One Piece (A)

[thistlechaser]

(Someone asked me to mark posts that were about anime and nothing else, so I'm going to attempt to add a "(A)" to the subject line when that applies. Though I'd rather have everyone just start liking what I like, if you're not interested in trying that, you can use the (A) as a sign to skip the post if you don't care about anime. :) )

--

Since I (once again) need a new series to watch, I finally gave in and downloaded One Piece. For as long as long as I've been watching anime I've been hearing about this series, and I've been wary about it just as long. With the main character being a boy made of rubber and named "Luffy"... well, it didn't exactly seem to be something I'd like.

I've watched the first four eps, and I'm not yet sure if I was right or wrong about it. It's very, very, very silly, which is not to my tastes. Some things go further than "silly" and hit downright "stupid" (the guy who wants to be the greatest swordsman in the world is named /Zoro/...).

The animation style is okay enough (though I hate the character design of Luffy), and the voice acting seems good. I can't tell much about the storyline yet.

I'm hoping it'll stop being silly in the later eps, but... The name "Luffy" really doesn't seem to hold much promise. I liked the ep about Luffy's childhood, that was somewhat more serious, but the rest of it... *twitch*

I have 20 eps downloaded. I'm going to try to make it through them all to give it as fair a chance as I can. I did giggle in a few places during the first four eps, but I'm looking for serious and emotionally deep things to watch, not silly...

Comments

[kitsune-rei.livejournal.com]

I'd heard good things about One Piece too, but I could never really bring myself to watch it... I do like silly stuff sometimes, but just something about it didn't appeal to me... I guess part of it is the character designs are really weird, I don't like a lot of styles they've been using for shonen manga lately.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Agreed on everything. Silly stuff is good sometimes, or between more dramatic moments, but all the time? (I'm hoping I'm wrong and One Piece won't be all silly.)

Some of the characters are sort of OK-looking, but none of them are good. At best, they look "stereotypically anime" (and I don't mean that in the good way), and at worst they look inhuman.

but just something about it didn't appeal to me

For me, it's a big lack is a nice looking male character to drool over. :) (Shallow, I know...) Maybe one will show up in a later ep. Hopefully.

[harrellj.livejournal.com]

I downloaded one episode of One Piece and couldn't get very far into it, my sense of humor is not really conducive to whatever they're doing in that series.

If you're looking for a good series to watch that is serious, emotionally deep, and has a good looking guy to drool over, I'd suggest Chrno Crusade. Chrno in normal form is cute, and very hot in his full demon form.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Cool, thanks for the rec!

[yachinami.livejournal.com]

One Piece really takes its time to unfold, but believe me, there are some VERY emotional parts to every arc. Tear inducing even. Well, maybe. Don't know about you ^^;

Sanji's introduction arc made me teary, and then there was the Arlong Park arc....ye gods......*sob*

Then again I cry quite easily at TEH ANGST. Ha ha...

[beckymarie.livejournal.com]

.....the end of Sanji's introduction arc made me literally tear up. I felt like such a dweeb afterwards. Arlong Park didn't make me cry, but it definitely felt like I'd been hit with a 2x4 during parts of it.

[beckymarie.livejournal.com]

One Piece is always going to be silly (at least judging from ~80 anime episodes and about 40 manga chapters after where KF has left off in the subbing), but it's also very dramatic and one of the most touching series I've ever seen. The anime actually made me come close to crying at the end of Sanji's introduction arc (which is in the late 20s and ends around episode 30, I wanna say).

The art gets easier and easier to watch as you go along--though, I barely made it through the first three episodes because I didn't like the art and the story didn't appeal to me and I fucking hated that Coby brat. You might not ever really grok the series, but if you can get through the first 15 episodes or not, you'll probably know whether or not you'll like it...?

[loup_noir]

Actually, it would be swell if you created an anime filter. While I'm always interested in people's lives, I'm not in the least interested in anime. Too old, I guess.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

I was considering that, yeah.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

but if you can get through the first 15 episodes or not, you'll probably know whether or not you'll like it...?

That's what someone else told me, though with "20" instead of "15". I'm intending to try to get through that many, yeah. And I agree with you about Coby! Blech.

Thanks!

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

I've been crying surprisingly (disturbingly!) easy at anime stuff, so I'm probably doomed, too. :)

Thanks for the comment!

[chichiri.livejournal.com]

omg I LOVE One Piece! I didn't watch it at first because the animation style annoyed the hell out of me. Like...they open their mouths too wide and stuff..but it's hilarious, in my humble opinion. XD Yesterday I watched an ep before I went to sleep and then tried to sleep and I kept laughing because I kept thinking about this one scene. T_T It was pathetic, actually...but yeah I really like it. ^^;; I think after the first 5 eps you should know whether you like it or not. I've seen 21 so far.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Hee! I've done things like that: watching one ep before bed, then not being able to sleep because of it. I'm going to watch more tonight and see if I can get it to hook me.

Thanks!

[kitsune-rei.livejournal.com]

I don't think that's too shallow, if you can't empathize/bond with at least one character then you'll never really get into a show. I need somebody I think is cute or cool for me to continue watching a show, unless the plot is just that good that it grabs me.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Agreed! And unfortunately with One Piece, neither characters nor plot got me...