REVIEW | Based on the long-running Japanese manga, One Piece is an entertaining swash-buckling live-action

In a seafaring world, a young pirate captain sets out with his crew to attain the title of Pirate King and discover the mythical treasure known as 'One Piece'.

Netflix's live adaptation of One Piece has become a source of pride for South Africans; the series was shot in SA and features some local actors and extras. Even President Cyril Ramaphosa visited the One Piece set at Cape Town Film Studios last year. One Piece, from its production to its release, has been a big event for SA. It has been the streaming service's most-watched series for an extended period, drawing in millions of viewers. The show itself embraces the wackiness of the One Piece anime and manga; the show is both benefitted and occasionally hurt by this choice, but one's enjoyment of the show is dependent on how much live-action cartoonishness one can tolerate.

One Piece, the anime and live-action series, is based on a long-running Japanese manga by Eiichiro Oda. The manga has been running since 1997 and has 106 volumes. The mountain of literature resulted in the anime series having an eye-popping amount of episodes, too: 1 075 and still counting. It would take you around 17 days to watch the whole thing without a break. The live-action series has a measly eight episodes in its first season, each around 50 minutes long. The show is still finding its feet in terms of story and style; there's a lot of exposition and background story, but it doesn't skip on having epic swash-buckling adventures. The thickly laid exposition can feel clumsy and slightly lazy, but it allows the show to soar narratively later on.

Like the anime and the manga, the live-action show follows the adventures and misadventures of the aspiring pirate Monkey D. Luffy (Iñaki Godoy). He recruits members for his nautical ensemble, which includes swordsman Roronoa Zoro (Mackenyu), thief Nami (Emily Rudd), marksman Usopp (Jacob Romero) and chef Sanji (Taz Skylar). They set out to find the legendary One Piece, an elusive and highly desired treasure. The One Piece is Luffy's and the other character's propelling force, but Luffy's insatiable hunger for adventure equally drives him. As Luffy and company venture out to find the One Piece, they run into all sorts of trouble and ridiculous situations.

The wacky and creative character designs really add to the enjoyment of the series. The use of props, costumes and sets really bring the characters alive in the series and add to their memorability. The interesting characters also result in exciting and creative action and fight scenes. The fight scenes between characters with superpowers are especially a highlight of the show. The choreography is executed with incredible finesse. One Piece creates an immersive world that viewers can get lost in. What really sells that expansive world is the show's diverse cast and characters. The show presents a world where cultures, accents, races and other identities all mingle in something that feels wide and unrestricted.

The colourful direction can feel kitsch, but it shows an ambitious sense of imagination and adventurous filmmaking. The performance by every actor still needs to be fine-tuned; the characters feel like very distinctive archetypes that need to be fleshed out. The performances for most episodes feel one note until we get into the latter half of the season, where nuances and complexities arrive. In fact, the interaction between our group of heroic misfits becomes emotionally touching in the last few episodes.

If One Piece's central goal was to invoke a truly adventurous spirit, giving its viewers the desire to be a pirate, then the show is a success. One Piece shows a world without rules, and in a world like that, your wildest dreams seem possible. It also gives you the feeling that you are there with the crew as they go through tension, victories and injuries. You fall right into the world of One Piece.

Though the show can feel quite juvenile and emotively crude, it is still consistently entertaining. Ultimately, the show's bold embrace of its source material's more ridiculous qualities ends up being more of a strong point than a flaw. If you can get on board with clown pirates that can discombobulate at will, a stretchy protagonist and snail phones, then One Piece is a ball of a time. Beyond a decent piece of entertainment, One Piece is a signifier of what's to come for SA and its expanding role on the international stage. With that in mind, there may be many more One Pieces.