The one piece community has been collecting book review RU-vidrs like merit badges over the last couple of years. Merphy, Gavin, that one goblin dude who’s name I can’t remember, Books and Tropes, and now you.
So glad you’re picking up one piece - one of the best stories ever. You’re pronouncing everything spot on actually so good work. If you already like east blue, you’re in for a treat because it only gets exponentially better from here on out!
Awesome that you are enjoying it! I'll definitely follow your journey! All I'm going to say about Luffy being OP: this world is HUGE. He has a tiny bit of a head start for your average pirate, sure. But he is an ant for sure.
@@mikesbookreviews soon you will see luffy will be reminded that he just another speck of a pirate in grand line.. the world will be much much harsher and crazy difficult for him and his crew as time goes on
Oh I'm happy you are enjoying the series! I didn't want to read it because I thought it was too silly. Well, I wasn't wrong, though you get to appreciate it. Now I'm at chapter 834 and I'm obsessed with this manga. It's sooo good.
That's the hardest part about convincing people to give it a try, imo. I can't tell them it's NOT as silly as they're imagining, when in truth it's probably SILLIER. But the story is *also* a dissertation in why "silly" doesn't mean "weak story" 😅
Youre correct that Luffy is only vulnerable to sharp/slashing attacks. Blunt hits only bounce off. His strength will also be explained eventually. Looking forward to your journey. IMPORTANT EDIT: Pay attention to the cover stories if you havent already!
I started watching this with my son as something we could watch together. Figured it would just be fun and not something I would be invested in. Holy cow I was wrong. It’s certainly a blast but I’m also incredibly invested in the characters and arcs. We’re 400 episodes in a year and a half later and it’s part of our lives now. 🤘
Oh and also, as a side note, Arlong Park is currently our favorite arc and it hit much harder in the anime. The Live Action hit the most important emotional beats mainly due to the actress playing Nami's excellent acting, but neglected all the villagers' as well as her sister's roles. Bellemare also wasn't as fleshed out. Even before watching the anime, I found the villagers in the LA to be really one-note and was disappointed that Nami's sister, Nojiko, believed in her betrayal so easily. Upon watching the anime and getting the complete backstory, I loved this arc even more. Bellemare's sacrifice and the fact that the entire village was secretly aware of Nami's suffering/sacrifice was extremely heartwrenching. Overall, the anime version of Arlong Park is a masterpiece!
If you continue this series for the long run, then one thing I think you're going to love is how Oda will (and already has) set things up without you even knowing it that will be paid off incredibly well later (sometimes much later) down the line.
Hey I'm just glad you gave it a shot, special thanks goes to the mystery viewer who sent you the boxset and your son for convincing you to start it. Also it's very cool that you share your One Piece journey with your son, thats what it's all about. Looking forward to more videos down the line, however long it may take we will be there.
One Piece has the most heart of anything I've ever read and it only gets better. It's a story about freedom and being there for others when they need it. Luffy will always be there to help and I love him for it. The art is hit or miss for some people so that's expected. It grows on you. Truly my favorite series of all time and I don't see anything topping it. You don't need to make any videos as long as you're enjoying it. One Piece is all about enjoying your life and the freedom that comes with it. Happy reading Mike and I hope you enjoy reading further!
We got another one haha. You will hear this a lot but for me as a lifelong one piece fan, there are very few things in this world that makes me as happy as seeing someone new reading and liking my fav series of all time.
The best things about about One Piece is how invested you get with these characters and the world building. Oda really knows how to actualize these guys and they can be gut punches at times. Odas world building is great. He'll set things up ealry and play them off years down the line, even the first chapter. He's up there with some of the best in fantasy.
To clarify, L and R are the same character in Japanese, usually transcribed as R if written with the English alphabet. So when Zoro was first officially named in English manga, they chose the L spelling because of copyright concerns (as you said), without knowing that Oda would confirm the actual romanized spelling on Zoro's wanted poster later on. They went as far as to change the instances of Zoro written out in English into Zolo.
