This live action is a pleasant surprise!
This show actually makes me care more about Coby, Helmeppo, Garp--characters I never really care much about in the manga.
The portrayal of Coby's internal conflict about how the marines aren't all good and the pirates aren't all bad was done well.
Helmeppo actually got some character development! From a spoiled nepotism brat to someone who genuinely wants to be a good marine!
It's nice to see how Garp slowly becomes a father figure and a mentor for Coby too.
All of the "important scenes" for each of the original Straw Hats were done well.
The child actors' performance could've been better though, especially Usopp.
But my favorite part about this version must be the villains' performance. The actors absolutely nailed it.
Alvida: didn't have much screen time, but she did well.
Morgan: he feels more powerful in this, but I'm not complaining. He was good.
Buggy: intimidating, annoying, unintentionally funny, just like in the manga.
Kuro: a menace. He gave me the creeps.
Mihawk: BROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO ARE YOU KIDDING ME HE WAS ABSOLUTELY PERFECT
Arlong: at first I was disappointed by his appearance, but his great performance made me forget about it. He IS Arlong.
I saw some people complaining about some tweaks on the story, but I have no issue with any of the changes.
The changes still followed the heart of the story and that's all that matters to me.
Overall, I'm a happy fan. I'm definitely looking forward to season 2 and more.