Thankfully, the second half of the DVD returns to the main
plot with Monkey D. Luffy and the gang entering the Grand Line. It follows the
Laboon Arc and most of the Whiskey Peak arc. It is these episodes that remind
the fans just how great the anime really is. The idea of a giant whale may be
done already, but One Piece manages
to bring something new to the table by providing a sad story of abandonment,
broken promises, and new rivalries.
The Whiskey Peak arc tells the story of the mysterious
Baroque Works syndicate, a criminal organization run by a leader known only as
Mr. Zero. Upon reaching Whiskey Peak, the Straw Hat pirates are greeted with a
party. After celebrating all night long, the crew falls asleep. Zoro never lets
his guard down, soon finding out that the people on Whiskey Peak are actually
Baroque Work bounty hunters called Millions looking to attempt a surprise
attack on the Straw Hat crew. Zoro then proceeds to launch a counterattack on
the Millions.
Though the quality of the actual series may falter because
of filler, FUNimation is known for their high quality DVDs and One Piece is no different. FUNimation
provides excellent video and sound, even adding Dolby Digital 5.1 in the
English dub. Although the DVD may
feel a bit barebones when it comes to extra features, the added commentary and
textless opening and endings are a nice touch.
As a whole, One Piece
Second Voyage: Volume 1 is tough to rate. The filler arc brings down an
otherwise awesome DVD. It may be problematic for some fans, considering that
half of the content is not part of the main storyline. Even so, the other half
of the DVD is of great quality.
Bottom
Line: 7.5 out of 10
All in all: Filler
aside, this is a DVD worthy of a (Pirate) King.
