A former Marine stands in the way of the Straw Hat Pirates.A former Marine stands in the way of the Straw Hat Pirates.A former Marine stands in the way of the Straw Hat Pirates.
- Awards
- 4 nominations total
Mayumi Tanaka
- Monkey D. Luffy
- (voice)
Kazuya Nakai
- Roronoa Zoro
- (voice)
Akemi Okamura
- Nami
- (voice)
Kappei Yamaguchi
- Usopp
- (voice)
Hiroaki Hirata
- Sanji
- (voice)
Ikue Ôtani
- Tony Tony Chopper
- (voice)
Yuriko Yamaguchi
- Nico Robin
- (voice)
Kazuki Yao
- Franky
- (voice)
Hôchû Ôtsuka
- Zephyr
- (voice)
Teruyuki Kagawa
- Binz
- (voice)
Ryôko Shinohara
- Ainz
- (voice)
Unshô Ishizuka
- Kizaru
- (voice)
Fumihiko Tachiki
- Akainu
- (voice)
Kôichi Nagano
- Helmeppo
- (voice)
Hiroshi Naka
- Monkey D. Garp
- (voice)
Takkô Ishimori
- Sengoku
- (voice)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThis is the 12th One Piece film.
- ConnectionsFollowed by One Piece: Episode of Luffy - Adventure on Hand Island (2012)
Featured review
Even being broadly unfamiliar with the manga or anime series, to read a little of the background of this film, there are salient points to consider before we ever press "play." As with previous entry 'Strong world' I'm given to understand that franchise creator Oda Eiichiro had a more direct hand here than elsewhere, which is surely a point in its favor. At the same time, there's also the question of how well a film would approach a story connected to prior material: eighth film 'The desert princess and the pirates' was poorly written, directed, and edited, a mess in specifically adapting a tale from the manga; ninth film 'Bloom in winter, miracle cherry blossom' was far smarter, more carefully considered, and all around better in its own freer treatment of another preexisting saga. As this twelfth 'One Piece' film has narrative connections to a contemporaneous season of the anime, how well would it be managed, even with Oda on board? Would it be shrewd enough in its writing to be enjoyable by both long-time fans and new viewers alike? Thankfully, it doesn't take long after 'Z' begins that it becomes clear we viewers are in good hands - this is as roundly solid as all its predecessors, and debate the particulars as we may, unquestionably a really good time.
That's not to say that there aren't matters that trouble me. First and foremost, cartoonishly amorous as Sanji has always been, there's a moment herein where he's written as an outright sexual predator. He's rebuked, but it's still played for laughs, and it doesn't come off as well as anyone apparently assumed it would. To that same point, as much as Nami's later character design dubiously and heavily accentuates her heavy assets (more than is already true for all female characters of "a legal age"), the accentuation here might be the most juvenile yet. Even setting aside such finer points: while it's a consistent struggle to provide meaningful high stakes for heroes in a world of skilled warriors, fantastical weaponry, and superhuman powers, there comes a point in summoning concepts for Devil Fruit when one plainly has to ask, "Is this too much? Is this too powerful? Where is the balance; what's the trade-off?" While Z's henchman Ain is indeed fearsome, I can't help but wonder if the imagination poured into her abilities resulted in overload, making an already fanciful world far-fetched to the point of arguably threatening suspension of disbelief. It's not as if this is a problem exclusive to 'One Piece' in genre fiction, for the question arises elsewhere, too, of how much power is too much power to provide for a character. Still, the doing here irks me.
Even with all this in mind, however, the core of the picture is never in doubt, and broadly speaking this is right on par with most of the preceding full-length pictures. It seems evident enough that one might appreciate the story still more if they've knowledge of the manga and/or anime, not least as the climax introduces flavors alongside Franky that are outrageous even by the already far-flung standards of the series. Even so, screenwriter Suzuki Osamu did a terrific job of shaping Oda's narrative into a form that all audiences could easily grasp regardless of their level of engagement with the franchise. Bits and pieces of plot are doled out intermittently to elucidate important information, spell out the gravity of the scenario, and expand upon the lore of the world. The tale is firmly compelling as the Straw Hats come up against an incredibly dangerous foe, and it really does take all their combined efforts to come out the other side. The scene writing is sharp and varied, ensuring all the vibes we're accustomed to of fantasy, adventure, action, and comedy, with just the right measure of heart and drama to anchor the proceedings, and I'm moreover quite pleased with how Z is written. The world is in turn made more complex as we see a man who fosters deep animus for both pirates and the World Government, and who, seeing the world only in stark black and white, would rather burn it all than to allow any grey areas. I dare say Z is all too direly similar to some villains in real life, really, thus even in this one way somewhat making the movie genuinely relevant to some degree, and all the more absorbing and impactful.
