Showing posts with label one. Show all posts
Showing posts with label one. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 7, 2010

One Piece Ch. 591 - You Sure That's Alright?

*SPOILERS!!! READ WITH CAUTION!*
Review

So after the very casual opening page of Rayleigh and Crocus relaxing and unwinding in a hot spring, Oda dives straight into the plot and low and behold, Rayleigh's back! He left his vivre card with Shakky so that the Straw Hats could make it back safely to Saboady and he could travel freely. Then it seems that Jinbei knows Rayleigh and is quite shocked to see him.

Luffy's trademark Straw Hat is given back to him by Rayleigh so that solves the mystery of how he'd get it back. After a brief interlude of Law's crew, we are thrown back to Amazon Lily where it's revealed that Rayleigh knows Gloriosa (or Elder Nyon as we know her), as well as Hancock and her two sisters. Hancock is oblivious to Rayleigh and just focuses on Luffy yet again and it takes her a while to realise that Rayleigh is indeed on their island. Suddenly we are thrown into a small flashback of Kuma saying that he wanted to help the Straw Hats escape and that he has no more time left. Shakky also reveals that she knows exactly why Hancock helped Luffy and that her woman's intuition was completely correct. Rayleigh suggests an idea that would help Luffy but of course before we can see what it is, we see Usopp.

Now Usopp has been living on Boin Archipelago it's seen that he's grown quite fat which is a hilarious twist on his sub plot! He keeps on trying to fight monsters which are clearly more powerful than him and always getting beaten down. But it doesn't stop him and he keeps going, trying to get off the island. It is then shown that the island is actually a carnivorous plant known as the "Stomach Baron". Usopp then pulls a "Coby" face revealing that he has to get back to Luffy and help him through this terrible time or he can't be a part of his crew which is very noble of him.

We the turn to Chopper, who has smoothed things out between the giant birds and the humans in Torino Kingdom. Again Chopper is getting ready to leave as he's heard about Luffy's situation, showing how the two most cowardly members of the crew are showing initiative and trying to help Luffy. Chopper leaves on a giant bird, ready to go back when he reads something in a newspaper to do with Luffy, leaving us at a cliffhanger before we can find out.
Thursday, May 20, 2010

One Piece Ch. 585 - Brothers Cups

*CAUTION SPOILERS AHEAD*
Review

I'm really enjoying these random cover pages Oda is bring out for these recent chapters. They're giving us an insight to some of the characters who aren't major ones but still had major influences on the plot. Anyway... on to the actual chapter!

Still in flashback mode, we finally get some insight to Luffy's previous comment of how he never once beat Ace when they were both kids. I'm glad Oda included this short scene as it gives some depth and backs up Luffy's statement. Ace's comment saying only "100 fights per day" shows how they really went at it when they were young. I liked seeing Luffy, Sabo and Ace rounding up dinner and especially Sabo's statement about how Luffy "better not get eaten this time". I thought that was so typical of Luffy to act before he thinks and I really like how that panel was drawn as well. The detail on the 3 boys show how they finally have accepted Luffy as one of them.

I was intrigued to see that Windmill Village was just a small dot on the map of Goa Kingdom. This really shows what kind of environment Luffy was brought up in compared to the rest of his country. Sabo's backstroy brought him to life as well instead of just being some random kid. Knowing that he is actually the child of a noble was fleshed out really well considering he's not a main character in the overall plot. Knowning that he is, in a way, fighting for his freedom in becoming a pirate really shows why he wants to be one. This scene really brings to light the symbolism of Luffy calling Ace his "brother". I was wondering how Oda planned to convey them finally bonding and accepting each other and this seemed like the perfect way to do it and incorporate Sabo.

After that scene the chapter flies by pretty quickly. It shows the boys going back to Makino's bar in Windmill Village, the return of Garp and how the boys grew to be so close. Of course every fun time must come to an end and sadly Sabo gets taken away by his parents. I wonder what Luffy and Ace will do to get Sabo back and how will this increase their bond as brothers. I suppose we have to wait until next week.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010

One Piece Ch 582 - Luffy and Ace

*CAUTION SPOILERS AHEAD!!!!*
Review

I must say, this cheerful colourspread is a nice change of pace from what we've been seeing recently. But on to the actual chapter. So we now know that two weeks have past since the war and the marines are becoming less lenient as more pirate crews attempt to cross the Grand Line. This effect mirrors the effect of Gol D. Roger's death in a way as again pirate crews have become inspired to search for One Piece once again. The next page is a quick flashback of Ivakov leaving Law's ship basically as his work is done. I must say, Ivankov has grown on me so I'm a little disappointed to see him leave but I really want to see him arrive on Momorio island and meet Sanji.


