To cut it short, yes, you should.
Summary:
- Monsters is a one-shot manga by the author of One Piece.
- The anime adaptation is out.
- You can enjoy it even if you’re not a One Piece fan.
Monsters: 103 Mercies Dragon Damnation (Monsters: Ippyaku Sanjou Hiryuu Jigoku) is an original net animation or ONA by E&H Production, based on the one-shot manga by Eiichiro Oda, the author of One Piece. It premiered on Netflix on January 22 with a single episode.
The manga was published back in 1994, even before One Piece began its serialization, and became a somewhat start to this legendary franchise. It was the first time we saw Ryuma, who was a world-famous samurai in the One Piece universe.
Swordsmen and a dragon
Monsters begins with a story about a dragon horn being stolen years ago. This is an artifact said to have the ability to control dragons.
Meanwhile, Ryuma is being kicked out of a restaurant for not being able to pay. However, there’s a kind girl named Flare who gives him something to eat, and he’s more than thankful to her.
What does all this have to do with a 7-year-old story about a frightening dragon annihilating an entire village and a famous swordsman named Cyrano? We won’t tell you, you just have to watch the episode and see.
It’s good as a standalone project
Monsters is set in the same universe as One Piece, and its story is 100% canon. However, that doesn’t mean that you’ll have to watch 1000+ episodes of One Piece to enjoy Monsters, don’t worry.
There are a couple of references to One Piece, and the ending includes a scene from the Thriller Bark Arc, but it won’t make you confused or annoyed by the fact that you don’t really know what that is. It would be a wonderful Easter Egg if you’re a One Piece fan, though.
One Piece fans are also happy to hear some familiar voices. The narrator and the dragon are voiced by Kazuya Nakai, who is Roronoa Zoro's voice actor in One Piece.
But the story of Monsters is very enjoyable even if you don’t even know what One Piece is about. It follows different characters (except Ryuma, of course) and doesn’t require you to be familiar with the OP universe.
If you are a One Piece fan, Monsters is just a must-see for you. Despite E&H Production’s lack of projects and popularity, the studio proved to be capable of creating visual beauty in just 25 minutes. And it’s always nice to know how such a phenomenal series got started.