ONE PIECE Episode of Alabasta: A thorough review of the touching story of the desert princess and the pirates

"ONE PIECE Episode of Alabasta: The Desert Princess and the Pirates" - A thorough analysis of this moving masterpiece

■ Public Media

theater

■ Original Media

comics

■ Release date

March 3, 2007 - January 1, 2000

■Distribution company

Toei

■Frequencies

90 min

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 1

■Original Story

Eiichiro Oda

■ Director

Takahiro Imamura

■ Production

・Production: Toei Animation

■Works

© Eiichiro Oda / Shueisha, Fuji Television, Toei Animation © "2007 One Piece" Production Committee

■ Story

Luffy is defeated! But he still has friends he wants to protect...
The Going Merry is sailing through the Grand Line. Among them is the beautiful princess of the Alabasta Kingdom, Vivi. The desert nation of Alabasta has been facing the threat of civil war due to a water shortage that has continued for several years. After an overseas investigation, Vivi learns that the source of all evil is Crocodile, who is revered as a national hero, and rushes to Alabasta to expose the truth. There is only a little time left before an all-out war breaks out. Will Vivi be able to save her beloved father, her childhood friend, and her people from this "useless conflict"?

■Explanation

The greatest One Piece movie ever made is finally here!
The long-awaited "Alabasta Arc" by fans of the original work has been made into a full movie!!
When was the last time you shed a tear?
"One Piece" will celebrate its 10th anniversary next year in the weekly magazine "Shonen Jump" (published by Shueisha), which boasts a circulation of 3 million copies, and is still a huge hit. The 35th volume of the comic has exceeded 100 million copies in circulation, and 43 volumes have been published, holding the record for the highest first edition circulation in the history of comics. The TV series (Fuji TV, Sunday mornings 9:30~), which is now in its 7th year on the air, has also made its way overseas and is causing a stir! The long-running and popular Straw Hat Pirates movie series is now coming to theaters with a powerful original work!!
The long-awaited eighth film is the "Alabasta Arc" that has received overwhelming support from fans of the original work! The moving and memorable scenes between Luffy and Alabasta's princess, Vivi, are brought to the big screen in spectacular detail!
Don't miss this latest film that will leave its mark in the history of One Piece movies, a masterpiece that you can't watch without crying!

*Quoted from Toei Video Co., Ltd. official website

■Cast

Monkey D. Luffy/Mayumi Tanaka/Roronoa Zoro/Kazuya Nakai/Nami/Akemi Okamura/Usopp/Kappei Yamaguchi/Sanji/Hiroaki Hirata/Tony Tony Chopper/Ikue Otani/Nefertari Vivi/Misa Watanabe/Sir Crocodile/Ryuzaburo Otomo/Miss All Sunday (Nico Robin)/Yuriko Yamaguchi/Koza, Hagwar D. Saul/Tsuyoshi Kusao/Pell/Kenji Nojima/Chaka/Kihachiro Uemura/Terako tta/Keiichi Sonobe, Mr. 2, Bon Clay/Kazuki Yao, Mr. 1/Toru Inada, Miss Double Finger/Uko Tachibana, Mr. 4/Masaya Takatsuka, Miss Merry Christmas/Mami Kanetsuki, Mr. 7/Kesuke, Miss Father's Day/Tomoko Naka, Kappa/Junko Noda, Vice Leader/Hidefumi Takemoto, Karoo/Sokutsuya, Toto/Masaaki Tsukada, Lassu/Takeshi Aono, Maidy/Ai Kawashima, Nefertari Cobra/Iemasa Ieyuki

■ Main staff

・Producers / Yusuke Okada, Hiroshi Takahashi, Kazuhiko Torishima, Kenji Shimizu, Kazuhiro Takenaka・Original story / Eiichiro Oda・Screenplay / Hirohiko Uesaka・Music / Kohei Tanaka, Shiro Hamaguchi, Fuminori Iwasaki, Minoru Maruo, Kazuhiko Sawaguchi・Production manager / Yoichi Shimizu・Editor / Masahiro Goto・Sound recording / Erina Watanabe・Sound effects / Hidenori Arai・Directors of photography / Takami Wakao, Kogo Onishi・CG director / Keisuke Arai・Art director / Takashi Yoshiike・Color design / Takashi Tsukada・Character design and animation director / Eisaku Inoue・Director / Takahiro Imamura・Storyboards / Konosuke Uda, Kenji Yokoyama, Eisaku Inoue, Takahiro Imamura, Takeshi Otsuka・Assistant animation directors / Naoki Tate, Takeo Ide, Hiroki Tanaka, Tatsuzo Nishida・Production / Toei Animation

■ Related works

・ONE PIECE
・ONE PIECE Episode of Alabasta: The Desert Princess and the Pirates Special Edition

■ Theme songs and music

・TM1
・compass
Lyrics: Ai Kawashima Composition: Ai Kawashima Arrangement: Yasuhiro Munemoto Vocals: Ai Kawashima

The appeal and reviews of "ONE PIECE Episode of Alabasta: The Desert Princess and the Pirates"

"ONE PIECE Episode of Alabasta: The Desert Princess and the Pirates" is a film adaptation of Eiichiro Oda's popular manga "ONE PIECE", and is especially known for being the complete film adaptation of the "Alabasta Arc" from the original work. This film was released on March 3, 2007, and has been highly praised among the One Piece film series. Below, we will explain in detail the appeal and reviews of this film.

