Topic for discussion of the 3rd episode (it is good that we keep them separate so that those that do not wish do not get spoiled)
Title: Tell No Tales
Directed by: Emma Sullivan
Written by: Matt Owens & Damani Johnson
Topic for discussion of the 3rd episode (it is good that we keep them separate so that those that do not wish do not get spoiled)
Title: Tell No Tales
Directed by: Emma Sullivan
Written by: Matt Owens & Damani Johnson
Wow, this episode was quite different. It has the same relationship set-up as before but moving everything to the mansion for a birthday party was an interesting choice. It's a more interesting setting for sure, but I'm finding all of these dark scenes kind of hard to follow.
The characterisation of our crew members right now is mixed imo. I need to see a bit more from Usopp right now but I am loving Luffy. This episode has absolutely sold me on him. When he casually drops that they're pirates and gets up on to the table it was great.
I can see what they're doing with Nami now and we she's been quite a pessimist. Her chat with Kaya was great. Zoro seems super edgy though. I know he's the badass of the team but they are really playing into that and not his more fun elements.
Having Arlong be in control of all of the East Blue is kind of cool, and this is a fun way to keep Buggy around. Given Buggy's later importance I'm curious to see how his story this season ends.
Having the Meowban Brothers be Kuro's butler henchman is a pretty good use for them. It's shame that Jango was cut though :(
One of the earliest scenes/facts we learned is that Kaya owns a shipyard in this version, which makes perfect logical sense as to why she and Merry would just have a ship ready for Luffy and the others - as well as a tangible source of her wealth. Most of the episode is in her mansion in lieu of a shore battle, obviously partially for budget, but it also turns the cat and mouse game (pun intended) into something more a horror element.
Kuro is perfect and I think it's a good fit to have Siam and Buchi as additional help in the manor working under his secret command. I'm just puzzled as to why Jango gets the axe when he's certainly more memorable than the Meowbans! Although I do think the biggest loss is the lack of the Usopp pirates - him pretending to be a pirate (captain) was part of his pretend nature and an additional emotional core for Usopp in this arc....but I guess having Kaya take on a bigger role is the tradeoff.
In the original Luffy and Zoro are late simply because they get lost but here they're taken away from the villain in more threatening/logical terms, which is great.
Finally I was NOT expecting Arlong this early, but I suppose he's the lingering threat in the same way Garp is. It's an interesting dynamic to have him shake down Buggy, accusing him of taking profit in HIS terrority - it makes Arlong more of an active threat terrorizing the east and not just someone that got comfortable bullying and extorting one island.
I'm in the middle of this episode and I just want to point out that the music is fantastic. I love that Zoro got lost in Kaya's house.
@andre It's extra funny when the way to the kitchen turns out to be the direction Zoro came from XD
The Luffy-Zoro-Nami are great together. It's nice seeing Usopp slowly mix with that dynamic.
Also, the cinematography for the series as a whole is excellent. Lighting, camera angles, editing, it really pulls you into the story. I can't imagine how hard it is taking something as abstract as One Piece, boiling it down to it's bare essentials then placing it in a more realistic setting limited by time, money, and physical restraints, all while not making the show look like a fan parody. I'm genuinely impressed with everyone involved with the show.
Really disappointed at the usual "bigger bad appears and fodderises previous antagonists" dynamic that's so typical of most shows, but not of One Piece. Buggy is a pirate! And he talks back to everyone (despite being a coward). What happened with Arlong felt very weird. I hope Buggy makes a comeback here.
That's mostly just a function of trying to keep Buggy involved. I think he appears in six of the eight episodes? It's a great performance for a memetic character and it's good to keep him more memorable.
Also Buggy is the type of pirate to end up in this situation. Just given current manga plotpoints, this is very much in line.
@black-leg-jex said in Episode 3 (Tell No Tales) - Discussion:
Also Buggy is the type of pirate to end up in this situation. Just given current manga plotpoints, this is very much in line.
Honestly to me the whole thing with keeping Buggys head in a bag almost felt more like they drew from Laws DF powers and the whole Ceasars heart thing. The showrunner Matt Owens has said that Law is his favorite character so it adds up.
Fun episode! Beauregard seems like a total creep in those though, I wouldn't trust this guy as far as I could throw him. I'm very sad to see the Usopp pirates have been cut, that imo takes away something from Usopp spending his time playing pretend pirate. That said, I really like how her and Usopp's relationship was depicted and thst she actually also bonded with the rest of the crew a bit.
