While the first season of Netflix’s live-action “One Piece” back in 2023 quickly won over both new audiences and anime fans, critics were a little more wishy-washy on the title. That’s not the case with the second season.
The new season launched this morning, and reviews have started coming in. On Rotten Tomatoes, the new run has pulled in a stunning 100% rating so far from 16 reviews – a decided improvement on the 86% of the first season.
On Metacritic, the title still only has a handful of reviews but is at a great 85/100 – one of the best scores for a returning series and on par with the likes of “Shogun,” “Severance,” and HBO’s “Watchmen”.
Praise remains high for its cast, especially Inaki Godoy’s Luffy, and for its production values, emotional resonance and sheer enjoyment. Most of the misgivings seem to be about the show’s wildly varying tone that some don’t gel with, and others with its look.
Here’s a sampling of reviews:
“The best thing about One Piece remains the fact that it’s boldly, unashamedly bizarre. It looks and plays out like nothing else, and is a rich bounty of moments that never cease to surprise and thrill in both their novelty and underlying construction.” – Jonathan Wilson, Ready Steady Cut
“Owens, Tracz, and the writers continue to capture the secret sauce of this work, one where literal cartoon characters are regularly granted unexpected depth. That these more serious moments can sit next to Seussian silliness without inducing total tonal whiplash is a major accomplishment. This adaptation continues to demonstrate why so many are willing to follow its central rubber-limbed weirdo across the seven seas and beyond. ” – Elijah Gonzalez, The AV Club
“One Piece Season 2 is nothing short of a miracle. It captures the incredibly absurd and cartoony world of Eiichiro Oda’s manga while not losing any of that sense of fun as it becomes a live-action series. With grand production design, exquisite costuming, and stunning VFX work… this is a grand adventure worth embarking on.” – Rafael Motomayor, IGN
“Maintains the spirit of Eiichiro Oda’s masterpiece, letting its freak flag fly and flaunting its colors with pride. One Piece has everything going for it to become one of Netflix’s all-time best originals, and this new season is proof” – David Caballero, Screen Rant
“With the first season of live-action One Piece, you could feel the limitations of the budget a bit… Thankfully, One Piece season two emphatically puts those concerns to rest with a phenomenal display of what this show is capable of. If season one drew audiences in with the power of Oda’s lovable Straw Hat characters, then season two is sure to wow them with the epic scope and possibility of One Piece’s world and storytelling.” – Alison Mattingly, Nerdist
“In its second season, Netflix’s One Piece continues to staunchly refuse to tone down the preposterousness of Oda Eiichiro’s wildly popular pirate manga… [it] continues to embrace theatricality and artifice on a grand scale, and it’s even more joyously assured than ever… Yet even as the oddities multiply, One Piece is admirably committed to practical effects… [it] remains a bottomless fount of imagination.” – Steven Scalfe, Slant Magazine
“One Piece embodies the endless optimism of its pirate crew with a second season that’s stronger and more confident in almost every aspect. This is the live-action adaptation that longtime fans deserve” – David Ople, Games Radar
“That dissonance does feel infectious, though, especially when “One Piece” centers on its central ensemble, which mostly fires on all cylinders this season. Taken on its own terms, it feels not unlike the campy, swashbuckling Sam Raimi-produced adventure shows of the ’90s, like “Xena: Warrior Princess”. It’s goofy, knowingly strange, and wears its heart on its sentimental sleeve, and that’s enough to put some wind in its sails” – Clint Worthington, RogerEbert.com
“The narrative growing pains that plagued One Piece’s first season have since been ironed out… That any of that works is a testament to One Piece’s emotional core, which is more compelling than it has any right to be… It’s all too easy to pick the show apart, but it can’t be discounted for its passion, either. It’s a clumsy love letter to a tale that’s captivated millions, and it’s also undeniably infectious.” – Lyvie Scott, TV Guide
All eight episodes of the second season of “One Piece” are now online on Netflix.
