One Piece Film 6: Baron Omatsuri and the Island Of Secrets – One piece: Omatsuri danshaku to himitsu no shima (2005)

Directed by: Mamoru Hosoda | 91 minutes | animation, action, comedy, drama | Original voice cast: Mayumi Tanaka, Yuriko Yamaguchi, Kazuya Nakai, Akemi Okamura, Ikue Ôtani, Takeshi Aono, Shou Ayanokouji, Kôhei Fukuhara, Keiji Hirai, Hiroaki Hirata, Sôsuke Ikematsu, Hidehiko Kaneko, Takeharuchiao, Jun’i Kuimoto, Takeshi Kuimoto Takashi Moric

The Japanese artist Eiichiro Oda can probably retire early, because his brainchild – the ‘One Piece’ saga – is doing very well. Not only in his home country, but also outside the country’s borders. This is partly due to the accessible stories, funny characters and the perfect balance between comedy and (a touch of) drama. In addition to being a long-running TV series, the franchise has also spawned a spate of video games and a film series. ‘One Piece Film 6 – Baron Omatsuri and the Island of Secrets’ is the latest offspring.

In this sixth part, the crew of the pirate ship the Straw Hat decides they need a vacation. The crew docks on party island Omatsuri. In this alternative Ibiza, the ladies are beautiful and the food delicious. What more could you want as a pirate? Baron Omatusuri owns this paradise on earth, but is not waiting for a visit. If the crew wants to enjoy the attractions, it will have to complete a number of tasks. Of course, these trials do not consist of harmless games such as nail pooping and cookie bites…

‘One Piece Film 6 – Baron Omatsuri and the Island of Secrets’ is a great movie. The protagonists, devised by Oda, are sympathetic and all have their own face. In addition, Baron Omatusuri is a great villain with empathetic motives. What is striking is that the tone is a bit darker than you are used to from a ‘One Piece’ film. That depends on the baron and his tragic background.

This film is less action oriented than its predecessor and contains more character development. Nothing wrong with that, because that keeps the series so fresh. You don’t want to see the same movie over and over. Visually, the film is very beautiful. The animation looks good and the imaginative characters keep you captivated. Newcomers will not be able to follow this movie if they have not seen the TV series or other movies. Tip: start at the beginning. Without prior knowledge you will miss a lot.