Status
Checked out
Due April 15, 2024
Call number
Publication
VIZ Media
Pages
207
Description
Comic and Graphic Books. Young Adult Fiction. HTML: As a child, Monkey D. Luffy was inspired to become a pirate by listening to the tales of the buccaneer "Red-Haired" Shanks. But his life changed when Luffy accidentally ate the Gum-Gum Devil Fruit and gained the power to stretch like rubber...at the cost of never being able to swim again! Years later, still vowing to become the king of the pirates, Luffy sets out on his adventure...one guy alone in a rowboat, in search of the legendary "One Piece," said to be the greatest treasure in the world... Rated: T.
Description
As a child, Monkey D. Luffy dreamed of becoming King of the Pirates. But his life changed when he accidentally ate the Gum-Gum Fruit, an enchanted Devil Fruit that gave him the ability to stretch like rubber. Its only drawback? He'll never be able to swim again--a serious handicap for an aspiring sea dog! Years later, Luffy sets off on his quest to find the "One Piece," said to be the greatest treasure in the world...
For Older Teens. Parental Advisory: Rated T for Teen. It contains violence, language, and alcohol and tobacco usage.
For Older Teens. Parental Advisory: Rated T for Teen. It contains violence, language, and alcohol and tobacco usage.
Series
Collection
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1997-12-24
Physical description
207 p.; 7.5 inches
ISBN
1569319014 / 9781569319017
UPC
782009136637
User reviews
LibraryThing member PhoenixTerran
One Piece by Eiichiro Oda is an extremely popular series in both Japan and the United States. It is also a long running series. Publication of the collected volumes began in 1997 in Japan; the manga is currently up to sixty volumes and it's still going. The English translation by Viz Media first
Ever since he was small, Monkey D. Luffy has been determined to become King of the Pirates. This is a rather ambitious and daunting proposition since just about every other pirate out there is after the same thing. Starting out with nothing more than a rowboat, Luffy heads off to assemble his pirate crew. But he does have one advantage. After eating a gum-gum fruit his body gained rubber-like properties, making him difficult to injure and virtually impervious to bullets. Luffy is also a bit odd and shows absolutely no fear; understandably, some people think he's not quite right in the head. Undeterred, he throws himself wholeheartedly into his quest and the first person he targets to recruit is none other than the dreaded pirate hunter Roronoa Zolo. He might take some convincing though--who ever heard of a bounty hunter teaming up with a pirate?
Oda's artwork in One Piece is energetic and bombastic, nicely pairing with the absurdity of the manga's story. Character designs are cartoonish with exaggerated facial features and expressions. I absolutely adore Luffy's ecstatic grins, for one. So far, the more over-the-top and extreme designs are reserved for the series' villains. Sound effects play a pretty substantial role in Oda's work and are often quite prominent. There is plenty of silliness in both the story and the art (frequently, I was reminded of Akira Toriyama's Dragon Ball) and even the more serious parts have a fair bit of levity. Even considering the joyful ridiculousness of the manga, I can't quite get over the fact that Luffy, having eaten the fruit of the gum-gum tree, will never be able to swim. Though, seeing as the fruit basically turns his body into rubber (which Oda uses to great effect), I'm assuming that he can at least float.
Romance Dawn was fun, but it didn't make much of a lasting impression on me. I enjoyed the manga, but I wasn't really grabbed by it. Not that I would turn away subsequent volumes, I just don't see myself investing in such a lengthy series based on the first volume alone. However, as with most series, some story arcs are just going to be better than others. Romance Dawn provides the backstory for two of the main protagonists in the series, Luffy and Zolo, which I quite enjoyed. However, I was less engaged by the story that connected the two. A third protagonist, Nami, also makes a brief appearance in this volume, but little is actually known about her yet other than she is quite capable and cunning. I do like the characters and so far the manga is entertaining. While I might not feel compelled right now to go out and read every single volume of One Piece, I do think it would be worth pursuing some of the later books to see if it can capture my interest.
Experiments in Manga
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began in 2003 and the fifty-fifth volume was released in October 2010. Despite the manga's popularity, I'm actually not very familiar with it at all, although I have seen bits and pieces of a few of the anime episodes. I was surprised to discover that my local library currently only has the first volume of the series, Romance Dawn, although there are plans to purchase more of the books. I was happy when One Piece was selected for the Manga Moveable Feast because it gave me an excuse to finally get around to reading a well-loved series that I've heard so much about.Ever since he was small, Monkey D. Luffy has been determined to become King of the Pirates. This is a rather ambitious and daunting proposition since just about every other pirate out there is after the same thing. Starting out with nothing more than a rowboat, Luffy heads off to assemble his pirate crew. But he does have one advantage. After eating a gum-gum fruit his body gained rubber-like properties, making him difficult to injure and virtually impervious to bullets. Luffy is also a bit odd and shows absolutely no fear; understandably, some people think he's not quite right in the head. Undeterred, he throws himself wholeheartedly into his quest and the first person he targets to recruit is none other than the dreaded pirate hunter Roronoa Zolo. He might take some convincing though--who ever heard of a bounty hunter teaming up with a pirate?
