The Pirates are Coming Review: One Piece, a live-action adaptation of the manga by Eiichiro Oda, was released on Netflix in 2017. The showrunners, Matt Owens and Steven Maeda avoided the pitfalls that may have plagued a less skilled team.
The first season of One Piece was an impressive achievement, managing to retain the show’s essential elements while also including additional material from the manga. Despite its deviations from the original material, One Piece is still one of Netflix’s most intriguing storylines, thanks to its bright setting of a world inhabited by pirates and their battles to realize their aspirations.
The second part of the pivotal Syrup Village storyline in One Piece’s history is covered in this episode. Kaya, an old heiress to a shipyard, lives here with three domineering house servants, and it is here that Nami and Luffy encounter her after she has been poisoned by Klahadore (Kuro of the Black Cat Pirates) to attract her attention and draw out more of her crewmates.
Here, Koby demonstrates his loyalty to Garp by taking command of the Marines as Luffy, Zoro, and Kuro battle their way through Kaya’s home with the help of Corrupted Contingency.
The two main events of this episode are Luffy’s confrontation with Kuro and Usopp’s formal induction into their crew. Kuro’s vengeful delivery and Kaya’s face convey the whole breakdown wonderfully, making him an appealing villain in the manga and this live-action adaptation. The entire conclusion at Kaya’s estate had an immersive sense that effectively demonstrated how committed their opponents were to winning this war against them, which is why I felt it compelling. The Straw Hat Pirates’ gang is the focus of this episode. After a bet with Nami, Luffy comes out on top and acquires a ship.
When Zoro’s backstory was finally revealed in “The Pirates Are Coming” episode, it was quite the tale. Perhaps it was a bit hurried, and more time was devoted to Kuina’s influence on him as a child in the anime or manga. He was a spoilt brat who didn’t know that hard work leads to success. Zoro, as a kid, imagined that he had what it took. And when he realized he couldn’t defeat Kuina, he was ready to throw in the towel. Kuina was the one who smacked him out of that flawed line of thought.
Kuina and Zoro challenge each other to a swordsmanship competition and commit to daily training sessions until one becomes the world’s best. The following day, Kuina is killed in an accident, prompting Zoro to pick up her unique blade, create the three-sword method, and fulfill the pledge alone.
Zoro utilizes Kuina’s recollection to pull himself out of the pit he was dumped in the last episode. Zoro, a total idiot who can’t tell north from south, stumbles into Luffy while heading in the wrong direction (back to the manor). Once the Black Cat pirates bring in a poisoned and supposedly dead Luffy, Usopp leads Koby and the Marines to the manor. Still, they are all misled by Klahadore/Kuro and disregard his extremely suspicious conduct.
Nami, who was hiding in the pantry then, overheard the conversation. But then the bell rings, and the Marines rush in. In response, Kuro explains that Usopp suffers from mental illness and that the troops benefit from his generosity, especially once he agrees to give them Luffy. With evidence that Kuro is a pirate, Koby must recognize Usopp’s attempts to reason with him.
Of course, Koby is aware of more than he’s letting on, and just as he’s about to leave, a loud clang emanates from the kitchen, drawing his attention to yet another development. Nami is responsible for this since she attacks Sham when she turns her back. During this time, Usopp quietly enters Kaya’s room to warn her about Kuro’s intentions and how he murdered the butler. In response, Kaya smacks her old buddy across the face, clarifying that she is not in the mood for games and does not find this narrative amusing.
However, when his buddy tries to convince him otherwise, Usopp sits on the couch and insists that he won’t go until she’s secure.
After being knocked unconscious by the blue soup, Luffy throws up violently and comes to. When he does, he tells Koby to do the right thing, but his voice is weak since Kaya is innocent. Helmeppo has had enough and pulls out a pistol to show it. However, Zoro appears and interferes before he can fire after knocking down Helmeppo; Luffy and Koby part ways, with Luffy promising Koby that he would not interfere with Koby’s efforts to save his comrades.
