One Piece Vol 21

[sara_tanaquil]

Livy wrote his history in pentads or decads (groups of five-ten books). What's a group of 20 books? Insanity? Anyway, we're starting a new one!

Let's face it: some shounen fights are just more fun than others. A mixed bag in this volume.

Comments

[printfogey]

The fight against Miss Doublefinger is the first time we see Nami in a "proper" one-on-one fight. Fighting isn't integral to her dream or her position on the crew, but by now they've come to the point where everyone really must do their bit, and it's so satisfying to see her realising this (in the flashback) and deliver! I love that look on Nami's face when she starts to figure it all out and knows she can win. ♥

Mr. 1 isn't that thrilling an opponent for me, but I like Zoro's fight here because his flashback and insight gives a rare moment of spirituality to the series and also a rare moment of openness to Zoro's character, IMO. The way he immediately worries about how the others are doing post-victory - despite his wounds and fatigue - and how we get to see that concern is quite touching.

ETA: Do you mind if I post to my journal about your chapter re-reads with a link? I could use your "one piece" tag in the link.

ETA II: Oh, and don't worry - us Sanji/Usopp shippers can take it! :D It's not my most preferred pairing, but I do like it!

[sara_tanaquil]

I love that look on Nami's face when she starts to figure it all out and knows she can win. ♥

I know! I get bored with Nami's weather techniques quickly (not least because it's a pain to figure out all the weather terminology in Japanese), but I love the confidence she gains when she realizes she can use her best assets -- her intelligence, her specialized knowledge and her limitless supply of raw chutzpah. ^_^

Agreed on Zoro, too, although my take on him is that he's not especially closed off, despite all that manly stoicism. If he has something he wants to express, he doesn't have difficulty expressing it. It's just that 95% of his thought processes are given over to swords, training, training, sake and sleep, which doesn't leave much room for emoting. ^_~

By contrast, I'd say that Nami and even Usopp have far more trouble expressing their feelings (and especially vulnerabilities) openly than Zoro does.

ETA: Do you mind if I post to my journal about your chapter re-reads with a link? I could use your "one piece" tag in the link.

Of course, feel free to link! Most of my journal is locked down, so I'm really happy to be making some new friends.

(Not that I mind sharing the locked content, but I prefer not to have it hanging out there on the internet for all to see. But since I locked most of my entries, I rarely make new connections on LJ, which is sad.)

ETA II: Oh, and don't worry - us Sanji/Usopp shippers can take it! :D It's not my most preferred pairing, but I do like it!

The funny thing is, I don't particularly ship San/Uso (I don't ship anyone on the crew really, though I enjoy a good fanfic that makes me temporarily believe in a pairing), but it is amazing how much fodder there is for it if you look. ^_^ Of course, the same material can just as easily be read as nakamappoi, which is my usual preference.

[printfogey]

Hmm, if you're right about Zoro - especially the comparison with Usopp - that means I still don't really get the guy at all, after all this time. *sigh* My Zoro fics probably all sound OOC. Then he's even harder to connect to for me, alas.

I think people often mean different things by words like "shipping" or "OTP" - for me it just means that I'll enjoy reasonably well-written fics and well-done fan art with the couple in question. In One Piece, it's always, for me, within the framework of nine-fold mutual, unconditional and absolute Crew Love or nakamashipping, which I'm guessing is the same thing as nakamappoi. And pure gen which emphasises that is often what I like the best, too.

But you're right, there is a lot of fodder for Sanji/Usopp if one wants to find it! Or for Sanji + Usopp bromance which can be even better. (The actual shipfics out there sadly often come with overdone seme/uke clichés.)

[sara_tanaquil]

I don't know if I'm right about Zoro, it's just my impression. I was particularly thinking of his first fight with Tashigi, where I was surprised at how little of himself he held back in a very vulnerable situation. (It's a good thing I don't write fic. I would never be able to write anyone in-character.)

In One Piece, it's always, for me, within the framework of nine-fold mutual, unconditional and absolute Crew Love or nakamashipping, which I'm guessing is the same thing as nakamappoi.

Yes! <3 (I made up nakamappoi (nakama-ish) on the spot as a substitute for friendshippy, but I think I might like nakamashipping even better.)

CS Lewis has a lovely comment somewhere about how, when a member of a close circle of friends dies, you don't just lose the friend, you lose the way that person interacted with all the others -- the way they laughed at X's jokes, the way they fought with Y. Depressing talk of death aside, that is exactly how I feel about nakama interactions in One Piece. I love each one of them not only for their individual characteristics, but for how each one interacts with each of the other nakama, which is unique and hilarious and wonderful. And every new nakama added to the mix just makes it better.

Also, bromance is absolutely the perfect word for Sanji-Usopp interaction, romantic or otherwise. <3

[printfogey]

That's a lovely way to put how the crew works - and a great quote from Lewis. And very true, too. ♥

[mangaroo]

I was particularly thinking of his first fight with Tashigi, where I was surprised at how little of himself he held back in a very vulnerable situation.

...didn't he just run away?

[sara_tanaquil]

That was the second fight. ^_^

In the first fight (in Loguetown), after he defeated her and she demanded to know why he didn't finish her off, he pretty much blurted out the whole Kuina story to a complete stranger. I suppose you could put it down to him being seriously off balance, but it would have been so easy for him to make up some macho bs instead of telling the truth.

[mangaroo]

Darnit, I have completely forgotten that. I think it might have been delivered in a way that seemed dispassionate to me in English, but lost in translation wouldn't explain away the art, so I'll just have to assume I'm making this memory up and I just forgot/overlooked/rolled my eyes at another reference to the only non-mournful death in the history of One Piece flashbacks. (Seriously, there is something suspicious there. I know Zoro was the first, but was Oda just really inept or am I heartless?)

[sara_tanaquil]

You're not alone -- it's my impression that most people find that backstory lame (I didn't, although the death did strike me as a bit... abrupt, but I seem to be in the minority). And I really don't think it was only because Oda was less experienced then.

[Speculation, just to be safe]I'm still not convinced that Tashigi's resemblance to Kuina is a coincidence, but I guess we'll find out someday.

[wednesday_10_00]

it's my impression that most people find that backstory lame

Yes. In particular, I remember years ago, on AOD forums, complaining about how [er, I think this is not a spoiler, since we know he's dead at the beginning of the series, but: Fruits Basket spoiler warning, sort of] Tohru's father's death is the stupidest thing ever, and the general reaction was, "Impossible, Kuina's death is the stupidest thing ever." And...they are both really, REALLY stupid, but I can't say I disagree with that.