Anime: Opening 15- We Go!

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First Thoughts
You may have noticed that Episode 517 was full of action. Normally discussion of a new title sequence is within the anime review of the episode it premiered in. This time the review will be broken into two parts.

Episode 517 premiered Opening 15, “We Go,” the spiritual successor to “We Are.” It is fitting because the series is starting at the beginning in a way. The new theme is opening that will start a new chapter in the series.

So how about we go into this review!

Thoughts
Opening 15: We Go!

The new title sequence begins similarly to “We Are.” We have the retelling of the last words of Gol D. Roger which began the Pirate Age. This is one of the things that this opening mirrors from “We Are.”

Some people have stated that the opening focus on Luffy is similar to the first title sequence, but I think differently. I think both title sequences balance the focus between Luffy and his crew well. Luffy is the main character of the series but we have to remember that he is nothing without his crew. This allows us to be reintroduced to the characters and their new designs.

 

 

One thing that looks as if it came out of the first title sequence  was the way the ship sailed. You can see that now it is the Thousand Sunny sailing instead of the Going Merry. The music lightens the  scene but you can enjoy the sight of Sunny flying in the air.

The theme song is completely different from “We Are.”  “We Go” has a much more rockish tone that makes you want to move. It motivates you to go and travel the world. In this case, the theme song is telling you we’re going into the New World with Luffy and his crew.

"Stuck in my head, and I don't think it's going away."
-PassionTentacle from Twitter

When you have lyrics like ‘Ichi, Ni, Sunshine, Yon!’ then of course you will find the lyrics catchy. They are hard to get out of your head. It is the chorus of this theme song and will be one of the things everyone  will recall about this song.

The lyrics advertise adventure and perseverance, common themes that most  One Piece title sequences have. So that is no different.

 

 

 

This part of the title sequence  was (re-) introducing the characters to new and old viewers alike. A lot of new viewers have been picked up due to the Strong World media blitz and the resulting popularity. The sequence will allow new viewers to put a name to characters that they are not familiar with while the old ones can marvel at the new designs.

The title sequence is actually the first time we get a clear look at the characters’ new designs in the anime. They all look interesting and show the changes they have undergone in the last two years.

I am going to briefly go over each character new design:

Zoro- Looks very similar to a samurai. His left eye seems to have some sort of scar on it and is closed. That will be interesting to learn about later on.

Nami- She has surely grown a lot in the last two years in a few areas. One part of her body has surely become bigger which I like, and I mean her hair. It looks so nice, curly and long.

Usopp- Are those muscles we see? I already know that Sora has taken a liking to the new Usopp. His clothing may be inspired by the giants of Elbaf.

Sanji- The cook has grown some facial hair during the last two years. The best way to show that you are a man is to have facial hair. Also the mystery behind what is under Sanji's hair has been revealed! It is another eye!

Chopper- He looks cute though he has some sort of blue thing over his pink hat. I liked the simple pink hat better.

Robin- I like her long black hair. It looks very nice on her. I just don't like that it is combed back. The clothing is nice. I am wondering why she has decided to dress like this because it is very different from the style of dress that Robin has worn in the pass. Was Robin on a tropical island with the revolutionaries before reuniting with the Straw Hats?

Franky- He has seen a lot of change. Franky has completely remade himself from head to toe. His hair style is gone and he has huge shoulders. Who is wondering what surprises Franky will have for us within his body?

Brook- Our musician has changed a lot during the last two years. Brook is now sporting a much more flamboyant look with the boa and crown on his head. I wonder if he is still our 'gentleman skeleton'.

Now back to the opening.

I always like when the Marines are part of a title sequence. They only get a few scenes in this one but it is nice to see them. Most of the time they are  beat up by Luffy and the crew, but it is a reminder that they are part of the story.

"I like it! ☆ Although, it's different than I expected it to be. I'm sure it will grow on me like "We Are". ^^"
-Jessica_Swaaan from Twitter

The title sequence is different from what I expected as well. I thought it was going to be similar to the first title sequence but with a more rockish beat. Instead, it feels different but the sense of adventure is still there.

We Go will grow on other fans as well, because I am still on the fence over how much I like the title sequence.

"well, i only saw the opening theme but it kicks ass. Not the series best but still awesome."
-ZenithWillRule from Twitter

The opening theme is good but I will agree that it isn't the best of the series. I still like the 14th opening theme so I was sad to see it go. The 15th opening theme is a great song and a great way to start the new chapter of the series. The opening animation helps set  expectations from the characters and story as we enter this new chapter of the story.

