One Piece Fan Letter

Opening with a montage of pirate-y action, One Piece Fan Letter is a look at the world through the eyes of a bystander in the Great Pirate Era, a young girl inspired by Nami's adventures, outsmarting her Devil Fruit infused opponents with wit and style. The 24 minute special starts with the Summit War of Marineford before skipping ahead 2 years to rejoin the girl in her village on the Sabaody Archipelago as she endeavours to escape her chores and deliver a letter to her heroine. 

Unfortunately she loses her letter to a marine who has his own letter to deliver, and as the two are mixed up the youngster finds herself involved in a race against time.

The framing is enjoyable as it creates its own small cast of memorable characters. The marine tasked with delivering a card key and his younger brother provide the inciting incidents for the action throughout the episode, while a local bar wherein the townsfolk debate the merits of different pirates comes in to play several times (never realising that the objects of their infatuation are often listening in unhappily to the rigorous debates raging over the drinks.  

The animation style is typically bonkers One Piece, with daily life looking every bit as vibrant as the high seas adventures that we're used to. Throughout the episode we're treated to little cameos from the main cast in the background, shopping, drinking or otherwise blending in. We get little pieces of the letter as the episode moves on, though honestly things like the time skip and a lot of the references are vague at best, so it's a little cluttered but no less enjoyable for the vagaries. If you want a detailed breakdown of all the cameos and references, One Piece Fandom has you covered.

For a relative neophyte like myself, I have to say I found the episode entertaining on its own merits. You don't need an encyclopedic knowledge of the One Piece timeline to follow along (though it doubtless adds texture) and it's genuinely impressive how the foibles of the surrounding characters come together to create a finale that feels quite inspired; the bookshop assistant's love of the Soul King and leaving keys in locks play a major part, the confusion of all the paperwork thrown into the air (pirate posters collected by the townsfolk that are jostled by invading bugs) and the ultimate payoff as our young protagonist gets a glimpse of her heroes as they escape the port - it's all very impressive for such a short feature and a joy to watch as you get caught up in the emotion of this relatively humble slice-of-life tale jostled by larger events. It's no less lovable for its often fleeting glances of the main characters and provides a good time by tapping into the force of nature that is the Straw Hats and their legacy.

So yes, you can enjoy this even if you've only seen the live-action adaptation, but you'll undoubtedly get more from it the more you know about the timeline. As a 24 minute sideline, it'll never be essential, but it sure is a lot of fun.