One Piece, Vol. 1

good

One piece is one of those series that feels like its been around forever. And it earns every year that it has been in production. The cast is huge, the story is huge, it goes back to its root and old characters all the time. Eiichiro Oda has created such a interesting and vast world I cant look away! As of writing this there are 92 one piece novels. And every single one is amazing.

"One-Piece" is currently the most popular manga series in Japan, and it well-deserves the fame and praise. It is a well-done, funny adventure and a rollicking good time. Full of strange, non sequitur characters and bizarre physical humor, One-Piece is a genre unto itself."Romance Dawn" is the first volume of the English-translated series, and has the stretchable would-be Pirate Captain Monkey D. Lufty in search of the fabled treasure, the One-Piece. He who finds the One-Piece will have the right to call himself the Pirate King, which is Monkey's dream."Romance" does not mean girls in this title, but the dawn of the romance of high adventure and the roaring seas. Of course, no adventure is great without the gathering of the crew, and that is what you find here. It is hard to see anyone not liking One-Piece. Definitely the best comic coming from Japan today! Yo Ho!

This series is wonderfully original and phenomenally funny! Just reading the first chapter made me a fan for life. The art style is very different but quickly endears itself to the reader because of its flow, pacing, and simplicity. The author, Oda has a gift for storytelling which is evident in this book and only improves as the series progresses. I strongly recommend that everyone pick up this book immediately and see why the series is loved all around the world. The book is set in a world where pirates roam the seas, and mysterious powers can be gained by eating "devil-fruit". The characters in this series are immensely likeable, with stories that will make you laugh and cry. The sense of adventure that the main character Luffy exudes is insanely infectious, and will quickly instill a desire in the reader to grab a bandana and join the crew. This book is the epitome of how stories should be told. There are 29 volumes published in Japan (as of October 2003) and the series is still going strong. Currently it's being serialized in Viz's Shonen Jump monthly anthology (also highly recommended) and collected into Graphic Novels when enough chapters have been published. Shonen Jump tends to print 1-3 chapters of One Piece in each issue, and each volume contains 9-10 chapters each, so readers can expect 2 or 3 collected volumes each year.

I'm surprised at how long its taken for One Piece to finally make a debut in the United States, especially considering its got over 140 anime episodes, 27 volumes of manga, video games, plushies, and just about every sort of tie-in the Japanese can come up with. Plus, the concept is a lot more original than the "catch em all" anime trash that has flooded North America over the past few years. If the reason for this delay is because One Piece can occasionally get violent to the point where characters bleed (sometimes ridiculously so, but only for effect), then one only has to realize that in Japan this series is aimed at the Pokemon demographic to see how far behind we in America are with censorship. Get over it already, and bring on the anime!But anyways, for those who've never heard of One Piece, the best comparison I can make is to the LucasArts Monkey Island computer game series. Both take liberties with the pirate age, mixing it with modern trappings and sensabilities for great comedy and adventure. Long ago, a great pirate named Gold Roger was executed, but not before leaving behind a cryptic message for people to find his treasure. Whoever finds his "one piece" will become the next king of pirates. Enter Monkey D. Luffy, a young boy who has eaten the gum-gum fruit, and has gained the ability to stretch his limbs and become the ultimate rubber man. Because of a promise made to his childhood hero, the Red-Haired pirate Shanks, Luffy sets out to become the king of pirates. In this volume, he runs into a bounty hunter named Roronoa Zoro, a pirate thief named Nami, rescues a town from a corrupt Marine Captain with an axe-hand, and prepares for a fight with a clown pirate (to be continued in volume 2).Having seen the chinese version of the manga and some fansubbed episodes, the story always follows a strict formula, like every long-running series. Luffy and company come upon a town that needs help, fight the local tyrant/pirate until they eventually win, and move on. However, something new is added each time, and the series, if a little dragged out, never becomes boring. The art is simple but effective, and the character designs get wackier and wackier as the series progresses. Plus there's a lot of great character development, with some genuinely touching backgrounds for Luffy and his crew. If you've got the money and are in the mood to read a long-running manga title, you can't go wrong with One Piece.

The first volume of One Piece is when Luffy first sets out to become a pirate in an era when the Navy has gone corrupt. When we think of pirates most of us think of mean people who have no loyalties, but Luffy is not like that at all. He's fiercly loyal to all his friends and comrades and sticks up for what he thinks is right.Although he is unable to swim, a consqeuence of eating the Gum Gum fruit, Luffy faces his goal of being the best pirate in the world with steadfast determination. Armed with his rubbery body, which he uses to fight off other pirates and a hat, a mento of a pirate captain (and friend) who saved Luffy from a shark at the cost of his hand, Luffy sets out on his journey to become the worlds best pirate.This first novel shows how Luffy gains his First Mate Zoro a world reknown pirate hunter and swordsmen and his Navigator - a pirate thief.I recommened this novel to anyone who likes Anime/Magna and anyone who is not yet a fan. This is a fun story full of friendship, loyalty, and of course pirates.

This wonderful series, "One Piece" is a comedy-drama, and one of my favorite manga. I think the reason I like it so much is that, although it is technically a shonen series, it has a little something for everyone: comedy, drama, tears, laughter, magic, strong male and female characters, and the obligatory "cute" character (Tonytony Chopper, who is introduced much later and is so much more than just a cute sidekick). And, of course, pirates. :DEven with the over-the-top character designs, superpowers, and elements of magic, Luffy and his friends are all enjoyable and sympathetic, with well-balanced flaws and strengths. Luffy seems too stupid to captain a ship, but occasionally has moments of brilliance that make you wonder if he's secretly a genius. Zoro, the gruff woman-hating swordsman, softens when faced with a little girl who did something special just for him. Nami begins to care about Luffy and company, despite her insistance that she will never be a pirate. Usopp is a coward, but comes through when those he cares about are in danger. Despite his suave exterior, Sanji goes gaga when a pretty woman pays him the slightest attention. Chopper begins to see that there are humans out there worthy of his trust. The dynamics between the whole group, once they are assembled, is incredibly fun and full of chemistry.On the most basic level, you could call it a pirate comedy, but it is so much more than that. Sure, it is full of funny jokes and silly sight gags, but there is something very serious behind all that. "One Piece" is about chasing your dreams, and doing so with a group of loyal nakama ("companions") at your side. Luffy's crew are more than friends; they are family, bound together by affection and hardship. They trust their lives to one another, and learn each other's limits. Along the way, they confront their pasts and look to the future, and set out to make their individual dreams into reality.