Screener Squad: One Piece – Season 2

0:00You're listening to TheOneOfBus.net Podcast Network. Coming this fall to The One Of Us Podcast Network, Hartfeldt, this limited series celebrates the 70th anniversary of the Muppets and the life and times of their creator, Jim Henson. As his longtime manager and friend, Bernie Brilstein once said, Jim rarely spoke above a whisper. You had to lean in to hear him, but it was always worth the effort. In this series, we will attempt to amplify that whisper through conversations about his films and the work of those who carry on his legacy. Each week, I welcome a guest to explore how Jim Henson's quiet genius continues to shape our world. I'm Eric Samuñego, and this is Hartfeldt. One Of Us is a podcast and video network funded all but entirely by donations and subscriptions. We do accept pitches for audio-based or banner ads, but on a case-by-case basis.

1:02If you're interested in that, contact us at OneOfUs.net at gmail.com. With the amount of audio and video content we generate, it is expensive and extremely time-consuming to keep things running. Please go to the web page OneOfUs.net and sign up for a subscription at 2, 5, 10, or $25 and get a ton of bonus content. One of us needs and appreciates all your support. So come aboard and set sail on a Netflix stream. Season 2 of the Greatest Treasure on the Grand Line. The One Piece. Last time on One Piece. Monkey D. Luffy has gathered a crew of Miss Creance Heathens and Dreamers.

2:07Luffy D. Monkey the captain of this crew who ate a gum gum fruit or a devil fruit, so now he's very flexible and stretchy. With him, Nami, their catographer, who has a dream of mapping the world, played by Emily Rudd, also a samurai without any compassion for losers, Roroanoa Zoro, played by V Macignou, an international sensation, who's an incredible stuntman and actor. The marksman, who's always chilling out in the crow's nest, Usop, played by the very handsome Jacob Romero. He'll gather his courage to make his dream come true and become the fantastic, amazing character that he says he is in all the stories he tells to the ladies at the bar. You can't go on a quest without a cook and no one wants to starve to death at sea, so

3:10Luffy has picked up Sanji, played by Taz Skyler, a very tragic figure with an incredible backstory. If you haven't seen season one, check it out. Who wants to cook kind of an endangered species of a fish? I forget what he calls it, but no one believes that it exists. He wants to cook it and serve it. Which is, you know, that's a part of why I love this show. Even when the dreams are like, it's kind of, kind of not cool though, don't you think? If you dream and you're passionate about it, Monkey D. Luffy, played by Inaki Gidoy, if you dream and it's passionate, he'll support it and he'll probably ask you to join his crew so you can live that dream. So they are setting sail for the grandline this season and they've picked up someone who is quite mysterious and possibly connected to a deep conspiracy involving the Baroque

4:12pirates that want to overthrow the world. Also an alabaster princess is missing. Is it related? Miss Wednesday, as she calls herself, is played by Charythra Shandrin and she's a fantastic addition. She's so good at the listening to exposition about the world and kind of being bright-eyed about it, but also being a part of that world, not completely removed from it, you know? And she's fitting in with the straw hats incredibly well. I hope she's in the next following three seasons, honestly. But back to this. We're going to be streaming now. In Netflix, for the next 15 years of our lives, to even scratch the surface of this epic long saga, excite hard with me on my crew to review someone who answered the call for help.

5:12I said, no one wants to review the one piece. Won't somebody help me? Doesn't anybody want to suffer an anime adaptation? And this man said, of course I'll help you. Of course I'll help you. This is with us. Yes, I jumped in without looking to see if it was safe first and we'll see if I regret that or not. And one thing that a pirate should always have, not necessarily a criminal lawyer, but a criminal lawyer, Felix is with us. You know, a sea lawyer is an old-time British name for a shark. And if you don't want to watch this on Netflix, you can always become King of the Pirates. So this show, as I said, is an adaptation of an anime. And those don't get a lot of praise. There was Detective Pikachu, which I think before this was the standard.

6:13But now I think, fellas, one piece is the standard. Whoa, snap. I love this. This has so much heart, so much insane, what am I watching, sequences, and a lot of moral storytelling that the whole family can enjoy. Now there are a few parents out there that would say, there are too many sexy people in this show. Don't let your kids watch. To which I would say, come on, they're taking their shirts off because they're at sea. It gets hot. They're sailors. Don't be a baby. What did you two, though, think of season two's voyage of the straw hats in search of the one piece? You know, I jumped into this last season and I've never seen the anime. That's right. Out of the, whatever, 1500 episodes that exist, I've not even seen one. Not even like accidentally tuning in on adult swim. I just somehow completely missed the one piece boat.

