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

[mangaroo]

General volume note: it's kind of embarrassing how long it took me to notice that the covers of volumes 21 and 22 make a full-size picture, showing the villains against the Strawhats.

Holy cow, I missed that completely. Thank you.

The ties suggest drunk salarymen, though I have no idea what the wrapped boxes indicate - presumably the same thing.

An SBS in this volume (191/192) mentions a wandering drunk character that a reader spotted in volume 19. He, too, is carrying The Package. Drunk omiyage? For whom? Angry wife?

[I have been told I have to use fujoshi protection.]

LOL! At least these spoilers I can click on.

Anyway, I really can't stand the action parts of shounen manga fights. If it were all just hilarious party entertainment when you want to use your weapon + clever quips, it would be much less confusing. I love that Usopp's silly party favors took Doublefinger down. No discredit to Nami, who fought the battle and wielded the weapon, but the silly things were useful, after all.

(Pluton [Pluto], for those who don't know

[sara_tanaquil]

LOL, I edit to remove random punctuation all the time.

It used to be that when I would get emailed copies of edited comments, I would check out of curiosity to see what was edited. I don't bother any more, because 9 times out of 10 I can't tell... which doesn't stop me from continuing to obsessively edit my own typos, because that comma would keep me up at night.

He, too, is carrying The Package. Drunk omiyage? For whom? Angry wife?

I noticed that after I wrote my original comment. Mystery!

I just thought plutonium = atomic bomb.

No doubt that's part of it (my spell checker kept trying to change Pluto to plutonium), but I am fairly certain that the use of the proper Greek spelling of Pluto was intended, as well. I'll have more to say about Oda's use of Greek in the proper place.

"My sword understands my will…"Interesting translation (not wrong, just one of a number of possibilities -- this philosophical-sword stuff is hard to translate without interpreting). The literal Japanese is 刀に意思が伝わる ("the will is communicated to the

[wednesday_10_00]

An SBS in this volume (191/192) mentions a wandering drunk character that a reader spotted in volume 19. He, too, is carrying The Package. Drunk omiyage? For whom? Angry wife?

Doesn't he say that the drunk guy is coming back from a wedding? (His daughter's wedding?) If so, the package would be a gift from the newlyweds. (In Japan, guests give cash at weddings [and funerals] and get back useless gifts.)

(Whether this is related to the swans' package or not, I have no idea.)

[mangaroo]

In Japan, guests give cash at weddings [and funerals] and get back useless gifts.

I have learned something! I just wish I had the earlier volumes so I could see if drunk wedding guest guy had been carrying a package in his first appearance...where he was drunk for a non-wedding reason. Maybe, in Oda's eyes, all drunks are coming from the money/useless gift exchange celebrations. Though one assumes you don't get drunk at a funeral.

[wednesday_10_00]

Spoils of war: a new friend.

YAY!

Zoro is, of course -- lost. (LOL at the poor ducks trying to point him in the right direction, and failing. Also, the arrow pointing at Nami in the distance as Zoro runs off to take a "shortcut.")

Though I do actually like the scene with Zoro learning to cut (and not cut) iron, I think this is my favorite part of this volume. I just love Zoro getting lost gags.

random side note: [post-Marineford]
How, in all his months running around with Ace and Sabo (not to mention all the times Garp left him alone in jungles and whatever?), did Luffy not get a better sense of direction?


[chapter 597]
Zoro's first use of observation haki, although he doesn't realize it.

I don't know why it didn't occur to me that Zoro (and Sanji?) might also learn haki. Thank you for pointing this out.

(I'm finally getting into new [for me] material. Pretty soon I'll be going back to earlier entries and reading all the spoiler cuts.)

[sara_tanaquil]

My favorite lost-Zoro gag of all time is in the next volume. ^_^

(Can I post the next volume yet? so amazing whiiiiiine)

Re Marineford spoiler: Luffy's learning potential is limited and specific, I think. ^_^

Re: 597: has there been no explicit reference to this in what you've read so far?

Wow, I can't believe you're almost caught up! I would love to see your reactions to the earlier spoiler cuts when you get a chance.

[wednesday_10_00]

edit: as far as I'm concerned, you can post the next volume whenever you want! Who says you have to stick to some arbitrary schedule?

has there been no explicit reference to this in what you've read so far?

Not yet. I'm just getting to the start of the Fishman Island fight (at least, I think so; the Strawhats are sort of missing right now), so that could change shortly, though.

I'm sure I will have new comments for the old posts.

[embarrassment spoiler cut]Mostly unrelated: My (ginormous) Noppin order is being packed up now. Reportedly, they are "trying" to fit it in one box. (Oh god, shipping might break the bank.)

[wednesday_10_00]

has there been no explicit reference to this in what you've read so far?

So...still no, as of the end of volume 66.

[random Fishman Island + speculation comments]
Nooooooo, Jinbei, go with them! ;_;

Do you think Luffy will need to defeat Big Mom before Jinbei can go with them? Or do you think it'll be something else we don't know about yet? (Probably some of both, knowing Oda?)

side note: I'm not sure why Luffy needed to give Big Mom all the treasure after threatening to kick her ass and claim Fish Island as his, but...<3 I can't wait for this confrontation to happen. At first I was thinking that Big Mom would turn out to be Lola's mom, but by the incident with the dessert factory, Big Mom seems like such a jerk I hope I was wrong about that.

also, random: lol forever at the exchange after Luffy uses haoshoku to take out 5,000 minions (Zoro: "Luffy, you took out too many!" Luffy: "Did I? Sorry!").

[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

[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

[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

[wednesday_10_00]

[From the Decks of the World]
judging by Cobra's state of health when we saw him last

I dunno, everyone in the room seemed too cheery for Cobra to be near death. However, maybe Vivi will be representing Alabasta at the Reverie because Cobra is still recovering or something?


Oh god, so sorry about the 8 million emails you must have gotten from my comments today. But now I'm on to 22, and then I'll be done until you update again. *phew*

[sara_tanaquil]

Nonsense. I love getting new LJ comments!