Everyone in the West knows the comic industry and the respective adaptations that Hollywood makes with its film studios or through its streaming services, although the comics that are sold month after month in newsstands or specialized stores have had ups and downs in the last decade is a market that refuses to die. The other side of the coin of this world is manga and anime, because surprisingly these types of products are sold much more, both in Japanese territory and in the whole of America. Without a doubt, year after year the sales of all the most famous manga of the moment go in crescendo and its animes are the most popular or watched by a large part of viewers.
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There is a particular detail that they share one piece and anime like Doraemon, Shin-chan, Detective Conan and Pokémon: its duration. one piece has more than 1000 episodes, despite the fact that other adaptations that are longer than this one have already been mentioned, the story of Luffy and his crew rivals the importance of Attack on Titan, Dragon Ball, Demon Slayer or Naruto. Although not all fans of the world of anime have seen the adventures of the curious captain with a yellow hat, they know the importance of this story. This is where he comes in One Piece Film: Red- 90%.
uta, the world’s most beloved singer whose voice has been described as “otherworldly”, is famous for hiding her own identity when performing. She will now, for the first time, reveal herself to the world in a live concert. With the Navy watching closely, the place fills with Uta fans, including excited pirates and the Straw Hats led by Luffy, who simply came to enjoy his sound performance, all eagerly awaiting the voice that the entire world has been waiting to resonate. The story begins with the shocking revelation that she is the daughter of the enigmatic Shank. Directed by Goro Taniguchi (Code Geass) RED is the 15th film in One Piece, the oldest Japanese franchise.
Hardly an anime movie is not going to have to do with characters or stories that have previously been addressed in anime, because basically a film of this type is a special episode. How is the above supported? Usually it is always an event of epic proportions with many old and new characters coming together. One Piece Film: Red It broadly delivers on these points, but unlike many other attempts from different franchises, they get it right here, at least for the most part.
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The history
It’s not going to lie, a fan of yesteryear is going to enjoy this movie for all its content a thousand times more than a casual viewer or someone who barely knows the characters. Despite all of the above, the story is totally understandable without the need to have seen a certain number of episodes or read a few manga. There is a beginning, a middle and an end; each of these points makes use of well-known pirates as well as others not so much that have their own character development and those that only appear for a few minutes on screen serve their purpose.
The first few minutes are crucial in presenting the shape and manner in which this story is going to unfold. It opens with a song starring uta, who is basically going to be the main axis and conductor of all the events that are to come. In this musical number, no resources or small shows will be spared to warn of all the events that are to come.
Something very interesting about its climax where vital details are revealed for the resolution of the plot, is that it makes use of the resource of perspective, something similar to what it tried to do Ryan Johnson in Star Wars: The Last Jedi – 91%only here everything turns out correct and not as a god ex machina. Everything is simple and nothing is complicated; there is an event, two groups of people, one knows the truth and the other thinks they know the truth.
If there is something that the followers of Luffy can thank, it is that it is an absolute parade of characters of all kinds who previously had their respective appearance in the anime where they played a role, both important and episodic. Here, if there is something intelligent, it is that they enter the scene at the moment when it is least expected and ready for the audience to scream with emotion. Even in the final act there are surprises that no one sees coming and to top it off, even in the credits.
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Characters
Practically the protagonist of this adventure is uta, who, as already indicated, will be the one to orchestrate all the decisions that are to come. Flashbacks are important for knowing how she got to where she is, just as the resource of perspective explains why she acts for the benefit of herself and those around her. In a few minutes she manages to win an affection that few anime products achieve, since as the story progresses the viewer worries about her outcome.
Luffy it is basically the role of the spectator, but in what way? Through his eyes, the details that make up the outcome of the whole problem will be revealed little by little. This is where the fact of having put a flashback and the game of perspectives makes sense, because once the public knows how past events really took place, it is when the climax reaches its highest point and where the film prepares to put all the meat on the grill.
Honorable mention to all those cameos that fulfill the mission of raising the hype and getting a good fanservice moment. especially the legendary Shank and his undisputed crew.
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the visuals
It is already common for anime films to make use of CGI, both to show the visual spectacle as requested by the director when it comes to surprising the audience and to make the task less laborious for those who work directly on animation. If from minute 1 there are already fireworks and effects that interact with all the characters, it is to be expected that in the epic finale there will be a whole legendary moment that will be recorded in the minds of all the witnesses.
Not to go into spoiler territory, what can be said about the ending is the epitome of the entire film, since a threat arises by coincidence of fate and it is the duty of all pirates present to face it. Although the above sounds generic or clichéd, it is in its execution that it leaves everyone speechless.
Each and every one of the characters that participate in this sequence have a glorious moment to show off their respective skills, the best thing is that they do it both individually and together. The montage plays a fundamental role, because while a group of pirates fights in one place, another attacks simultaneously in different places, making it seem that they are all present in one place.
In the end, who gets the applause are Luffy and Shanks who star in one of the most epic scenes of this genre where they show why they have the most attention and fans. There are not many words that can describe such a moment. For cherry on the cake, its epilogue has a sad but touching moment ready to make the toughest viewer tear up.
One Piece Film: Red- 90% It is a film that benefits from fanservice, it is aware of it at all times, the difference between all the productions that choose to follow this resource is that it does not betray the plot or the complicated moments by paying attention to a character showing off unnecessarily or commit some comical action. If you are already a fan of Luffy and company, you can be sure to find an epic movie and if you don’t know much about this universe, you will jump out of your seat thanks to incredible moments.
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