Warning: The following article about how Netflix’s One Piece one-shot is a must-watch for longtime fans contains spoilers.
One Piece is living its best life right now. The incredible success of its live-action adaptation has drawn in more fans. Not only that but there is also a fascinating remake happening as well. And now a new one-shot has been released. This one shot is called Monsters: 103 Mercies Dragon Damnation and is directed by Sunghoo Park of Jujutsu Kaisen and Jujutsu Kaisen 0 fame. This story that Eiichiro Oda wrote back in 1994 tells the tale of a legendary figure in One Piece‘s history.
The Sword God of One Piece
This figure, Ryuma, was introduced in this one-shot, and much like all of Oda’s work, there was something present that would pay off much further on down the line. I, for example, first met Ryuma as the zombie that possessed Brook’s shadow. This zombie was one of the deadliest antagonists within the Thriller Bark Arc. Seemingly a simple samurai, Ryuma would go on to terrify the entire Straw Hat crew until Zoro took him down.
In true Oda fashion, though, Ryuma was so much more. However, it would take literal decades before fans would be properly animatedly introduced to him. In this beautifully animated one-shot, fans are treated to one of the legendary tales that have been told within Oda’s epic. And honestly, it’s brilliant. The different style of animation gives it a mythic ambiance. And this unfamiliar style is an excellent compliment to the complex tapestry that is One Piece.
Related: How Netflix’s Monsters 103 Serves as a One Piece Prequel
Monsters’ Long Road to the Small Screen
Oda himself was quoted as saying, “I can’t believe “Monsters,” the one-shot manga I drew in my youth is getting an animated adaptation! THIS IS THE LIFE!!!.” This is honestly the sweetest thing to read. Monsters predates One Piece by five years, and seeing it animated is a phenomenal event. And it’s a testament to Oda’s writing that he has effortlessly placed Ryuma within the One Piece narrative.
What is so great about this release is that it is audience-friendly. You can be a hardcore One Piece fan who is on their third rewatch, and this will still give you new lore to devour. You can also be a complete newcomer, and this will simply give you a wonderful mythic tale to enjoy. Monsters: 103 Mercies Dragon Damnation is one of, if not the best, spin-offs in anime history.
With the release of Monsters: 103 Mercies Dragon Damnation, this begs the question: What other mythic tales could be told within the world of One Piece that wouldn’t have to be centered around Luffy and the rest of the Straw Hats?