Oda's artwork in One Piece is energetic and bombastic, nicely pairing with the absurdity of the manga's story. Character designs are cartoonish with exaggerated facial features and expressions. I absolutely adore Luffy's ecstatic grins, for one. So far, the more over-the-top and extreme designs are reserved for the series' villains. Sound effects play a pretty substantial role in Oda's work and are often quite prominent. There is plenty of silliness in both the story and the art (frequently, I was reminded of Akira Toriyama's Dragon Ball) and even the more serious parts have a fair bit of levity. Even considering the joyful ridiculousness of the manga, I can't quite get over the fact that Luffy, having eaten the fruit of the gum-gum tree, will never be able to swim. Though, seeing as the fruit basically turns his body into rubber (which Oda uses to great effect), I'm assuming that he can at least float.
Romance Dawn was fun, but it didn't make much of a lasting impression on me. I enjoyed the manga, but I wasn't really grabbed by it. Not that I would turn away subsequent volumes, I just don't see myself investing in such a lengthy series based on the first volume alone. However, as with most series, some story arcs are just going to be better than others. Romance Dawn provides the backstory for two of the main protagonists in the series, Luffy and Zolo, which I quite enjoyed. However, I was less engaged by the story that connected the two. A third protagonist, Nami, also makes a brief appearance in this volume, but little is actually known about her yet other than she is quite capable and cunning. I do like the characters and so far the manga is entertaining. While I might not feel compelled right now to go out and read every single volume of One Piece, I do think it would be worth pursuing some of the later books to see if it can capture my interest.
Experiments in Manga
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LibraryThing member jckeen
Romance Dawn is the first in Eiichiro Oda's Japanese Manga series One Piece. Why it's called "Romance Dawn" is anyone's guess. This Volume has no references to a sunrise, and there is absolutely no love affair. Despite that, One Piece is an entertaining story with a likable protagonist named Luffy.
Always told by other pirates that he is too small, Luffy eventually decides to set out on his own. By the time he sets sail, he is bigger and stronger. He also has the happy ability to bend like rubber after eating magic devil gum-gum fruit. With no plan in mind, Luffy drifts at sea until he lands on an island inhabited by nefarious and mysterious characters. Having no plan seems to be his forte (even his name, Luffy, is a reference to sails flapping in the wind).
Like other manga-style graphic novels, the illustrations are in black and white, full of action, heavy on detail, and ripe with comical facial expressions. The protagonist is also a typical manga character. He has plenty of faults, but still knows how to fight well. Unlike Naruto, I feel that Luffy is a much more enjoyable protagonist to follow over a series. Boys will certainly enjoy his quest to find the treasure called "One Piece" and become the Pirate King.
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Luffy wants to be the King of the Pirates. Always told by other pirates that he is too small, Luffy eventually decides to set out on his own. By the time he sets sail, he is bigger and stronger. He also has the happy ability to bend like rubber after eating magic devil gum-gum fruit. With no plan in mind, Luffy drifts at sea until he lands on an island inhabited by nefarious and mysterious characters. Having no plan seems to be his forte (even his name, Luffy, is a reference to sails flapping in the wind).
Like other manga-style graphic novels, the illustrations are in black and white, full of action, heavy on detail, and ripe with comical facial expressions. The protagonist is also a typical manga character. He has plenty of faults, but still knows how to fight well. Unlike Naruto, I feel that Luffy is a much more enjoyable protagonist to follow over a series. Boys will certainly enjoy his quest to find the treasure called "One Piece" and become the Pirate King.
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LibraryThing member Harumi.K
Luffy has a dream. His dream is to be a the king of pirates...
I extreamly love one piece! It makes me happy and brave. I always am moved and cry, even though I read again and again. Especially, I love sceane of Luffy's setting out. He got over many things and departured alone. It heats me.
Also, his
I extreamly love one piece! It makes me happy and brave. I always am moved and cry, even though I read again and again. Especially, I love sceane of Luffy's setting out. He got over many things and departured alone. It heats me.
