"One Piece Film Gold," which is the 13th feature film spawned from Japanese manga bestselling artist Eiichiro Oda's "One Piece," has been both a success in number of watchers and reception of critics alike. This is arguably the best film of the manga series.
Warning: Article contains spoilers below.
During its first two days upon release in Japan, the film very quickly grossed around $11 million, according to The South China Morning Post. This is an instant success, and may be the best yet for the most widely renowned manga series of all time, since it was also a brilliant film.
The film is, as the animated series usually does, full of comical moments, yet it has also delved deeply on its plot and is thought to be powerfully thought-provoking. Evidently it is fictitious, but Oda is famous for incorporating relevant social issues and controversies in his storylines, which adds a bit of realism in his works and not just an entirely fantasy-based creation.
There are the World Nobles who are filthy rich lords with their own slaves and the World Government which is a cesspool of rampant corruption. Then the main characters live in constant discrimination, in the forms of poverty and various facets of social injustice.
In the film, pirate captain Luffy and his gang pay a visit to Gran Teroso, which is the largest entertainment city in the world (but actually a huge ship). They first become obsessed with gambling, but the luck does not last.
Every object in the ship is made of gold, which is caused by the "Goru Goru no Mi" of Guild Tesoro, giving him the power to create gold. But behind the lavish façade of the ship, there are child beggars, slaves, and a bottomless pit of hell used as banishment for players who could not pay debts.
This draws parallels to existing conditions in the present time, as expected from Oda. Capitalistic billionaires have amassed huge amounts of wealth while millions of children live in the streets.
The film lasts two hours, which is quite longer than the average duration of animation films. Nonetheless, the battles, surprises, and storyline are nothing short of amazing, and the creators have done an impressive job with the overall film.
The film will be screened in 33 countries, according to Kotaku. The trailer of the film can be watched below.