Zoro and Luffy return to the mansion and split off, hoping to find and stop Kuro on his homicidal spree. But Usopp gets involved with his slingshot, which allows Luffy to turn the tables by distracting Kuro. Zoro, however, confronts both Buchi and Sham in the main atrium.
This episode brings the showdown between Luffy and Kuro closer to Kuro’s house, where the stakes are raised, and the tension is high, further developing her character and increasing the episode’s thrill and suspense. This improves Kuro’s fortitude and makes for more exciting fight sequences.
Kuro tries to explain to Luffy that he had to fool Kaya and devise this complicated strategy to get rich after years of being a pirate. Despite his wealth, all Kuro got out of life was a constant state of worry that other pirates, the Marines, or even his crew may betray him at any moment. However, Luffy ignores him. A pirate who gives up on his ambition is no pirate in his eyes, so he decides to beat him up with his most ridiculous finishing move, the Gum Gum Bell, in which he extends his neck and smacks someone in the head.
Seeing the pirates are no longer a threat; Kaya gives the Straw Hat Crew their ship. In honor of Kaya’s dependable servant, he calls the vessel “Going Merry.” Their celebration is cut short just as they get used to their new ship and new identities as pirates by creating a genuine Jolly Roger (poorly, and with Usopp, who thinks he is the captain, at the helm). Because of his kind personality and impressive shooting abilities, Luffy and the gang welcome Usopp onboard. Usopp and Kaya kiss goodbye before he goes.
At the episode’s conclusion, it is revealed that Garp is Luffy’s grandfather; he then fires a cannon at the Going Merry as the Straw Hats flee to a new adventure.
A further high point of this episode is the depth with which it delves into the bond between Kaya and Usopp. The midpoint sequence between them was very moving; it’s great that Shonen’s romance is still alive.
The Pirates are Coming – One Piece Live Action S01E04: Episode Info
Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Fantasy
The Pirates are Coming – One Piece Live Action S01E04: Cast
- Iñaki Godoy: Monkey D. Luffy
- Emily Rudd: Nami
- Mackenyu: Roronoa Zoro
- Jacob Romero Gibson: Usopp
- Celeste Loots: Kaya
- Alexander Maniatis: Klahadore
- Morgan Davies: Koby
- Vincent Regan: Garp
- Aidan Scott: Helmeppo
- Bianca Oosthuizen: Sham
- Albert Pretorius: Buchi
- Brett Williams: Merry
- Maximilian Lee Piazza: Young Zoro
- Audrey Cymone: Kuina
- Nathan Castle: Koushiro
The Pirates are Coming – One Piece Live Action S01E04: Crew
- Director: Emma Sullivan
- Writing Credits: Eiichirô Oda, Damani Johnson, Matt Owens, Steven Maeda, Allison Weintraub, Lindsay Gelfand, Tom Hyndman
- Producer: Amie Horiuchi, Takuma Naitô
- Executive Producer: Marty Adelstein, Becky Clements, Tetsu Fujimura, Marc Jobst, Steven Maeda, Eiichirô Oda, Matt Owens, Tim Southam, Chris Symes
- Co-Executive Producer: Diego Gutierrez, Laura Jacqmin, Damani Johnson, Nic Louie, Ian Stokes, Stephen Welke
- Co-Producer: Tiffany Greshler
- Associate Producer: Robert W. Egami
- Consulting Producer: Zack Estrin
- South African Producer: Marisa Sonemann-Turner, Rudi Van As
- Animation & Special Effects: Incessant Rain Studios, Rising Sun Pictures, Filmograph
The Pirates are Coming – One Piece Live Action S01E04: Other Info
- Air Date: Aug 31, 2023
- Runtime: 1h 2m
- Distributor: Netflix
- Production Co: Film Afrika Worldwide, Kaji Productions, Shueisha, Tomorrow Studios
