As for “One Piece: Season Four, Voyage Four”, the storyline is fantastic, action-packed and also drama to keep you captivated to the overall storyline. Find out why Nico Robin left the Straw Hat Pirates and learn more about the history of Franky as his past is revealed in this latest DVD volume of “One Piece”! “One Piece: Season Four, Voyage Four” is recommended!
Image courtesy of © 1999 Toei Animation Co., Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
DVD TITLE: One Piece: Season Four, Voyage Four
DURATION: Episodes 242-252 (Duration: 320 Minutes, 2 DVD’s)
DVD INFORMATION: 4:3, English 5.1 Dolby Surround Sound, English and Japanese stereo
COMPANY: FUNimation Entertainment
RATED: TV 14
Release Date: March 19, 2013
Originally created by Eiichiro Oda
Directed by Hiroaki Miyamoto, Konosuke Uda, Munehisa Sakai
Series Composition by Hirohiko Uesaka
Script by Hirohiko Uesaka, Hiroshi Hashimoto, Junki Takegami, Michiru Shimada, Naoki Koga, Ryota Yamaguchi, Suminori Takegami, Yoshiyuki Suga
Music by Kouhei Tanaka, Shiroh Hamaguchi
Character Design by Kazuya Hisada, Noboru Koizumi
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
Izo Oikawa/Philip Weber as Iceburg
Takahiro Yoshimizu/David Wald as Paulie
Things have never looked bleaker in the world of One Piece. The Going Merry is no longer seaworthy, Robin and Usopp have left the crew, and the rest of the gang stands accused of a cold-hearted assassination attempt! Luffy and his remaining mates have a plan to prove their innocence, but a mysterious gang of cutthroat killers are one step ahead of their every move. Dark secrets and tragic pasts are revealed while a monstrous storm threatens to sink the city!
Contains episodes 242-252.
For the Straw Hat Pirates, having lost Usopp who decided to leave the group and stay with the broken down ship, Going Merry, one member gone from the Straw Hat Pirates is a big loss.
But two?
Nico Robin has decided to leave the Straw Hat Pirates and join a mysterious organization known as CP9 (a secret Cipher Police that are the assassins of the World Government). But is Robin a traitor? Would she do anything to hurt her own teammates? That’s what the crew want to find out and no way, will the group allow Robin to leave them without telling them why.
As the Straw Hat Pirates go in pursuit of Robin, CP9 featuring their leader Rob Lucci goes after Paulie in search of blueprints that are made to create a super weapon known as Pluto. The only one that can read those blueprints are Robin. But realizing that the blueprints that Paulie has in possession are fake, they believe his old friend Cutty Flam has them….a man who now goes by the name as Franky!
Will the Straw Hat Pirates get the answers they are searching for? Meanwhile, the history of Franky and Rob Lucci is revealed!
Find out why Robin left the group and Franky’s past in “One Piece: Season Four, Voyage Four”, available now on DVD courtesy of FUNimation!
What is “One Piece”?
“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 at 580 episodes and despite receiving a heavily edited version in North America via 4Kids Entertainment earlier on, FUNimation Entertainment began releasing the original, uncut versions since May of 2008 and here we are now with the DVD release of “One Piece: Season Four, Voyage Two”, available now, courtesy of FUNimation.
“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 Hats”. Luffy’s driven to one day obtain the most sought out treasure known as “One Piece” and eventually become the King of the Pirates.
The Straw Hat Pirates consists of:
Monkey D. Luffy – A 17-year-old guy who is the captain of the Straw Hat Pirates and dreams to be a pirate king by getting his hands on the “ONE PIECE” artifact. When he was young, he accidentally ate a devil fruit which made his body rubbery and can stretch and blow up. An airhead of sorts, loves to eat but always believes and fights for his friends.
Roronoa Zoro – A 19-year-old skilled swordsman. A skilled and very strong fighter. Wants to be the greatest swordsman in the world.
Nami – The navigator of the group. The main female crew member and really good at weapons.
Usopp – A 17-year-old marksman. A talented inventor and artistic. Known by his long nose, his marksmanship with slingshots and weapons are great. Currently has left the Straw Hat Pirates after a fight with Luffy because he would not abandon the “Going Merry” which is in terrible shape.
Sanji – The chef of the crew. A skilled fighter that uses only kicks in battle and is passionate towards Nami.
Tony Tony Chopper – A reindeer with a blue nose. Ate a devil fruit known as human-human fruit which makes him human in someways but keeping his reindeer look. Able to speak to humans, walk upright and also able to have transformations to become a huge beast. But his talent is his medical skills as he was trained by the Doctrine to become a doctor. Has very low self-confidence because he had been treated badly not only by his kind but also by humans and has not really had a friend but the Doctor and Doctrine.
