Live Action "One Piece" - Ep. 125 of Intentionally Blank

On this week of Intentionally Blank, Brandon and Dan talk about the newly released Netflix special, the live-action remake of "One Piece"! Having now seen the first two episodes, tune in to see what these experts in heists have to say.
Check out our previous episode of Intentionally Blank
• Ethan’s Writing Origin...
Can be listened to almost everywhere podcasts can be found.
Sound engineering and editing by Daniel Thompson

[@evann0809]

On the next podcast episode: Brandon: "So I've actually gone ahead and read the entirety of One Piece and thought we could discuss it today"

[@waifuhunter9709]

I wish lol

[@RedwoodTheElf]

You mean "On the next podcast episode, 10 years later:" One piece is ludicrously long, my man.

[@jimmythexpldr]

@@RedwoodTheElf It's very digestible, if you read it. Just one of Brandon's books probably has as many words. 1096/7 20 page chapters is not as many as it seems. The anime is too long, it has major pacing issues, because both anime and manga are weekly. Most anime condense 4 or 5 chapters into an anime, One Piece has to do 1 to 1, which makes for a very slow (and often badly animated) experience

[@talhajahan4444]

@@RedwoodTheElfIt’s not that long tbh by fantasy book series standards. Reading it takes ALOOOT less time than WOT, and is akin to reading stormlight + mistborn Edit: Did the math/research. Reading One Piece would take an estimated 73(4 minutes/chapter) hours whereas Starlight takes an estimated 93 hours (300wpm). These are estimates but by all accounts One Piece is a similar length albeit shorter read than Stormlight

[@devanshi2193]

Ok, but i did exactly that.. watched the show… then read the ENTIRE manga, just finished it yesterday!! It was amazing!!! Now i want to either watch the anime or re-read the whole thing! Waiting for new chapters each week is going to be painful!!

[@usefyn5485]

The thing about One Piece, it starts small, but keeps growing and growing to become one of the grandest and most epic pieces of modern fiction.

[@carlosdanielcalderonmontoy3723]

And not just modern but in history forever.

[@Lukuigi]

Yes but this is done infinitely better through manga and the anime itself, not the live action. Nothing can quite capture the brilliance of the anime/manga of one piece.

[@shadowhamster]

I don't know, the live action is perfect for someone limited in time. It is rushing to the conclusion a bit faster than the manga. If Brandon reads this and doesn't mind spoiling himself a little i'd recommend reading about white beard...it doesn't really stay black and white and the story doesn't stay simple, it goes into geopolitical concepts... If it stayed that simplistic it could hardly warrant it's runtime.

[@americanbagel]

One Piece is great (as someone who is currently caught up), but it has a LOT of flaws. Most of the characters are flat most of the time, there's rarely any actual danger the characters are in, a lot of story arcs are a mountainous slog to get through, most of the villains are just evil-for-the-sake-of-evil, and much of the worldbuilding is so ridiculous that it's hard to stay immersed in the world. The reasons I keep reading it are: 1) the FOMO. A lot of my friends are One Piece fans. 2) Sunk cost fallacy. With the story coming to a close, it's too late to stop. 3) the sense of fun, goofy wonder and adventure that One Piece occasionally captures

[@corbanbausch9049]

⁠​⁠@@americanbagel ok, I understand where you’re coming from with about half of these points, but as someone who only recently started reading the manga and completely caught up in a month, I can tell you that, for me at least, FOMO and Sunk Cost fallacy have literally nothing to do with my enjoyment of One Piece. I will refute you on flat characters and “evil for the sake of evil” villains though. While yes, I do wish more characters had more screen time to do stuff, each major character is so well established - particularly the Straw Hats, but pretty much every major side character also applies - that even when they get less focus, they are still enjoyable because their personalities always shine through in little ways. Robin’s small smiles at the crew’s antics or Brook’s stupid bone puns are examples of this. Not only does each character get a shtick, but there are psychological reasons why each character acts the way they do based on their backstory. Luffy always has his friend’s back because he is terrified of being alone and also respects people’s dreams above all else due to the influence of Shanks. Nami steals and hordes money because money was her only lifeline and object of hope for over a decade while working under Arlong. Sanji refuses to hit women because his respect for his mother and sister and also Zeff’s influence from a young age. Law is untrusting because he was manipulated by the first people to accept him when he was vulnerable. These are just a few among a myriad of examples scattered throughout One Piece. The same can be said about the villains in One Piece as well. Fisher Tiger’s death cemented Arlong’s already-growing hatred of humanity. In a similar way, the death of Doflamingo’s father cemented and grew his childish ignorance and false sense of superiority, thus leading him to becoming a monster. Similarly detailed reasons can be seen in many other villains as well, such as Kizaru and Big Mom. Oda’s characters are, for the large part, about as flat as his women. As for worldbuilding, Oda is one of the best in his realm. Things are absurd and wild, yes, but they are complex, often thematic, and well fleshed-out, even if nonsensical and with a large amount of depth surrounding its organizations, individuals and the relationships between them. The overarching theme of Freedom runs throughout, and is embodied in Luffy as a protagonist, this connecting him with the world at large. Yes, it’s quite possibly the most anachronistic setting I’ve ever seen, but it relishes in this fact and doesn’t try to be anything else, so I don’t particularly mind. At first I was a little bothered, but after reading some of the SBS’ at the end of chapters, and I realized how much thought was put into the worldbuilding, I stopped minding so much. To your credit, OP is paced…dubiously at parts but, reading the manga it never really frustrated me, as I found myself enjoying it nonetheless. But it does drag, and certain arcs I feel could be cut in half and still retain all their emotional weight. I imagine watching the anime is a far worse experience. But every “I WANT TO LIVE” or “no matter how many times you kick me, you’re the one feeling the pain!” or “Luffy, help me” make up for it a hundredfold.

[@LocallyConstantDuck]

Seeing brandon talk about One Piece is going to be surreal

[@watcherrdh]

Two of my favorites coming together!!

[@cosmicklutz1675]

I haven’t watched it yet, was it surreal?

[@IcarusRizen]

For real this is insane... I love both so much!

[@Schellnino1994]

It was so good im now 40 episodes into the anime!@@cosmicklutz1675

[@hardboil4033]

​@@cosmicklutz1675they only judging it by the first two episodes.

[@rachaelcolman3159]

This is like getting a restaurant review from people who walked in the front door of the restaurant and took a really deep sniff. I look forward to listening to your commentary once you've watched more than 2 episodes.

[@Stayner]

Right???

[@karimouss]

While I agree, in the metaphor the restaurant reviewer would also be one of the most renowned chef

[@kSree7]

​@@karimoussand the restaurant he is reviewing is one of the best fantasy out there.

