English Dub Review: One Piece: Strong World Review

 

Overview:

Luffy and the rest of the Straw Hat Pirates find themselves with their heads in the clouds–both figuratively and literally–as they explore the fantastical realm of Merveille. Ruled by Shiki the Golden Lion, the Straw Hat Pirates take personal exception to Shiki since he positions East Blue to be the target of his very disturbing brand of mad science. The animal experimentation in Merveille is enough of a liability, but Luffy’s hatred towards Shiki reaches new levels when he captures Nami and decides to use her unique powers to push his plan to the next level.

Our Take:

Originally released back in 2009 and first receiving a dub in 2013, 2021 marks the first time that the English dub for One Piece: Strong World hits North American theaters and is properly celebrated. Strong World hitting theaters is meant to commemorate One Piece’s colossal milestone of reaching 1000 episodes. Strong World may not be the best or most accessible One Piece movie for complete outsiders, but it’s still one feature that’s often considered as pure, unabashed fun and a proper reflection of the many unique joys that One Piece has to offer. 

There are also more nostalgic One Piece movies. However, the fact that Funimation has chosen One Piece: Strong World over something that’s slightly flashier, like One Piece: Gold or One Piece: Stampede, feels like a conscious choice where the audience can just lose themselves in a fun, self-contained adventure and marvel in the glory of Eiichiro Oda’s series and everything that it’s been able to accomplish. Again, One Piece: Strong World isn’t without its flaws, but they’re easier to look past, especially within this anniversary context and after everything that Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates have been through in the decade since the movie’s original release.

Different One Piece movies lean into contrasting tones, but One Piece: Strong World has an overwhelming Studio Ghibli energy when it begins. Luffy and company bravely head into Merveille, the mysterious “Hidden Land in the Clouds,” which is full of some of the most unique animals that have ever been featured in One Piece. It’s obvious that Oda had so much fun with the designs of these eclectic creatures. The Ettousaurus, Baku Zame, Toramata, Giragon, and of course, Billy, are all exceptional. All of these extremely creative details give Strong World an extra burst of life and hammer in the fact that the heroes are significantly out of their element. There’s also a bittersweet schism in play with these beasts that’s emblematic to the film’s message as a whole, since these cute creatures are designed to wreak havoc and overthrow the world.

One Piece movies sometimes develop tunnel vision with which Straw Hat members get opportunities to shine, but Strong World is quite careful in this regard. Luffy and Nami are the clear centerpieces (even if the latter is largely pulled out of action and relies on her intelligence and wits rather than her strength), but everyone gets a solid moment in the spotlight. One Piece: Strong World celebrates the Straw Hat Pirates as a team and every decision in the movie speaks towards cooperation  and working towards the collective good. The emotional character beats and sprawling action sequences are in regular rotation, which allows these characters to feel like real people and not just heightened shonen stereotypes.  

Additionally, One Piece: Strong World is also able to provide a satisfying hit of nostalgia to a time in the series where fan-favorite Straw Hat crew member, Brook, wasn’t one of the series’ most valuable characters. This Pre-Thriller Bark movie functions as the dub debut for the skeletal Brook, and Ian Sinclair makes sure that the character’s introduction is as perfect as possible. Brook is already such a hit character in the original One Piece, yet Ian Sinclair’s rendition is sublime and equally as compelling as the original. He’s a strong example of how dubbed performances can bring something new and valuable to beloved characters.

A problem that many anime movies, not just One Piece features, need to contend with is that these super-sized adventures are often only as satisfying as the new villain who is on display. One Piece has had their share of forgettable foes in the past, but Oda’s character design and backstory for Shiki the Golden Lion guarantee that an uninteresting villain isn’t one of Strong World’s problems. Shiki is particularly focused on East Blue, but his plan intends to transform the entire world and he’s very effective as a deranged Dr. Moreau type, which is a stereotype that’s yet to be exhausted in One Piece. Shiki is intimidating because he’s considerably powerful, but certain details–like how he amputated his own legs to secure his freedom–show just how far he will go here. 

Furthermore, Shiki proves himself to be extremely gregarious and an excellent debater, which brings an increasing amount of pirates onto his side and ready for a revolution. It’s a complete coincidence, but there’s oddly a lot of similarities shared between the revolutionary antagonist in One Piece: Strong World and the vigilante threat that’s at the center of My Hero Academia’s new feature film, World Heroes’ Mission. Shiki comes across as an even more volatile figure due to the various sacrifices that he’s already made for his cause. He has absolutely no problem using other people’s lives as collateral because he truly views the rest of society as being in service of his grander mission. He reaches such delusions of grandeur that the willing pirates who buy into his inspirational speeches have no clue that he barely views them as human. Their sacrifices are foregone conclusions as far as Shiki is concerned. 

Luffy already has enough reasons to detest Shiki, but the villain’s egotistical and selfish actions help send Luffy into this final showdown field with an indomitable fighting spirit. His rage can be felt as he swings back his fist and the animation rises to the occasion and is able to create a visual spectacle that’s equal to Luffy’s fiery passion. The approach that’s taken with Scott McNeil’s heavily-accented interpretation of the character takes some time to acclimate towards, but it does feel natural by the final act of the film.

The quality of animation can wildly fluctuate across different arcs of One Piece and its many cinematic offerings. Toei Animation’s track record is spotty, but One Piece: Strong World looks great for the majority of its runtime and it’s clear that this milestone movie was treated seriously. It’s far from the best looking One Piece movie, but it reflects the higher budget that Toei gets to play around with here. All of the action sequences, particularly the finale, just pop off of the screen and any weaker visual moments occur during the quieter sequences in the movie. 

One Piece: Strong World culminates into a movie that’s undeniably fun and with an entertaining story that clearly comes from Oda and naturally fits into the anime’s world. This isn’t some shoe-horned villain and a storyline that are blatantly meant to trigger action spectacles and then pad out the rest of the film. One Piece: Strong World might ultimately feel unessential and disposable, but it’s still a success and stronger than many earlier movies in the series, barring a few exceptions (Mamoru Hosoda’s Baron Omatsuri and the Secret Island is hard to top and explores comparable territory as Strong World). 

One Piece: Strong World crafts a suspenseful narrative that effectively benches Nami, yet it never depicts her as someone who lacks agency and needs to depend on her friends to be rescued. Strong World is very careful to prove that Nami can defend herself and is no victim. She appreciates the help and love that her fellow crew provides, but this is just as much a story about her empowerment as it is about Luffy’s growth. One Piece: Strong World packs in a lot with a lengthy runtime that’s nearly two hours, but it never feels like it’s this long and it’s a movie that seldom drags. Action sequences routinely occur at the appropriate moments to keep the narrative flying along. Luffy and the rest of One Piece’s prolific pirates have come a long way since the events of Strong World, but the movie remains a satisfying cinematic outing that’s the perfect way to celebrate 1000 logs.