Glad to see you already love our Lord and Savior Buggy, the only man who is worthy to be the Pirate King. Now about that ship name: the ship is called Going Merry, but in Japanese every ship's name has that -go suffix at the end, so in Japanese they say Going Merry-go. You can just ignore the -go when speaking English. For the WELL ACHUALLY part: what you call sub-arcs are just arcs. A saga is made up of many arcs. You can easily tell the difference between arcs in One Piece by whether they've moved to another island or not. Except when you can't. Hope you enjoy the Baroque Works saga! More intense feels to be had, higher stakes, more world building, more fantastical hi-jinks with new idiots and more long-term plot-threads that lasted for literal decades of publication! And absolutely read slow. Soak in the details. Read the Q&A segments, even the dick jokes. Especially the dick jokes.
To answer your question if it is "Going Merry" or "Merry Go": It's "Going Merry". This translation error comes from the fact that it's called the "Going Merry-gō" in Japanese, with "gō" being used as a signifier at the end of ship, plane and train names, similar to how we have an S.S. at the front of English ship names. Of course another part of the name is that it's a pun for merry-go-round, as well as a reference to Kaya's sheepheaded butler Merry.
Awesome and welcome to the Crew! Your in for a wild time. My biggest recommendation is find someone who has already read One Piece, maybe even someone in the community you may know (Merphy Napier or Daniel Greene hell anyone from the RU-vid One Piece creators will probably love to help you) to sort of be your info source if you ever have questions or need some clarification. The internet has 27 years on you with One Piece so its very easy to get spoiled out there. That way they can sort of be a good source for pronunciation and such (not that that really matters, your reading One Piece that's the best part of all this haha) And of course as you have said before its a long series and a commitment, I tell everyone enjoy the ride. Take each arc in stride and dont rush yourself. You will catch up and when you do its gonna feel like there wasn't enough at times (Crazy but true). Either way welcome welcome welcome and have fun!
@@mikesbookreviewsdon't trust comments either if you say something and people get heated about it well some people will spoil you in your youtube videos on one piece or go out of their way to email them to you so please do be careful
Never watched or read the original work (didn't like the art style or the goofy tone -also didn't care for the pirate premise), but fell in love with this live action version despite its flaws (some bad acting esp. from the child actors and even from Luffy/Zorro during some pivotal emotional scenes and questionable story decisions): Felt Usopp's backstory was pretty thin and agree with manga/anime watchers that they should have fleshed him out better; many villagers felt very one-dimensional/stupid and it often felt like they existed as cannon fodder to prop up the more major characters; was also disappointed that Nami's own sister easily believed her betrayal while Luffy, who only just met her, continued to believe in her no matter what -heard that in the original, her sister and all the villagers secretly knew the truth and just played along. I found that revelation to be much more believable as it gives more nuance/complexity to Nami's sister as well as the other Coco villagers. There's some more problems that I'm too lazy to list... But despite the flaws, the live action ultimately succeeded in its goal of reeling in people like me who would never have given the anime/manga a chance. For the most part, the creators managed to make a palatable version of the first several arcs that has that addictive "it" factor and features a cast of lovable/nuanced characters with awesome chemistry! Now, I'm hooked and am currently watching the anime (One Pace version with an episode guide for additional episodes to watch) with my sister. We already have a huge bias for the world and characters, so it's been fairly smooth sailing... Lastly, I'm just relieved that we finally have an adaptation worthy of discussion, praise, and constructive criticism instead of all the dumpster fire remakes/reboots that's been plaguing media of late that doesn't even merit basic discussion. What a breath of fresh air! It's everything the "Wheel of time" adaptation should have been, but isn't (also never read the original books, but found the show to be dreadful on its own).