Other things I really liked: the scene where Luffy finds the Merry and in general how the Strawhats and their dynamic is handled. The interactions seem pitch perfect to me. Oh and one thing I haven't mentioned so far: I looove how they play around with the "One Piece" title card in each episode!
This show is a lot of fun so far. Poor Merry though! R. I. P.
Probably the weakest episode thus far, but still not bad.
Definitely getting some big change ups to the plot, not just with the main Kuro story, but also with the other side plots going on. Which, hey, if you're gonna do an adaptation in a very different medium, may as well mix things up.
Not sure how I feel about them spending additional time with Koby/Garp, but now that they've re-entered the main storyline I'm interested to see where it will go. Seeing Buggy and Arlong interact was also pretty cool if only because we've never seen that before.
The actor who played Kuro was serviceable, but I really think they could have done better with his Stealth Foot technique, rather than the goofy swoosh effect they went with. Not that big on the actress who played Kaya either.
Usopp though is looking pretty spot-on so far.
And Godoy is just getting more and more like Luffy with every episode.
So yeah, good stuff.
R.I.P. Merry
Before I read any other comments here is my take on this episode.
I gave it 3 stars here or would have given it 6,5/10 if we had that rating system.
I watched it with my girlfriend she gave it 8,5/10, gave 10/10 to the first and 8/10 to the second (she doesnt watch anime or reads manga in general)
So my thoughts.
I rated it 3 stars would have rated it 6.5 out of 10.
I think the pacing is just two fast in 2nd and third and things are happening unnaturally fast, scenes dont have room to breathe, new characters dont get enough time for you to get really invedted in them and some lines of dialogue sound cringe partially because of pacing pRtially because they are? For example Usopp realizing that no one will believe him I think that the whole sequence before he said the lines: why no one will believe me were enough that we as the audience got the gust and saw the reasoning behind it. So him actually saying it lije that sounds incredibly dumb, unnatural...wasnt that entire scene about him realizing that because he was always lyong no one will believe him no as well? Then he goes and says those lines and he just kills the emotional part of the scene snd makes it look a bit cringe...
With Zoro... first it us cool how he gets to the bar the pour a dtink, asks buttlers to get him more at the table.... but then him middle of the night also looking for more wine... just seems freaking forced... and Luffy midnight snack.... and Nami stealing. Yeah i mean it is in their characters but it feels forced and just set up to push the plot along thus not feeling natural.
Same stuff with Kayas tee.
Blue tea immddiately aftet she caughs a d blue color so we the stupid watchers get it immediately. If it is not clear lets make her a special ultra not suspicious enough Blue doup... again forced?and thus comes out a bit cringe.
When Usopp escapes the fight scene and the cat dudes chasing him and hissing.... my girlfriend asked me. What are these guys vampires? She asked with a straight face and I was meanwhile cringing inside.
Kuro overusibg his light step against Merry just to showcase he is fast?
Why? Make him kill stab Mwrry and later on i. A fight surprise us with his speed being his sttength.
But this way it feels unnatural cringy.
Garp playing GO and teaching Koby.... cringy/ forced.
Garp immediately being there after the knott thing.... forced....
Koby immediately being there after Usopp and throwing the I believe you... forced, cringy.
But overall I liked some of the stuff I liked Zoros character in general. I also thonk Nami is acting super well.
But just the pacing and forcing some ideas, situations and lines is not ok.
Oh and Arlong vs Buggy situation? Didnt like it. First of all how Kurobi fightvscene was handled... meh
Then Arlong man... just seing him and him doing the raaaaghhh voices like he is?about to eat Buggy is cringe.
I seriously was not happy with it...
And still itvis s 6.5 so lime you know ok-ish.
Really really hoping this gets better in the following episodes
Saw 3 and 4 together. Neat setup for what the story was trying to do, but we didn’t get a lot of Usopp as I’d have liked. He told grand tales and the scene with him flipping out over Luffy knowing his dad was nice but still would’ve liked to have him more interacting with the crew. That said, the dress up scene with Nami Luffy and Zoro was a nice touch with the bet and Nami picking clothes out for Zoro.
Don’t mind taking out Jango except why have his bounty poster show up in an earlier episode but I get he wouldn’t fit the tone the story’s trying to go for.
I think there was too much Koby/Garp for my taste. More thoughts on how it was handled in episode 4 but preferred if they didn’t keep them in the arc given where it headed.