[@vladr2089]

Yes, but he is a master of Italian food, while the restaurant is Japanese @@karimouss

[@UlbertWhitebrim]

@@vladr2089 nah the restaurant is certainly all in one style, mastering everything kind

[@cshields99]

I forgot who said it but someone explained that writing of a show like One Piece after 10 episodes is like writing off Lord of the Rings 5 minutes in "Who cares about a village of hobbits?". I totally understand not having the time to commit to a show with more episodes than the Simpsons, but I'm glad I did!

[@saminsanity4766]

i think it was daniel greene

[@cshields99]

@saminsanity4766 yup! I've been watching his arc reviews after I finish arcs in the show, must of been his.

[@gehtdichnichtsan2418]

Exactly, most people see only the Shire of One Piece and judge it based off that. Yes it is long, but lets be real, don't we all wish we could stay in middle earth longer.

[@wingracer1614]

@@gehtdichnichtsan2418 "don't we all wish we could stay in middle earth longer." Hell no. I'm not living anywhere that doesn't have air conditioning.

[@JoseCardenas-Pony]

Doesn’t Brandon write thousand page books? I read the way of kings and it’s such a slow burn with good characterization so in surprised to hear he isn’t willing to read one piece because its length.

[@potentialPizza8]

This was a tense episode to listen to, lol - one of my favorite authors evaluating a story that means more to me than almost any other piece of media. But I'm glad Brandon enjoyed it. I genuinely cannot recommend reading the manga higher - it's not just the worldbuilding, but the storytelling, the themes, everything. I think Daniel Greene put it very well when he said it's a shame that One Piece isn't acknowledged alongside series like LotR, WoT, or even the Cosmere, in that it should be one of the biggest names in the fantasy community. There's an instinct in me to try and explain every way the show adapted the soul of the original well, but also every theme and aspect to the characters that's stronger in the original. All I can say is that if, someday, you find yourself willing to, I am certain you wouldn't regret reading it. What you've seen in the show captures a surprising amount of the essence, but is only the tiniest taste of what the full story has in its arsenal, in all of plot, world, character, and theme.

[@caveman36]

It's peak fiction after all

[@r.charlie]

well said!

[@risinghellkite3209]

Dude this post perfectly encapsulates how I felt as well haha

[@Kkstgch]

Thank you for this. It's a perfectly put summary of what I also thought. I wholeheartedly agree with you.

[@punpun7164]

This man gets it

[@Mugipunk]

We need Merphy to talk with Brandon about One Piece

[@aronnemcsik]

or Daniel Greene...

[@Mugipunk]

@@aronnemcsik yessss, any of the two would be great! Or imagine both

[@highgrove8545]

@@aronnemcsik Or Drawk's mom

[@aronnemcsik]

@@highgrove8545 That would be awesome

[@cheikhhassenenema6743]

Yes

[@eliashigham8901]

I really don’t think they realize how big of an overlap there is between fans of the Cosmere and fans of One Piece

[@Naija_Ninja]

I'm just realising that myself and its absolutely wonderful. Since I discovered Brando last year, Cosmere quickly became tied with One piece as my favourite piece of fiction of all time and I'm very glad to see I'm not alone in that sentiment

[@Kkstgch]

Well godamn I'm gonna have to get into the Cosmere then because I'm craving for more amazing stories like One Piece. It's never enough

[@benb.8170]

A big part of it is the demographic. I read a lot of Shonen manga between high school and college. I became an epic fantasy fan after wanting something deeper and discovering Dune / Wheel of Time and Brandon. I’m 38 years old. I’m sure my case is not a rare one haha.😂

[@DeedlyDood]

@@Kkstgch One Piece has been my favorite manga since it's original release. Brandon Sanderson is my favorite fantasy author. Though there are many great ones. The Cosmere is worth checking out.

[@Kalesoup_]

@@Kkstgch Lmao, the cosmere is not toooo much like One Piece. Yet somehow, if you like one, you'll usually like the other. Definitely recommend it!

[@theirishman6588]

I don't think Brandon and Dan realize that the Live Action One Piece is 8 episodes that covers the entire first season of the Anime which is 52 episodes.

[@arenkai]

And to me it's a masterclass in adaptation. Brandon should REALLY watch it to see what great adaptations can do to the source material (unlike Wheel of Time...) Honestly I'd rather rewatch the Live Action than rewatch the first episodes of the anime (except one of two moments). That's how good it is at capturing the essence of its source material !

[@rileyvankirk9355]

To be fair the live action only covers through Arlong park, which is 45 or so episodes. Still a ludicrous amount to cover in 8

[@Sebster85]

@@arenkaiit’s generic. It doesn’t do justice to the source material.

[@Haxerous]

​@@Sebster85at least they are trying to adapt the source material compared to WoT

[@timmywho6142]

​@coolguy2k101 There is some loss of charm and specific plot points but it maintains the vibe and characters well. It's a good starting point

[@Ugouka12]

One of the biggest things to understand about One Piece having so many chapters/episodes is that it's all about Journey Before Destination. Don't worry about binging it. It's been going on for over 25 years.

[@saurabh.shringarpure]

Absolutely. One piece = Journey before destination

[@raizin4908]

One Piece being so much about the journey rather than the destination is also a big part of the reason why it has remained consistently strong, where other very long-running manga series have generally seen serious dips in quality of the story.

[@kendra_t]

Too late. I'm already on episode 530 and I started in September

[@rincwind666]

Yeah, this is a very obvious theme in the show. They don't even tell us what the One Piece IS!

[@rocinantesh8391]

agreed 100%

[@Naija_Ninja]

Holy hell. Brandon is discussing One piece!!! This is the best thing ever. Brandon and Oda are tied as my favourite authors of all time by a WIDE margin. To see one discussing the work of the other, even if its an adaptation, makes me unreasonably happy.

[@zeon_cipher5799]

BRO EXCATLY HE GOTTA READ THE MANGA

[@aldan7812]

Word

[@jackyoh971]

@@zeon_cipher5799 I hope someone tell that to him because he can read the manga way quickly than watch the anime.

[@L1ghtweaver]

100% Branderson and Oda-san

[@plesiophrictus2756]

I often imagine the shardworld of whimsy to be like one-piece. Edit: Like splintered into devil fruits or something.

[@Tokkidance]

Oh, Dan I think this is one of those things where you are just in the prologue and see the tip of the iceberg hence you think it is shallow. I mean you only really understand Nami at episode 7 lol

[@googlymoogly433]

And in a sense, the East Blue is a prologue to the entire story of One Piece….it’s so normal? in a way compared to the rest of the manga!

[@GutsTheBeast]

The characters in the live-action ARE shallow regardless of which episode you are talking about. The manga is a different story but live-action ruins so much of the character-work and moments that define the Sh's in the East Blue Saga.

