a glimpse of the village, but it's reduced to dust. The only sense of world-building we have is from the mayor, who has minor lines in the episode. From the amazing content Oda gave us in the manga for characters like Shushu and Boodle, now they're reduced to mere Buggy victims that can only wait for their demise. Some may say that their content wasn't as good as what we got in the live action, but it did completely kill the world-building for Orange Town. This is a mistake they can't make again if they want this series to work.
Following this very same problem, the same applied for Morgan in this episode. While we know from episode 1 that he is a narcissist, he did well arresting Zoro for injuring marine soldiers. Even if Helmeppo started the argument by simply being stupid, Zoro was definitely provoking him to make the scene happen. Morgan's corruption wasn't very well portrayed, and that's why the scene in this episode felt out of place. If they want to make a point with these characters, they first need to dedicate enough time to them to make them shine. Otherwise, it won't work.
The second main problem is the non-canonical events, especially the ones that affect the narrative. While innovating is always good, and this episode was handled perfectly, they need to take care about the themes that they introduce. Buggy being creepy is fine, but pushing a storyline where he tries to make people love him despite his goals and traits having nothing to do with that takes time that could be focused on the real theme of this episode, which is treasures. I felt like they sacrificed some of Buggy's depth for aesthetic purposes. While in the manga everything that happens reinforces one theme (Shushu guarding his treasure, Boodle fighting for his treasure, Gaimon accepting the animals as his real treasure, Buggy leaving a crew fooling them for mere money, Luffy accepting the villagers rage despite them being wrong because he acknowledges their love for their treasure), this anime episode had to rely on flashbacks to make the point more clear. It wasn't bad, but it could have been that and way more. I think this could have been easily handled with more time to create more storylines, but I understand the East Blue is difficult to recreate in this short span of time.
Following that, they tried to make a scene of Zoro's views changing, but in the ending of the last episode, he has the same attitude that he had at the beginning. Nothing really happened to make him have a change of heart, so that felt out of place and like a sorry attempt to make Zoro's path to joining the crew more special. They already changed Zoro's character; the least they can do is do it correctly. Show, don't tell! And be coherent.
I feel I will be doing these super long reviews for every episode, but it is important that we remain critics despite our love for this series. We want the second season to be even better!
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
