One Piece Fan Letter review: The other side of the Straw Hats’ reunion at Sabaody

One Piece Fan Letter was released on Sunday, October 20, 2024 in Japan. It is one of the most experimental contents that fans of the franchise have ever seen.

Unlike the main storyline that focuses on ambitious figures looking for the legendary One Piece treasure, this episode is about ordinary people who are often in the background. It looks at the lives and experiences of these common folk as they get caught up in the larger conflicts between the Pirates and the World Government.

One Piece Fan Letter is a loose adaptation of the One Piece novel Straw Hat Stories, written by Tomohito Ohsaki. It is part of the celebrations for the 25th anniversary of the One Piece anime. The episode has been directed by Megumi Ishitani, who has previously been involved in creating some of the show's best episodes.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers.

One Piece Fan Letter shows how regular life is at Sabaody

Brief episode highlights

The young girl as she intially appears in One Piece Fan Letter (Image via Toei)

One Piece Fan Letter begins in the middle of the Paramount War, with the narrator explaining how Gol D. Roger’s final words inspired many to embark on a journey to the Grand Line, marking the beginning of the Great Pirate Era.

The episode then cuts to the ordinary people who have gathered to follow updates on the war. In the crowd is a frustrated young, orange-haired girl wearing glasses. She blames the pirates for causing such chaos, but her attention is soon captured by a bounty poster of Nami. Her eyes widen as she stares at the poster.

One Piece Fan Letter then moves forward in time, showing the same girl in her room writing a letter to Nami. She expresses her admiration, saying that Nami rises above the other pirates because of her wit and resourcefulness.

The girl sees Nami as a symbol of hope and wishes her many more amazing adventures. The room around her reveals posters of the Straw Hats, showing her deep admiration. She even has a similar haircut and dresses like Nami did in her early days.

It turns out that the girl has decoded Luffy's 3D2Y message and figured out when the Straw Hats will reunite. She decides to drop off her fan letter to Nami in person.

However, when she arrives at the port, it is quite crowded. She decides to try another route and runs into a young Navy soldier, who just so happens to be the younger brother of her local greengrocer family. He has been tasked with delivering a passkey for an anti-pirate weapon in an envelope.

The blonde Navy soldier as seen in One Piece Fan Letter (Image via Toei)

Mistaking the girl’s fan letter for the passkey, he pockets it and leaves. Meanwhile, the girl encounters a blonde Navy soldier who looks down on her, telling her how insignificant she is. But then Usopp shows up and encourages her to go after her letter.

The girl arrives at a pub, where she hides under a table where the greengrocer family’s younger brother is sitting with others. Sanji, who appears briefly, gets irritated by their mockery and punches them all, creating an opportunity for the girl to retrieve her letter. However, she mistakenly grabs the passkey instead. After realizing her mistake, she returns the passkey and continues her mission.

As news spreads that the Straw Hats have arrived at Grove 46, both Navy soldiers and the girl rush to the scene, but she is disappointed to find only impostors. Chaos ensues as Rayleigh and large insects appear. The girl is rescued by the older brother of the greengrocer family.

She tries to strike a deal with him, offering to help him find the real Straw Hats in exchange for a chance to deliver her letter to Nami. Although he refuses to let her deliver the letter, he agrees to let her see Nami from afar.

When they reach near the Thousand Sunny, the girl runs towards the ship, only to be blocked by the same blonde Navy soldier from before. He drags her away and pins her to the ground.

The bookstore owner as seen in One Piece Fan Letter (Image via Toei)

Meanwhile, in One Piece Fan Letter, the owner of a local bookstore is shown to be pretty upset because she will miss Brook's final performance. Two young boys, whom she previously chased away for reading magazines for free, tell her they spotted Soul King Brook at Grove 42.

The bookstore owner, accompanied by the two boys, reach the scene just in time and knock him down the blonde Navy soldier because they do not want the Navy to stop Brook’s performance. Taking advantage of the situation, the girl escapes, boards the Navy ship with the anti-pirate weapon, and it seems she snatches the passkey from the greengrocer family’s younger brother. Then she tears it up.

At that moment, she catches a glimpse of the Thousand Sunny sailing away, with Nami on board. However, because the letter she retrieved turns out to be her fan letter, she avoids any criminal charges.

One Piece Fan Letter review

The Lieutenant-General who loves Chopper in One Piece Fan Letter (Image via Toei)

From the get-go, what really grabs one's attention in One Piece Fan Letter is the impressive animation quality. The visuals are delicate, smooth, and fluid, with a calming and refreshing color palette.

Although action sequences are not the central focus of this episode, when they do appear, they depict the major characters of the war in a grand and dramatic way, delivering flashy moments when necessary. The animation also shows how the excitement of the more powerful figures contrasts with the fear and anxiety of the lower-ranking soldiers caught up in the conflict.

However, the real strength of the episode lies in the range of emotions it manages to convey in such a short time. It effectively balances humor and emotional depth. The humor is both slapstick and situational, with amusing moments like the scenes in the pub, where drunken Navy soldiers boast about seeing Mihawk or argue over who the greatest swordsman is.

It is also funny to watch how Zoro and Sanji both appear at different times, only to lose their patience when they become the butt of jokes. Another comical moment comes when everyone starts feeling negative, not realizing that Perona is nearby.

The elder brother as seen in One Piece Fan Letter (Image via Toei)

One Piece Fan Letter has its lighter moments, but there are also some touching emotional scenes. One such moment is the backstory of the elder son of the greengrocer family. While he finds his younger brother’s constant chatter annoying, he is also deeply thankful that his brother is still alive.

During the Paramount War, he almost lost his brother but was motivated by Luffy’s declaration that he was there to save Ace because Ace was his brother. This statement got the elder brother to stop hesitating and ultimately saved his sibling.

Even though Luffy had such a profound impact, saving so many, including his brother, he still had to witness Ace’s death. Luffy’s actions left a lasting impression, inspiring the elder brother to strive to make a positive difference in the lives of others, just as Luffy had done.

One Piece Fan Letter concludes on a strong emotional note with a monologue from the young girl. She reflects on the world she lives in, where power seems to determine everything. Despite the pain, hardships, and the fact that she often feels trampled upon, she desires to continue struggling and living as freely as possible. Her inspiration for this determination comes from Nami. This final speech also highlights how each member of the Straw Hat crew is amazing in their own right.

Final thoughts

The young girls dons her glasses at the end, becoming her own person at the end of One Piece Fan Letter (Image via Toei)

One Piece Fan Letter is an must-watch for any fan of the series. It is sort of a slice-of-life adventure, as close as one can get in this world where a war is ongoing.

The pacing is just right, and the visuals not only make the storytelling more engaging but also evoke a range of emotions in viewers. The world portrayed in the episode is layered and complex, with lots of different perspectives and nuances coming to the front.

At its heart, the story shows how a person, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant, can make a lasting impact on the world, as seen through the eyes of a young girl. In this regard it is significant how none of the characters are given a name. It emphasizes the point that it is actions not names or lineages that matter.

The episode's release timing is also spot on, coming just as the remastered Fishman Island arc episodes are about to drop, while the weekly Egghead arc adaptation goes on a six-month hiatus.