[@jianyuyj2016]

​@@GutsTheBeastwhy do you think that? Can you give an example😮

[@zediogo8860]

@@jianyuyj2016 yes its not that the live action is bad. Its problem is its too short and fast paced. It makes the charachters feel cheap. For example soro following Luffy with zero investment, they barely talked and He just decides to be on his crew when He is a feared pirate hunter. It just doesnt make sense, you have to kinda ignore it. In the anime/manga it feels way more earned. Namis backstory and “help me” is another one that just doesnt Hit the same. The main problem was netflix cutting the original 10 episodes to just 8. I feel that this needed those 2 extra episodes. Although 12 would be where i feel they wouldnt have to cut anything

[@em5522]

​@@zediogo8860tbf, I don't think NF would've granted more than 8 eps for this 1st season, so it did great with the little time it got to work with. I just hope s2 gets more eps to flesh things out, esp considering how we're leaving the prologue and the next big arc will definitely be more politically complex.

[@user.Icarus]

One Piece is the best epic fantasy story I've read in my 40 years of life. I started reading it a little after high school, fast-forward ~20 years, and I'm still a weekly reader and the story just keeps getting better. Oda is up there with Tolkien on my list--the man is a story-telling genius, the way he touches on very sensitive and political subjects and sows seeds into his arcs are master class. A simple panel with some cryptic dialogue/code is tied in 500 chapters later to have been part of a catastrophic world event that occurred, the entire manga is filled with those GoT Hodor moments, and Oda is very good, if not the best currently, at pulling them off.

[@WatanukiProductions]

That long term setup and payoff is so unreasonably satisfying! The way I like to explain it, if Oda had been writing Star Trek, Chekov's gun would have been established exactly where it is in the original series and then it would finally be used in the later seasons of Deep Space 9. It's also one of the things that makes the universe feel like it's still moving constantly outside of our POV.

[@zeon_cipher5799]

say it louder so everyone fantasy lover can know the greatness of one piece

[@sarov7658]

I mean with the attention span of humans especially current generation the ability to keep them engaged at the story even after 25 years alone deserves praise

[@icy7857]

the pay off we've been getting in egghead has been insane

[@cmackk7284]

​@@icy7857egghead has been KILLING IT!!! Mark my words, it will be overshadowed when ppl think back retrospectively when ranking arcs, but as a weekly reader we're eating good.

[@Dragorosso95]

One Piece is the literal definition of “Journey before Destination”

[@amburbyler7721]

I had never heard of One Piece, and started, my whole family fell in love with it. I’m now going through the anime. Wheel of time (show) is a penny in a sea of gold compared to One Piece being the sea of gold.

[@Drums_of_Liberation]

Welcome to the crew!! Enjoy the journey and please take breaks when needed because later arcs do get really long.

[@amburbyler7721]

@@Drums_of_Liberation thanks! Nice to know!

[@saladinnausicaa2759]

Manga of One Piece is even superior.

[@Haxerous]

​@@saladinnausicaa2759 if they want a family experience I would recommend the anime. But yeah manga is the OG and it will almost always remain superior.

[@FirstLast-wk3kc]

Be ware that OP anime sometimes drag out a bit. Any way, have a good day

[@nicholashaw]

one piece - the manga - is an unfathomable work of genius. it’s intimidating to get into it, but like any other long-running fantasy series, it doesn’t take many chapters before you start dreading reaching the end.

[@GoldenMechaTiger]

Also manga chapters are pretty fast to read so even if 1000 chapters might look like a lot it's not actually going to take that much time to read if we compare it to some big fantasy series for example.

[@Damnitgary]

Oda will go down as one of the greatest. Doubt these guys will

[@GoldenMechaTiger]

@@Damnitgary Why did you feel the need to add that??

[@gouravpareek3635]

​@@Damnitgarycan't expect much from op fans.

[@Damnitgary]

@@gouravpareek3635 😂

[@rats27]

Some context: Everything showed in the 8 episodes is something Oda wrote when he was 21-22. Manga’s were written differently back then, and Oda was a young artist, drawing his 18 page chapters week to week. Writing a book and drawing a Manga week to week are different experiences. And the Manga industry is known to be brutal on their Mangaka’s. Oda has also been one of the Mangaka’s to fall sick from overwork, leading Shonen Jump to mandate he take a break every month. That being said, the East Blue Saga (covered by the LA) is probably the weakest of One Piece. It gets better. Much better. But it’s a slow burn, a product of it’s time.

[@Dekken88]

Maybe but the "Help me" scene and the following walk in the anime is still one of the most epic scenes I have ever seen.

[@BobofWOGGLE]

I've caught a few blind read/reaction videos going through one piece arc by arc and near-universally by the time they get to baratie or arlong park they start declaring "holy moly this is the best story so far" and don't stop usually until LRLL or TB.

[@doronrosstuvia3489]

It’s also influenced by his entire life. The amount of work he put into it over time is insane. One of the reasons I love the manga version is that it feels like we’re having a conversation with Oda as we’re reading it. He gives us insight in his thought process and adds details to the world through his Q&A. He also gives us hints through images and will continue the story through his covers. The covers even lead into parts of the main story. I’ve never read anything quite like it. Oda even includes little inside jokes with the readers, like Pandaman, which is essentially a Where’s Waldo that you can find in random panels. It’s an experience that I don’t think I’ve seen in any other medium or story.

[@Ernelconejo]

Wow, I don't think East Blue is the weakest at all. The introduction of the characters is a really big part of any story, how you draw the line that set the boundaries of your world, rules and morality over all. Otherwise the reader/viewer will run away inmediatly if you can't play those elements in. I know One Piece, I watched all, read half of it, and I noticed that being 25 years out there is near unachivaible to any other manga but this not reflect the primary intention of the work. It's a manga, a VISUAL piece of art, THEN a narration. Thus, what I'm trying to say is that One Piece is visual entertaiment with some story, a very simple and long story, easy to read and follow. Understanding this you can overcome the fact that people usually overthink some aspects and tend to elevated a work out of there comfort zone. One Piece is great, but lacks so much for the "critic eye".

[@IamGrimalkin]

​@@Ernelconejo Although you could argue much of the one piece worldbuilding occurs later on. Part of the point of the One Piece world is the world is much bigger than the main cast. Plus, the forming of the crew is by no means over at the end of East Blue. East Blue introduces 5 crew members, the Baroque Works saga introduces 2-3 more and sets up the backstory for another.

[@StephanG007]

Judging One Piece on the first two episodes is like judging Lord of the Rings on Bilbo's party. 😂 That said if you guys ever do get through the LA, I would STRONGLY recommend that you read the final arc covered by the LA. It's not a very long read and it really has some subtle genius that hints at the brilliance that is to come.

[@odotawaissaku3755]

I don't think the first 2 episodes even make it far enough to get to Bilbo's party. lol It's like judging it based off Gandalf knocking on Bilbo's door

[@TheSomaBlack]

The last 4 episodes were so good

[@saladinnausicaa2759]

​@@TheSomaBlackthey were the weakest lol.

