Introducing the appeal of One Piece, a popular Japanese manga that has been around for over 20 years.

Hello! This is KENTA, the administrator of MANGAZAMURAI.
One Piece is my favorite manga, and I have been posting a lot of information about it on MANGAZAMURAI.
Those of you who have visited this site may already know about it, but I would like to introduce the charm of the manga One Piece again.

Outline of ONE PIECE

ONE PIECE is a boys’ manga set among pirates that began serialization in Weekly Shonen Jump in 1996.
The original author is Eiichiro Oda.

It depicts a maritime adventure romance in which the main character, Luffy, overcomes adventures with his friends and approaches the great mystery of the world.
With more than 100 book volumes, the series has sold more than 500 million copies worldwide and is currently setting a new record for the highest number of copies of a comic book published in Japan.
The anime has also been aired weekly for more than 20 years since 1999.

KENTA’s opinion on the appeal of One Piece

Of course, I have read everything from the first volume and One Piece is one of my favorite manga.
Here are some of the manga One Piece charms that I have noticed after reading it for more than 20 years.

1. Magnificent worldview and precise setting

The world of One Piece, which takes place in the sea, has a geography so precisely set up that it is hard to believe that it is a manga, and the story is consistent in terms of each character, climate, topography, flora and fauna, and so on.
The characters and stories are based on a wide variety of sources and motifs from a wide range of genres and cultures from all over the world. There are countless homages to the world’s culture, including the quotations from Ghibli and other major Japanese anime, Dragon Ball and other shonen manga, occultism and conspiracy theories that were popular in the 1970s, and world history.
The main character, Luffy, continues his voyage to acquire the treasure “HITOTSUNAGA NO DAISETSU HIDARI = ONE PIECE”, which has made his name known all over the world.
For more information on the Straw Pirates, of which Luffy is the captain, please click here.

Straw Pirates Member Profile

It is a pirate group formed by Monkey D. Luffy, with a small elite crew of about 10 members. Although each member has a title, there is no clear hierarchical relationship, and the relationship is characterized by equality. They do not kill or pillage, which is the image of pirates, and they do not attack civilians. Here is a detailed member profile of the Straw Pirates. 1. Monkey D. Luffy He is the “grand captain” of the straw crew. His title in the first half was captain, but it has been slightly changed, perhaps as a prelude to the future activities of the Straw Fleet under his umbrella. However, Luffy does not recognize the formality of the big fleet or the big captain (big head), and he does recognize that they can be friends and colleagues. Therefore, he says, “I call on you when I need help, and you call on me when you need help,” acknowledging them as friends without being formal. Luffy’s grandfather was Navy Lieutenant General Monkey D. Garp. His father is Monkey D. Dragon, leader of the Revolutionary Army. As can be seen from his middle name “D,” Luffy is also descended from the so-called “D family.

At present, the sea is not a single link, but is divided into four areas (east, west, south, north, and south), and as a rule, coming and going is only possible via the sea flowing through the four centers.

It is also believed that the oceans took this shape because something happened in the world 800 years ago, a mystery that has yet to be solved.

Another appeal of One Piece is the story of bonds and friendship.
Each character in the story has his or her own problems, including a painful past and a difficult environment.

The Strawfish gang solves problems by trusting and helping each other in their adventures.
Even in difficult situations, the bond with their friends supports them and gives them courage.
And the difficulties that each character encounters are often thought-provoking themes anyway.
Specifically, they include war, water shortages, whaling, religious and faith conflicts, human experimentation, human trafficking, racism, witch hunts, drug addiction, and poison use.

These problems are eternal challenges that mankind has not been able to overcome since the past, and they are well expressed in the “worldview” of the work.
One Piece is not just an adventure story.
Throughout the story, it depicts human weakness, beauty, and courage to face difficulties, giving readers something to think about.
It also provides an opportunity for adult as well as child readers to reflect on these issues.

3. Attractive characters expressing a way of life

Usually, “cool” and “cute” are the words that are used to describe manga and anime characters as attractive.

The character expresses, to put it simply, “a way of life that doesn’t fit into a box.
At worst, he is a “funny” character.
Anyway, he expresses his joy, anger, sadness, and anger as intensely as he can.

In terms of facial expressions, the artist is willing to describe tears, runny nose, sweat, etc., to make them resonate with the reader, and when he laughs, he laughs out loud, giving each character a unique character in his laughter.

In fact, the original author, Mr. Oda, has a certain obsession even now that more than 100 book volumes have been published.
That is, “I draw 100% of living and moving things by myself.
The popular manga artist has many talented assistants, but it seems that Oda himself draws everything that lives and moves, from the characters and animals to the clouds in the background.
The expressions and movements of these characters depicted in his magnificent worldview and emotionally-charged dramas are what make these hard-working characters come alive and take root in the hearts of us, the readers.

Message from the administrator

Thank you for reading to the end.
If I start talking about the very popular Japanese manga One Piece, it could go on forever, so this is the end of this article!
ONE PIECE is a truly interesting work, no matter who reads it, young or old.
The universal themes and emotions expressed in this work evoke strong empathy and emotion, making it a wonderful work that transcends the boundaries of manga and sublimates the entertainment aspects of Japanese culture that have been handed down from ancient times into the modern age.

We hope you will read it if you have not already done so.
Also, I have posted a lot of information about One Piece on this site MANGAZAMURAI.
I would be very happy if you could take a look. See you soon!