Interesting take that you think Luffy is OP at this point given that Mihawk one of 7 government dogs was introduced who can cut ships in one swing and can decimate skilled warriors with just a butter knife
After I revisit east blue saga. The feeling of Sanji-Zeff and Nami-Bellmere dynamics are so beautiful. Especially when you contemplate your moments with your parents
I asppreciate how seriously One Piece takes its absurdly comical world and characters. It's funny and lighthearted but everyone has real serious weight and motivations behind them. That transfers over well into the live action show. No "Erm, this is wacky!" immersion breaking winks. Just sincerity. This is your first step into a Grand Line of adventure Mike!
Based on your review, I think you will enjoy the rest of One Piece as much as you will come to dislike parts of it. If there is one thing the author struggles with, it is brevity. Or more precisely, the dragging out of battles. Combined with plots that will only get more complex and more nuanced, I think you might not be as happy given that you already felt a handful of confrontations just went on too long already. But I also suspect you'll find that the positives outweigh this negative as Eiichiro Oda's world will reach the expansive complexity of the Wheel of Time or Game of Thrones before you know it. Don't rush through it; please enjoy the bonding experience with your kid and enjoy the story at your own rate. One Piece has never been about reaching the ending; it is about the journey. The true fans understand that and should not rush anyone. In fact, I suspect they'll be the ones that are loudly disapproving in the comments of other reacters who just want to rush in to the latest material just because that is where the buzz is. Enjoy your adventure!
The dog guarding the pet food store is a reference to a real life story where a dog named Hachiko waited for his owner to come back from work everyday at a train station. When his owner passed away, he continued to visit that train station.
One piece fans definitely have a habit of “warning” people. It’s a horrible community habit, yes. I’m not sure why fans feel the need to prime possible new fans with how bad their favored series is, lmao If you hear people say to skip anything in the manga, or to just “power through it”, just ignore them. I’m glad you enjoyed the first part of this amazing series.
Glad to hear you've enjoyed this opening saga 😁 it'd be great to have some sporadic one piece content on here. It's always great hearing your opinions of what all you're reading. An alabasta video at least to hear your thoughts are as the story really gets rolling. Plus I think some of your qualms will be fixed by the end of that arc
Excited to see you FINALLY embarked on this journey! Just a few things from a person who grew up in Japan: The story of Chouchou is based on a real-life story. Look up Hachi the dog. Also, it’s a pun. When pronounced like Choh Choh, it means mayor. But it’s actually pronounced like Shoe Shoe. Next, the go in Mary go is a suffix attached to boats. It works like Mr, basically. The full name is the Going Merry, and the Japanese add a go at the end to denote it’s a ship.
Back when chapter 1000 came out, I decided to reread all of One Piece. It took me several months to complete, so I understand that you have a life to live and other things to do.
I always like watching people start their One Piece journeys coz I just love seeing those people fall in love with the series. I hope you keep reading OP and you keep making videos about your experience. Read it at your own pace and enjoy the characters, world building and story coz as all OP fans know this series is not about the destination it's all about the journey. 😊
I've started reading One Piece like about a week ago just made it to chapter 160 and I am loving every second of it I'm excited to see other people get into it also
Honestly, I'd be surprised if you had nothing but praise, there's definitely flaws especially in these early arcs, and it's definitely not a perfect series, but no series is.
One piece is set up in an arc and saga style of story structure several arcs build into an overarching saga and it makes one piece so enjoyable cause even if an arc isn't your favorite it's still building up to something Mihawk shows you just how small luffy and his crew is they're all frogs in the well croaking at the sky and believing they know the world Also luffy doesn't kill zoro will most of the time he doesn't bother going for the kill
I love East Blue saga but I didn’t love it the first time I read it. Thought most of the arcs are way too long unnecessarily. It’s like the Shire for me. Didn’t enjoy it the first time,actually fell asleep multiple times. But whenever I reread LOTR,I actually enjoy it very much. Same with One Piece. I would rank it as the second lowest saga, but Arlong Park,Baratie and Logue town are actually very good arcs. Logue town and chapter 100 being one of my favourite part during rereads. Chapter 100 is literally called The Legend Begins and it gives me goosebumps everytime. The journey is long Mike. Read it at your own pace. I think for first time readers many things would fly over their heads. Many small important details have already been spread through East Blue saga which you might’ve missed. But it won’t take away your enjoyment. It only adds to it when you reread or learn that it was already set up long ago. Hope you enjoy it.
