One Piece Live-Action Season 2 has come out, and all eight episodes are now available to watch on Netflix. The second season has a lot, I mean a lot, to offer. From Laboon to Baroque Works to Chopper, we’ve got everything that we could get in eight episodes. And hey, I loved the season, even though some anime fans might say that it is rushed. However, there’s one character introduction that bugged me in One Piece Live Action Season 2, and that was Bartolomeo. Wait, before you judge me, let me explain why.
Spoiler Alert:
This post contains spoilers for One Piece Live Action Season 2, so read at your own descretion.
Bartolomeo’s Introduction Should’ve Been Kept for Later in One Piece Live-Action
Of course, One Piece Live Action has made some big changes, taken a few detours, but fortunately, it hasn’t done anything that doesn’t respect the source material. And it’s the same with Bartolomeo’s introduction in Season 2. I know Bartolomeo’s backstory very well; he was indeed present in Loguetown when Buggy almost executed Luffy. It was Luffy’s conviction to become the King of the Pirates that inspired Bartolomeo to sail the seas and follow his dreams. So, everything that One Piece Live Action has done matches the character’s backstory in the source material. That said, I am still not happy that Bartolomeo was introduced so early in the live-action.
I still remember when I watched Bartolomeo in the One Piece anime. Initially, this character was shown as someone egotistical, dirty, and loudmouthed. Basically, he had every bad personality trait you can think of. So, obviously, I started to hate Bartolomeo and wanted him to taste dust in the most satisfying way. However, that all changed when Bartolomeo revealed his obsession over Luffy. In fact, Bartolomeo sails the seas, hoping someday to meet the man who inspired him to follow his dreams. And that day finally came when Bartolomeo met Luffy during the Dressrosa arc.
Honestly, that whole revelation, the flashbacks of Luffy in Loguetown, was so satisfying that I almost teared up. It was the first time in the series that we truly saw the impact of Luffy’s action on the world and other pirates. The entire backstory was simply beautiful, and it made me say, “That’s some great foreshadowing, Oda sensei!” So, naturally, the live-action has robbed us of that same level of satisfaction by introducing the character in the Loguetown episode, even though it happened almost exactly the same way in the flashback in the source material.
I know, I know, they did it with Garp and several other characters as well. However, it hurts more with Bartolomeo because this character basically shows what Luffy is leaving behind. Remember when Smoker said that he didn’t want Luffy to become the next Gol D. Roger? Roger has inspired countless pirates to sail the seas to find the One Piece, and Smoker wishes to stop Luffy because he thinks the Straw Hat will do the same. Well, Bartolomeo is possibly the first character to show that Luffy is indeed making the same kind of impact on people. That was the beauty of Bartolomeo’s introduction in the source material, which we won’t get to experience in the live-action, sadly.
Sure, I understand that Live-Action will feature some characters earlier than expected. And of course, it’s good fan service for fans who are familiar with anime and manga. But if that were the case, showing a glimpse of Bartolomeo standing in the crowd near the execution site would have been perfect.
Regardless, that’s not to say that everyone will (or should) feel the same. Many fans might have actually loved seeing Bartolomeo in One Piece Live Action Season 2, and there’s no harm in that.
Shashank Shakya
Ajith Kumar
