I just had an epic mind boggling experience from One Piece!
HUGE FORESHADOW! Starting from chapter 524 that showed the huge cross that Zoro was admiring! In the anime they went more into detail on the crews whereabouts. Zoro is walking around the ruins of the war torn island, trying to find the sea while Perona(from the Thriller Bark arc) floats around him. As they come to the center of the ruins, he notices a huge cross in the very center. He pauses, looking at it intensely, admiring it and saying that it is very skilled work that took a lot of time and a lot of effort. Then he was attacked by the weapon wielding ape creatures.
THEN this latest chapter(592) has MIHAWK showing up with the island(Kuraigana) and he says it is his home! Mihawks theme tends to lean towards Spanish conquistador/vampire with crosses all over, with his sword in the shape of a cross to his tiny dagger that is a cross...
So that huge cross was a foreshadow of the island being Mihawks home! Zoro's Ultimate Rival, The man with the title The Worlds Best Swordsman! I never saw it coming.. it is so twistedly perfect that it is nearly impossible to spot!
That is one of the things I love about this manga/anime.. most things are tied in, back and around, creating foreshadows or tie-ins that seem random but actually make it that much more in depth and interesting!
And the thing is, it seems like Zoro doesn't even try to attack Mihawk! This is different because the first time Zoro sees Mihawk in chapter 51 at the Baratie(Floating restaurant where Sanji is made a crew man and Don Krieg is defeated), he immediately challenges and attacks him. This restraint may show how much Zoro has grown and matured, knowing that he is not yet to the level of Mihawk and will wait, training until he is ready. It may also be due to the fact the Mihawk tells them what has happened at Marineford, and Zoro is desperate to get to Luffy to help him, even challenging the weapon wielding apes in his wounded state.
Mihawk even tries to help Zoro, giving him a boat that ends up being destroyed. Zoro says it doesn't matter, he will just cling to the wood and swim. Mihawk points out that he is wounded and it would be better for Zoro to come back to the castle, since these apes would be able to beat a conceited child. Zoro knows he is talking about him, but does not react, only saying that nothing matters but getting back to Luffy. Mihawk sighs and says have it your way, and then it ends! Mihawk "Hawkeyes" is an awesome character... will do a post on him one day!
And what was with Chopper freaking out about the newspaper in chapter 591! He says "Luffy, not again!!" To me, that says that Luffy's bounty has risen again... I mean, it has to, since he punched a World Noble. I wonder what Eustass Kidd's reaction will be...And what is Rayleighs plan for the Straw Hat crew, for their revival? All the little cliffhangers everywhere are driving me crazy.. but that is why I love it! Because I know that Oda (author and artist) will bring it all together in some crazy, amazing way! But I might die from suspense first...
Showing posts with label anime. Show all posts
Showing posts with label anime. Show all posts
Friday, July 16, 2010
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Long Post, not Log Pose...
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.
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.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Beginnings
How does someone get started on the wonderful world that is anime and manga? I remember the first time I saw my first anime, Naruto. It was a late night babysitting for a neighbor several years ago, and I was just flipping through the channels trying to find something to ease the boredom. Bright colors caught my eye(always a sucker for cartoons) and I stopped, interested. In about five minutes I was hooked for life. Hook, line, sinker, brain, sanity, the whole shibang.
I can't even remember the episode now. I think it might have been when Kakashi was putting the seal on Sauske's curse mark, and Orochimaru came up and was all creepy. Back then I didn't even know the name of the show. But that didn't stop me! I spent the whole next day looking up Ninja anime, finally finding my first love; Kakashi! ;)
I think I spent almost a straight year watching all the episodes. I would spend hours and hours a day watching on the computer. My parents became worried, then frustrated, limiting my hours of computer time. But I never gave up!
What I really liked about this show is the message and the way the characters progressed. It may be a little cheesy (especially in the 4Kids dubs... *shivers with horror*), but this show isn't just your normal kick-fight-win show. Each character was fully developed and personalized, each one having their own unique personalities.
The show focuses on Naruto, but each one of his friends and enemies are given ample screen time. Sometimes entire episodes(or chapters, as the case may be) devoted to different characters. They each grew and progressed in their own way, becoming smarter and stronger to reach their own goals. Watching them progress in the story was probably my favorite part. Rock Lee, Gaara, Neji, and Shikamaru were some of the characters that I think really grew a lot, especially pre Shippuden story line. Their stories were some of my favorite.
The message in the Naruto is to never give up, no matter the obstacles or challenges. Always strive for your dreams, your goals, and do it in a way you can be proud of. Rely on your friends, because if sometimes you can't do something, maybe they can. It sounds kinda corny when you say it, but it's an important message especially in today's world. "All you need is a little help from your friends..."
Breaking out in song always solidifies a point :)
Anyway, I could go on about Naruto (kinda like how its gone on and on and on...) and if there are any thoughts on Naruto itself please share! I also want to hear how other people got started. What was your first anime(or manga) that got you hooked? What is it about your first one that made you love it or hate it, keep up with it or move on to something else? Any deep philosophical, underlying meanings or just a good time? Let me know!
I can't even remember the episode now. I think it might have been when Kakashi was putting the seal on Sauske's curse mark, and Orochimaru came up and was all creepy. Back then I didn't even know the name of the show. But that didn't stop me! I spent the whole next day looking up Ninja anime, finally finding my first love; Kakashi! ;)
I think I spent almost a straight year watching all the episodes. I would spend hours and hours a day watching on the computer. My parents became worried, then frustrated, limiting my hours of computer time. But I never gave up!
What I really liked about this show is the message and the way the characters progressed. It may be a little cheesy (especially in the 4Kids dubs... *shivers with horror*), but this show isn't just your normal kick-fight-win show. Each character was fully developed and personalized, each one having their own unique personalities.