Back to the present, Luffy, Jimbei, Hancock and Law's crew have docked on Amazon Lily. And Luffy's face of anguish is ever present yet again. I felt this face was very well deserving considering what he's going through at the moment. Boa seems more relieved that anything to hear that Luffy's alive more than anything. Now I felt that these two pages or so were not really needed in the chapter and made it a little more slow paced. Elder Nyon was basically explaining what we and the characters already knew so I didn't feel those panels were that necessary. However Luffy's anguished cries were really needed here as we can finally see him grieve (even if he is risking his life at the same time). The writing was slightly hard to read here but I guess it was all used for effect so I can understand that. Now when Jimbei steps in and confirms that Ace actually is dead, that was a heart breaking scene. But Luffy's facial expression is slightly too comical to mimic the pain he really is in.


And this scene of tears leads us to our next flashback, taking place 10 years ago. It's after Shanks leaves Fuschia as Luffy is wearing his hat and has his scar, and he's walking along with Garp to meet... Dadan!! A person we've all been waiting to meet. And she's a woman! Not only that but Luffy and Ace's foster mother!!! What a twist! Finally we're able to meet her! And before I finish this review I have to comment on this last page. Ace and Luffy's first meeting. Ace is looking badass and beautifully drawn and I'm really intrigued as to their back story!!
Thursday, February 18, 2010

One Piece Ch. 575 - Wordless Rage

*CAUTION! SPOILERS AHEAD!*
Review

So the world is in shock. Fire Fist Ace is dead. Seeing the whole world in shock like that just reinforces what a big impact Ace's deathhas onwhole entire pirating world. Now we were all wondering what Luffy would do in this chapter and honestly, it's not all that surprising that he's mentally collapsed. Akainu moves in for the kill but Commander Marco steps in saving Luffy's life. I like what he states here, "That boy's life... is now what remains of Ace's will!" To see that everyone is doing whatever they can to save Luffy just reinforces how important Ace was to them.

Now the most awesome panel... seeing Whitebeard own Akainu. Many Ace fans waited so long for this moment and it was fantastically well drawn. Although Akainu fights back, almost melting most of Whitebeard's face we can expect Whitebeard to leave that fight unharmed. To see the marine HQ crumble so easily and to see what Whitebeard is still capable of is amazing. It crumbled like nothing and to see Whitebeard state "I'm not done yet" would make anyone freak whether they are friend or foe.

Now it's weird that the Marines never noticed that big giant behind the HQ building but I guess that's the way the chapter rolls. Suddenly the panel switches to something above the execution platform. And low and behold it's Blackbeard with his new and improved crew. I enjoyed how Oda keeps the arc moving at a good pace and to see Blackbeard back really raises some new questions. Sadly we have to wait for 2 weeks until we find out what his new crew does and if he will finally get rid of Whitebeard.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010

One Piece Ch 574 - *Title removed because of MAJOR SPOILAGE!!!*

*CAUTION SPOILERS AHEAD*

*Ok seriously MAJOR spoilers ahead - that's why I've censored the name of this chapter. So please please do not read if you hate spoilers. I know I warn people every week but I don't want to be the cause of spoiling this chapter for you. So please only read if you have read chapter 574!!!*

Review

So where we last left Ace Akainu had thrust his fist into his stomach. So it's not looking good. Seeing the shocked faces of everyone is heart wrenching. So now everyone is after Akainu and Garp's face and reaction is devastating. As Akainu tries to move in for the kill on Ace, Jimbei interferes and I must say his monologue here is fantastic. The panel itself was well drawn and the dialogue was brilliant.

Now Garp's anguish and anger here is expected and as he says "... I'm going to murder... that Sakazuki..." is again, heart wrenching. Vista and Marco using Haki on Akainu was fantastic and at least they were able to immobilise him for at least a few minutes.