I remember watching you're old videos where you said you would never check out One Piece. It's great to see you give it a shot! Can't wait to see your reaction, especially because I know it's not your typical taste.
As far as Luffy being OP, he is very strong for where he is and what he’s been up against so far. But he is far from OP in the greater world. You’ll see more soon. Glad you’re enjoying it.
Haha, I'm watching the Anime (One Pace version -excellent fan edited version of the One Piece Anime that vastly improves pacing by cutting out any non-manga scenes) and also didn't care for Don Krieg (after Mihawk left, he really became an afterthought and the fights were too stretched out) and found Syrup Village's fight scenes to be dragged out too. I found Usopp's backstory with the villagers to be quite touching and entertaining: It really fleshed out his character and I found his bravery in spite of his fears/adventurous spirit to be endearing. Also, I loved the revelation that all those years of him "crying wolf" was not only because of his mom, but also because he wanted to entertain the villagers since day to day life can be dull -they knew it too, deep down, and appreciated him in a way. That implicit understanding between them made the entire village come alive as a community and I found that heartwarming. But the fight scenes bored the hell out of me... In fact, I find that a lot of the action/fight scenes in One Piece to always be the culprit when it comes to slowing down pacing. I find the lore/history, worldbuilding, and character backstories to be super engaging, but then the fights start and more times than not, everything gets stretched out. Luckily, characters and plot are always the most important elements for me in any story, so I can easily put up with the more lackluster action.
Don't worry too much about luffy seeming op at the start. In the first saga he's kind if a big fish in a little pond but he's about to be released to the sharks. (I know I'm coming late enough that you've already read enough to know that but I'm leaving this for anyone else.)
14:54 i have to say the "doesn't like the way he runs the restaurant " thing is only OPLA. Sanji isnt Unhappy. he simply Wanted to Stay and Protect the Baratie forever or DIE protecting it. but Zeff wanted him to follow his Dream. IMO
I had to stop the video 2 minutes in as I’m reading these with my 7 year old and we’re only through volume 5, I’m a recent sub and love ur content on novels, I’m 37 and just picked up reading a year ago and have been devouring everything from Edgar Rice Burroughs to Shakespeare, I’ll revisit this video… one day!
So glad you picked up this series. You enjoying the East Blue Saga this much is a good sign, as what follows is exponentially better for the most part. I have said from the beginning that if you make it through the Water 7 Saga, you're such a character reader I think you'll be in love with it. And if that doesn't do it for you and you haven't DNFed by then, the next Saga definitely will.
Should just add that at the start, you called it the "East blue saga arc". East blue is a saga, and in one piece, sagas are made up of arcs (e.g. Syrup village arc, Baratie arc, Arlong Park arc) Minor nitpick, but it'll annoy fans quickly using wrong terminology
Don Krieg isn't an important or memorable villain because of his own motives, but he's a cog in the Baratie machine. He (and by association, really Ghin) serves as a vehicle for Sanji to understand why he should follow Luffy and helps Sanji to realize that he should be chasing his dream instead of feeling chained to Zeff. As far as a likable villain, Don Krieg is on the bottom of the list. There are villains that we love in One Piece because they are compelling and deep, but there are also a few here and there that serve more as an idea than as a real person. Don Krieg is not a person, but he's the representation of what happens when you go to the Grand Line underprepared, and where is our fun little crew aiming to go? The Grand Line.
I never read the early manga, so I do not know for sure, but in the anime Smoker's devil fruit ability is truly an OH $#!T moment once you have a grasp of what he can do with it. So, you might want to go back the 2nd fight of Luffy vs Smoker and review it. Provided there is one, and since you said Luffy got saved, I suspect the events are more/less the same. Then again, they may not be :/
It seems like whatever you do on RU-vid sooner or later you start making One Piece content 😂😂😂 P.s. One Piece is a 10/10 manga. The live action adaptation is cute homage to it, but as a show alone is about 4/10.