The appeal of the story

The story of "ONE PIECE Episode of Alabasta: The Desert Princess and the Pirates" is based on the "Alabasta Arc" of the original work. In this arc, the Straw Hat Pirates visit the Alabasta Kingdom and fight with Princess Vivi to save the country from crisis. In particular, Luffy and his friends' struggle to protect Vivi's hometown and the fierce battle scene with Crocodile are known as moving scenes for fans of the original work.

The film condenses this moving story into a limited time of 90 minutes, while still capturing the essence of the original work. It deeply moves the audience by depicting the bond between Vivi's father, King Cobra, and her childhood friend Koza, as well as the courage and friendship of Luffy and his friends as they protect their people. In addition, the fight against Crocodile emphasizes Luffy's growth and strength, building up excitement for the story's climax with a visual impact.

Character Appeal

In this movie, the Straw Hat Pirates' characters play an active role while making the most of their individual personalities. In particular, Luffy's leadership and attitude that values ​​friendship, Zoro's calmness and strength, Nami's wisdom and kindness, Usopp's courage, Sanji's kindness and fighting power, and Chopper's purity and growth are depicted and leave a deep impression on the audience. Vivi's strong will and love for her people are also depicted as central to the story.

Enemy characters such as Crocodile and Nico Robin are portrayed with the same charm as in the original, and Crocodile's ruthlessness and strength are especially highlighted in comparison to Luffy. The personalities of Baroque Works members such as Bon Clay and Mr. 1 are also well-drawn in the film, adding depth to the story.

The appeal of video and music

The visuals of "ONE PIECE Episode of Alabasta: The Desert Princess and the Pirates" faithfully reproduce the worldview of the original work, while also possessing the power and beauty that only a movie can offer. In particular, the desert scenery of Alabasta and the battle scene with Crocodile are depicted with realistic expressions using computer graphics, drawing the audience into the world of the story. In addition, thanks to the skills of character designer and animation director Inoue Eisaku, the characters' expressions and movements are carefully drawn in detail, conveying emotional movements realistically.

The music is also an important element that enhances the appeal of this film. The music, created by a stellar team including Tanaka Kohei, Hamaguchi Shiro, Iwasaki Fuminori, Maruo Minoru, and Sawaguchi Kazuhiko, builds up emotions as the story progresses, deeply moving the audience. In particular, Kawashima Ai's voice, who sings the theme song "Compass," resonates beautifully, as if symbolizing Bibi's feelings, further deepening the emotion of the story.

Evaluation and acceptance

"ONE PIECE Episode of Alabasta: The Desert Princess and the Pirates" has been highly praised by fans of the original work. In particular, the moving story of the "Alabasta Arc" has been adapted into a movie, making it a masterpiece that fans of the original work cannot watch without crying. The quality of the movie's visuals and music has also been highly praised, making it one of the most popular works in the One Piece movie series.

The movie was well received not only by fans of the original work, but also by people experiencing the world of One Piece for the first time. The story, which depicts the friendship and courage of the Straw Hat Crew, as well as Vivi's strong will and love for her people, touched many people and became a catalyst for spreading the appeal of One Piece widely.

Related works and recommendations

"ONE PIECE Episode of Alabasta: The Desert Princess and the Pirates" is based on the original "Alabasta Arc" and is closely related to the original manga and TV series. In particular, if you watch this movie after reading the original "Alabasta Arc" or watching that episode on the TV series, you will be able to get a deeper impression. In addition, we recommend watching the special edition of the movie, "ONE PIECE Episode of Alabasta: The Desert Princess and the Pirates Special Edition," as it provides more detailed information about the story and the background of the characters.

The reasons I recommend this movie are that it is a film adaptation of the original's moving story, that the charm of the characters is well portrayed, that the quality of the visuals and music is high, and that it is a work that will be accepted not only by fans of the original but also by people who are experiencing One Piece for the first time. In particular, the story, which depicts friendship, courage, and strong will, will inspire many people and serve as an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the world of One Piece.

Conclusion

"ONE PIECE Episode of Alabasta: The Desert Princess and the Pirates" is a moving masterpiece that is a complete movie adaptation of the "Alabasta Arc" from the original work. The story depicts the friendship and courage of the Straw Hat Pirates, and Vivi's strong will and love for her people, and will deeply move not only fans of the original work, but also those who are experiencing One Piece for the first time. In addition, the quality of the visuals and music is high, making it a particularly popular work in the One Piece movie series. You will be even more deeply moved if you watch this moving masterpiece and experience the world of One Piece.