Nico Robin – The former Vice President of Baroque Works who has become a member of the Straw Hat Pirates despite some of the crew not trusting her since she was a former enemy. Has the ability to use her body parts and project them elsewhere and other mysterious abilities not yet known. She recently left the Straw Hat Pirates to aid CP9 for some unknown reason.
Franky – A shipwright and dismantler, Franky is formerly known as Cutty Flam. A powerful individual from Water 7, he also has done modifications on himself, that makes him even stronger. But despite his brute strength, his abilities to create and plan major mechanical devices is one of his major skills.
Iceburg – The President of the Galley-La Company and Mayor of Water 7. He has a past with Franky that will be revealed in this latest DVD volume of “One Piece”.
Paulie – One of the Dock One foremen of Water 7 who specializes in rigging, knots and masts. Iceburg’s go to man. He doesn’t like to see women dress in skimpy outfits and he enjoys gambling. Has excellent shipwright skills.
While the DVD release is listed as season four for America, in Japan, “One Piece: Season Four, Voyage Four” takes place during season eight in Japan. As the Straw Hat Pirates reach the land of Water Seven where powerful craftsmen, the Galley La Company reside, the crew needs the craftsmen to fix the Going Merry, which has been involved in major wear and tear through the many adventures of the Straw Hat Pirates.
But when CP9 burns down the Galley-La Company to point blame towards the Straw Hat Pirates, the people of Water 7 are not happy with the Straw Hat Pirates and want them dead. Meanwhile, the crew wants to know why Nico Robin had left them and want to get a straight answer from her of why she left them.
Meanwhile, CP9 is after the Pluto blueprints that Paulie is supposed to have but realize someone else close to him, has them… Franky!
The “One Piece: Season Four, Voyage Four” comes with episodes 242-252 on two DVD discs (note: In Japan, these episodes are part of season 8). Here are the spoilerless summaries of each episode:
DISC 1:
- EPISODE 242 – The Straw Hat Pirates goes after Nico Robin, meanwhile Luffy is stuck.
- EPISODE 243 – It is revealed that those closest to Iceburg are actually CP9 and they reveal what they are after.
- EPISODE 244 – Lucci tries to find out from Iceburg of who has the Pluto blueprints.
- EPISODE 245 – Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates confront Robin. Meanwhile, Lucci shows off his transformation.
- EPISODE 246 – Lucci who ate the Devil’s Fruit has the ability to turn into a Zoan type leopard and fights against the Straw Hat Pirates. Meanwhile, Usopp tells Franky the story of the Going Merry.
- EPISODE 247 – Frank tries to open Usopp’s eyes that the Going Merry is in terrible shape and must be dismantled. Meanwhile, Usopp reveals a story to Franky about the Going Merry.
DISC 2:
- EPISODE 248 – The history of Franky and Iceburg is revealed.
- EPISODE 249 – Frank’s past is revealed and the involvement of Spandam of CP5.
- EPISODE 250 – Continuing Franky’s and Iceburg’s history.
- EPISODE 251 – Nami finds out the truth from Iceburg about why Robin joined CP9.
- EPISODE 252 – Knowing the truth about why Robin left, Nami and Chopper try to find Luffy in order to rescue Robin. Meanwhile, Sanji trails CP9 alone.
VIDEO & AUDIO:
“One Piece” is presented in 16:9. For most television series, because they are created nearly before they are aired on television, unlike film and OVA’s, there typically is not much detail involved in a Japanese animated television series. “ONE PIECE” is probably one of those rare exceptions in that it has really cool character designs and very detailed artistic backgrounds. Of course, since it is on DVD, you will see some artifacting, combing and edge enhancement but it’s not so noticeable unless you are really looking for it.
The anime series is presented in standard 4:3 definition but for a television series, “ONE PIECE” sports cool and unique character designs and beautifully painted artistic backgrounds. Definitely one of the better looking anime series that has remained consistent and has not downgraded since it first aired on television. Character designer Kazuya Hisada (who worked on the “Dragon Ball” and “Dragon Ball GT” series) and Noboru Koizumi (who worked on “Giant Robo”, “Dragon Ball GT” and “Tenchi Universe”) have been very good of capturing “One Piece” creator Eiichiro Oda’s unique style.
