Anime Reviews (2010-2019): One Piece: Stampede (A Neo-Tokyo 2099 Anime on Blu-ray review) (2019)

“One Piece: Stampede” is a film which manages to find a way to bring the action, the emotional dramatic moments and all-out excitement. Granted, animated films tend to split away from their TV storylines quite a bit and tend to be more focused on action. Not necessarily a bad thing, as in this case, you get a lot of characters (good and bad) reuniting with the Straw Hat Pirates to take on one of their toughest challenges yet. Recommended!

TITLE: One Piece: Stampede

ORIGINAL FILM DATE: 2019

DURATION: 101 Minutes

BLU-RAY INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition, English and Japanese Dolby TrueHD5.1, Subtitles: English

COMPANY: FUNimation

RATED: TV 14

Release Date: March 17, 2020

Originally created by Oda Eiichiro

Directed by Uda Konosuke

Script by Nakayama Tomohiro

Music by Inai Keiji, Tanaka Kohei, Maruo Minoru, Hamaguchi Shiroh, Iwasaki Yasunaroi

Character Design by Sato Masayuki

Art Director: Watanabe Yoshito

Chief Animation Director: Isouchi Yusuke

Animation Production by Toei Animation

Featuring the following voice talent:

Mayumi Tanaka/Colleen Clinkenbeard as Monkey D. Luffy

Akemi Okamura/Luci Christian as Nami

Hiroaki Hirata/Eric Vale as Sanji

Kappei Yamaguchi/Sonny Strait as Usopp

Nakai Kazuya/Christopher R. Sabat as Roronoa Zoro

Yamaguchi Yuriko/Stephanie Young as Nico Robin

Kamiya Hiroshi/Matthew Mercer as Trafalgar Law

Mitsuishi Kotono/Lydia Mackay as Boa Hancock

Ohba Mahito/Greg Dulcie as Smoker

Sashihara Rino/Macy Anne Johnson as Ann

Yamasato Ryōta/Anthony Bowling as Donald Moderate

Chiba Shigeru/Mike McFarland as Buggy

Seki Tomokazu/Jason Liebrecht as Rob Lucci

Furuya Toru/Johnny Yong Bosch as Sabo

Isobe Tsutomu/Daman Mills as Douglas Bullet

Santamaria Yusuke/Mich Wingert as Buena Festa

The world’s boldest buccaneers set sail for the great Pirate Festival, where the Straw Hats join a mad-dash race to find Gol D. Roger’s treasure. There’s just one little problem. An old member of Roger’s crew has a sinister score to settle. All bets are off when the most iconic pirates of One Piece history band together for a swashbuckling showdown, the likes of which have never been seen!

“ONE PIECE” is a popular anime series based on the popular manga series serialized in Shonen Jump by Eiichiro Oda. Suffice to say, “ONE PIECE” is the highest selling manga for Weekly Shonen Jump and its popularity has extended to various anime (via the TV series, OVA and films) and video games in America and also worldwide.

The manga and anime series is so popular, the current tankobon count is at 96, while the episode count currently in Japan is in its 20th season and a total of over 929 episodes having been aired in Japan. Many video games and for the most part, a very successful anime/manga series worldwide.

And this includes 13 specials which began in 2000 but has aired on Fuji TV consistently since 2012.

And as for animated films, the 14th animated film “One Piece: Stampede” was released in theaters back in August 2019. And now the animated film was released on Blu-ray courtesy of Funimation.

“ONE PIECE” is an adventure anime about a 17-year-old boy named Monkey D. Luffy who gained enormous strength (and stretching abilities) after eating a magical demon fruit. He eventually teams up with a group of pirates and have the name “The Straw Hats”. Luffy’s driven to one day obtain the most sought out treasure known as “One Piece” and eventually become the King of the Pirates.

For the 14th film, “One Piece: Stampede”, the Straw Hat Pirates arrive to Delta Island to compete in the Pirate Festival organized by festivities master Buena Vista.

Festa has all the major pirate groups (including Buggy Pirates, Foxy Pirates, Barto Club and Beautiful Pirates) arrive to a floating island in order to hunt for a treasure which belonged to the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger.