Also, his
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expectation is brigt and exiting. Boys should read this book and learn importance of dream. The bigger dream you have, the stronger you will be! Show Less
LibraryThing member narwhaltortellini
(Opinion on volumes 1-5)
Why I read it: I've a fondness for optimistic adventure stories, it's horrendously popular (at least in Japan), and while the art style made it look childish I'd read it was actually much more popular with adults, suggesting it might have some surprise depth/maturity in
Pros: Almost entirely melodrama/angst-free. Simplistic in character development and plot (so far), but shamelessly so. Doesn't put on airs and try to seem more deep and profound than it is, just tries to be fun.
Cons: Practically invincible characters ruin the tension action could have. Problem situations are invariably solved by plowing through with reckless abandon. Heavy-handed and repetitive in its message that people have their own personal treasures they want to protect. Characters frequently seem cartoonish in the simplicity of their personality/motives. And (my #1 pet peeve of shounen manga) seems to use “dramatic pasts/flashbacks” as the primary method of character development. (Even the freaking one-arc-side-character DOG has a dramatic past explaining why his actions are sympathetic? Are you kidding me?)
Conclusion: Series with care free nothing can stop me attitudes can have great appeal, but my suspension of disbelief breaks a little when the world is portrayed as so simple that that attitude really can allow you to plow through life without issue. This seems more like a child's daydream than a story with hidden depth or maturity, and I can't figure why it appeals so to the adults of Japan. Maybe that IS why it appeals so to them (But other series have that to some extent too, so why THIS?). Still, the attitude of angst-free shameless fun makes it go down easier than a lot of my less favorite shounen manga, so I may continue to obtain volumes from my library for a while to see if it changes or grows on me.
Why I read it: I've a fondness for optimistic adventure stories, it's horrendously popular (at least in Japan), and while the art style made it look childish I'd read it was actually much more popular with adults, suggesting it might have some surprise depth/maturity in
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there somewhere.Pros: Almost entirely melodrama/angst-free. Simplistic in character development and plot (so far), but shamelessly so. Doesn't put on airs and try to seem more deep and profound than it is, just tries to be fun.
Cons: Practically invincible characters ruin the tension action could have. Problem situations are invariably solved by plowing through with reckless abandon. Heavy-handed and repetitive in its message that people have their own personal treasures they want to protect. Characters frequently seem cartoonish in the simplicity of their personality/motives. And (my #1 pet peeve of shounen manga) seems to use “dramatic pasts/flashbacks” as the primary method of character development. (Even the freaking one-arc-side-character DOG has a dramatic past explaining why his actions are sympathetic? Are you kidding me?)
Conclusion: Series with care free nothing can stop me attitudes can have great appeal, but my suspension of disbelief breaks a little when the world is portrayed as so simple that that attitude really can allow you to plow through life without issue. This seems more like a child's daydream than a story with hidden depth or maturity, and I can't figure why it appeals so to the adults of Japan. Maybe that IS why it appeals so to them (But other series have that to some extent too, so why THIS?). Still, the attitude of angst-free shameless fun makes it go down easier than a lot of my less favorite shounen manga, so I may continue to obtain volumes from my library for a while to see if it changes or grows on me.
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LibraryThing member TheoClarke
Delightful in its simplicity, this manga has the broad silly humour of the British comic Beano and its stable. There is no subtlety here but the directness is part of its charm.
LibraryThing member ParkerD28
Monkey D. Luffy was a boy who lived in a village where these pirates used to visit. The caption was named Shanks and he saved Luffy's life and became his idol. Luffy lives in a world filled with pirates and marines. His dream is to be like shanks and become a pirate and one day the pirate king.
The manga is read from back to front and this review details this volume, there is more to come if you continue to read the next volumes and meet the newest crew members and friends while they join together for their true goal.
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That's the pirate who claims everything the world has to offer, The One Piece. He one day ate a devil fruit that shanks and his crew had and turned himself into a rubber man. Devil fruits are ancient fruits that give anyone who eats one abilities beyond measure. But to eat one, you lose your ability to swim. Luffy can never swim or try to swim again. After he grew up Luffy set out to sea to find his crew mates and enter the front lines of the pirate battle in search of the "one piece". First mate he finds is the pirate hunter roronoa zoro. A swordsman who uses the three sword style and is fighting to become the worlds best swordsman. He has a painful past that only pushes him further in his dream. These two will soon enter more adventures fighting pirates and marines till they find the rest of the crew and set out to battle. The manga is read from back to front and this review details this volume, there is more to come if you continue to read the next volumes and meet the newest crew members and friends while they join together for their true goal.