Saying this because I didn’t see it in the comments when I scrolled, but a lot of people pronounce “logue”-town like prologue/epilogue bc it is just that, the epilogue of the East Blue saga, the end of the prologue of the entire story, and where the previous pirate king was born and died! Honestly I remember seeing the video where you said you’d never read it and it’s nice that the toxic ones didn’t run you off forever! Also I won’t say much but about Luffy being too OP, he’s a big fish in a small pond right now just like Zoro trying to take on Mihawk, so don’t worry too much on that end!
I understand your points towards Luffy being op, however the East Blue is such a weak sea in comparison to the rest of the world. His current strength actually has nothing to do with the devil fruit he ate either, you can assume that after Shanks had left his island as a kid Luffy most likely did nothing but prepare himself for his pirate adventure. Similiar to Zoro and Sanji actually. All 3 are strong due to the fact that they trained themselves only for the sake of their dreams, ( or for Zeff and protecting his restaurant in Sanji's case ). Mihauk, a character who comes from the Grand Line absolutely FLOORS Zoro. I feel like that moment just goes to show how much of a pebble the Straw Hat Crew are in this world.
As a Sanji stan i'm super happy you like him. Unfortunately Oda decides to assassinate his character in a later arc for an unfunny gag and never stops. I still love him, but he becomes pretty problematic. Stupid Oda and his obsession with pervertedness even when it's creepy.
I come in peace. But I have a few criticisms of your review. This is a pretty shallow analysis of the saga as a whole tbh. No real interrogation of the individual arcs or their respective themes. Each villain in this saga is a foil to Luffy’s ideology. Buggy’s version of treasure for example is completely material while Luffy (and Chou Chou who expands the theme) is more sentimental. That divide is ultimately why Luffy is victorious because he is fighting for a treasure that’s worth enduring for. Or how Don Krieg and his duplicitous actions are counter to the grit that Luffy displays. How Krieg is so incapable of fighting with any integrity he would fly the white flag as a ploy or sacrifice his own men. Which is the polar opposite of Luffy as a captain. Idk man maybe don’t shut your brain off for the next saga and actually engage with the medium a tad more.
I'll give you a really good sign for the future -- When you said "How has Luffy not taken over the world at this point? Is he this strong?" I audibly laughed lol Oh you sweet summer child...
Luffy being overpowered in east blue is intentional,he's a big fish in a pond with small fishes, but once he enters a bigger pond,he quickly becomes the small fish
Ok so Luffy being over powered early in the story is something prople tend to notice wayy later in the story like chapter 600, 800 etc in retrospect analysing old enemies actual strength based on others. People often dismiss early villains strntgh because the story was very silly but yes they were actually strong as they usually keep relevance to later arcs in the story with reoccuranves and new connections. Which is funny. People who read these battle focused storys usually expect the main character go from weak to strong. While yes luffy gets stronger over the course of the story he already starts out extremely strong. One shotting most if not all enemies and usually being away from the scene or the Author Oda puts a reason why luffy just doesnt comr in and punch the main villain. "are people usually that strong" No. Luffy is super strong. As though why? Well he had good training and a big dream. Are others as strong? Yes and no. No as in he is usually the strongest around in early One Piece Yes as in when they enter the grandline only strong people are there usually. Same with the "new world" So it looks like to the reader being strong or tall is the norm where it really is just a small part of the world. Devilfruits are extremely rare. But you will obviously encoujter more users when being in a dangerous place.
Glad you enjoyed the East Blue saga! One Piece is quite the journey and one I will never forget when I caught up at the time. I did the anime but the to me the Manga is the best way to experience it just cus anime can tend to drag out certain stuff. Although I do suggest watching moments you loved in the manga. I think a lot of people are a little turned off by One piece when they first see it and I the felt that way and was like what is this goofy pirate adventure? And yup its 100% goofy and silly but in the good way and just has so much charm to the characters and story. The series covers all kinds of themes and topics as it goes on and does it in such a way that it really shits on the modern stuff we have now. World building and the pay offs are my favorite thing about OP and can't wait to see your next video and what you think! A suggestion for upcoming arcs is they only get longer as you go on and maybe doing parts would be a good idea that and OP fans love when there is more videos! Either way i'll be watching.