[@RicardoMango]

Perfect comment!

[@RicardoMango]

@@saladinnausicaa2759 What? Mihawk? Zeff Background? Nami Background and Arlong Park? Did you watched the last 4 with closed eyes?

[@angelicaboudreau8739]

When my kids convinced me to watch the anime I didn't like it at first but I continued to watch it and it grew on me. Now I have caught up on the manga and the anime. I cannot get enough of it now. Please continue to watch the live action and pretty please watch the anime and read the manga. I believe you'll love it all. Especially the plot twists.

[@wingracer1614]

I would prefer for him to actually, you know, WRITE something instead of spending years trying to read and watch all of that

[@TarmakWorm]

@@wingracer1614he writes everyday.

[@GutsTheBeast]

@@wingracer1614 Are you his wife or something? You sound like a butthurt fan who just wants the dude to do what you want. That is some creepy ass behavior.

[@wingracer1614]

@@TarmakWorm exactly my point. Long may he continue to do so.

[@niello5944]

@@wingracer1614 Reading One Piece doesn't take that long. It's not bloated up like the anime. Quick reader can get through a chapter in like 5 minutes. It's possible to read it all in a single week (though not recommended). He does do other things other than write there's no reason why he should not read it if he enjoys the story. It's better to experience something as eccentric as One Piece to get inspiration that may never cross his mind and write better.

[@cricketsserenade]

Please do more One Piece. The last episode of the season brings everything that the Wheel of Time S2 finale missed in terms of character arcs. One Piece is not flawless, but man, is it perfect.

[@downtomars3148]

Brandon Sanderson + One Piece is one of the most hype crossover that I could only dream of happening. Now that it is here, I hope we'll have more of it :") One Piece storytelling is truly a masterwork. Hopefully it can be recognized by another master.

[@adoniscreed4031]

I just hope that this gets enough traction and the comments motivate it enough to get us some few more episodes of this! Dan is such a villain 😂 One Piece is my favourite thing of all time hahaha

[@789blablajaja]

I forgot he liked RoP :D Dan deserves a cameo on trash taste, tbh.

[@Pandoso01]

wow its so incredible how justified i feel recommending people to read the first 100 episodes, after hearing brandon start his review with "its very black and white morality world" like WOW i feel the complete opposite, and the reason i really really like arlong park its because its very gray morality wise this is really interesting, i hope they at least finish the live action

[@glass12]

Yes, that was funny. He just doesn't have the proper context because he is judging from watching what is basically a prelude to the story. I hope he can give the anime/manga a chance little by little.

[@GutsTheBeast]

Arlong Park is as black and white as you can get. One Piece morality isn't THAT complex. And there is nothing wrong with that. Stop trying to make this series into something it's not.

[@OhMyDarwen17]

@@GutsTheBeast Im not sure how much of the series you've consumed and I don't want to get into spoilers but One Piece adds A LOT of context and information over time. Arlong is definitely a bad guy but the Fishman's plight through history has quite a bit more nuance too it. One piece isn't the pinnacle of grey morality, the strawhats are all generally good people especially compared to other pirates, but I wouldn't describe the series as black and white.

[@mr.nobody1081]

@@GutsTheBeast aaaaw does someone not have enough difficulty in life to make comparisons, must be nice being a spoiled brat ^^

[@pascalv.3021]

@@GutsTheBeast Well, An oppressed ethnic group becomes the oppressor : not so much black and white.

[@hobowithanukulele]

I know you two will never actually read all 1000 chapters, but the world building and character development just keep building and building and building. It's slow at the start but over 1000 chapters it's wonderful and becomes something truly great

[@titans1fan93]

One Piece adaptation is so much superior then the wheel of time adaptation in every way. Writing, effects, set design, acting, etc.

[@Marwolaeth01]

Low bar. Agreed, but low bar 🤣

[@TooMuchCarbs]

Facts

[@saladinnausicaa2759]

Which isnt saying much lol. One Piece live action misses so much stuff from the manga and is just a poor adaptation.

[@MrKenilles]

almost anything is better than that atrocity of an adaptation.

[@vallano8970]

⁠@@saladinnausicaa2759you’re legitimately retarded if you think that. Basically every crucial emotional beat is hit within the one piece live action. And the major scenes are all included. No kidding they aren’t going to have EVERY single thing from the manga, even the ANIME doesn’t have that. If you think the only good adaptation is a scene for scene, word for word recounting of the source material you’ll never be pleased and should just stop watching.

[@Wordhopper1990]

I’m so glad Brandon likes what he’s seen of One Piece so far! Brandon, you and Oda are on an equal level to me as two of the most amazing storytellers of our time. That’s how good One Piece is. I’ve been reading the manga weekly for 15 years now and it just gets better. It’s the characters, the emotional gut punches, and the intricate worldbuilding that elevate both of your stories. Please continue the series and consider to read the manga. The characters have such depth (even if Dan won’t see it, or won’t see it yet), it’s just incredible.

[@PlagueKing_LordFalix]

CAP. Brandon wishes he was on Odas level.

[@WatanukiProductions]

I keep saying there is a reason for the overlap between One Piece fans and fans of Brandon.

[@Wordhopper1990]

@@WatanukiProductions There absolutely is. Part of it is demographics, and the timing of when things got popular enough to not be obscure anymore, reasons like that. But as for the stories people hear about and are drawn to or are willing to give a try, for all of their differences, Eiichiro Oda and Brandon Sanderson are so committed to quality storytelling, character development with emotional connections, and intricate worldbuilding, their works have become master pieces of similar quality. And a lot of people recognize that, I suppose.

[@BakaTheStruggler]

​@@PlagueKing_LordFalixBraindead take.

[@PlagueKing_LordFalix]

@KungFuPandurr I like Brandon a lot. He's a great writer. He is not on Odas level. He needs to read OP. It will improve the Cosmere a ton. Brandons writing could use some Oda shine when it comes to characters, world building and world BUILDING. Oda has been building a world for over 25 years tieing in things across decades and uniting storylines that span generations. This is what Brandon wants to do with the Cosmere and no one has done it better than Oda. So what exactly is braindead?

[@CulnamoElrond]

Brandon talking about One Piece, what a time to be alive.

[@Owlfury]

It hurts my heart that the live action is the only form of One Piece that they'll ever engage with. The manga is amazing

[@SIWJEE]

My 2 favourite fantasy properties are Stormlight (cosmere) and One piece. Can't wait to see Brandon talk about one piece!!! I really think he would love the manga.

[@koboldmartian4063]

I see One Piece's worldbuilding rivaling your own Brandon. Seriously! It has a facinating geography and world. Its physics and magic system are unique, and overall its just an extremely fun, charming, found family adventure series. There are also incredible emotional beats that had me crying for hours.