Just as much to the point, from the foundations of Oda's story and Suzuki's script, and through Nagamine Tatsuya's direction and Toei's animation, I rather believe 'Z' allows the participants' creativity to flourish in a manner that hasn't always been true. Circumstances in the plot give an excuse to play around with the character designs more than we've seen before, and that in itself is refreshing, nevermind the dashing outfits with which our heroes bedeck themselves in the last act. Even more notable and commendable, the capabilities of the antagonists require the Straw Hats to rethink their strategies to some extent. It comes across to me that there's imagination poured into the violence of the climax beyond that of other examples; this is hardly to impugn any prior instances, but the result here is extra dazzling. Just as poor editing can heedlessly chop up action and story, when shrewdly employed it can compound the excitement as concurrent events are allowed to thrill us side by side, and thankfully it's the latter that we get courtesy of Maki Nobuhiro. Whimsical, fleet-footed, fast-paced, highfalutin action is fluid and invigorating owing to the extreme care put into each movement, and moreover the rapid but smooth shifts in perspective, and all this is very much a credit to the artists and to cinematographer Ogiwara Takeo.
On that note, furthermore, the animation is as stellar as one would assume of Japanese studios, meeting or in my opinion easily beating their counterparts elsewhere. Digital 3D rendering is, gratifyingly, used only sparingly as embellishment or augmentation, and it therefore looks fabulous. The predominant 2D style is rich with wonderful detail and texture in every gorgeous background and environment of every stripe, and in every superb design for characters, creatures, ships, machines, and other active elements. From effects, to lighting and shading, to color, it's not just the consideration for perspective that is so praiseworthy in the visual experience, and every last iota of the animation flows just as flawlessly as the action. This is to say nothing of how capable Nagamine's direction is at large, or the expressive, spirited performances of the voice cast. Regular composer Tanaka Kohei, working alongside Hamaguchi Shiro, again provides an outstanding score that deftly complements every mood, idea, and scene. In every manner one wants, this is tremendously well made.
I maintain that this distinctly falls short of perfect. In addition to the questions raised above, as the climax resolves and through to the last few minutes, there's a curious shift in how Z is written, and it seems to me that no one was sure how to actually end the film. The ideas are there, but they feel incomplete and half-formed, or at least too easy in how they are conveyed, so in its last moments this isn't as entirely satisfying as it could and should have been. Simply put, I can't help but feel a tad put out by some minutiae of the writing. Nevertheless, this is the one overarching point of criticism that I have to raise, and for as keen or downright brilliant as the feature is otherwise, as far as I'm concerned it pretty well stands shoulder to shoulder with the antecedents. It's fun, and funny, but also carries meaningful weight appropriate to the darker facets of the action and the story, and it's very well-rounded overall. Imperfect though it may be, I had a great time watching, and whether one is already a fan, looking for entertaining (and relatively lighthearted) genre fare, or just wants something good, I don't think there's much going wrong with this 2012 release. Mileage will vary according to personal preference, but in my book 'One Piece: Z' is excellent, and I'm glad to give it my high recommendation!
That's not to say that there aren't matters that trouble me. First and foremost, cartoonishly amorous as Sanji has always been, there's a moment herein where he's written as an outright sexual predator. He's rebuked, but it's still played for laughs, and it doesn't come off as well as anyone apparently assumed it would. To that same point, as much as Nami's later character design dubiously and heavily accentuates her heavy assets (more than is already true for all female characters of "a legal age"), the accentuation here might be the most juvenile yet. Even setting aside such finer points: while it's a consistent struggle to provide meaningful high stakes for heroes in a world of skilled warriors, fantastical weaponry, and superhuman powers, there comes a point in summoning concepts for Devil Fruit when one plainly has to ask, "Is this too much? Is this too powerful? Where is the balance; what's the trade-off?" While Z's henchman Ain is indeed fearsome, I can't help but wonder if the imagination poured into her abilities resulted in overload, making an already fanciful world far-fetched to the point of arguably threatening suspension of disbelief. It's not as if this is a problem exclusive to 'One Piece' in genre fiction, for the question arises elsewhere, too, of how much power is too much power to provide for a character. Still, the doing here irks me.