The show focuses on Naruto, but each one of his friends and enemies are given ample screen time. Sometimes entire episodes(or chapters, as the case may be) devoted to different characters. They each grew and progressed in their own way, becoming smarter and stronger to reach their own goals. Watching them progress in the story was probably my favorite part. Rock Lee, Gaara, Neji, and Shikamaru were some of the characters that I think really grew a lot, especially pre Shippuden story line. Their stories were some of my favorite.
The message in the Naruto is to never give up, no matter the obstacles or challenges. Always strive for your dreams, your goals, and do it in a way you can be proud of. Rely on your friends, because if sometimes you can't do something, maybe they can. It sounds kinda corny when you say it, but it's an important message especially in today's world. "All you need is a little help from your friends..."
Breaking out in song always solidifies a point :)
Anyway, I could go on about Naruto (kinda like how its gone on and on and on...) and if there are any thoughts on Naruto itself please share! I also want to hear how other people got started. What was your first anime(or manga) that got you hooked? What is it about your first one that made you love it or hate it, keep up with it or move on to something else? Any deep philosophical, underlying meanings or just a good time? Let me know!
Monday, July 12, 2010
Starting out: Manga, Anime and the Fans
Hello! and welcome to the blog that is dedicated to everything Manga and Anime!
I started this blog for many reasons. One, I personally enjoy the stuff :) Two, I want to see what other people have to say about it all; the FanFiction, FanArt, the actual stories and art. There will be posts on many different manga's and anime, including the "Triforce" of manga: One Piece (:D), Naruto and Bleach. But I am totally open to other stories. My favorites bar is full of stuff I've read, and discussion on anything is totally welcome. There will (hopefully) be stuff about the writers or artists themselves, their styles and techniques. There will be spoilers, but they will be labeled as such. If there are spoilers in comments, please make a note of it. Feel free to branch out topics, because I sure will ;) (I don't have Attention Defici- AH! New Chapter posted!...)
I have been engrossed in the world of Fanfiction for a long time, finally actually writing some of my own a few months back. There are some fantastic stories with fantastic people behind them. Here on this blog I will post and welcome posts about different fanfictions, the likes and dislikes, as well as any fanfiction that anyone is working on :) I personally like to have a sounding board for my stories, and I am still a beginner in the fanfiction world. Suggestions, comments and critiques are the lifeblood of a writer. Feel free to post small excerpts you like or are having trouble with, questions about techniques, Do's and Dont's to writing, vents or eurekas! Links to full stories will be allowed, but don't post multi chapter stories on the comments :)... I don't think they would even fit... Anyway, I will definitely love to hear what you all think about any of my posts regarding the many facets of Fanfiction :)
FanArt is something that amazes me. The talent that those people have, their creativity, just knocks me over sometimes. I would love to throw out ideas, hear other ideas, comment on other peoples work, and hear from others what they like. Its a big world out there, full of things to be shared and shown :) On that note, I think that the DeviantArt website (link) has the best selection of FanArt, as well as pretty much any other kind of art imaginable. Check it out and tell me what you think :)
So a little bit of everything is what I'm trying to do I guess :) Jump in, throw ideas, questions, comments, critiques and suggestions around; get messy, make mistakes! And please remember to respect others ideas and keep the ratings at the most a low PG-13. Freedom of opinion and expression is welcome and encouraged, but everyone is different and has different ideas. This is not a blog to talk about hentai manga/anime, or to post things inappropriate for the general reader. Arigato and Ja ne!
I started this blog for many reasons. One, I personally enjoy the stuff :) Two, I want to see what other people have to say about it all; the FanFiction, FanArt, the actual stories and art. There will be posts on many different manga's and anime, including the "Triforce" of manga: One Piece (:D), Naruto and Bleach. But I am totally open to other stories. My favorites bar is full of stuff I've read, and discussion on anything is totally welcome. There will (hopefully) be stuff about the writers or artists themselves, their styles and techniques. There will be spoilers, but they will be labeled as such. If there are spoilers in comments, please make a note of it. Feel free to branch out topics, because I sure will ;) (I don't have Attention Defici- AH! New Chapter posted!...)
I have been engrossed in the world of Fanfiction for a long time, finally actually writing some of my own a few months back. There are some fantastic stories with fantastic people behind them. Here on this blog I will post and welcome posts about different fanfictions, the likes and dislikes, as well as any fanfiction that anyone is working on :) I personally like to have a sounding board for my stories, and I am still a beginner in the fanfiction world. Suggestions, comments and critiques are the lifeblood of a writer. Feel free to post small excerpts you like or are having trouble with, questions about techniques, Do's and Dont's to writing, vents or eurekas! Links to full stories will be allowed, but don't post multi chapter stories on the comments :)... I don't think they would even fit... Anyway, I will definitely love to hear what you all think about any of my posts regarding the many facets of Fanfiction :)
FanArt is something that amazes me. The talent that those people have, their creativity, just knocks me over sometimes. I would love to throw out ideas, hear other ideas, comment on other peoples work, and hear from others what they like. Its a big world out there, full of things to be shared and shown :) On that note, I think that the DeviantArt website (link) has the best selection of FanArt, as well as pretty much any other kind of art imaginable. Check it out and tell me what you think :)
So a little bit of everything is what I'm trying to do I guess :) Jump in, throw ideas, questions, comments, critiques and suggestions around; get messy, make mistakes! And please remember to respect others ideas and keep the ratings at the most a low PG-13. Freedom of opinion and expression is welcome and encouraged, but everyone is different and has different ideas. This is not a blog to talk about hentai manga/anime, or to post things inappropriate for the general reader. Arigato and Ja ne!
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