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This One Piece anime 25th anniversary special is about the normal people who live in the One Piece world and how their lives have been affected by the ongoing adventures of the Straw Hat Pirates.

The animation in this special is done entirely in an absolutely gorgeous style. Director Megumi Ishitani has a way of capturing the essence of One Piece using very simple shapes and flat colouring, but it oozes so much charm and character. It borders on absurdist at points, prioritising the feeling that each scene and character should give you over what it actually looks like. I'd argue that the special is worth ... watching on it's own even if you've never watched One Piece before. The animation is *that* good (you may find it difficult to follow what's happening though).

There's so much sincerity to the narrative. The way these characters look up to the Straw Hat Pirates mirrors the fandom for the One Piece series in the real world. With a show that's gone on for as long as One Piece has, it feels like this special was made largely by a crew who themselves grew up with One Piece and want to express the passion they have for it that allowed them to become artists today.

I absolutely love this special. It's simple, but it's emotionally honest to a fault, and that's what I love about this series so much. The perfect way to celebrate 25 years.