The thing about Luffy in East Blue is that he's a medium fish in a small pond who's desperately trying to get to the ocean. He WILL be tested, dont worry
Are you going to do a readthrough of the manga monthly or will you be reading it every time the netflix show announces a new season? I think it's gonna take another 3 or so years for netflix to release season 2 so it's going to be quite the wait, but also reading the manga beforehand will not at all affect your viewing experience with the netflix show, so if you're worried about that don't be, it's fine. You'll still be able to perfectly appreciate the netflix show after having read the manga and even if you're far past the coverage of the next season you will still remember the arc during your netflix watchthrough.
I started this series after watching Netflix also, and I'm keeping up with you. I like hearing your thoughts because you're the only other person I'm aware taking the same journey at the same time I am! I pretty much agreed with everything you said about it.
First of all welcome, I'm glad you aren't trying to catch up, this story is very much about the journey. If no one has said it pay attention to the cover of the chapters some of them tell side stories inside the world.
Don Krieg is absolutely the worst part of Baratie, i don't think that sacrilegious at all. Also, you said at the beginning this feels like the prologue, because it is. Logue Town is where Gold Roger died. The end of the epiLogue to his story, and the end of the proLogue to Luffy's story. One legend ends, another begins. Also also, just for your information, a saga is made up of arcs. The East Blue Saga consists of the Romance Dawn, Orange Town, Syrup Village, Baratie, Arlong Park and Logue Town Arcs. Next up is the Alabasta Saga, in which one Arc is called the Alabasta Arc. hope that's not too confusing.
For the most part it pretty much only goes up from here. Although I might put the Arlong Arc in my top 5. Glad to see you are enjoying the Series, don't feel the need to rush to hard though, just take your time and enjoy the ride!
I mean in our defense One Piece is kind of like Pizza. There is no such thing as a bad Arc of One Piece, Some are just better than others lol.@@Nastyn1nja808
I'm 30, I've been watching and reading for a while. One Piece is becoming a bond with my elderly mom. Interesting how Luffy unites people off the pages. Not sure how to rank but it enters my top 10. Definitely many great things to come.
WHOO! Welcome to the journey! I totally get what you're saying about bonding with your son over this. Me and my sisters have been One Piece fans for years (and in my case, decades) so it's always been something we can bond over. With the live action, we actually have a way to show this story that we love to our parents. I think the moments of heart really surprised them, my mom especially.
Quick note about Baratie and Sanji's character, in chapter 43 (his introduction) there's a pretty baffling mistranslation, before he attacks Fullbody he says "Does money make up for lack of courage", what he should've said was something along the lines of "Can money fill up your stomach" or "Can money satisfy your hunger", this line fits because Fullbody just wasted a bowl of soup, and the way Fullbody saw it, the fact he has money gave him the right to waste that food that he ordered, explaining Sanji's response. This line isn't just great food for thought but also amazing thematic setup for Sanji's backstory and his character in general, in the backstory Sanji and Zeff weren't just marooned on island, they were marooned on an island with a fortune of treasure and valuables, only these valuables completely lost their value in their situation, what can this treasure do for you when you're starving to death? making both this line with fullbody and the backstory hit harder. I really dislike this mistranslation because it can give new readers the wrong impression of One Piece's writing, it makes the story's themes feel amateurish and random when they're almost always laser focused, like the writer's sole purpose with the scene was: make Sanji cool, strong and quiet, make Fullbody dumb, loud and annoying, without giving much substance to what's being said, when in reality there's much more thematic setup beneath the surface. When there isn't that thematic link, it can feel like the writer is throwing things at the wall and seeing what sticks.