[@inchanted3179]

One Piece Worldbuilding > other Worldbuilding in any piece of media

[@BingleDOop]

@@inchanted3179 no kidding

[@samueldrzymala9108]

100% agree and looking forward to him seeing some of the more morally gray stuff come up later on!

[@nickm.5931]

Brandon! The manga is so, SO much better than any of the other versions! The pacing (and many other things) are far more suitable/better in the manga version, you're almost guaranteed to enjoy it! E: (I doubt he'd be reading this, but) When you glance at the manga's chapter count or volume count (105-ish volumes total), how you really ought to approach a manga is: try a certain amount of "story arcs" or "sagas." Like Season 1 of the Live Action covers Volumes 1-12 (which is one saga that covers like ~4 story arcs), and each volume takes me an average of 1 hour (40-90 mins), so probably 20-45 mins for someone like you. Whenever I try a new manga, I look up "(insert manga) story arcs" (which usually only shows titles, so you shouldn't be getting spoiled), then see "oh, one saga or story arc is covered in 5 volumes," then just start with that (each story arc or saga can feel conclusive on it's own).

[@wingracer1614]

Doesn't matter. He is NEVER going to read it. He ain't got time for that. I'd prefer he keep writing

[@anormalperson7161]

​​@@wingracer1614he has a life outside of work dude. It's his choice how he spends his time. Although I do recommend the manga!

[@roycebracket1010]

@@wingracer1614 True. A writer should be writing at all time and not be allowed any spare-time. Especially not to consume other works of fiction which could potentially cultivate his own imagination. That would just be silly.

[@wingracer1614]

@@anormalperson7161 Yep, it is his choice. And you know what his choice usually is to do in his spare time? WRITE! I'd rather he do what HE chooses to do instead of being mass bullied by millions of fans to read something he doesn't have time for and clearly thinks is good but not the end all, be all of existence. You people need to chill.

[@GutsTheBeast]

@@wingracer1614 He just watched the first 2 or even the first 4 episodes of an adaptation that fucks up so many things lol. Idk whether he will like One Piece but the people asking him to read it are doing it for a reason; it is just that brilliant of a series.

[@coboby3347]

Brandon Sanderson and Oda are my two favorite authors, by a pretty wide margin. Was really glad to see this pop up in my feed.

[@imtheguy3886]

whos at top lol . im guessing oda ?

[@coboby3347]

@@imtheguy3886 Tied, actually. Couldn't choose which I like more since I consider them each the peak of their respective medium

[@WatanukiProductions]

Same!

[@googlymoogly433]

I will say, in the East Blue in the manga, it’s very very simple compared to the rest of the manga. It barely touches on the different characters and the wide range of morals they can have (I’m thinking of the admirals specifically). Once we get to the Grand Line, things REALLY start to get going in terms of character development and depth.

[@MOTHblank]

East Blue is simple, the Live Action simplifies it even more.

[@saladinnausicaa2759]

Characters in the manga are already given depth in East Blue. The liveaction just skips and rushes through everything so characters feel more shallow.

[@Naija_Ninja]

It's crazy to think about but at the end of the day, East Blue is still a sort of a pseudo prologue for the series.

[@SamVimes27]

​@@Naija_Ninjanot even just a pseudo prologue. Loguetown is named Loguetown, because it's the end of Rogers Epilogue and the end of Luffys Prologue.

[@the_cringe_nerd]

Mr Zero Sandman go brrrrr in S2

[@julzap29]

A lot of the comments here mention a few things: - 2 episodes of the live action aren't really representative of how the rest of the season develops, I actually thought they managed to develop the characters very well for all the details they had to cut out. - The story REALLY picks up during the Grand Line arc, the worldbuilding in One Piece is expansive, well-structured and filled with references and great creativity. - It's a really long series, but a great way to enjoy it is to read a couple chapters at a time. In my opinion, it is probably just as good as many of the great fantasy series out there. I can't recommend it enough, especially to you both, since you have consumed so much of this genre, but definitely nothing remotely close to this (probably).

[@GutsTheBeast]

Luffy is not Luffy beyond superficial appearance. Zoro....is a fucking nobody samurai dude. Nami is just reduced to a paper-thin character. Usopp is barely given any focus. Sanji is the best but that is not saying much and it also skips so much of his characterization and moments. Saying that live-action captures these characters is like saying that Dragon Ball Evolution captured the characters; it's completely stupid once you start thinking about it.

[@mr.nobody1081]

@@GutsTheBeast aaaw, is someone sad about life?

[@wa-bu3ke]

@@mr.nobody1081it’s trash. Cope

[@mr.nobody1081]

@@wa-bu3ke cope with what? the viewing numbers? who cares about your oppinion when it is clearly a succes?

[@Itoyokofan]

​@@GutsTheBeastyou're just a trashposting hater. The majority of the OP fans enjoy OPLA.

[@SaintJimmy36]

"One Piece has flaws but it's a better adaptation of the soul of the creator's work than Wheel of Time" This x1000 it's super validating to hear this from Brandon as someone who loves both series

[@Ryroe]

Merphy Napier is gonna love this ;D

[@torchlight1785]

Can you imagine a podcast with Daniel and her listening to Brandon's opinions on each arc?

[@ikariiprince]

I think finishing season 1 gives you a satisfying enough ending to each characters personal story that you could totally drop it after finishing and not feel obligated to keep watching. It’s basically the end of the prologue to the actual epic story. So I’d personally recommend at least finishing the full season! Then you can decide if that’s a journey you want to continue on or hop off the proverbial boat at that point

[@valren2990]

Read the manga Brandon! You and Oda are the best long-form epic fantasy writers of all time!

[@CoolIizard]

I think it’s interesting that you bring up the black and white morality, because that’s one of the many things that has an extremely slow build up and payoff during the original series. Without spoilers, there are a lot of things from very early in the series that are presented as extremely black and white, and then revisited again and again and deconstructed to hell and back over the course of actual real world decades. But for this early in the show, the incredibly simple morality is necessary set up, and I think the live action did exactly right to let the villains really be horrible people. “It gets really good after several hundred manga chapters!” is a really hard sell, to the point that it almost feels silly to say, but also in the case of One Piece it’s very true - Season 1 of the live action was a great adaptation of what is almost just the series prologue of the manga plot

[@glass12]

I can only hope that Brandon can give the manga or the anime a chance. One Piece is truly the most amazing story, even now, after 25 years, it seems the story is still finding new quality ceilings.

[@Kal_Al_Thor]

He has no time

[@fetchyryu]

Chapter 1096 is peak

[@glass12]

@@fetchyryu Kuma 😭

[@Saa_la]

Its true that the last year of chapters has been quite good. Different themes and arcs than say Ennies lobby and water 7, but I loved the feeling of danger when we saw Sabo sneaking up on the Gorosei, like it is a feeling that I didn't expect from One piece and I love it! I don't love One piece passionately, but you're right, the quality increases with time and it was already very high, especially considering Oda's age when he started! There are also a lot of things that I don't care about, but maybe I should reread it to appreciate it more? I feel bad about not liking it as much as apparently most people!

