Dreams are what make us continue forth and give us drive and passion. While watching One Piece this is certainly hammered down into your head as a theme that is important, but no set thusfar has done it better than One Piece Season Three, First Voyage. This is the first written review we at The One Piece Podcast have written, so here’s how it will look. First I’m going to give a review for a brand new fan, the fan who hasn’t read the manga, who hasn’t seen most or any of the anime, the fan who is just a casual viewer. Then I’m going to do a review for the hardcore fan, the ones like me. I realize they’re two very different groups, and for a series that is over four hundred episodes long, it’s important to keep your readers in mind. I intend to do that. So without further ado, here’s the breakdown for Season Three, First Voyage:

For the Sailors (Newer/Casual Viewers):
These are among the first episodes I ever saw. I saw these on television, on Toonami, in 2007. Though it’s certainly hard to pick up from this point, it works for the most part. You’d be missing some of the greatest fight scenes in the series (a la Season Two, Sixth Voyage) and some of the most emotional scenes in the series (a la Season Two, Third Voyage) but you’d get some real character development and you’d get some real foreshadowing to events in the future that are crucial. Episode 151 on this set alone provides one of the most crucial few scenes in this series to this day. If you intend to watch for some time, you’re going to need to pick this set up. Now there are two different arcs (stories) that are in this set.

"Nice…Makeup"

The first is probably among the best in the series: the Jaya Arc. A galleon falls from the sky onto the Strawhat Pirates ship and on it is a map of an island in the sky. While exploring the ship underwater, the crew happens upon a group of salvagers lead by what I could only assume is a monkey man, and I’m sure you can guess where things go from there: a giant turtle eats them and some even larger shadows appear in the sky…Anyway, Robin finds an eternal pose (a compass made to point to a specific island) that takes the crew to Jaya, an island where pirates rule and dreams are for naught. Nami makes the mistake of asking how they can reach Sky Island while in a bar and she proceeds to get mocked (hence the name of the town they land in, Mock Town, get it?). This proceeds to present what is probably one of the most frustrating and pivotal character moments in the series thus far. For the casual viewer, this should be a treat.

For the most part this arc moves very fast. Aside from a small departure to catch a South Bird, which is pleasantly amusing in retrospect, Jaya moves quick and it takes you with it. The majority of this set revolves around these episodes, but the set also includes the beginning of one of the largest, and most self-encompassing arcs in the series.

An Island in the Sky

The Skypiea Arc begins in Season Three, First Voyage, and it certainly starts with a bang. A warning for you newcomers, as fun as this arc can be at times, it certainly doesn’t move very quick. Skypiea could be a chore to get through at times. However, this set included some of the more fun episodes of that arc. After venturing through the dark and depressing Jaya, it’s good to get away from things on the beaches in the sky. Important elements and technological gizmos (dials) are introduced in this arc, so it’s recommended that you actually sit through this whole set. This arc, though not fast, is a lot of fun, so if you like these first episodes, I’m sure you’ll like whats on the way.

As a new fan I think this is a pretty good jumping off point, but if things are confusing, go back to Season One and watch from the beginning.

For the Officers (Diehard/Older/Caught-up Fans):
You guys know the deal: Luffy and the gang head to Jaya and then get blown up into the sky. Looking back at this set I noticed how beautiful the animation and the music is in this part of the series. The animators certainly hit their stride after Alabasta, and it shows. Things look consistent (unlike they are on todays episodes) and they look far more like they do in the manga than at any other point in the series. However there are some glaring problems in the visual department, and that is that there are some of the most dated special effects I’ve ever seen out of this series (or any animated series). Two sections in particular ruin the moment: when the giant-Skypian-soldier-shadows show up, and during the Knock-Up stream. This isn’t enough to put even a dent into this very solid set though. Diehard fans like yourselves know: these are some important episodes. The introduction of two of the Seven Warlords: Donquxote Doflamingo and Bartholomew Kuma. Introductions of major Marine characters like Fleet Admiral Sengoku “The Buddah” (or in the DVD set “The Saint,” they’re going to really regret making that change later on) and Vice Admiral Tsuru. It also marks the dramatic introduction of the Blackbeard Crew and Whitebeard. FUNimation didn’t touch the Japanese text this time, and instead opted to subtitle the text for each character introduction at the top. This obscured Whitebeard significantly during his introduction, but you can just turn the text off to see his beautiful mustached face in full glory. We also have the return (and for the English dub originally, the introduction) of some big characters including Portgas D. Ace, Buggy the Clown, Shanks, and Alvida. Overall, this is a must-have set for all those who love this series, and I’m not going to say that for every set.

Here They Come to Save the Day

For all the Pirates out there!
So the story is solid in this set, the animation is solid (a few flaws aside), and the music is as beautiful as ever. That leaves us with the audio.

Japanese (SUB)
The Japanese sounds as well as it does in the previous sets, no surprise there, but there are some important notes I’d like to make for those who don’t normally listen in Japanese. Whether you’re a dub fan, a sub fan, or a mute fan, there is one voice on this set you need to lay your ears on. This set marks the premiere of Akio Otsuka, voice of Blackbeard and probably one of the greatest secondary Japanese voices in this series. The trademark laugh is something that will later on provide a label for evil in this series. Mayumi Tanaka and the main cast do their normal bang-up job, and it’s great to see real subtitles lay across my television (and not computer) while watching One Piece. It’s a real step up from fansubs, trust me.