Zoro should’ve been properly killed instead of just assuming he was dead and knocked out. And I know the crew ends up being monsters later on but couldn’t help but think that well fall should’ve killed him.
Bold choice killing Merry but bothered by how it turns out. Again will bring it up in episode 4.
Could’ve done more about Usopp being around a shipyard but not actually doing shipwright work to better explain his infinity skills while still not being an actual shipwright. Felt like the pieces were there but not utilized fully.
Liked the Kaya/Nami bonding scenes a lot. Liked how Nami was guarded and didn’t reveal her loss to Kaya but they still got along.
I enjoyed this one a lot more than the previous two.
I tried to not focus on the points I didn't like before, but Blue-san nailed my sensation before when he used the term "claustrophobic". There is something between the very few scenarios per episode, the enclosed spaces and the lack of open shots that was really bothering me and making me feel "cramped". This one had plenty of different locations, which in itself already made me feel a lot better about it.
I am still bothered by the camera work, though - I don't know if that's the right expression, but there is something about the angles, motion blur at the edges of the screen and close shots that I'm not really a fan of.
They somehow are making me enjoy this version of Nami even more. Love hers and Zoro's dry low energy. Bucchi and Sham made me start looking forward which repurposed roles secondary characters will play, which is also a bonus. Was not a fan of how Kuro looked a first (that suit is too costumey), but I was soon charmed by the actor and loved the claw-swords!
Could have used a bit more of Usopp, though, but the little we got of him was enough to remind me of how good was the time when he was my favorite SH and one of my favorite characters period. I miss Usopp.
Mini Buggy is already gone! WHY??? But it's ok, because Buggy having an interaction with Arlong was something I didn't knew I wanted. I am still wanting to see Buggy as the the fully stupid bottom scraper character he became, but maybe I am being unrealistic considering how over the top his humor gets, so it maybe would not translate as well to live action.
The low aspect is still the same to me: Garp. I don't think the character needs to be the same on the adaptation, but I am getting confused about how I am supposed to read him. He mostly plays as the Garp we know, but there are always this little bits that I suppose are added to make him look badass but are making me look at him like a bit cruel and twisted (not in a good way).
Also I am starting to feel a physical need of a shot of the open blue sea with big blue skies. I mean, it's a pirate series, give me a clear open colorful shot of the ocean so I can feel the freedom. Maybe it happens once they sail on Merry.
bonus: loved the SHP wearing clothes from manga covers for the dinner.
they really should've cast someone younger for Kaya, acting was on point though
Kuro is amazing i hope he didn't kill Merry because that's a big change, I'm sure Merry is alive he just got stabbed not bloody murdered!
This is the episode where i liked Zoro the most idk why
Garp doesn't fit in this they're driving me crazy but let's see how this will go.
@hideoushorrendous said in Episode 3 (Tell No Tales) - Discussion:
i hope he didn't kill Merry because that's a big change, I'm sure Merry is alive he just got stabbed not bloody murdered!
Unless Usopp is bad at confirming a dead body I’d say he’s dead dead.
edit:
Just rewatched.
Sham is interesting! I also kind of like their new role as assistant butlers.
Kuro is a dum dum, he's a planner but he shoulda stabbed Zoro for good measure. Shoulda stabbed Luffy too lol
Favorite moments:
Least favorite moments:
Just finished this episode. Man, this is the weakest episode so far. Garp went from 1 of my favorites to bottom 5. Usopp's actor is playing it too smooth.
This continues to be my issue with a couple character portrayals. In the OG, characters are balanced. Whatever the direction they choose in this for certain characters, I just expect the same balance and it doesn't have to be the same traits. They lean in on the character's features too much.
Garp's method to use Go to show Koby he has potential? Garp being so oblique is such a reach and to use Go just throws me off.
Syrup Village arc could have easily been 1 episode. This is dragged out. This next episode is most likely all Syrup Village.
Third episode was good, I've liked the shifted focus to see the beginnings of Koby's story arc, which we have only seen in the cover story.
The go game between Koby and Garp seems in character, with Garp telling Koby he has to sacrifice some pieces, in hindsight this works well with the recent developments of Garps character in the manga.
I liked the build up of the Syrup Village arc, though I do agree it felt a bit dragged out at the end. They should have gone 100% on the horror of the old mansion, it's a missed opportunity IMO.