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LibraryThing member othersam
Do you like pirates? Do you think the ‘Caribbean flicks were a bit… disappointing? Then look this way: One Piece by writer/artist Eiichiro Oda will shiver your timbers…
Monkey D. Luffy is determined to be the greatest pirate the world has ever seen. Another person might see having no ship, no
Apart from a rowboat, a cool straw hat and his own near-suicidal enthusiasm Luffy’s got one more thing going for him: after eating the fruit of the Gum-Gum tree, his body has some unusual powers…
It would take a flinty-hearted reader indeed to fail to be charmed by One Piece: it’s very silly, sure, but it’s also warm, funny, imaginative and stuffed to the gunwales with wild action and brilliant characters. Take Roanoa Zolo and his astonishing three sword technique - or Nami, the wonderfully amoral thief: she’s as likely to rob Luffy as help him. Best of all, take Luffy himself. He got my full support in Volume 1 as soon as I saw him /punch a sea-monster/ – but now, five vols in as I am, I’m starting to think he’s one of the most charismatic protagonists I’ve ever come across. As if all that wasn’t enough, the volumes I’ve read included awesome bonus features like sketches, interviews, colouring-in pages and models to cut out or copy.
Is One Piece this much fun over the whole of its sixty-two (so far) volumes? I aim to find out. Meantime I’d recommend One Piece to anyone. A big thank you to Omid at The Big Green Bookshop for doing so for me. :D
Monkey D. Luffy is determined to be the greatest pirate the world has ever seen. Another person might see having no ship, no
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crew, and no discernible talent for seamanship as fairly serious obstacles to that ambition, but for indomitable optimist Luffy they’re just details: he’s going to sail the famously fatal Grand Line and capture the fabled treasure the “One Piece” – and nothing and no one will stop him.Apart from a rowboat, a cool straw hat and his own near-suicidal enthusiasm Luffy’s got one more thing going for him: after eating the fruit of the Gum-Gum tree, his body has some unusual powers…
It would take a flinty-hearted reader indeed to fail to be charmed by One Piece: it’s very silly, sure, but it’s also warm, funny, imaginative and stuffed to the gunwales with wild action and brilliant characters. Take Roanoa Zolo and his astonishing three sword technique - or Nami, the wonderfully amoral thief: she’s as likely to rob Luffy as help him. Best of all, take Luffy himself. He got my full support in Volume 1 as soon as I saw him /punch a sea-monster/ – but now, five vols in as I am, I’m starting to think he’s one of the most charismatic protagonists I’ve ever come across. As if all that wasn’t enough, the volumes I’ve read included awesome bonus features like sketches, interviews, colouring-in pages and models to cut out or copy.
Is One Piece this much fun over the whole of its sixty-two (so far) volumes? I aim to find out. Meantime I’d recommend One Piece to anyone. A big thank you to Omid at The Big Green Bookshop for doing so for me. :D
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LibraryThing member jinmoon
During the golden age of the pirates, one little boy was determined to become a pirate to find One Piece, a legendary treasure left behind by the Pirate King Gol D. Roger. The little boy, Monkey D. Luffy, always said that he will become a pirate and he did. As a boy, he ate the devil’s fruit,
One Piece can take you on an exciting pirate adventure, introducing the readers to new worlds. As the reader continues throughout the volumes, they will come to love all the characters and want to become a pirate themselves.
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Gum-Gum fruit, giving him the power to stretch like rubber but also cursing him with the worst disability for a pirate: weakness to water. However, Luffy overcomes this weakness and ventures out to the seas. In the first volume, the reader will get to know Luffy and his friend, Zoro, a master swordsman. One Piece captures the heart of many with a very unique illustration style as well as with the romantic and nostalgic elements of being a pirate. The illustration is very active and it also exaggerates any human features, making them even more energetic. It is mostly black and white, with the cover art being the only colored art. The creator takes advantage of its black and whites, using lines and different tones to emphasize emotions. One Piece can take you on an exciting pirate adventure, introducing the readers to new worlds. As the reader continues throughout the volumes, they will come to love all the characters and want to become a pirate themselves.
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LibraryThing member scote23
Couldn't really get into it. I guess it's just not my type of book? I was surprised, because it's about pirates and came highly recommended. I might try volume 2 to see if it gets better...eventually.
LibraryThing member quinton.baran
A good start to the Manga series - I have watched the Anime first, and was interested in reading it from that.
Awards
This Manga is Amazing! (#8 — 2023)
Call number
IBD.025