7:14I did not intend that pun, but I will claim it. And you know what? Yeah. Anime adaptations. We've had some bad ones. Do not go watch the death note adaptation. Well, hell, even anime adaptations that Japan does just don't quite work because they still seem like too grounded to reality. And that's where one piece thrives. It is fun. They know this is ridiculous and they have fun bringing that ridiculous world alive instead of trying to fit that ridiculous world into something that our brains can wrap our heads around. Also, shout out to Netflix casting two different Wednesdays. Yes. I, full disclosure, I agreed to do this review having not seen any, having not seen the first season beforehand. So I had to spend like four days basically like binging through the entire show whenever

8:17I had free time when I wasn't working or whatever. And in hindsight, I think that might have been a mistake. I think because like there's so much like crazy weird shit just packed into both seasons and it's all coming at you so fast. I feel like if I had watched it like a slower pace and not like tried to rush myself, I feel like I could have like acclimated myself to it more because it's just such an like overwhelming thing to just try and take it all in like so much all at once. That having been said, I do recognize that the show is really, really well put together. By all accounts, it's very faithful to to the manga, I guess, that it's based off of. It's really well acted like the characters are all endearing but never to the point that it becomes cheesy or grating like they still have enough groundedness to them to where I do want to like follow them like and watch them try to find whatever this one pieces.

9:17And yeah, visually there's some really impressive stuff like in terms of like art direction and set pieces and weird stuff they do with like stretching powers and all the various other like fruit related powers and what have you that could go so horribly wrong, but it goes right. So yeah, I was ultimately like in spite of like just the overwhelmingness of it, I was like pretty impressed with what I saw. Now this season we have eight episodes, which I believe is the same number as last season. I'd say every two episodes, it's its own little episodic adventure. Like episode one and two, we kind of are reintroduced to our heroes who are trying to gather information on how to get to the grandline. That's where the one piece is on the grandline three and four and episode five actually we finally land somewhere, a land of giants and it's called Little Garden because the people who live there they would see an everlasting force and think it's just a little garden.

10:20So that's kind of fun. We have the penultimate and finale where we meet our final member of the straw hats, who will be a member of the straw hats, a very popular character and I'll eat crow right now. I didn't think they were going to be able to do this character, especially not well. It doesn't seem like you good. I thought it was impossible. Right and it kind of metaphits into that commentary because the themes of those final three episodes are can you do the impossible and are you a fucking loser sorry? Are you a foolish loser with too much hope to make you ignorant to think the impossible should even be considered, especially when you have to be a mature adult with a mature profession? That is a lot to say and probably sounds very deep or profound for the final three episodes

11:21that is about a and I kid you not a crybaby reindeer. I was moved. I think people should watch this, especially families. This is a great finale. Again, it's three episodes the finale fits into and it's about toppling tyrants, helping others and why your dreams and what you can do with them are more important than the people that try to crush you down. Were there any episodes though that you gentlemen preferred this season? Again, I think like you said this show just ended strong. I heard an interesting story about Tony Tony Chopper and where they apparently were initially going to try to make him look realistic and Oda who is the first behind one. He's just a no that's not happening and you know make him look like a plush toy and he does looks like a plush toy come to life kind of going to the ted route there if you want to make a comparison. Case ago for Dr. Crayo was such a great choice.

12:25I choose the MVP for me this season because she never loses her character either even when things start to happen. She sticks true to what she believes and though what she believes is kind of counterintuitive to what Tony Tony Chopper wants to do it's really good advice for him and the way she calls someone an idiot chef's kiss because there's so much conviction behind it and truth behind it. That's what I really loved about these final three episodes. You can be a dreamer and get this live in reality too what and that's such an important message for I think not just kids but adults and we shouldn't stop being dreamers no matter how old we get. I really took this in and enjoyed it Phyllis. Chris any favorite episodes this second season? Yeah my favorite episode and I think the episode that having not looked at like online reactions wherever I think I imagine would probably be everyone's favorite is the seventh episode