And now we move to Luffy and Ace. I liked how Oda made the rest of the battle seem to fade out and just centered in on these two. Ace's monologue here is brilliant. It is a work of art. The mini flashbacks that Ace is having is not a good sign but reinforces how tortured Ace was as a child and how he overcome all of that to become a great pirate. Pages 14-15 got me. Ace's expression here was very well drawn. I know I've used the word brilliant a lot but it was brilliantly drawn. Finally Ace's life has come to an end and it came to an end like a true D. With a smile on his face. Luffy's face of anguish is devastating but I loved how Oda ended the chapter with Ace's birth. It just added even more anguish to the death.

Now I hope I've done this review justice and I hope all of you enjoyed reading it. For those of you who read the review without reading the actually chapter I'm sorry but I did warn everyone. The next 2 reviews will be coming soon so stay tuned.
Friday, February 5, 2010

One Piece Ch. 573 - The Current Age is Named Whitebeard

*CAUTION SPOILERS AHEAD*
Review

Whitebeard vs. The Navy. A fight we all knew was coming but we never wanted to accept. So as all of Whitebeard's sons struggle to conceive the fact that their father is willing to sacrifice himself for them the Navy keep on trying to win the battle. Sengoku and Garp appear to be alive and I liked their comments about Whitebeard.


I always love how Oda will break a chapter up if it's getting too intense. The page with Buggy trying to broadcast his "coolness" was a fantastic diversion from the intense battle that was raging on. I loved the public reaction after Buggy announced himself. It was priceless!

Back to Ace, his bowing down to Whitebeard was a great scene. The amount of respect that Ace showed to Whitebeard shows that he really was truly loved. Though at the same time I just wanted him and Luffy to get out of there otherwise something bad would happen. And sure enough the marine "Red Dog" shows up and insults Whitebeard. Ace's love for Whitebeard as well as his love for his brother is tested here. But to see Ace get burnt for Luffy was heartbreaking. So after this whole arc the question still remains. Will Ace live?
Friday, December 11, 2009

One Piece Ch. 567 - Marine Headquaters, Marineford - Oris Grounds

*CAUTION!! SPOILERS AHEAD!!*
Review

Ok, let me start off by saying awesome cover art!! It was colourful and quirky, just what you expect from Oda! Moving on to the actual chapter, it's great seeing Whitebeard in action like this. Also seeing his stand up to Aokiji was brilliant, it really emphasises that Luffy has got a lot to learn before he can advance. And seeing Diamond Jos stand up to Aokiji like that, I'm looking forward to that fight. I hope Oda focuses on it soon, it would be a shame to see a fight like that go to waste.

Now Luffy, I'm sorry to say but even though he has so much ambition, that can only get you so far. Sadly, Gear Second doesn't even seem to scratch his opponents anymore. He needs to find a way to take on Kizaru, and I'm hoping that way will involve Haki since he needs to learn how to master that if he wants to journey to New World.

I'm looking forward to seeing Jimbei fight. Since he said that he's decided that this will be the place he'll die, I have a feeling he's going to pull out all stops and I'm looking forward to seeing them. And finally Garp enters the fight. The legendary marine. I can't wait to see him fight, but I hope he doesn't lose sight and lets war come in front of family.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009

AMV Review - One Piece: Sail On

AMV of the week

Summary
Yay! My first ever AMV of the week segment!!So the first AMV that I'm going to be reviewing comes from the anime One Piece. It's called Sail On named after the song called (funnily enough) Sail On. The song was composed by a group called Masterplan and the AMV was made by Many Lemon Productions.

Video
Now this AMV is very fast paced. I found that the video clips were cropped and sped up to match the pace of the song. You can tell that ever little clip was timed to match the lyrics of the song perfectly. I enjoyed the fact that there were points in the AMV when there were different layers of clips layered on top of each other. Now normally, this effect can be overused and it just makes the clip look overcrowded but from 0:15 to 0:25 the use of titles and pictures overlayed on top of the video creates a great intro to the video.

Music
The song Sail On by Masterplan is one of the most suited songs for One Piece to date. If I didn't know better I'd say that it was made especially for the anime. The lyrics 'We always have to sail on' basically sums up one of the most important themes of One Piece; Don't give up. I also liked the use of layering to make it look like various characters are singing the song. Different lines in the song seems to apply to different characters and I'm glad that Many Lemons acted on that and didn't just base the AMV on one character.

