Director: Munehisa Sakai
Starring: Mayumi Tanaka, Colleen Clinkenbeard, Akemi Okamura, Luci Christian, Kappei Yamaguchi, Sonny Strait, Kazuya Nakai, Christopher R. Sabat, Yuriko Yamaguchi, Stephanie Young, Ikue Ohtani, Brina Palencia, Hiroaki Hirata, Eric Vale, Cho, Ian Sinclair
Running Time: 109 minutes
Certificate: 15
With One Piece: Unlimited World Red released on gaming platforms this Friday and ONE PIECE: STRONG WORLD arriving on Blu-ray and DVD this upcoming Monday, it’s never been a better time to be a fan of Eiichiro Oda’s mange/anime. This is the first film released in the UK despite being a cinematic entry from 2009. This means that certain elements may be jarring for those who have been following the DVD releases of the series over the last year as we encounter characters not yet introduced in the dubbed run. Those who have kept up with the show in its original Japanese language will be more settled though. Fortunately the film isn’t reliant on specific prior knowledge of the show and can be enjoyed for the action filled adventure that it is.
Starting without word of any warning, we find Luffy split from his crew and jumping around a group of floating islands evading gigantic monsters, all of which seem to be mutated forms of existing animals. These early moments allow us to see the improved animation as we the show was 10 years old at this point and the fact it was made for cinemas. Camera angles are more dynamic, the speed at which the characters move is much faster, and everything just feels more epic than what the (still awesomely engaging) show can deliver. Brighter colours, more distinctive shadows, and some uses of 3D models are also well utilised throughout.
The characters remain pretty much the same throughout, which is a good thing. There is solidity here which is most important regarding the idea of the crew of friends sticking together. This time they must overcome a plot to destroy their homes from a legless pirate who wants Nami as his navigator after she saves his ship from a cyclone. It harkens back to Nami’s origins where she was forced to do the bidding of Arlong but doesn’t seem repetitive, more like a rhyme. Added to the crew is Brook, the popular skeletal musician who is here dubbed in English for the first time by Ian Sinclair. Considering Sinclair jumps straight in at the deep end and has skipped the character’s introduction in the show, he does a great job of feeling settled and confident with the voice. Other cast members are also able to play off him well and he really does feel like part of the team.
ONE PIECE: STRONG WORLD is an exciting 2 hour adventure that may even be a decent entry point for those dabbling with whether or not to start on the series itself. The monstrous animals are spectacularly designed and beautifully coloured, and even though the cast of characters has expanded, each character feels as though they are used well. There are a few minor quibbles to have with the film, such as an annoying character with squeaky shoes where the joke wears thin very quickly and the main antagonist’s thick Jamaican accent being very stereotypical as well as being completely unnecessary. These are only minor gripes though, and if anything actually help to hate the bad guys that little bit more. A great treat for fans and now I can’t wait the release of 6 of the previous films starting next month.
[usr=4]ONE PIECE: STRONG WORLD is released on DVD and Blu-ray from 30th June via Manga Entertainment.
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