[@glass12]

@@Saa_la In my opinion, at this point is already the greatest adventure ever told. If Oda maintains this level right until the end, it is going to be even better. It feels historic watching it as it unfolds.

[@Pablo360able]

Iñaki Godoy was *born* to play Luffy. That infectious positivity the character exudes is real. If that were the only thing he got right about the character - and to be clear, that's far from the case - the live action adaptation would still have been successful as an adaptation, because that is the beating heart of One Piece. That smile. That damn smile.

[@arthurbaker1592]

Brandon talking about One Piece might be the greatest thing I could've asked for

[@manasbhandarkar3522]

You guys should continue and do a season review maybe . I believe Dan will probably like it by the end of it.

[@DanMPsychopump]

Haven't really scroll down on the comments so it might have been pointed out... but the Manga has 1095 (officially published) chapters so far. It is still a lot of chapters to read but not as near as 2000 and the narrative of it is so agile that it really flies by as you are reading. So I really do recommend that both Brandon and Dan do give it a try!!! A couple of chapters every other week would probably give a lot of cool Intentionality Blanks!!!!

[@hobbitall]

Thank you both for taking the time you had to give the show a try! As a 15+ year fan of One Piece, I’m just so hyped that there’s new discussion happening around the show.

[@rarj2]

I will say the East Blue is the most simplistic part of the show. A lot of One Piece fans will say "it doesn't get good til 100 episodes in", while I disagree they're essentially saying once you leave East Blue it gets interesting. I tried getting into OP 4 times before I actually decided to stick with it. Honestly a lot of Dan's critiques are the same that I had with the anime. Dan if you're reading this, just give it some more time. Judging the show off of its first arcs, let alone the first 2 episodes is like reading the first sentence of a popular book and deciding it's not for you. There's a reason why Oda is in the top ten selling authors of all time.

[@inchanted3179]

imagine hearing that One Piece has great Worldbuilding then judging it within only 2 episodes... of Live Action

[@gin-zn3pf]

Ikr sounds like they are just jealous. 2 episodes and judging how the characters are not well written lmao. That bald guy specifically

[@watcherofwatchers]

​@@gin-zn3pfI mean, they're ALL very one dimensional. Occasionally a character will get a second dimension - extreme corniness.

[@icy7857]

@@watcherofwatchers yeah if you're not reading 💀

[@watcherofwatchers]

@@icy7857 I read books, not comics.

[@icy7857]

@watcherofwatchers enjoy being an elitist and missing out on some the best pieces of fiction

[@francislally6066]

Oh man, as far as the Morality of One Piece goes, I think the first 2 episodes may have led you astray. One Piece has one of the most complex portrayals of morality in all of anime through it's entire run, so I encourage you to give reading it a chance!

[@dectacubitus]

this

[@matthewponton5632]

I'm a little confused how they even got that assumption from the live action? The show litterally says "there are good marines and pirates and conversely bad ones." The fact you can have navy protecters be evil and terrorists pirates be good tells you how fluid the concept of morality is in One Piece. The person in charge gets to decide what's right and wrong. Really weird observation from them

[@taimohamed4447]

Exactly, I'm astonished they got that impression.

[@mutantmagnet]

The first 2 episodes could have addressed this properly if they made it clear why Captain Axehand had to be arrested as he was in the original source material. showing both pirates and marines aren't distinctly black white was a set up that generated interest in the series early on but it was mishandled in the live action version. Regardless both men were clear that this wasn't a real problem for them so fixing that wouldn't have changed their current opinions' about the show.

[@AnnCatsanndra]

This

[@zediogo8860]

Please Brandon and specially Dan give another opportunity, the last 4 episodes are much better than the first half!

[@Sebster85]

No! They should read the manga to get it. I keep telling people that the LA I generic Hollywood garbage and they don’t believe me.

[@hmmmooops]

@@Sebster85 Be fair now it's very well made 9/10 Hollywood garbage

[@TarmakWorm]

@@Sebster85gatekeeping is not cool

[@lemme3295]

@@Sebster85 I agree that the manga is by far the best way to experience the story, but even if the adaptation is not a masterpiece it was still able to surprisingly embody a lot of what makes One Piece the lovable and unique story it is. It's a great entry point for new fans, especially for an audience that's not used to the manga medium.

[@Hawki_t]

@@Sebster85 They don't believe a stranger's subjective opinion over their own? Incredible surprise. By the way, I absolutely agree with you on the reading manga part but the rest of you is just coming of as a salty hater.

[@praverdoy]

One thing that can be easily forgotten is that Oda was 22 years when he wrote the first chapters. The things that come together right now in the manga that he set up and foreshadowed decades ago are just insane. I would love it if you give the live action another shot though I personally think episode 3 and 4 are the weakest ones of the first season. :)

[@ratiuvictor9533]

Please watch the rest of One Piece. Episodes 3and 4 are a little weaker but 5,6,7,8 are the best episode I watched all year

[@usagi77777772003]

Episode 4 has a horror vibe to it and excellent tension, so many horror fans like myself loved it! I do agree that Usopp's characterization was thin when compared to the anime/manga...

[@FelixVorspier]

The first season of the live action adapts essentially what is the prologue. One Piece is an incredible work of fiction. Weekly chapters, being released over the course of decades, have built up into an epic fantasy that feels like a cross of LOTR, Treasure Island, and Looney Tunes. The scale and the intricate connections between the world and the characters is seriously almost unbelievable. Everyone NEEDS to read One Piece.

[@WatanukiProductions]

First season is missing Loguetown which I consider to be the cap of the prologue. Wait... Loguetown... The town of the beginning and the end... Prologue and Epilogue... Prologuetown and Epiloguetown... How did I not notice that till right now?

[@FelixVorspier]

I think it's interesting that both the Nami AND the narrator call it the town of the beginning and the end. (The narrator says quite a few things in Loguetown.) If anyone that sees this is feeling spicy: try reading One Piece while specifically looking for the sun and the moon. It will change you into a real OP conspiracy theorist.@@WatanukiProductions

[@leonardojuangorena4818]

To be fair, watching just the two first live action episodes is like start reading Lord of the Rings and stopping at "In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit."

[@MafistoPL]

Guys please talk about it after watching all 8 episodes. The end is on the whole different level ❤

[@idn12345]

I looove Brandon Sanderson and his whole Cosmere series. But..........dude you gotta watch the rest of the episodes 😢

[@IsThisThePrizeIveWaitedFor]

I enjoyed the show but wasn’t particularly attached to it until episode 6 with Sanji’s backstory. The relationship between Sanji and Zeff made me cry copious amounts of tears. Any story that can made me feel something on a deep level is always appreciated.

