Director: Konosuke Uda
Starring: Mayumi Tanaka, Colleen Clinkenbeard, Kazuya Nakai, Christopher R. Sabat, Akemi Okamura, Luci Christian, Kappei Yamaguchi, Sonny Strait, Hiroaki Hirata, Eric Vale, Ikue Ohtani, Brina Palencia, Yuriko Yamaguchi, Stephanie Young
Running Time: 650 minutes
Certificate: 12
One Piece continues its fantastic voyage, now crossing over the 200 episode mark. Not only that, but this collection manages to show all the great bits of such a brilliant series. It contains the action, adventure, and sheer joy of exploration.
This set sees the conclusion of the Skypiea saga, which does rather brave examination of Gods and religions. We see powerful men willing to exploit others and abuse their power, while also criticising blind followers. A series of episodes that explores the past of Skypiea and its mythology also provides a welcome break from the main story, while chronicling a sweet and honourable bromance. Such tangents from the main stories in anime can sometimes be a curse, but we get the right amount of character development and backstory to add to the overall themes.
Elsewhere is the start to a brand new storyline, in which the Straw Hat Pirates accidentally land in a Marine fortress known as Navarone. This puts many of the fantasy elements aside and has a greater focus on comedy and tension. The pirates must sneak around the base, avoiding detection, which leads to many humorous misunderstandings and funny dialogue. Although not rooted in reality, this is the perfect accompaniment to the previous arc filled with extreme designs and weird inventions. Now the setting is cold and industrial, but the warmth from the characters continues to shine bright.
Unlikely to tire any fans, this is the best of what One Piece can be. It seamlessly moves from one story to the next, and the cohesion between the crew has never been stronger. Each character has their own moment to shine, as well as being able to get together for some excellent teamwork. Fun and exhilarating, by the end of this you’ll feel like one of the crew, and want to take part in all their adventures.
[usr=5]One Piece Collection 8 is released on DVD on 3rd November.
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