One Piece Season Three, Third Voyage

Animé and Toons
One Piece Season Three, Third Voyage
By Chris Zimmerman
November 30, 2010 - 15:28

$49.98 US
Starring: Colleen Clinkenbeard, Luci Christian, Eric Vale
Directed by: Justin Cook
Produced by: Toei Animation
Running Time: 325 Minutes
Release Date: October 26, 2010
Distributors: Funimation Entertainment

Funimation continues trucking out the One Piece DVD sets,and with over 400 episodes under its belt, the releases can’t come soon enough. The latest set delivers another grouping of 13 episodes that sees the Straw Hat pirates’ continuing adventures in Skypiea turn into a struggle for survival as Luffy and his crew are pitted against Eneru’s band of would be deities.

As the set opens, the self professed god of Skypiea, Eneru, has set his survival game into motion in a bid to eradicate the weak from his land. Conflicts between Eneru’s forces and the natives have erupted, leaving the Straw Hat pirates in the middle to sort out the matter.

One Piece is known for its over the top duels and this set continues with that trend, pitting the Straw Hat’s against both sides, making for some bizarre brawls that provide an appetizer to chew on until the eventual showdown between Luffy and Eneru. The rest of the crew is given their time to shine, though not quite on the level one would expect with such a large cast of supporting characters featured in this arc.

The second half of the set gives viewers a glimpse of Eneru’s destructive capabilities as he makes his way onto the battlefield and singlehandedly devastates the majority of the forces himself. Not even resident tough guys, Zoro and Sanji can last more than a few seconds, paving the way for the arrival of Luffy.

This set is one big action piece, with one fight leading into another. There’s some quieter moments spliced in and a few comedic moments that fans have come to appreciate but really, the episodes given here are akin to a rumble, with the participants duking it out indiscriminately.

One Piece Season Three, Third Voyage is arguably a thirteen episode slugfest. Fans of shonen style action won’t mind so much but those looking for plot development will be sorely disappointed with its meager offering. Fans of One Piece should already know what to expect here and will probably consider the cornucopia of battles sheer bliss. It’s very rare that a show’s overt focus on action doesn’t hamper it’s ability to keep the audience’s attention without getting bored but One Piece succeeds, with a colorful mix of characters and a unique world in which they call home.

There’s a whole lot of noise this volume, but in a good way, keeping the series entertaining right up till the final credits roll.

B+