But unknown to the Straw Hat Pirates and many other pirates, it’s a plan concocted by Buena Festa and legendary pirate Douglas Bulllet. Meanwhile, Trafalgar Law learns of the scheme and is attacked. While Law is able to escape, he tells the Straw Hat Pirates and while Law, Robin, Sanji, Chopper and Brook investigate (as well as the undercover marine, Smoker), it is discovered that Festa is working with the Marines and intends to send a Buster Call which would level the island and destroy everyone on it.

Meanwhile, Luffy and other pirates end up confronting the legendary pirate, Douglas Bullet, who happens to be a former member of Gol D. Roger’s pirate crew and also supposedly owns the Eternal Pose, which can guide ships to Laugh Tale, the location of the famous treasure… One Piece.

The Straw Hat Pirates consists of:

Monkey D. Luffy – A 17-year-old guy who is the captain of the Straw Hat Pirates and dreams to be a pirate king by getting his hands on the “ONE PIECE” artifact. When he was young, he accidentally ate a devil fruit which made his body rubbery and can stretch and blow up. An airhead of sorts, loves to eat but always believes and fights for his friends.

Roronoa Zoro – A 19-year-old skilled swordsman. A skilled and very strong fighter. Wants to be the greatest swordsman in the world.

Nami – The navigator of the group. The main female crew member and really good at weapons.

Usopp – A 17-year-old marksman. A talented inventor and artistic. Known by his long nose, his marksmanship with slingshots and weapons are great.

Vinsmoke Sanji – The chef of the crew. A skilled fighter that uses only kicks in battle and is passionate towards Nami.

Tony Tony Chopper – A reindeer with a blue nose. Ate a devil fruit known as human-human fruit which makes him human in someways but keeping his reindeer look. Able to speak to humans, walk upright and also able to have transformations to become a huge beast. But his talent is his medical skills as he was trained by the Doctrine to become a doctor. Has very low self-confidence because he had been treated badly not only by his kind but also by humans and has not really had a friend but the Doctor and Doctrine.

Nico Robin – The former Vice President of Baroque Works who has become the newest member of the Straw Hat Pirates despite some of the crew not trusting her since she was a former enemy. Has the ability to use her body parts and project them elsewhere and other mysterious abilities not yet known.

Franky – A cyborg who can rebuild his body using pieces of metal and his dream is to build a ship and become its shipwright and sail to the end of the world.

Brook – A pirate from before the time of Roger, he was killed but because of the Paramecia-type-Revive-Revive Fruit, he rose again as a skeleton. An excellent musician, he becomes a member of the Straw Hat Pirates.

VIDEO:

“One Piece: Stampede” is presented in 1080p High Definition and the film looks fantastic in HD! Background art is well-done but it was great to see the sheer number of characters featured in the film.

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

“One Piece: Stampede” is presented in Japanese and English Dolby TrueHD 5.1 . Both Japanese and English dub soundtracks are fantastic and dialogue and music are both crystal clear through the center, front and surround channels. As like previous films, both audio tracks are done very well and I have to admit that “ONE PIECE” has one of the most best English dub voice talent.

Subtitles are in English.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“One Piece: Stampede” comes with a “Behind-the-Scenes with the Cast”.

EXTRAS:

“One Piece: Stampede” comes with the Blu-ray and DVD version of the film plus a Funimation Digital Code. Note: This is the first time I have seen a Funimation Digital Code being included with a Blu-ray.

For “One Piece” fans, lately it’s been a treat when an animated film is released. Unlike other popular anime series which has a yearly animated film release, since 2012, the films have been released almost every three years.

Also, there was buzz for the film because it would feature notable names working in the film such as former HKT48 captain and AKB48 member, Sashihara Rino, actor Santamaria Yusuke and comedian Yamasato Ryota.

But moreso that the film would bring together Gol D. Roger, Monkey D. Garp, Warlord Boa Hancock, Trafalgar Law, Sabo, Crocodile, Smoker and many, many more characters.

And it’s always interesting when you have former antagonists or old faces, returning to join Luffy in a major battle with a powerful legendary pirate, Douglas Bullet.

If anything, “One Piece: Stampede” is a film which manages to find a way to bring the action, the emotional dramatic moments and all-out excitement. Granted, animated films tend to split away from their TV storylines quite a bit and tend to be more focused on action. Not necessarily a bad thing, as in this case, you get a lot of characters (good and bad) reuniting with the Straw Hat Pirates to take on one of their toughest challenges yet.

Recommended!

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