Netflix's Newest Samurai Epic is a Must-Watch for One Piece Fans

Summary

• At the end of January, a new anime, Monsters: 103 Mercies Dragon Damnation, was released on Netflix.
• Monsters is based on the manga by Eiichiro Oda, the creator of One Piece.
• Not only is the anime directly related to One Piece, but it is an equally spectacular story.

One Piece, a live-action adaptation of the famous pirate franchise, was an instant hit on Netflix, prompting the streaming service to approve the release of season two, and the creators' plans for 12 seasons are well underway. The success of the series is largely due to the fact that it was overseen by the creator of the franchise himself, Japanese mangaka Eiichiro Oda.

And now his close collaboration with Neftlix is in full swing, as last month the platform's library was replenished with a new anime based on his manga, Monsters: 103 Mercies Dragon Damnation.

The new anime focuses not on pirate adventures but on samurai wanderings, telling the story of a skirmish between a dragon and a lone ronin determined to defend a town attacked by the creature. Monsters delivers an epic story with a great visual style that will appeal even to those unfamiliar with the One Piece manga.

However, One Piece fans will also appreciate Netflix's new release, as the plot is directly related to the events that the Straw Hat Pirates will one day face.

Eiichiro Oda's New Release on Netflix

Monsters was a one-shot manga released in 1994, 3 years before One Piece changed pop culture history forever. However, this predecessor is no less a fascinating and epic story. At the center of events is a young and energetic samurai named Ryuma, who is brought by fate to a small town. There, a waitress at a local restaurant feeds him, and Ryuma is willing to sacrifice his life in gratitude.

And he will have to show his gratitude soon, because a new danger is looming over the town — the arrival of the Dragon, which can destroy all inhabitants in an instant.

A Must-See for Fans That Will Also Appeal to Those Unfamiliar with One Piece

Monsters, initially unrelated to the future One Piece, ended up being integrated into the lore of the pirate franchise, a fact confirmed by Eiichiro Oda only by the time of the Thriller Bark Arc (i.e. 14 years after the Monsters manga was published). Ryuma turned out to be the legendary swordsman Shimotsuki Ryuma, touted as the Sword God, and a direct ancestor of Roronoa Zoro.

Notably, the narrator of Monsters is Zoro himself, voiced by his original voice actors from the One Piece anime, Kazuya Nakai in Japanese and Christopher Sabat in English. This proves to be not only an additional link between the two stories, but also a parallelism between Zoro and his ancestor, as both strive to become the best swordsmen in the world.

Only during the events of the original, Zoro, who initially pursued selfish goals, learns to resemble Luffy in being open-minded and selfless. Ryuma, on the other hand, resembles Luffy much more, being a simple but compassionate hero, which suggests that this is exactly who Zoro is as well, no matter how much he tries to be a tough guy.

First of all, as already mentioned, the protagonist of Monsters is a pretty archetypal anime hero that few people will be disappointed by. After all, this is always a great type of character, who not only puts values like kindness, compassion, and endless optimism in the forefront with his words, but also with his actions, and who is always willing to sacrifice himself for others.

Second, it's an incredibly spectacular anime in its own right, thanks to the elevated art style. Produced by E&H Production Studio under the direction of Sunghoo Park, the director of the first season of Jujutsu Kaisen and its popular prequel Jujutsu Kaisen 0, the anime will feature unforgettable visual effects that will amaze you with their dynamism and power.