[@HonestlyJustDumb]

If I had to decide on a fictional story that most affected my life and personality during my formative years, it would be a tie between One Piece and The Stormlight Archive. What a freaking treat to hear the author of one discuss the other! I love the respectful attitude Brandon has for just about every media he touches on, and I equally love Dan's audaciously wild opinions.

[@LazerWulf]

A few things I would say. The anime does go into the backstory, but it has the leeway to devote an entire episode each to both Luffy and Zoro's backstories (you just have to go further than episode 2), whereas the Live Action only had 8 episodes to work with and can't waste an entire episode just to deal with the backstory. I think integrating the flashbacks into the story was well done. The changes they did make were for the sake of pacing, and despite that, they still kept true to the characters and the story. Koby becomes much more important later in the manga than he was at the beginning, so, in hindsight, including him (and Garp, for that matter) in these early episodes helps build on that, rather than having him disappear and then show up 2 or 3 seasons later.

[@m.c.darwin1897]

Oh noooo I hope Brandon continues watching the 5th and 6th episodes! Those are the best in the whole season! If he ends in the rut that is 3 and 4 I’d be so sad 😢

[@curtisgaleweeks765]

From now on, all reviewers should review their novels after reading only a couple chapters. Or, in Brandon's case, after only reading a couple of the prologues.

[@rishabhsahlot7481]

I will say 4 things: 1. Watch the entire show man, before talking about it. Its 8 eps only, how can you comment before watching it completely. 2. Season 1 of one piece had to set up a lot of characters, the world, themes & personalities, more character growth happens as the story progresses. One of the reasons that people have stuck with one piece is that it keeps getting better as the story progresses, and as a reader you feel rewarded for even plot points that don't seem interesting early on. 3. I agree that this show does try to make the characters more black/white than the manga or anime do: they leave it to the viewer on how to interpret it. 4. The reason the characters don't seem flawed is because they are all mostly perfect except for a few things, e.g. luffy becoming better as a leader, zoro becoming better at his sword arts(and not being a lone-wolf kinda guy), nami at having faith in those around her.

[@cly5870]

I loved when Brandon stood up for Luffy's characterization at around 27 min in. Very well stated. I want to hear Brandon talk about this adaptation more! If that requires Dan to sit through more hours of a show he's pretty meh on, then by Harmony that's what it will take.

[@pokemonairi]

yep, that was nice

[@stephaniemartins2281]

The overlay of Iñaki Godoy at 12:15 made me laugh out loud. His performance is also what really won me over, so I'm glad he's getting the appreciation he deserves!

[@nissanfreak22]

Definitely should watch the rest of the season, all the characters get backstory and motivations that explain who they are! :)

[@cecy5963]

It pained me to hear Luffy being described as a shallow character, however I had to take a step back and remind myself that they’re critiquing only the first 2 episodes of the LIVE ACTION. I mean it isn’t till chapter 1060 of the manga that luffy reveals his dream to his crew, which by the way we the audience don’t even get to hear. My hats off to Oda sensei who has managed to keep me on my toes for 9 years, let’s hope for a thousand chapters more of this master piece!

[@GutsTheBeast]

Luffy IS a shallow and one-note character in the live-action. He is far more rich and is given so much more characterization in the manga then in the live-action.

[@matthewponton5632]

​@GutsTheBeast bruh luffy was just as arguably shallow in the manga and anime at this point too. I would say it isn't until Drum island and his interactions with vivi that we see him develop as a character.

[@mr.nobody1081]

@@GutsTheBeast Gee I wonder if the amount of exposure time has something to do with it eh? you really are a dense little nerd arent you?

[@savinghumanity6661]

@@GutsTheBeast Luffy could be the deepest whatever in the manga but for these people its just not their cup of tea. You either could've shut up or give props to the OPLA that has made them at least try it on a medium they're kinda familiar with -which is the TV series.

[@WatanukiProductions]

I thought Luffy was shallow for a very long time. It's easy to be blinded by the tropes and not see the nuance so I don't blame people who miss it. In the manga I feel like Nami is the deepest character in the first saga. I still think Zoro despite being probably my favorite character is a bit shallow compared to the rest of the crew. Holy fuck though Sanji has so much going on beneath the surface holy crap. I think while not having the time for the depth of the manga the live action does actually use some of it's changes to show some of Luffy's depth a little earlier. All the characters are a bit muted in the live action and I don't necessarily think that's a mistake since going too far would make it feel like a farce and the live action did a good job balancing the awesome with believability.

[@LibrarianImmortal]

Wow, Dan thinks that Buggy is creepy and evil just cause the town, he would loose it for some of the horrible things going on in One Piece world 🤯

[@陳嘉宇-y4q]

Insert Kishishi laughs

[@pascalv.3021]

But like Dan says, the interesting thing is not that Buggy is creepy : it is the way the creepiness escalates.

[@vampcinder7237]

As a One Piece fan it's so hard not to start going on and on about how it's just the tip of the iceberg, what things they changed, the pacing differences, blah blah blah. I'm really glad the live action has become a good way for new people to get into such a massive undertaking though.

[@ايمنالعنزي-ص6ص]

Man, seeing the guy on the left talk about Luffy hurt me. It's not his fault, but hearing him call Luffy a hero and saying that he has no idea what a pirate is just breaks my hurt how off the mark the LA was with his character.

[@spongybear1926]

THE ONE PIECE IS REALLLLL

[@mese433]

The way Brando described the real power of Luffy and Iñaqui's portrait on the LA is amazing!

[@SailingWitStrawHats]

One piece builds together like crazy, it's just a slower build up. The first season/ 100 chapters is pretty much the "prologue"

[@bookwu5133]

One of the best ways to read/watch one piece is to treat every larger arc as one book of a larger series. That way its a fantasy series that has 11 books with its last book currently being released. It helps with tackling the sheer amount of manga chapters out right now and not being too intimidated. People are getting into the cosmere for example with more than 11 books out right now. Some of those books are incredibly long too.

[@mangoman93]

I totally get how the first season and especially the first two episodes come across as very "villain of the week", but that's mostly because there hasn't been time to pay off on the big picture stuff, yet. One Piece is famous for setting up plots, characters and relationships with small details and paying off on them in often extremely main plot relevant ways tens or hundreds of chapters later. One off characters and concepts are the exception rather than the rule. The live action adaptation so far has done an excellent job at setting up these details, there's even more of them than in the manga. It's admittedly a lot easier to add all these hints after the fact, but there're all done in a way that feels very organic to the world and story. I'm excited to see the first details pay off in season two, which is also where the world building is about to pick up A LOT.

[@HungryPlatypus013]

“A very neutral Five.” As a former game critic who always hated scores, I have so much respect for using the actual, full, 1-10 scale.

[@KalleVilenius]

"He has the effect on me that he has on the crew in the show", this is a perfect encapsulation of Luffy. His magnetic personality has power both on and off the page. You just have to see what this idiot will do next. You should still be reading the manga instead of watching any adaptations though. Not like you have an ending to rush to yet, take your time. I've been a fan for 17 years.

