‘One Piece Fan Letter’ evaluate: Excellent anime particular quietly honours the Straw Hat legacy

A nonetheless from ‘One Piece Fan Letter’
| Picture Credit score: Crunchyroll

Within the sprawling, sea-bound epic that’s Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece, a single semi-filler episode would possibly seem to be a ripple within the huge ocean of its lore — anniversary particular or not. However One Piece: Fan Letter is not any strange drop within the bucket. Below the deft course of fan-favourite Megumi Ishitani, the particular breaks away from the same old bombast of journey and seafaring; quite, it takes a quieter, extra grounded route, shifting the highlight from the long-lasting Straw Hats to the on a regular basis lives that exist of their orbit. By doing so, Fan Letter affords a refreshingly intimate snapshot of what One Piece means to thousands and thousands of devoted followers who’ve sailed alongside it for 25 years.

The particular revisits the Sabaody Archipelago, a setting synonymous with heartbreak, resilience, and that gut-wrenching second when Luffy and his crew had been pressured to separate up earlier than the time-skip. If you happen to’re a longtime fan, this place nonetheless makes your coronary heart clench just a bit.

However this time, as a substitute of centering on Luffy and his crew, Fan Letter zeroes in on the ripple results of their reunion, seen via the eyes of strange residents — individuals whose lives have been indelibly formed by the Straw Hat Pirates’ exploits. This intelligent repositioning of perspective serves as a mirror for One Piece followers themselves: the anonymous observers who cheer from the sidelines, in awe of those larger-than-life figures.

On the coronary heart of it’s a anonymous younger woman who idolises Nami. She embodies each fan who has ever obsessed over a fictional character to the purpose of imitation. She attire like Nami, tries to assume like her, even dangers the ire of Marines to ship a letter to her hero. Within the woman’s earnestness, we see the wide-eyed child in us who simply desires to say thanks to the heroes who gave us a cause to dream.

A nonetheless from ‘One Piece Fan Letter’
| Picture Credit score:
Crunchyroll

And if the woman embodies the idealistic fan, then the particular’s different characters flesh out the extra sophisticated reflections of fandom. The elder Marine brother who witnessed Luffy at Marineford is a closeted admirer, subtly touched by the pirate’s actions, although he’ll by no means admit to it publicly (lest he betray his Marine loyalty). Watching his quiet reverence unfold, you may’t assist however consider these followers who adore anime and superheroes in secret, nonetheless grappling with judgy eyes and snide feedback. 

Then there’s the bookstore clerk, exhausted by her menial job however lit up by her obsession with Brook’s stage persona, Soul King. She’s the fan whose ardour is a lifeline — her weekly repair of pleasure that retains her trudging via life’s drudgeries.

However maybe probably the most delightfully on-the-nose illustration of fandom comes from the bickering bar patrons. These guys are precisely who you’d think about duking it out on Reddit (you may virtually hear the sweaty keyboard clatter) over who the strongest swordsman is, tossing out theories that wildly derail into unrelated territories (significantly, Akainu?!). This meta tackle energy scalers — those that fixate on power metrics whereas lacking the guts of the story — is a sly jab at sure pockets of fandom, however all in good enjoyable.

The artwork course, courtesy of Ishitani’s deft hand, deserves point out. Fan Letter is an absolute visible triumph, borrowing from the identical distinctive, cinematic palette seen in Ishitani’s work on Episode 1015, however with a quieter, extra reflective tone. There’s a softness within the lush, a tenderness that mirrors the introspection, punctuated with heat hues and a kinetic artwork type that looks like a celebration of all that’s come earlier than it. It’s poetry in movement.

A nonetheless from ‘One Piece Fan Letter’
| Picture Credit score:
Crunchyroll

However the true enchantment of Fan Letter goes past its breathtaking animation. It’s in these heart-tugging moments that sneak up on you. Watching the Straw Hats sail off into the space via the eyes of the woman — by no means fairly shut sufficient to succeed in them, however feeling their presence simply the identical —  the particular brilliantly captures that bittersweet feeling of watching characters who don’t know you exist however who’ve, in some unusual and intangible manner, modified your life.

Fan Letter faucets into this deep emotional nicely of the group with out ever feeling maudlin or manipulative. It understands that the guts of this grand pirate saga is a narrative about connection. In spite of everything, for the thousands and thousands who’ve grown up with One Piece, who’ve discovered solace, power, and even just a bit little bit of pleasure in its pages/episodes, this particular looks like a reminder that ever so usually, all you want is a glimpse of Luffy’s infectious smile to really feel a bit extra alive.

One Piece could also be about journey, however as Fan Letter gorgeously illustrates, it’s additionally in regards to the light, highly effective methods during which tales can change us. There’s one thing superbly human about trying as much as your heroes — even when they’re simply drawings on a web page. Generally all you want is that lacking piece of the puzzle to make you entire. Generally, all you actually want is… one piece.

One Piece Fan Letter is accessible to stream on Crunchyroll