As for the audio, the series is presented in English 5.1 Dolby Surround Sound, English Stereo and Japanese Stereo. Of course, the English 5.1 Dolby Surround Sound is the better audio choice to listen to, although one who has a receiver that can set their audio to all channels can definitely enjoy the Japanese stereo track as well. But both audio tracks are done very well and I have to admit that “ONE PIECE” has one of the most solid English dub tracks for an anime TV series. Very well done on both audio tracks but again, have been very impressed by the voice talent for the series thus far.
Subtitles are in English.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
“One Piece: Season Four, Voyage Four” comes with the following special features:
DISC 1:
- EPISODE 244 Audio Commentary – Audio commentary by Mike McFarland (Line Producer/ADR Director) and voice talents Brina Palencia (Tony Tony Chopper) and Patrick Seitz (Franky).
- EPISODE 245 Audio Commentary – Audio commentary by Mike McFarland (Line Producer/ADR Director) and voice talents Luci Christian (Nami) and David Wald (Paulie).
DISC 2:
- Textless Songs – Textless opening song for “Kokoro no Chizu” and closing songs for “Eternal Pose” and “Dear Friends”.
- On the Boat: Behind the Scenes of One Piece with Brina Palencia – (12:45) Featuring a video interview between Mike McFarland (ADR Director/Line Producer) and Brina Palencia (Chopper).
- On the Boat: Behind the Scenes of One Piece with Eric Vale – (16:09) Featuring a video interview between Mike McFarland (ADR Director/Line Producer) and Eric Vale (Sanji).
- Trailers – Trailers for upcoming FUNimation releases.
EXTRAS:
“One Piece: Season Four, Voyage Four” comes with a slipcase.
Usopp has left the Straw Hat Pirates and now Robin?
This is the part of the focus in the latest “One Piece: Season Four, Voyage Four” as the Straw Hat Pirates want to hear from Robin why she is bailing from the group and aligning herself with CP9, which belong the World Government, the enemy of pirates. Has she turned traitor? What is the reason for her leaving everyone?
In this volume, we learn about how Robin had a difficult past (which has yet to be revealed) and when her life was literally down in the dumps, after Luffy and friends gave her another chance at life, she has come to regard them as one of her family and now she will do what she can to protect them, even if it means, leaving them. As CP9 is after the Pluto Blueprints which were said to be kept by Paulie or Iceburg, the group realizes that their other friend may have the blueprints that can be used to create a major weapon of destruction and that person would be Cutty Flam, a name once used by a shipwright that now goes by the name of Franky!
So, while the Straw Hat Pirates are going after Robin for a reason why she is leaving them, CP9 are going after Franky.
And with this volume, the history of Franky and Iceburg is revealed! This volume also features the first battle between the Straw Hat Pirates vs. CP9!
So, you are getting another action-packed (and also emotional) volume of “One Piece”, especially when it comes to Usopp who reveals why he is so attached to the Going Merry.
As for the DVD, you get 11-episodes and the DVD, picture quality is colorful, vibrant and looks good as one can expect on DVD. Audio is good, dialogue is clear. And for special features, it’s awesome to see FUNimation featuring more special features and in this case, two one-on-one video interviews between Mike McFarland (ADR Director/Line Producer) and two main cast members Brina Palencia (Chopper) and Eric Vale (Sanji). There are also two fun audio commentaries featuring the English dub voice talent, textless opening and ending themes plus trailers.
For longtime fans of “One Piece”, the latest season four, voyage four is exciting and emotional. For fans of the series, you know how difficult it is for the Straw Hat Pirates to lose another member and for Usopp, you know how hard it is for him to say goodbye to the Going Merry. But then you have this group of assassins known as CP9 who reveal themselves and the big question is why Nico Robin is helping them and why are they after Franky.
It’s important to note that “One Piece” is one of the longest running Japanese animated series. While this volume covers episodes 242-252, we are 330+ episodes behind Japan. So, one can hope that this long running series continues to be released on DVD in the U.S., because there hasn’t really been an anime series with over 600+ episodes released in the U.S.. It is the longest running action anime series in Japan and the fact that young and old continue to read and watch this series, its a testament of how addictive “One Piece” really is and how people gravitate towards this series.
With that being said, you can join in at the beginning of any season and still be interested in “One Piece”. I do recommend at least watching the first season, so you get an idea of what’s going on. To find out the goal of the Straw Hat Pirates is and how they all joined to form the Straw Hat Pirates.
As for “One Piece: Season Four, Voyage Four”, the storyline is fantastic, action-packed and also drama to keep you captivated to the overall storyline. Find out why Nico Robin left the Straw Hat Pirates and learn more about the history of Franky as his past is revealed in this latest DVD volume of “One Piece”!
“One Piece: Season Four, Voyage Four” is recommended!
