Definitely one of the more exciting “One Piece” films I have watched in a decade and definitely the best looking “One Piece” film created. If you are looking for a “One Piece” film with action, wonderful animation and awesome voice acting, definitely give “One Piece Film Gold” a try!
Image courtesy of © 2016 Toei Animation Co., Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
TITLE: One Piece Film Gold
ORIGINAL THEATRICAL DATE: 2016
DURATION: 120 Minutes
BLU-RAY INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition, English and Japanese Dolby TrueHD5.1, Subtitles: English
COMPANY: FUnimation
RATED: TV 14
Release Date: May 2, 2017
Originally created by Eiichiro Oda
Directed by Hiroaki Miyamoto
Script by Tsutomu Kuroiwa
Music by Yuuki Hayashi
Character Design by Masayuki Sato
Art Director: Kazuo OguraÂ
Chief Animation Director: Masayuki Sato
Mechanical Design: Hiori Denforword AkishinoÂ
Art Design by Nobuhito Sue
Animation Production by Toei Animation
Featuring the following voice talent:
Mayumi Tanaka/Colleen Clinkenbeard as Monkey D. Luffy
Akemi Okamura/Luci Christian as Nami
Hiroaki Hirata/Eric Vale as Sanji
Ikue Ohtani/Brina Palencia as Tony Tony Chopper
Kappei Yamaguchi/Sonny Strait as Usopp
Yuriko Yamaguchi/Stephanie Young as Nico Robin
Kazuki Yao/Patrick Seitz as Franky
Ian Sinclair as Brook
Travis Willingham as Portgas D. Ace
Edward Newgate as Whitebeard
“ONE PIECE†is a popular anime series based on the popular manga series serialized in Shonen Jump by Eiichiro Oda. Suffice to say, “ONE PIECE†is the highest selling manga for Weekly Shonen Jump and its popularity has extended to various anime (via the TV series, OVA and films) and video games in America and also worldwide.
The series is so popular, the episode count currently in Japan is in its 18th season and a total of over 776 episodes having been aired in Japan. Several animated films, many video games and for the most part, a very successful anime/manga series worldwide.
“ONE PIECE†is an adventure anime about a 17-year-old boy named Monkey D. Luffy who gained enormous strength (and stretching abilities) after eating a magical demon fruit. He eventually teams up with a group of pirates and have the name “The Straw Hatsâ€. Luffy’s driven to one day obtain the most sought out treasure known as “One Piece†and eventually become the King of the Pirates.
And here we are with the latest film (2016) titled “One Piece Film Gold”, the 13th “One Piece Film” which will be released on Blu-ray, DVD and HD Digital in May 2017.
The film begins with the Straw Hat Pirates arriving at Gran Tesoro, a large entertainment city-ship which is owned and ruled by Gild Tesoro.
When the team arrive to the music of Tesoro and Carina, they are suddenly attacked by enemy pirates. The group show their battle and might as a team and beat the pirates and are visited by a concierge named Baccarat. Baccarat offers the Straw Hat Pirates VIP access to Gran Tesoro due to the group’s infamy.
When Gild Tesoro challenges the group to a dice game where they can become millionaires, the hotel will give them $300 million to spend.
When the group takes on the challenge, they start to win. Gran Tesoro offers a deal, if they win a challenge they get 10x of what they have. But when they bet it all on the competition and Gran Tesoro uses her Devil Fruit powers to take away Luffy’s luck and the group loses, Gran Tesoro demands the Straw Hat Pirates to pay for losing the $320 million they lost. But the group accuses Baccarat of cheating and she admits to them that she used her power to make Luffy unlucky.
The group fights Tesoro and his executives, Baccarat, Tanaka and Dice but the executives outsmart the Straw Hat Pirates and they are beaten.
When Roronoa Zoro goes to attack Tesoro, he shows them his power of manipulating gold and encases Zoro’s legs. And now, Tesoro gives the Straw Hat Pirates ’till 12:00 the following day to pay their debt. If they don’t, Zoro will be executed.
Knowing they need money, Nami spots an former friend named Carina from her past. Carina tells the group that Tesoro posesses 20% of the world’s wealth and keeps his riches in a suite on top of the hotel. She offers to help the Straw Hat pirates to break into the hotel and steal the money to help repay their debut.
But can the group pull out this major heist?
VIDEO:
“One Piece Film Gold” is presented in 1080p High Definition and the film looks vibrant. Colors look fantastic in HD and his is probably the most detailed “One Piece” film that I have seen yet. Great balance of CG for the detailed backgrounds, animation is well done and for the most part, character designs are great.
Overall, animation production from Toei Animation is magnificent!
AUDIO & SUBTITLES:
“One Piece Film Gold” is presented in Japanese and English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 . Both soundtracks are fantastic and dialogue and music are both crystal clear through the center, front and surround channels. Music plays a big part in this film, as well as action. So, this is no doubt one of the better lossless soundtracks I have heard in a “One Piece” film.
Subtitles are in English.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
“One Piece Film Gold” comes with the following special features:
- Place Your Bets on the Straw Hats – (28:06) A featurette featuring the English dub voice actors: Colleen Clinkenbeard (voice of Luffy), Christopher R. Sabat (voice of Roronoa Zoro), Eric Vale (voice of Sanji), Ian Sinclair (voice of Brook), Brina Palencia (voice of Chopper), Stephanie Young (voice of Nico Robin), Luci Christian (voice of Nami) and Sonny Strait (voice of Usopp).
- Trailers – Funimation trailers.
EXTRAS:
“One Piece Film Gold” comes with the Blu-ray, DVD and Ultraviolet Digital HD version of the film.
“One Piece” meets “Oceans Eleven”.
Where the majority of “One Piece” films tend to have a story about the team finding ways to outsmart their antagonist and saving locals who can’t fight for themselves, “One Piece Film Gold” is consistent with the other films with a powerful antagonist and his group, but this time, what makes the film so different is that the storyline is about outsmarting the other opponent.
Set in a huge ship that functions as a giant casino, the whole area is ruled by Grand Tesoro. A cruel ruler who uses his Devil Fruit powers of controlling gold and able to control it and manipulate it. Which makes him dangerous. To make things worse, he has a group of executives such as Baccarat who makes people lose with her Devil Fruit power to make those unlucky. And so many people become slaves (including their families and children) to Grand Tesoro to pay off their debt.
And now, Tesoro and his group has created a ruse and used deception to win against the Straw Hat Pirates and now they are in debt.
In this case, the Straw Hat Pirates are in bad situation as Grand Tesoro is threatening to execute Rorona Zoro if the group can’t come up with $320 million to pay off their debt.
The group plans to do the impossible by stealing from Grand Tesoro as his riches are kept in a suite on the top of the hotel. And they must do it with the help of a thief named Carina that Nami knows from her past.
And just when you think the Straw Hat Pirates have enough with Tesoro and his executive team to fight against, thinks are even more complicated when the Marines arrive.
“One Piece Film Gold” is no doubt the best looking “One Piece” film I have so far. The amount of detail for the art backgrounds and the characters are wonderfully detailed and shaded. Toei Animation definitely put a lot of time and effort in the making of this film.
Special features include a half hour featurette with the English dub voice cast. And you get the Blu-ray, DVD and Ultraviolet Digital HD version of the film.
Overall, definitely one of the more exciting “One Piece” films I have watched in a decade (my favorite is still the eight film “One Piece Movie: The Desert Princess and the Pirates: Adventures in Alabasta”) and definitely the best looking “One Piece” film created. If you are looking for a “One Piece” film with action, wonderful animation and awesome voice acting, definitely give “One Piece Film Gold” a try!
