At this very moment I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of the new chapter of my favorite manga, One Piece.
What to say? What NOT to say! If I could go on and on about Naruto, I could explode the World Wide Web with everything I love about One Piece! Who didn't dream about being a pirate, having adventures on the high seas with nakama(close friends) and finding the long lost treasure! With the advent of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, I think that pirate stories, tales of swashbucklers and one eye patches have been brought out from our childhood memories to the foreground once again. And nothing does it better than One Piece!
If I tried to explain the whole story here, we would all be here much longer than needed. I will attempt a short summery. At least, of the beginning. Once you read this story, there is no way to take such work and sum it up.
The story centers on Monkey D. Luffy, a young man in search of the fabled One Piece, a great treasure left by the now deceased Pirate King Gold Roger. Luffy has made a promise to his hero to become a great pirate. Once he has, he will return his trademark Straw Hat (Mugiwara) back to his hero, the pirate Shanks. Only Luffy has pushed it further, and swears he will one day be the Pirate King. He goes off to gather a crew and make a name for himself, battling high seas and enemies all for the sake of a dream.
This story is intense. It delves deep into each character, each one fully personalized and unique with varying dreams, skills, desires and abilities. The main focus is on Luffy's crew, the Straw Hats or Mugiwara's. Background is given and each character fully rounded so that the reader can fully appreciate each individual and understand their motivations and actions. It brings you into the story, making you feel like you are watching them change and grow while always remaining true to themselves.
Sound familiar? Its a good formula for a story, one that works, and I am not about to flame it just because it is similar in basics to other stories. There is a reason why it is used so often. But One Piece is as different from Naruto as yin and yang. There are subtle tweaks as well as entirely different story lines, different worlds and abilites, different laws of reality and mechanics. Each one can and does stand alone and be a work of art and genius.
I will admit that one of the biggest reason I love One Piece (or any manga/anime, for that matter,) is the Bishies. Bishie is short for Bishounen, which means... HOT MEN! :D
What can I say, I'm a sucker for good art.
Here is a short list of the male characters that I find particularly attractive, both in looks and in personality:
Zoro: sort of the unofficial first mate, the first crew member. He is the green haired swordsman of the Sentouryu, the Three Sword Style. His ambition is to be the greatest swordsman alive to fulfill a promise he made with an old friend. He has absolutely no sense of direction (wait, wasn't that supposed to be women?... and in this story, the navigator, well renowned, for her skills, is a woman.. hm...) He is quiet and lazy but loyal and protective of his nakama and has a strict sense of honor. when he speaks people listen, since his normally quite nature makes his words all that more powerful. But he still says things that make you stare and scratch your head sometimes. Or laugh out loud. This story has a lot of laughing, lots of emotion, even occasional tears and sadness. But a well rounded story is a joy to read.
Ace: Luffys big brother, in more than just blood. He is a member of the Whitebeard Pirates, the most feared and respected group of pirates since Gold Roger. Ace is the second division commander, user of the Fire Fire fruit. His nickname is "Fire Fist Ace," and he is one of the most powerful characters in the show. He has extreme narcolepsy, with hilarity ensuing. He doesn't make much of an appearance in the manga,(he travels with the crew a little longer in the anime) but he is one of the most popular characters outside of the Straw Hat crew. He is more muscular, politer, and more intelligent than his little brother, making people question their relation
*edit*as of now I am still in mourning over his tragic loss. He was my favorite character at one point and holds a special place in my heart. I will dedicate a post to him on another day. As of right now I still feel like he is going to pop out of nowhere and surprise us...
... I think I should leave the "list" as it is... So that will have to be a continuation in another post. I will most likely (occasionally) have whole posts dedicated to one or two characters, just to draw out personalities and different takes on different scenes. I vill require feedback for this be a success, so those of you reading, take action!
What are your opinions on One Piece? Good, bad, too good for words, blow your mind into a black hold awesomeness? Favorite characters, scenes, morals or back story, anything that comes to mind! Interaction is what makes blogging go 'round ;) Until next time!
PS: the title refers to the special "compass"used in One Piece, called a Log Pose, many times mistranslated in often hilarious ways.
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