def METHOD_NAME(dataset: zarr.Array):
    value = dataset[...]
    if not hasattr(value, "dtype"):
        return value
    elif isinstance(value.dtype, str):
        pass
    elif issubclass(value.dtype.type, np.str_):
        value = value.astype(object)
    elif issubclass(value.dtype.type, np.string_):
        value = value.astype(str).astype(object)  # bytestring -> unicode -> str
    elif len(value.dtype.descr) > 1:  # Compound dtype
        # For backwards compat, now strings are written as variable length
        value = _from_fixed_length_strings(value)
    if value.shape == ():
        value = value[()]
    return value