Season 1 of the series received near-universal acclaim for how incredibly well it translated Oda’s distinct world into live-action, and Season 2 does not disappoint. Featuring more wacky characters, wild settings, incredibly goofy action, emotional moments galore, and the same endearing crew fans have come to know and love, One Piece: Into the Grand Line is further proof that this Netflix hit is the greatest live-action adaptation currently on television.
‘One Piece: Into the Grand Line’ Adapts One of the Manga’s Most Important Arcs
One Piece: Into the Grand Line picks up right where Season 1 ended, with Monkey D. Luffy and his newly assembled crew — navigator Nami (Emily Rudd), first mate Roronoa Zoro (Mackenyu), cook Sanji (Taz Skylar), and marksman Usopp (Jacob Romero) — as they get ready to enter the Grand Line. On their way, they make new acquaintances and find themselves pursued by the Marine Captain Smoker (Callum Kerr) and the mysterious organization Baroque Works, led by the elusive Mr. Zero (Joe Manganiello). Season 2 also mainly adapts five of the manga’s main arcs: Loguetown, Reverse Mountain, Whisky Peak, Little Garden, and Drum Island.
Joining Season 2 are a plethora of new characters, most notably Miss Wednesday (Charithra Chandran), Mr. 9 (Daniel Lasker), Miss Valentine (Jazzara Jaslyn), Mr. 5 (Camrus Johnson), Mr. 3 (David Dastmalchian), Miss Goldenweek (Sophia Ann Caruso), and Miss All-Sunday (Lera Abova), all members of Baroque Works. Golden Globe winner Katey Sagal plays Dr. Kureha, Mark Harelik plays Dr. Hiruluk, Clive Russell plays Crocus, Rob Colletti plays Wapol, and Julia Rehwald plays Tashigi. Reprising their roles from Season 1 are Vincent Regan as Monkey D. Garp, Jeff Ward as Buggy the Clown, Ilia Isorelýs Paulino as Alvida, and Morgan Davies as Koby. Mikaela Hoover also joins the series as the voice of fan-favorite Tony Tony Chopper.
‘One Piece: Into the Grand Line’ Expertly Brings Oda’s World to Life
Season 1 of One Piece was lauded for how well it translated the manga and anime into live action; Season 2 continues that success and even surpasses it. From this point on, the series features some of the source material’s wackier characters — literally every member of Baroque Works looks like the escapee of a mental asylum — and the fact that Netflix’s adaptation translates them so accurately into live-action is nothing short of impressive.
The key to this success begins with the show’s casting. Iñaki Godoy remains a perfect Luffy, bringing the charm and relentless, hopeful enthusiasm to keep this crew motivated. Luffy is one tricky protagonist: he’s immature, unserious, frustrating, hilarious, and endlessly endearing. In short, he’s a literal cartoon character brought to life, and it’s a testament to Godoy’s talent that Luffy never becomes annoying or tiresome. As for his crew, everyone is well acquainted with their role and plays it to perfection. The five actors have genuine chemistry together, no matter how the show pairs them, ensuring every scene they feature in is simply fantastic.
Best known for her breakout role in Bridgerton Season 2, Charithra Chandran is a perfect addition to the One Piece cast. Without going into spoiler territory, Miss Wednesday is a huge part of the season, and Chandran effortlessly fits into this world. Every member of Baroque Works is… well, baroque. Jeslyn and Caruso are loathsome as Miss Valentine and Miss Goldenweek, and Abova is very well-used as Miss All-Sunday. If there’s someone who steals the show, however, it’s Dastmalchian as Mr. 3. Few actors have so much fun with such unhinged characters, and Dastmalchian is chewing scenery left and right. Special shoutout to the familiar but incredibly underrated Mark Harelik, who delivers an Emmy-worthy performance as Dr. Hiruluk that’s sure to break your heart.
