The second season of Netflix’s One Piece releases on March 10
Based on Japan’s ongoing 1997 manga series by artist and
creator Eiichiro Oda, the new episodes will follow beloved Straw Hat Pirates
Luffy (Iñaki Godoy), Zoro (Mackenyu), Nami (Emily Rudd), Usopp (Jacob Romero),
and Sanji (Taz Skylar) as they travel to the Grand Line – a legendary stretch
of sea where danger and wonder await at every turn.
There, they will visit bizarre islands, recruit more allies,
and battle formidable new foes as they search for the world’s greatest
treasure.
The characters will also be seen venturing into the Grand
Line via Reverse Mountain, a landscape familiar to fans of the original manga
and ongoing anime. It is described as a ‘visually striking peak where the Four
Blues meet, flowing upward from the sides and meeting at the top to descend as
one into the Grand Line’.
The new season is also set to introduce fan-favourite Tony
Tony Chopper (Mikaela Hoover) – a loyal toddler-sized reindeer-human hybrid who
serves as the pirates’ doctor. With the ability to treat various illnesses, he
aims to travel the world and accomplish his dream of curing any disease.
“What excited me about playing Chopper is the tug of war
between his standoffishness and his huge heart,” Mikaela said in an interview.
“He tries so hard to hide his emotions and put on a tough
exterior, but underneath, he’s a big softy, and his love can’t help but come
out.
“I believe there is a little Chopper in all of us. We all
want to be loved and accepted. We go to great lengths to keep the people that
we love safe. There’s a purity to his nature that reminds us of what’s good in
the world,” she added.
Regarded by critics and readers as one of the greatest manga
series of all time, One Piece holds various publishing records, including the
highest initial print run for any book in Japan.
In 2015 and 2022, it set the Guinness World Records for
‘most copies published for the same comic book series by a single author’.
It has received praise for its storytelling, expansive
worldbuilding, art, characterisation, and humour.
The namesake ongoing 1999 animated TV series was
the most watched TV show of the year in 2022.