English (DUB)
Now this is a set a lot of you dub fans have been waiting for. This set, interestingly enough, marks the beginning of the FUNimation dub. Way back in 2007, FUNimation received the rights to One Piece and picked up where some other company left off, at the beginning of Season Three. Mike McFarland (ADR Director for One Piece) informed us that they redid a lot of the lines from the original airing of these episodes on Cartoon Network in 2007. It shows. Though there are definitely still some inconsistencies, particularly in Eric Vale’s (as Sanji) performance, it sounds a whole lot better than it did three years ago.

He Returns!

Robin’s character is back where she’s supposed to be. I thought Colleen Clinkenbeard’s performance (as Monkey D. Luffy) sounded pretty good considering the noticeable growth she had from this point through the end of Alabasta. Chris Sabat (as Roronoa Zoro) probably sounded the most consistently off, and noticeably deeper, but it wasn’t enough to take away from anything. Sonny Strait and Brina Palencia (Usopp and Chopper) sounded fantastic, and just about everyone fit in well with their characters. One of my favorite English voice actors of all time makes his debut to One Piece, Ed Baylock as Sengoku. For Fullmetal Alchemist fans you may know him as King Bradley, and for fans of both series, you can understand why his voice does, and will, make an excellent Sengoku. Aside from the slew of introductions (including Whitebeard, who was done relatively well, I hope he hones in the voice a bit more when he becomes a crucial character) we had a revision of the theme song “We Are” during the Knock-Up Stream scene. During the original broadcast it was performed by Jerry Jewell and was replaced by the version we all know from Season One by Vic Mignogna. It was very nice to hear it again, and Vic does a great job as always with that song. Overall the dub performance is solid, but they’ve done better.

Packaging and Extras
Ah, new packaging. I have to admit that I have not been a huge fan of the Season Two packaging for One Piece. It wasn’t bold, original, or really that eye-catching. This set is very different, and that’s a very, very good thing. On the cover is a picture of a large portion of the crew (though not all of them) riding on the flying version of the Going Merry. It’s the first time we see a scene on a DVD set instead of a bunch of characters posed a certain way. I love it. What I love even more or the individual discs sets which remind me of a lot of the Japanese DVD releases boasting the phrase “Luffy Pirates” that I just assumed was an Engrish mistranslation over in Japan. This set certainly catches your eye. The DVDs themselves also look beautiful though nearly indistinguishable and each have a picture of the Going Merry sailing on the open ocean.

Chickens Can't Fly

What’s inside isn’t anything too unexpected. The menus all boast the lighter wood paneling background, which is a bit easier on the eyes. The birds-eye view of the Going Merry is nice to see, but the music and images could (and probably were) ripped from previous sets. That’s not really a huge issue though as I am pretty fond of all the music and scene images they use in this and previous sets. Also in this set is a commentary track with ADR Director Mike McFarland, Colleen Clinkenbeard (Luffy), and Brina Palencia (Chopper). It’s probably among the best commentaries I’ve heard since the Season Two, Third Voyage set (though I’m a big fan of Barry Yandall after hearing him on Season Two, Fourth Voyage). The three banter back and forth and keep most of the stories grounded in One Piece. It’s entertaining and pretty informative onto the process of dubbing One Piece if you’re a big dub fan. They also go into the process of redubbing sections of this season and the initial process of dubbing the episode they commentate on, the first of the set, Episode 144.

Overall, however, the extras are as lacking as they ever are on a One Piece set. I’m always happy to see a commentary track, but this set was missing a trailer for the next One Piece set. It may just be me, but that’s something I not only hope to see, but expect to see on every set.

Final Thoughts
This set includes some of the most important episodes of the series to date. The story grows, the characters grow, and One Piece overall becomes just that much better. Where we head next might be godly, but it certainly isn’t going to change the scope of the series like these episodes do. As a casual fan or a diehard fan, this is one of the sets you need to go out and buy. So what are you waiting for?

Audio Grade (JPN): A
Audio Grade (ENG): B+
Story: A+
Visuals: B+
Packaging: A-
Extras: C+
Commentary: A-
Overall Grade: A-

Buy It!

One Piece Season Three First Voyage

Released: July 6 2010

When his crew is nearly crushed by the wreckage of a ship falling from the sky, Luffy sets his sights on sailing straight into the clouds! First order of business: finding a stalwart soul who knows how to get from the deep blue sea to the wild blue yonder.

The Straw Hats dock at Mock Town in search of directions, but instead they’re brutally bullied by pirates who’ve forgotten how to dream. Fortunately for adventure’s sake, Nico catches wind of a legendary liar whose monkey minions can equip any ship for a deadly ascent on the Knockup Stream. Hold on to your hats because Luffy and his mates will soon find out if the Going Merry flies as well as she floats!

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Buy from: Rightstuf