Theme
I'd say the theme that can be seen in this AMV would be action. More than action, I'd also say that it just wants to show off One Piece in it's glory. While the AMV may not have focused on a specific fight or arc it shows the Straw-Hat pirates passion for their dreams and how none of them will let anything get in the way of that.

Thursday, December 3, 2009

One Piece Ch. 566 - Fierce Attack

*SPOILERS AHEAD!! READ WITH CAUTION!!!*
Review

Luffy going up against the 3 Admirals didn't go so well for him. They all got the better of him. I guess that shows that Luffy still has a whole lot to learn about the World Government if he wants to make it to New World. Crocodile really shone here saving Ace in the way that he did. I'm intrigued by the relationship between him and DoFlamingo (other than the fact that Crocodile was once a Shichibukai). I'm looking forward to see how that fight goes, not to mention seeing Marco stand up to the 3 Admirals was amazing!

I really thought that Whitebeard's pirates would have had no hope of getting through the wall but I loved how they made it through. I absolutely loved the fact that Oars ended up carrying the ship through and that finally penetrated through the wall. It's nice to know that Luffy has more back up.

Now that Whitebeard has finally unsheathed his sword, this war is really going to get interesting. Not to mention that he has invoked both Sengoku and Garp into joining the fight now. I would love to see Whitebeard fighting the two of them off, as well as learning what Sengoku's ability actually is. Once again, Oda hasn't failed to present something brilliant.
Friday, November 27, 2009

One Piece Strong World Ch. 0

*SPOILERS!!! READ WITH CAUTION!!!!!*
Review
So this was the special that everyone was waiting for. If you didn't know what the hype of this chapter was all about, well basically it was said to be a prequel to the 10th One Piece Movie known as: One Piece Strong World. As well as being the 10th One Piece movie, Strong World also has the honour to be overseen by the creator of One Piece itself, Eiichiro Oda.

So chapter 0 starts off about 3 years before Gold Roger's execution and introduces us to a new character, Shiki also known as 'Golden Leo'. Now Shiki may be the main focus of some but just for a while I'm going to talk about all of the other characters. I absolutely loved the fact that Oda focused on just about everyone who was alive during that time. He went from the marines (Garp, Aokiji, Sengoku), to pirates (Shanks, Buggy, Rayleigh), to future shichibukai (Moria, Boa Hancock, Do Flamiongo, Hawkeye Mihawk, Crocodile) to many others.

The way Oda set up this chapter was amazing. Nothing was there to 'fill in the space'. All of the panels meant something, whether it was watching how Shiki formed his master plan or how the many other characters reacted to Roger's death. This chapter really set up the entire movie plot an I myself cannot wait for the movie!
Thursday, September 3, 2009

One Piece Ch. 556 - Justice Will Prevail


*SPOILERS AHEAD!!*

Summary

Cover Story - Nami's adventure in Weatheria ends.

Oars is down and out thanks to the Shichibukai. As Whitebeard mourns the loss of his comrade, Vice Admiral Ronse tries to catch him off guard but Whitebeard is too quick and manages to attack Ronse before any damage affects him. As Whitebeard urges his men to push past Oars and keep fighting, DoFlamingo uses his Devil Fruit to do some damage to the 13th Division Captain. Meanwhile, Coby and Helmeppo are trying not to get too involved in the battle. DoFlamingo then states that whichever side wins this battle will gain justice. Whitebeard's crew keeps on fighting while Garp goes up to see Ace and asks why didn't he live. Luffy and co. ship finally goes flying past and they fall out of the ship, leaving them all free falling down to earth.


Review

The cover story: Nami seems intrigued as she's watching Weatheria's weather science in action. Could it be possible that she may gain some sort of new power here? I hope so!

Now the Main Story: Well the battle is still in full action. Oars is down for the count as many predicted so that wasn't much of a twist. I do wish that we see more of Whitebeard's power as we are still only getting snippets of it. I enjoyed seeing Coby and Helmeppo again but I think that they should have a slightly larger part. Hopefully that opportunity comes along once Luffy enters the fight. DoFlamingo's speech really intriugued me. He is right and because of that speech, the stakes seem alot more higher for the winners of this battle. I'm really glad Garp showed up and showed some emotion. Ace why didn't you live??? A very tear jerking part I thought. But I do love how Oda always uses comedy when you least expect it and Luffy and the rest of the gang falling out of the ship was priceless!! Ahh but finally, Luffy's returned!!!!!! About time!!! Now when's the next chapter coming out??
Friday, August 28, 2009

One Piece Ch. 555 - Oars and the Conical Hat


Summary

Cover story - Nami's adventure in 'Weatheria' begins.