 

 

 

 

The only thing I didn't like about the opening theme was the inclusion of scenes of the crew before the start of the two year skip. You can see that they reused the scenes from Episode 516 which felt a bit lazy. I would have liked if they had redone the animation or shown something different but I guess Toei Animation had to cut corners somewhere.

As mentioned before, this opening theme does a great job catering to new and old fans. This segment reminds you of the hardships that each crew member has overcame in the last two years. Each Straw Hat went though something different to reach where they are right now in the current storyline.

 

 

 

 

This is my favorite segment of the opening theme. You see all the characters that played an important role in the Straw Hat's training for the last two years while you also see future characters. I like how it is done too. The characters that we have seen recently are in full color while the characters that you haven't seen such as Sentoumaru and Kuma are given a bit of blue shading. Then you move on to see the characters that we haven't seen before or are going to be part of the Fishman Island Arc who are completed shaded.

I always enjoyed the side scrolling part of  "We Are" and glad to see they kept it for "We Go." It is a great way to see where we are right now and where we are going. You are going to see some very interesting characters and terrifying villains as we enter Fishman Island.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The change in tone during the scenes involving the straw hat was my favorite part, music wise, for the opening. It is the slower tempo that pleased me because it is different from the quick pace of the opening. It gives you the chance to just watch what is happening on the screen and appreciate it.

These scenes are meaningful for many reasons. Mostly reasons that I can't discuss until later due to readers who only follow the anime. You can still understand the emotional nature as we are able to see the moment where Shanks pass the hat to Luffy. An interesting thing to note is that the smiling figure that you first saw is wearing a straw hat that is similar to the one that Luffy wears. It can be easily guessed that the hats could be one and the same.

 

 

 

 

The end of the opening is excellent. There are so many things happening here that more than one viewing is needed. You have one final stylized look at the characters. Each member of the crew displays the title of the show proudly on some part of their body minus Sanji. Robin is displaying it loud and proud on her lovely bust which I am sure many fans are appreciating. I would have liked Sanji to have 'One Piece' displayed on his knuckles, but that wouldn't fit his character and it feels more in-character for him to have it as it is in this title sequence.

Another thing to watch in these scenes is the background. You can see each crew member got a background that reflects their character and what they do. The background is similarly patterned except there is one thing that is different in each one. It can be easily missed with some characters while with others it is obvious. The fast pace of the opening makes it hard to spot. That helps add charm to each character. Below I listed the 'quirk' in each background:

Zoro- White triangle shaped item, above left sleeve.
Nami- Berri, second row in the upper right corner.
Usopp- Rubber band, above the 'C' in 'Piece'.
Sanji- Fork, upper right shoulder.
Chopper- Cotton candy, third row in the lower left corner.
Robin- Flower, hidden in her hair above left shoulder.
Franky- Speedo, next to his right ear.
Brook- Green guitar, bottom left corner.

Were you able to catch these little things?

Lastly, notice how the crew was divided as they stood before Sunny. We saw the Zoro, Nami, Usopp and Sanji first before cutting to them in front of Sunny. Then you saw the rest of the crew. This feels like a nod to when they joined the crew and to the East Blue Saga. I didn't notice this until half way through writing of this review.

 

"Personally I LOVE this new opening the music is so up beat and I just love the visuals that came with it. It's the first opening reborn perfect for the New World ^__^."
-StrawHatPirate9 from Twitter

I have to whole-heartily agree with StrawHatPirate9 on all accounts. The music and visuals are lively and upbeat. The opening theme  is edgy as we saw towards the end, but in a way that fits the series.

Final Thoughts

This opening theme can be compared to a lot of things. People keep saying that it is similar to “We Are” while at the same time there are a few who are comparing it to “Fight Together”, our last opening them. I am going to say that it isn't as great as the 14th or 1st opening theme. I loved the 14th opening theme until it was taken off the air and still do while the 1st title sequence holds a special place in every One Piece fan's heart. Instead I am going to say that the 15th opening theme, “We Go,” is a great work in its’ own unique manner.

This opening does a good job reflecting what our characters have done in the past two years and what they are doing now. It gives something to One Piece fans both old and new which is greatly appreciated. Now we go into the New World and a new chapter with a new opening theme.


Written by: Mikey
Edited by: Dsaftler
Images provided by: StrawHatPirate9