All right! Who’s up for some straight-up pirate adventure on the Grand Line? Having watched a lot of the imported dubbed anime way back in the early days of Adult Swim, it always leaves me in awe of how incredibly creative they were with the colorful stable of villains that were trying to beat Luffy to the Grand Line to claim the greatest pirate treasure of them all and become King of the Pirates.

That goal, really is what drives the main character, Monkey D. Luffy, a wannabe pirate with weird, stretchy powers from eating a forbidden devil fruit. And as with any superpower comes a caveat and this one is in the ironic curse of our pirate hero losing his ability to swim. Imagine a pirate who can’t swim?

For anyone who’s seen the anime, it’s hard not to get excited at the spectacular visuals, grand, sweeping soundtrack and the determination of Luffy to follow his dreams. I have a great admiration for anyone who understands the trials and risks of following their dreams and this is also reflected in his view of life. “If the path seems too easy then you’re on the wrong path” and “Don’t let anything get in the way of your dreams” are the core foundations heroes are made of.

The eight episode series will bring Netflix viewers and fans the introduction to the fabled Straw Hat pirate crew of Luffy’s and has the daunting task of bringing an eye-catching, complete story to introduce the audience to a legendary manga series that has to date spawned 106 volumes, 1,000 episodes and three animated films. The marketing, being no less impressive for its sheer volume, boasts a life-size replica of the ship the Going Merry, a promotional website and a schedule of events catering to in-person fan celebrations in Paris, Jakarta, Tokyo, Milan, Mexico city, Rio de Janeiro and Bangkok with Germany holding a virtual Fan event on the premiere date.

So don your straw hats, grab your swords and tomorrow we’ll see you on the Grand Line!

One Piece is an eight part mini-series on Netflix, and premieres August 31, 2023.

-30-