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One Piece follows Monkey D. Luffy, a young silly boy who is made of rubber after accidentally eating a magical “devil fruit”, as he assembles his own eclectic crew, the Strawhat Pirates, for an adventure to become the king of the pirates. For the most part, the anime presents itself in a colorful, action-packed, and zany attitude, feeling much in common with your typical Saturday-morning cartoon.
Sure, there’s occasional blood and violence, but the vibe is welcoming and energetic enough on a surface level. Baron Omatsuri surely has all of those ingredients, too, but hidden inside the happy meal is that extra onion ring you didn’t order, with the addition of it having been dipped in Tabasco sauce.
The viewing experience of Baron Omatsuri goes from being something along the lines of the good-natured Pokemon Heroes to a version of the nightmarish Akira. The start of the movie sees the crew traveling to a new island, participating in a series of competitions hosted by eponymous Baron Omatsuri. They try to catch fish, race across the watery ravines in the town, and even participate in a little cooking contest. And then things noticeably shift, like the small town of Hawkins and the Upside Down in Stranger Things, to being outright terrifying.
It starts with its visuals, which are a vast departure from anything showcased in the anime and previous movies, that are a lot more somber and simplified. Not that all of it is dour — there’s still plenty of radiant visual flare to be found, especially for much of its first half — but the rougher edges of the character designs feel oddly appropriate, and the environments feel ominous and spiritual, like a Studio Ghibli movie.
While referencing Ghibli movies has practically become a cliche at this point, the comparison is particularly warranted here given that the film’s director, Mamoru Hasoda, was once a part of the acclaimed Japanese animation studio. In fact, he was originally tapped to direct the now-iconic Howl’s Moving Castle, but left due to some strong creative differences. It begs the question as to what the Ghibli film might’ve looked like if it were helmed by Hasoda, as Baron Omatsuri doesn’t shy from showcasing some of the most gruesome images in the franchise.
The empty alleyways on the island, the grotesque transformation of Omatsuri, to a dark-red moon engulfing the entire screen as Luffy turns his face in horror; at times, it all feels like a literal depiction of hell. There’s a stillness in many of these scenes, with no accompanying music, that effectively fills you with a sort of dread for the looming future.
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