There’s truly not one weak link in the One Piece cast, and it never ceases to amaze how the show managed to create such a faithful live-action version of such a fantastical world. We’re talking about men in George Washington wigs that fire bullets when vocalizing, as if Quentin Tarantino adapted Hamilton. There are pirates with metal beards, talking reindeer, quarreling giants, and killer otters riding vultures. Nothing here should make sense or look good, but it somehow does, and that’s not only impressive; it’s outright exhilarating, and in many cases heartwarming.
‘One Piece: Into the Grand Line’ Features More and Better Action
One of the few criticisms aimed at One Piece Season 1 was how the action sequences were shortened or watered down. One Piece: Into the Grand Line corrects this by featuring more elaborate, more ruthless set pieces, at least one per episode. The best and most thrilling are the insanely long, Kill Bill-evoking bar brawl featuring Zoro, the fight in Loguetown, and the finale’s most climactic battle. All these sequences are very well choreographed and exciting, evoking the classic swashbuckling adventures of yore. They’re intense and kinetic, yet surprisingly easy to follow; there’s very little shaky-cam or needlessly fast editing, with the show instead opting for wide shots that make excellent use of the space to paint a full picture of the battleground.
The series’ world is rather unique. There’s death, but very little blood. There’s action, but the violence isn’t extreme. That’s another great strength of One Piece: Into the Grand Line; it’s not only deeply enamored with its source material, but it has a profound understanding of what makes the story special. Everyone here understands the type of show they’re making, and that enthusiasm is contagious — it practically leaps off the screen. At a time when many live-action adaptations seem to be embarrassed by their source material, One Piece is like a breath of fresh ocean air. It takes pride in Oda’s work, embracing the manga’s inherent absurdity and finding new, creative ways to showcase it.
‘One Piece: Into the Grand Line’ Struggles With Some of Its Wackier Characters
Almost every aspect of One Piece: Into the Grand Line is flawless, from the big, tactile sets that make this wild world seem actually real and lived-in to the eclectic costumes that look as if a child used Barbie clothing on a He-Man figurine. However, a world as inventive as the one Oda created, populated with incredible designs that defy logic, was always going to be difficult to replicate. The Netflix series’ first major challenge was to depict Luffy’s powers accurately, and it aced it. Season 2 even finds new and more inventive ways to use them, and Godoy’s facial expressions really sell it. Wapol is also fully realized, and his metallic beard is a triumph of the makeup department. Indeed, whenever the sequence is short or fast-paced, the visual effects look pristine, sometimes better than big-screen offerings. When the scenes go on longer, however, the issues become noticeable. Nowhere are these flaws more apparent than in two primarily CGI characters: Laboon the Whale and Tony Tony Chopper.
Laboon mostly looks great, but wider shots do a disservice to the actual sets by making the green screen incredibly obvious. Still, the whale passes the CGI test, but the same can’t be said for Chopper. The reindeer has far more expressions; it emotes just as much as any other character, and sometimes, the CGI simply can’t keep up, especially considering Hoover is acting her heart out in the voice department. Chopper’s transformations, achieved through a mix of CGI and practical effects, are also far less convincing. The CGI is by no means bad; it’s just not on par with what the character demands.
‘One Piece: Into the Grand Line’ Is an Overall Triumph
Overall, One Piece: Into the Grand Line is a stellar continuation of the story. It expands the world, introduces deliriously fun characters, features non-stop action, and delivers an adventure with plenty of heart and full of hope, which is what Luffy would want. More importantly, it maintains the spirit of Eiichiro Oda’s masterpiece, letting its freak flag fly and flaunting its colors with pride. One Piece: Into the Grand Line has everything going for it to become one of Netflix’s all-time best originals, and this new season is proof. Time will tell if the series can continue this streak with its already confirmed Season 3, which is set to adapt the Alabasta arc, but for now, it remains the best live-action adaptation on television, and the competition isn’t even remotely close.
One Piece: Into the Grand Line is now streaming on Netflix.