13:26where they go into the backstory of one particular character who gets introduced who could so easily tip into uncanny valley territory like I'm sure if you showed me like a picture of what this character looks like in the original source I would be like I don't know if you're going to be able to pull this off but to their credit they actually do like he doesn't look real per se but he looks good and the actor does a really good job of like voicing that character and the way they like sort of like show like how this character came to be and like the sort of trauma that they went through in multiple ways is really like surprisingly effective and you do it gets it doesn't good job getting you in dear to that character so yeah that was of all the episodes that was the one that probably stood out the most to me and also just I think the entire back half sort of steps up because there's a different goal that they need to attend to besides just the sort of like what the first half is and what a lot of the first season is where it's just

14:28sort of like it almost has like a monster or creature or villain of the weak structure to it where they have to go to different places to get the thing that will get them to the next thing which does work but I think changing it up in the back half of this season like they did I thought was really like good for not making it just feel like the same season over and over again yeah absolutely also like on the we talked about uh we talked obviously about little bell to into a chopper another character that gets introduced that I know is a big deal in the fandom it is a smoker and the way they put on smoker without making him look like super it's a smoker like again the concept if you explain it to me sounds kind of dumb yeah but they pull it off in a way where it's still actually kind of cool we're we're still kind of a threat but also visually fun the show stays in the fun lane like like this show understands what anime is at its heart

15:30you know and when you I think because it's so limited and maybe limited's the wrong word but when you see these ridiculous over-the-top characters who are already kind of plus like smoker has two cigars in his mouth not one he shoves two in there a calum curve thank you yes I don't know how calum curve does it because shoving two cigars in your mouth and looking legitimately like you're even able to smoke both of those he pulls it off and he looks cool doing it he's got like jet white hair or bleached white hair a mariners suit like that's the the marines are the sailors and the law in one piece they are his law and order under uh Colonel Garb and he's bad ass but plus you know everything's plus about him when he does it big movements so when we see his power there's kind of a transition into oh well of course that's his power because he's been foreshadowing it just with his attitude

16:35and because the show doesn't dwell too much on his power we see it and then it's done I think that's how they're able to pull off those sequences so well because there's not no one's indulging in it although they are indulging in going extra and everything they do all of these characters but uh something I know the internet is also ablaze about uh Mac and you and Otis saying look in the mangan in the anime Zorro fights a hundred people at a bar we don't want any edits going now I've hurt 10 and now I've hurt 50 we want Zorro to fight a hundred people in a bar and no way that you can't do that that would be months to shoot right Mac and you actually fights a hundred people in a tavern and it's incredible to watch anyone who just likes action beats but does not want to watch one piece just watch episode three it's beautiful the stunt work choreography and blocking is amazing as a whiskey business

17:36it businesses a great title yeah it's a whiskey business and as someone who is and as someone who has done stunt work in the past and combat choreography yeah that was impressive as hell and and I don't even want to know what it was like if they had to reset at any points for that fight because I think he broke his finger but they kept going anyways but that might just be an internet urban legend yeah I find out for me leave it in the comments but yeah yeah I mean I with this show there's something that like I can tell is missing from modern culture and you guys are both of an age with me where god I miss making of so much like I love that game of thrones has that a lot of times on HBO like I want more of the making goes because some of the stuff is just freaking cool absolutely now I've been leaning on into the family thing and I won't feel judged from either of you to there is a way there's an episode

18:37where there's a giant whale it's got a bad attitude it's a problem but we get into the backstory of why this whale is angry do you think maybe I'm a little nuts and some of these themes are a bit too heavy for the littler kids and this has nothing to do with violence or pirating even just ooh that this story of the whale might be like the Seymour from Future Rama story and maybe some people aren't ready for that kind of trauma or how do you feel about it is the heart too much on its sleeve or just right for you too um I think it's close enough like I don't think it's like so bleak that like no child could possibly watch it like the way that say I tried watching a movie like Batman Returns when I was six and was so and was so freaked out by the first like 15 minutes that I literally ran out of my bedroom screaming and didn't try watching it again for another like six or seven years um that's a Christmas movie yeah fucked up Christmas movie um this doesn't

19:40reach those depths uh I can see how a kid could be freaked out by it but I think they tow the line just enough to where they're not going to be too disturbed by it and you know kids can handle heavy things I mean granted it may traumatize some like I'm a millennial and I still can't see my that one seemed from my girl even in isolation without bursting into complete tears because that was probably the first time as a kid because you can't see without his glasses stop stop stop just because yeah because that's probably the uh first time I was uh you know confronted with the fact that kids could die you know it was it was in a movie that's supposed to be a fun little like coming of age story uh but you know kids have kids end up having to do a tragedy I mean granted you you won't have traumatizing let and you won't talk about kids because you know this is even though it's a live-action when it's an anime it's not necessarily a kid show but let's go back to some movies like The Secret of Nim the land before time grave of the fireflies do you