Oars attacks all of the marines ships, swearing that he will save Ace. Ace cries to Oars to stop as he'll only become a target. Oars manages to open a path into the bay for Whitebeard's crew so they charge in. Boa Hancock fights back against both Pirates and Marine stating she agreed to be a part of the battle against Whitebeard, but never said she would ally herself with the Marines. Kuma shocks Oars with his attack: Ursus Shock. A flashback of the relationship between Ace and Oars then occurs and shows that Ace created the hats that Oars wears to protect him from the weather. DonFlamingo then cuts off one of Oars' legs and Moria strikes him in the back just as Oars was about to reach Ace.


Review

On to the cover story first: So it's finally Nami's turn. I wonder what 'Weatheria' will hold in store for her? The wizard seems to be pointing to a sheet and asking for them. Maybe he's looking for parts?? I really hope Nami comes out of this with a new and improved Clima Tact because that would be really cool.

Now to the main story: What a jam packed chapter. I enjoyed seeing Oars fight for Ace that much. I enjoyed seeing that element of 'Never giving up' put in action again after all the negativity that Ace has given off. I must say, I really am missing Luffy throughout these chapters. But I do understand that we should have the opportunity to Ace's relationship with his crew without Luffy.

Boa Hancock really kicked ass in this chapter. Her attacks are amazing. I'm glad that she stated that she isn't an ally of the Marines. Shows us just what kind of power a Shichibukai has.

The bond between Ace and Oars was really portrayed very well throughout the chapter thanks to the flashback. I must say, I really hope Oars is not dead, he came so close!
Wednesday, August 26, 2009

The Art of One Piece


As this is my first post and review, I thought I should start out with something a little more closer to home.

One Piece

Synopsis
Before he was executed, the legendary Pirate King Gold Roger revealed that he had hidden the treasure One Piece somewhere in the Grand Line. Now, many pirates are off looking for this legendary treasure to claim the title Pirate King. One pirate, Monkey D. Luffy, is a boy who had eaten the Devil's Fruit and gained rubber powers. Now he and his crew are off to find One Piece, while battling enemies and making new friends along the way. (Taken from AnimeNewsNetwork)

Story
What may first repel you from watching One Piece could be the art style. It may seem to be an art style that is very simple, but that is made up as the fantastic storyline will ultimately win you over. Eiichiro Oda is able to captivate the hearts of anyone with his brilliant wit, which is shown in the anime. The detail of all the characters are amazing and he weaves in the most unpredictable twists into the story which will leave you hanging on for more.

Animation
The animation in One Piece is fairly simple yet smooth at the same time. Movement is timed very well in terms of action sequences as well as speaking sequences too. Since the anime of One Piece began in 1999, the animation may seem a little outdated and simple at first, but as animation technology grew, One Piece grew with it.

Seiyuu and Music
The Japanese voice cast for One Piece have done an excellent job in portraying each and every one of the characters. They have made sure that each of the characters have their own distinct voice. Mayumi Tanaka, who portrays Monkey D. Luffy, has done an outstanding job in showing all the emotions one bubble-headed captain can have. In terms of music, the Openings and Endings are cute and catchy and will have you singing along. The background music suits almost every emotion the show throws at us.

Overall
One Piece may seem like a show that is aimed for kids. A young boy pursuing his dreams along with his friends, etc, etc. But thanks to 4kids we now know that is not the case. One Piece is an engaging anime that will have you hooked. The comedy will keep you laughing even in the most dire of situations. Due to the detail of the characters, it is a show that you simply can't stop once you start.

Rating
9.5/10

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Animegal9215
I'm a full-time student and part-time reviewer of anime and manga. I try to review as much as I can but sometimes it's hard to because life catches up with me. If you have any requests of any anime/manga/video games/fanart that you would like reviewed, please send me a message and I'll review them as soon as possible!! ^_^
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