[@varunvenkatesh2169]

One Piece is my favourite fictional story. I absolutely love WoT, Stormlight Archive, ASOIAF, and a ton of amazing stuff but One Piece is still number one. Greatest story I’ve experienced.

[@mandy32396]

wait watching two episodes and calling it shallow? i feel like two episodes is not really fair........

[@sawtoothhorse]

It's really hard to explain how good one piece is with only 2 episodes. I think most people enjoy it up until 100 episodes and then from there gradually get more enjoyment progressively until it's a favourite. Nothing can really prepare you early for when you later on have a huge lineup of characters you love fighting against a villian who has been built up every week for 10 years and 500 chapters.

[@GutsTheBeast]

What 100 episodes are you talking about? Arlong Park, which is part of the first 40 or so episodes, is considered the make or break moment. If someone doesn't end up liking Arlong Park arc then the series isn't for them.

[@daemedeor]

@@GutsTheBeast maybe chapters instead. the east blue saga is about 100ish chapters.

[@watcherofwatchers]

I am 4 episodes in, and I find the characters one dimensional and extremely corny. My wife keeps passing out shortly after mocking the episode's latest silly villain. It's unfortunate, because I really wanted to like it more. It's entertaining enough to keep watching, but I am not driven to consume it. Maybe it's supposed to be silly, but I like my fantasy to take itself more seriously.

[@noamz9527]

And thats why we already established that Dan's taste is really bad.

[@alfiehagan438]

The best thing about one piece that I think would hook Brandon is that at the beginning everything seems so simple but as it goes on every aspect goes more in depth. From the worldbuilding, development, the history’s, the factions to the point now where it’s easily on the level of the best high fantasy stories from the west. And I’m not saying this lightly but it really is the lord of the rings of manga.

[@jxhide]

I hope you watch the rest of the season. The episodes get better especially by episode 6. Also for the fight scenes, Mackenyu (Zoro actor) had to slow down his parts because they couldn't find/bring over stuntman to be as fast as him due to COVID.

[@crylorenzo]

Please keep going with One Piece! It's worth it. Of course, once One Piece is actually done as a manga, I hope you both read it even though it is long. I'd say it would take about as long as a few Stormlight books and we can all do those.

[@markgruner5812]

The best part about Luffy is that he doesn't want to be known as a hero, he wants to be known as a pirate, he just happens to be a pirate that wants to do the right thing and he helps people who help him, whether it's simple things like feeding him or more serious things like saving him or one of his crew. Later on in the series he says specifically he doesn't want to be a hero because then he'd have to share all his food with everyone, such a simple thought but one that encapsulates Luffy perfectly. Also on the point of Luffy being "more of a dick" in the anime, while I can see how you would say that, it's less him being rude for the sake of being rude and the fact that Luffy is just straight up and to the point, he doesn't beat around the bush. Coby IS a coward, hence why he got stuck on Alvida's ship, Luffy calls him out for it repeatedly but when push comes to shove Luffy still helps him because he doesn't like people holding others down.

[@codyg2779]

Every writer needs to read one piece. It's truly amazing. It would make a great KZbin react.

[@Tdilllz]

I know it’s a long shot with how busy you both are, but the manga is the best way to consume the incredible story of One Piece. The character development and world building are incredible, and I really think you both would enjoy it.

[@noamz9527]

I really feel like you should have watched the whole season before making this episode 😅.

[@googlymoogly433]

I agree!! The characters get their backstories and depth later on in the show, that’s why it’s “shallow” rn in a sense! we just don’t know much about them at this point of the show haha

[@skiara8152]

I think just like they did for Arcane and other series, it’s interesting to see their thoughts at the beginning etc, they’re giving first impressions

[@geradenhraba770]

I will say one piece gets far more nuanced later on and adds some shades of gray and the characters do become far more developed in their motivations but it does take time i loved seeing you two discuss this topic keep up your great worksypu guys are amazing . . . . And dan not being invested in it somehow doesn't surprise me but it just isnt for everyone and thats okay too stay awesome yall

[@timogul]

The thing with Luffy is that he is blunt and honest to a fault, he will tell it like it is, no matter how rude that may be, and not even consider alternatives. But also he will always do what's right, regardless of the cost.

[@LyonexTV]

This is surreal to see, BrandoSando talking about One Piece. I'm still very early in the video but I wanted to comment on the white and black morality of the world, to say that it doesn't shay that way and we eventually meet some very grey characters and much darker and serious themes. The section covered in the Netflix show so far as basically the prologue of the story. It's like starting Wheel of Time and thinking, "you know what, I'm not so interested in this small village and kiddy drama stuff."

[@Dekken88]

Also you could have brought in Daniel Green or Merphy Napier - both are One Piece fans.

[@pokemonairi]

I’d love to hear merphy and brandon talk about one piece

[@spaceisawesome1]

You both must give a react after watching season 1 completely . The tone shifts so different towards the end. If you wanted a little bit of gray immorality it is there.

[@snowpoint720]

One Piece is very much a show that grows over time. No surprise after 25 years of story. Early One Piece feels like a Saturday morning cartoon. Later One Piece still is that, but can build genuinely good moments of emotion because of how long they build up the characters and setting.

[@redskyblacks]

Brandon and Oda are litteraly the two GOATS just IMMAGINE a colab between them

[@l4w870]

Interestingly enough, one piece gets wayyyy more gray morality wise down the line, even villains from this season will get more contextualized later on, it definitely starts of as a light hearted adventure and it also definitely stays true to that but it becomes way more mature and layered over time

[@kingcam0775]

Brandon's defense of Luffy's characterization is great imo.

[@evelynbasham1673]

The Live Action is Black and White Morality in the beginning, it shifts to more gray in later episodes. As for the Anime and Manga, Luffy is the embodiment of chaotic good, but other characters are very grey and the story gets much more complex as it goes on. This is why it is often said you need to read up to 80 chapters before it gets good. I think it is good before that but it captures you around 80 chapters in.

[@stevenlandseadel2494]

One piece becomes extremely nuanced and deep in plot and character as it progresses. It starts overly simplified. Every episode gets a little bit more intense, and every season will get severely more so. it could be the silliest no-brainer show you've ever watched or the deepest philosophical and political drama, it all depends on what you put into it and how much attention you pay.

[@natcommon]

I wasn't sold on One Piece at first when I read the manga, but everyone told me to get to a certain point and if I still wasn't feeling it I could stop. I got to that point and I understood why everyone loves it so much and now I'm hooked on One Piece.

[@christina_1313]

Brandon defending Luffy and saying he feels like he pulls him in like his crew gives me live ^^

[@krusnik94]

Would love a follow up to this. The first half of the series is okay and the second half is where shit gets GOOOOD