Director: Hiroaki Miyamoto, Munehisa Sakai, Junji Shimizu, Konosuke Uda,
Starring: Mayumi Tanaka, Colleen Clinkenbeard, Kazuya Nakai, Christopher R. Sabat, Akemi Okamura, Luci Christian, Kappei Yamaguchi, Sonny Strait, Hiroaki Hirata, Eric Vale
Running Time: 650 minutes
Certificate: 12
In terms of story, this 5th collection is the most ambitious yet. Picking up from where the last set left off, we now find Vivi and the Straw hat Pirates, in Vivi’s homeland where rain has not fallen for years. A conspiracy is uncovered that looks set to erupt in civil war if Vivi and the Straw Hats can’t put an end to a reign (or should that be rain?) of terror from the mysterious Crocodile A.K.A. Mr. Zero. Confidently setting character development and focus on the protagonists aside, ONE PIECE once again shows how it can handle the more mature plot strands.
With a dark sense of tragedy throughout this very extensive arc, ONE PIECE still manages to seamlessly integrate the silly visuals, over the top vocal performances from both Japanese and English speaking casts, and bright visuals. There isn’t much that seems out of place, and when characters dressed as frogs appear, you start to think that the writers can get away with anything. Which is also a slight niggle to be had with these episodes, in that certain factors are pushed too far. We all know that dramatic countdowns in film and TV last longer than stated, but one episode has 5 seconds extended over the course of about 7 minutes. Even though characters fall in slow motion, they still talk normally and as bright red 5-4-3-2-1 warnings flash across the screen, you’ll try and join in the countdown only to be denied. The extent to which this is used actually does decrease engagement with the action sequence.
We must also suffer some of the most annoying, if visually interesting, characters the series has yet produced. Anime isn’t always subtle, but it doesn’t have to be this obnoxious. The flamboyant Mr. 2 grates from his voice (in both language tracks), his look, his movement, and his loudness. Meanwhile Miss Father’s Day dresses like a frog and repeats “Ribbit, Ribbit” after every sentence. For every character of annoyance though, we are treated to at least 4 or 5 fascinating and creative aspects that keep the world of ONE PIECE alive. It’s amazing how many twists and turns can be executed without feeling forced or out of leftfield.
The character designs, in terms of body structure and movement, are still exceptional, and anybody on a high anime diet will appreciate just how different everything looks. The landscapes are meticulously drawn, and even though this is mostly set in sparse desert landscapes, there’s always something to catch your eye. As this season reaches an unforgettable and gruelling battle, the show refuses to take the easy way out, clearly laying down a continuing gauntlet for our heroes in the future. Fantastic fight sequences, great designs, engaging stories, and 130 episodes in, ONE PIECE is showing that it isn’t even close to running out of steam.
[usr=4]ONE PIECE Collection 5 is released on DVD on 17th February via Manga Entertainment.
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