One Piece (Eiichiro Oda, 1997-Present)
5 Stars
I’ve been in Japan for not far less than two years now, and despite my best efforts to maintain utter oblivion to the world of Manga, it was inevitable that eventually it was going to get me. Being unable to pop down to a comic store that sells anything in English, or tune into the Disney channel on an evening, I have been somewhat Jonesing for my X-men and Kim Possible fixes.
And so, after some gentle nudging from Manami, and a rather groovy collection of freebie key-chains from the 7/11, I found myself more and more intrigued by Eiichiro Oda’s pirate themed adventure, One Piece.
Following the exploits of young elasticated hero Monkey D. Luffy and his crew of unlikely miscreants as he endeavours to become king of the pirates, One Piece is a fantabulously fun franchise that has spread from comic, to TV, and even to a series of feature-length movies.
A cast of bizarre and endearing characters, ranging from anthropomorphic reindeer doctor Tony Tony Chopper and skeletal musician Brooke, to chain-smoking dandy chef Sanji (my own personal favourite) compliment engaging and exciting stories, that although read with vigour in the manga, do have a tendency to occasionally run a little long in the televised version – when one battle lasts for ten episodes, it is something of an overkill.
For me, however, the great selling point of the series is not simply the stellar cast, nor the award-winning flashbacks that constitute a major portion of the tale, but Oda’s brilliant artwork, bringing each character to life in their own individual style, complimenting each persona in inimitable charm.
Amidst a crazed culture of animation that verges from the most disturbing hentai to the overly cutesy, One Piece is certainly one piece of art that manages to walk that fine plank between annoying and disturbing, bringing to light a sexy, saucy and all-round awesome adventure in animation. With a plethora of books, cuddly toys, socks, action figures, and even a themed restaurant in Tokyo’s Ginza district, One Piece is piratey fun to keep you Going Merry.
5 Stars
I’ve been in Japan for not far less than two years now, and despite my best efforts to maintain utter oblivion to the world of Manga, it was inevitable that eventually it was going to get me. Being unable to pop down to a comic store that sells anything in English, or tune into the Disney channel on an evening, I have been somewhat Jonesing for my X-men and Kim Possible fixes.
And so, after some gentle nudging from Manami, and a rather groovy collection of freebie key-chains from the 7/11, I found myself more and more intrigued by Eiichiro Oda’s pirate themed adventure, One Piece.
Following the exploits of young elasticated hero Monkey D. Luffy and his crew of unlikely miscreants as he endeavours to become king of the pirates, One Piece is a fantabulously fun franchise that has spread from comic, to TV, and even to a series of feature-length movies.
A cast of bizarre and endearing characters, ranging from anthropomorphic reindeer doctor Tony Tony Chopper and skeletal musician Brooke, to chain-smoking dandy chef Sanji (my own personal favourite) compliment engaging and exciting stories, that although read with vigour in the manga, do have a tendency to occasionally run a little long in the televised version – when one battle lasts for ten episodes, it is something of an overkill.
For me, however, the great selling point of the series is not simply the stellar cast, nor the award-winning flashbacks that constitute a major portion of the tale, but Oda’s brilliant artwork, bringing each character to life in their own individual style, complimenting each persona in inimitable charm.
Amidst a crazed culture of animation that verges from the most disturbing hentai to the overly cutesy, One Piece is certainly one piece of art that manages to walk that fine plank between annoying and disturbing, bringing to light a sexy, saucy and all-round awesome adventure in animation. With a plethora of books, cuddly toys, socks, action figures, and even a themed restaurant in Tokyo’s Ginza district, One Piece is piratey fun to keep you Going Merry. 
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