Even with all this in mind, however, the core of the picture is never in doubt, and broadly speaking this is right on par with most of the preceding full-length pictures. It seems evident enough that one might appreciate the story still more if they've knowledge of the manga and/or anime, not least as the climax introduces flavors alongside Franky that are outrageous even by the already far-flung standards of the series. Even so, screenwriter Suzuki Osamu did a terrific job of shaping Oda's narrative into a form that all audiences could easily grasp regardless of their level of engagement with the franchise. Bits and pieces of plot are doled out intermittently to elucidate important information, spell out the gravity of the scenario, and expand upon the lore of the world. The tale is firmly compelling as the Straw Hats come up against an incredibly dangerous foe, and it really does take all their combined efforts to come out the other side. The scene writing is sharp and varied, ensuring all the vibes we're accustomed to of fantasy, adventure, action, and comedy, with just the right measure of heart and drama to anchor the proceedings, and I'm moreover quite pleased with how Z is written. The world is in turn made more complex as we see a man who fosters deep animus for both pirates and the World Government, and who, seeing the world only in stark black and white, would rather burn it all than to allow any grey areas. I dare say Z is all too direly similar to some villains in real life, really, thus even in this one way somewhat making the movie genuinely relevant to some degree, and all the more absorbing and impactful.
Just as much to the point, from the foundations of Oda's story and Suzuki's script, and through Nagamine Tatsuya's direction and Toei's animation, I rather believe 'Z' allows the participants' creativity to flourish in a manner that hasn't always been true. Circumstances in the plot give an excuse to play around with the character designs more than we've seen before, and that in itself is refreshing, nevermind the dashing outfits with which our heroes bedeck themselves in the last act. Even more notable and commendable, the capabilities of the antagonists require the Straw Hats to rethink their strategies to some extent. It comes across to me that there's imagination poured into the violence of the climax beyond that of other examples; this is hardly to impugn any prior instances, but the result here is extra dazzling. Just as poor editing can heedlessly chop up action and story, when shrewdly employed it can compound the excitement as concurrent events are allowed to thrill us side by side, and thankfully it's the latter that we get courtesy of Maki Nobuhiro. Whimsical, fleet-footed, fast-paced, highfalutin action is fluid and invigorating owing to the extreme care put into each movement, and moreover the rapid but smooth shifts in perspective, and all this is very much a credit to the artists and to cinematographer Ogiwara Takeo.
On that note, furthermore, the animation is as stellar as one would assume of Japanese studios, meeting or in my opinion easily beating their counterparts elsewhere. Digital 3D rendering is, gratifyingly, used only sparingly as embellishment or augmentation, and it therefore looks fabulous. The predominant 2D style is rich with wonderful detail and texture in every gorgeous background and environment of every stripe, and in every superb design for characters, creatures, ships, machines, and other active elements. From effects, to lighting and shading, to color, it's not just the consideration for perspective that is so praiseworthy in the visual experience, and every last iota of the animation flows just as flawlessly as the action. This is to say nothing of how capable Nagamine's direction is at large, or the expressive, spirited performances of the voice cast. Regular composer Tanaka Kohei, working alongside Hamaguchi Shiro, again provides an outstanding score that deftly complements every mood, idea, and scene. In every manner one wants, this is tremendously well made.
I maintain that this distinctly falls short of perfect. In addition to the questions raised above, as the climax resolves and through to the last few minutes, there's a curious shift in how Z is written, and it seems to me that no one was sure how to actually end the film. The ideas are there, but they feel incomplete and half-formed, or at least too easy in how they are conveyed, so in its last moments this isn't as entirely satisfying as it could and should have been. Simply put, I can't help but feel a tad put out by some minutiae of the writing. Nevertheless, this is the one overarching point of criticism that I have to raise, and for as keen or downright brilliant as the feature is otherwise, as far as I'm concerned it pretty well stands shoulder to shoulder with the antecedents. It's fun, and funny, but also carries meaningful weight appropriate to the darker facets of the action and the story, and it's very well-rounded overall. Imperfect though it may be, I had a great time watching, and whether one is already a fan, looking for entertaining (and relatively lighthearted) genre fare, or just wants something good, I don't think there's much going wrong with this 2012 release. Mileage will vary according to personal preference, but in my book 'One Piece: Z' is excellent, and I'm glad to give it my high recommendation!
- I_Ailurophile
- Aug 31, 2024
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Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Official site
- Language
- Also known as
- One Piece: Z
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Gross worldwide
- $74,223,861
- Runtime1 hour 48 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1
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