20:41want to talk about like animated stuff that is traumatized kids over the ages further back we go the words we can get I'm sure some kids saw wizards and uh heavy metal oh snap well we're gonna get into our final thoughts Felix what's your score on the One Piece again this does the one thing this does the thing that every show should aim to do keep you interested and keep you entertained I was both I love this I and I'm sure for those who have watched the anime I'm sure there were a lot of very cool surprise and fun little things in there and for those like me who have not I still enjoyed myself and didn't have too many questions they spoon fed me just right and I love it for it um I kind of wanted two more episodes of season I'll be honest like I felt like they could have just done a little more but you know

21:44maybe those surprises in the next season and really packed some stuff in there I'm giving this a solid nine out of ten to blooms very nice Chris uh yeah someone who just kind of like swived swan dived into the water without checking to see if there were rocks below first um I got to say I enjoyed myself for the most part um it's a show that if I was younger and less cynical I could see this maybe being my favorite show of all time as it is it's just a really I think real ultimately pretty fun romp um that's got some really fun characters and cool set pieces and a lot of imagination that I'm sure comes straight from the manga um and I liked it enough to where I do when the next season rolls around I do want to watch it on my own terms and see where it goes because I'm that like intrigued by this world to where I do want to see where it ultimately goes in spite of again maybe not the most ideal first viewing just trying to squeeze it in in such a compressed time

22:48but ultimately still like interested in all the stuff about it and seeing where it goes I give it seven out of ten goldfish very nice and yes the goldfish so random so insane these characters talk to each other through snails I don't know how else to explain it cell phones don't exist so they use snails you know get it no of course not that makes no sense yeah but because they lean so hard into the goofy all of the goofy of one piece not just bits and pieces to a piece fans but well I guess we're doing this is kind of a behavior I loved it this is the best adapted anime into a live action I have ever seen so obviously my score is going to be what it is I do want to say in Hakikadoi is absolutely incredible as monkey de luffy and monkey de luffy in Japan and in anime circles he's one of like the big three like Sun Goku loop in the third monkey de luffy timeless

23:56Conan the detective Ash from Pokemon he's a giant and somehow this young kid was able to capture that personality that dreamer who could hear anybody talk about what they're passionate of and excite them into living it like oh wow that's your dream let's go get it and we'll find the one piece on the way too like oh what a beautifully endearing an idealistic character who should be unbearable on paper would you two agree like reading about oh he dreams big so you should dream big too like me being the cynic I am and I know a lot of people say I'm not that cynical but on paper I feel what an asshole but watching the joy this actor puts into luffy is beautiful there's a weird pew there's a weird purity to it kind of because like yeah I see it in the person and apparently he was hand picked by Oda the creator of one piece which by the way that's absolutely amazing as a side note there is a picture of smoker drawn in one of the in there's a

24:59picture of smoker that's drawn by Oda in one of the manga and the story behind that it was drawn to celebrate the end of my hero academia because when the mangaka when the creator of my hero academia was a kid he sent Oda a hand drawn picture of smoker so as a celebration Oda read through that so this anime has this manga has been going so long that a childhood fan of it has had his own successful manga and anime which has began and ended before this thing has that's amazing but yeah like in the first season it was it was really weird because he had this charming quality of like this should be annoying I should be really annoyed by this kid's behavior but but I kind of feel like almost like a little cousin yeah it's infectious if monkey de luffy met Marty supreme I think ping pong would be the most popular sport in the entire world I'm giving this 10 out of 10 10 out of 10 swords and two in the hand and one in the mouth that's so goofy but it's so cool to see

26:02yeah I can't wait for season three in closing if you had a devil fruit what fruit would you like to eat and what power does it give you me I just want to be good at pinball tables I'd eat the pinball fruit and be a wacky silly looking cactus faced monster Felix is it is there one that can make me just be able to memorize everything I have ever read because that would be really useful in law school if not then give me invulnerability that's what not not necessarily immortality just invulnerable make me able to take a lot of damage excellent Chris and again you've reviewed many a couple of times I hope you see in this blindside coming what double fruit would you eat for what power is there a fruit that gives me teleporting abilities so that I can get the fuck out of the country and go literally anywhere else that isn't run by a tyrant and also save on gas money also that yes I believe there is actually but leave it if it let us know in the comments

27:03they're a fruit that can give me the power of attorney gable gable fruit