DVD Review: One Piece: Season 2, Sixth Voyage

One Piece: Season 2, Sixth Voyage

(Funimation Entertainment, 320 minutes)

http://www.onepieceofficial.com/

By Chris Zimmerman

Originally conceived from the imagination of author Eiichiro Oda, One Piece is the story of Straw hat Monkey D. Luffy who as a child dreamed of attaining the title “king of the pirates”. After befriending the infamous “Red Haired Shanks”, Luffy inched closer to his goal when he accidentally consumed the mysterious “Devil’s Fruit”, a fruit that grants those who eat it abnormal powers in exchange for their ability to swim and float. In doing so, Luffy is transformed into a “rubber man”, gaining the ability to stretch, expand, and contort his body in any number of ways.

Years later he sets out to sea, coming across a hybrid of bizarre characters and forming powerful friendships with likeminded individuals whose own goals spur them to form a crew known as “the Straw Hat Pirates”. These include the bounty hunting swordsman Ruroroa Zoro, the cunning thief Nami, the cowardly but determined Usopp, the lustful chef Sanji, and the reindeer doctor Tony Tony Chopper.

As Season 2, Sixth Voyage opens, multiple events have been set into motion, culminating here in the final stretch of episodes referred to as “the Alabasta arc”. The “Straw Hat” crew has finally arrived in the desert kingdom of Alabasta with its missing princess Nefertari Vivi in tow. The devious warlord, Sir Crocodile, has instigated a rebellion against the royal family with plans to conquer the kingdom for himself and in doing so, sacrificing thousands of lives.

The set starts off with a bang, picking up where the previous collection left off with the “Straw Hats” taking on Crocodile’s merciless agents. Nami faces Ms. Double Finger in an uncharacteristically boring fight by One Piece standards mostly due to the former’s constant stalling as she flees from her enemy.

Things kick into high gear when Zoro squares off against Mr. 1 whose entire body is a blade. The fight is fast paced and especially brutal with blood flowing like tap water.

Moving forward, Crocodile has captured the King and reveals his plan to turn the kingdom into a country of military power using its ultimate weapon, “Pluton”. Entrusting the king to his subordinate, Nico Robin, Crocodile attempts to finish off Vivi, prompting a battle weary Luffy to intervene. Having suffered a loss to Crocodile in earlier episodes thanks to the powers he acquired from devouring a devil fruit of his own, the ability to manipulate sand, Luffy has picked up a few new tricks and discovered a unique weakness pertaining to the warlord.

Unfortunately, Luffy’s efforts prove fruitless as he is once again dispatched with relative ease by his powerful rival. Things look dire as Crocodile prepares to ascend the throne, revealing a bomb set to wipe out both the rebel army and the royal army. However, much to his surprise and annoyance, Luffy returns from the brink of death, ready for a third and final showdown.

This collection of episodes contains everything fans of One Piece have come to expect from the series. Character drama and over-the-top battles are prevalent with a healthy dose of humor to go around. If there’s one thing constant about One Piece, it’s the show’s tendency to be unpredictable evidenced by Luffy’s continuous failed attempts to defeat Crocodile which throws Alabasta’s fate into doubt, adding to the overall suspense of the arc.

Being a weekly program, the animation is standard for television. Some shortcuts like still frames and repeated sequences are taken but do little to detract from the overall gratification of the show. Though not the best, the animation is lively, giving the show an intensity rarely seen in the genre today.

As is per usual with a Funimation release, voice work is stellar. All the voices sound natural as the main cast has had significant time to grow comfortable with their roles.

Extra features are sparse as is the rule for anime releases. Included is a commentary track featuring the voice actors for Zoro and Mr. 1, portrayed by Christopher Sabat and Brett Weaver respectively. The only other extras are a group of trailers promoting other titles and a marathon feature.

One Piece has established quite the reputation for itself, both in Japan and here in the States, with its underlying themes of friendship and the pursuit of one’s dreams. Newcomers would find it in their best interest to start from an earlier point as this set marks the finale to one of the longest arcs in the show’s history. Those already familiar to the world of One Piece should already consider themselves welcome aboard.

One Piece: Season 2, Sixth Voyage - A