In the world of anime, many series have come along to shape the artform such as Dragon Ball and Naruto. However if you are familiar with this medium, then there is a good chance that you have heard of a little tale called One Piece. Created by Eiichiro Oda, One Piece tells the story of Monkey D. Luffy sets out with his crew to find the One Piece and become King of the Pirates. One Piece began its journey in 1999 and the journey continues even to this day with over 1000 episodes in the anime. With such longevity you would think One Piece would have a film or two to its name, and you would be correct. Before this year, One Piece has had fourteen films to its name and each installment has brought a sense of variety to the series-though the past four films have certainly raised the stakes in cinematic quality. Now the Straw Hat Pirates return to the big screen in the latest cinematic adventure for the anime-One Piece Film: Red.

Directed by Goro Taniguchi, the story deals with Luffy and the gang attending a music festival hosted by Uta: a pop singer who is not only an old friend of Luffy’s but also the daughter of the pirate Red-Haired Shanks-Luffy’s hero. As the event escalates, the Straw Hats quickly find out that things are not what they appear with Uta and the crew must find a way to stop the singer’s ambitions. After being announced last year, the movie had a lot of buzz going into it for fans thanks to the involvement of the character Shanks-a character who remains a mystery even to this day. The film debuted in Japan on August 6th and has found nothing but success as it is not only one of the highest grossing films for Japan this year but also the highest grossing film of its series. Now Red has made its way to the states and naturally I had to watch this anime film for myself. It took many years for me to jump aboard One Piece and when I finally did ,sure enough, the series has won me over. So I too was curious to see what this movie would bring to the series, and after seeing it both the fan and moviegoer in me is pleased with One Piece Film: Red.

When it comes to movies, One Piece goes into the same direction as many anime films and deals with stories that would be considered “non-canon”. However every now again One Piece blurs the lines of continuity and features aspects that become part of the series’ lore, and I believe Red is one of those movies. While it did not reveal much, the plot does enough to expand on the relationship between Luffy and Shank, as well as tease fans with moments that could certainly keep viewers guessing. When it comes to being a movie, Red’s story was fairly entertaining. Perhaps the most interesting aspect about this plot was its ability to break away from the formula that these movies typically deal with (at least from the movies that I have seen). If there was one issue I had with the story it was its sense of pacing which was very quick in places. The plot being a fast paced adventure was not surprising, but this structure hindered the story as some elements like the Tot Musica felt unclear. Despite that issue the plot remained engaging and it all culminated into a finale that was certainly worthy to the series’ standards.

One Piece has crafted an impressive ensemble of characters, and this was evident in the new movie. The Straw Hats were as enjoyable as ever though some of the members did get lost in the shuffle. Luffy, obviously, got most of the attention but it was nice to have characters like Zoro, Usopp and Robin getting their moments to shine. Along with the Straw Hats, the movie featured a variety of characters from One Piece like Koby and Trafalgar Law. Each of these characters were represented well and they all felt appropriate for the movie in question. As for the movie’s original character, Uta was an impressive addition to the cast. Along with her vibrant personality, Uta’s role in the movie was interesting as it was a blend of character types seen in previous movies. As for Shanks, the movie handled him better than expected. While the pirate emperor’s role was minimal, Shank’s presence was still effective and made sense within the continuity of both the movie and the series itself.

When it came to aspects like animation and music, One Piece Film: Red was a true spectacle. Along with the distinct colors, the animation had a seamless execution that blended both 2D and 3D animation to near perfection. The animation was also beneficial in bringing the music to life. Because of Uta’s talent and abilities, the music was prevalent for many sequences and the animation showed off the variety of Uta’s songs in a stylish fashion, plus the songs were catchy. However it would not be One Piece if there was not a little action and this movie certainly had its moments. While some sequences could be difficult to keep up with, the action was exhilarating and added to the wondrous presentation behind this anime film.

One Piece Film: Red is another solid installment for the anime series. While aspects like storytelling could have been stronger, the movie made up for its shortcomings with its stellar presentation and keen direction. When it comes fitting into the franchise, Red feels its own thing but I think it does enough to tease fans about what could be coming down the road; and I would not be surprised if some of the film’s aspects are expanded in other mediums. Regardless, between its sense of adventure and sheer entertainment One Piece Film: Red was an enjoyable experience that continues to show the quality of anime films and what they bring to the big screen.