One Piece: vol. 1: King of the Pirates

Reviewed By:  Carla Land

DVD Viz

Review based on first disk (episodes 1-3)

Rated T (Teen)

What it’s (basically) all about: Luffy (pronounced “loofy”) wants to be king of the pirates. It’s his dream, and his blind faith and incessant, Disney-like optimism are all he needs to know that it will come true.  Add to this the fact that he ate forbidden fruit and is now a rubber boy, and few other pirates have a chance against him. Will Luffy become king of the pirates? Will his new friend Koby ever fulfill his dream of being in the Navy? Will the pirate hunter Zolo join Luffy’s crew? Believe it or not, most of these questions are actually answered in the first three episodes.

Nitty Gritty: This show is pretty cute. It has cartoon violence (pirates knocked down or send flying for miles, getting kicked between the legs, having huge clubs come crashing down on their heads- classic cartoon revelry, basically) and the language isn’t even PG.

Luffy, even though his dream is to be king of the pirates, is actually a good person, willing to stand up for what’s right, and a good friend. It’s very clear who the bad guys are, as they have almost sadistic cartoon villainy. In episode three, Zolo, the pirate hunter, actually kills the head of the Navy- who is about as evil a villain as I’ve ever seen (he wants a child killed for giving food to a prisoner.) Fortunately this isn’t a gory ordeal, even with the use of guns and swords.

Special features include One Piece video game previews (that show before the DVD menu even appears), production art, previews of other Shonen Jump home videos (like Naruto) and a preview of Shonen Jump Magazine.

Survey says:  This show would fit nicely in whatever collection you keep Looney Tunes in. Teens probably aren’t clamoring for it, but preteens and younger will love it.

Personal Ad: It’s easy to see why this is a popular show with kids. It’s colorful, fast paced, and fun.