One Piece Vol 28

[sara_tanaquil]

At least lots of boring shounen fighting makes for quicker summaries, sigh.

(A few very interesting tidbits scattered in amidst the fighting, though - especially the hints about mantra, and the ancient history of Shandora.)

Comments

[mangaroo]

At least lots of boring shounen fighting makes for quicker summaries, sigh

I hope one of the other read-alongers who enjoys the fight sequences will speak up in their defense. I would like to learn what people see in them that I don't. I know one thing that I don't like about them is that I don't "speak" shounen manga fight, so I simply can't interpret the action at all most of the time. Another thing is that I feel no sense of risk. You and w_10_00 and your truism re: present events vs flashbacks aren't to blame for this: I expect that Our Heroes will win. So the conclusion of a fight (or, in the case of the never ending battles of Skypeia, several dozen fights) is a given for me, and I would just as soon get it over with.

Wiper demands nothing less than the complete restoration of Upper Yard to Shandian control. Gan Fall protests that the people of Skypiea are dependent on vearth for survival now, and he can't take the land from people who have done nothing wrong. Wiper is infuriated by the suggestion that any Skypiean could be

[sara_tanaquil]

I hope one of the other read-alongers who enjoys the fight sequences will speak up in their defense.

firesign10's son certainly seems to love them. He's constantly trying to corner me for a lengthy discussion of who would defeat whom in a pair-up match, using what techniques in what sequence. It's got to be a Y chromosome thing.

I feel like this is a transparent allusion to Native American history

Their clothing would certainly suggest this, although to me it feels like an even more transparent allusion to the Israeli/Palestinian situation. But as you say, it's unfortunately an all too widespread phenomenon (including in the Japanese experience, e.g. with the Ainu). And I guess no one can be completely original ALL the time.

And the bow! The bow! Good manners are so important.

Indeed! Ace got all the manners in that family, but it seems Luffy managed to pick up something, at least. (I love how he has to really scrunch up his face and think to come up with the "correct" response, LOL.)

YAY! I wanna know more about the void century.Don't we

[mangaroo]

He's constantly trying to corner me for a lengthy discussion of who would defeat whom in a pair-up match, using what techniques in what sequence. It's got to be a Y chromosome thing.

I don't want to overlook the women who might also enjoy these riveting discussions, but...yeah. I know I never engaged in Laura Ingalls vs Anne of Green Gables (who's fiestier) match-ups. I would be such a disappointment to F10's bear: as far as I'm concerned, their "moves" are the punch (Luffy), the sword, the kick, the gimmick (Usopp), and the creepy hand trick. I couldn't even tell you what the villains are doing.

Chopper's fight with Gedatsu is unquestionably the most entertaining of the fights.

It makes me wonder why Gedatsu was a vassal to begin with. His trial has a 50% survival rate, and he's in the 50% that doesn't survive?

[sara_tanaquil]

I think Bear knows every one of every single Strawhat's techniques by name. He can name all of Sanji's kicks, as far as I can tell. The mind of the nine-year-old boy is a remarkable thing.

It makes me wonder why Gedatsu was a vassal to begin with. His trial has a 50% survival rate, and he's in the 50% that doesn't survive?

LOL, good point! I guess there is room for allowances when you need just one really good comic relief villain.

If there is a need for a serious answer, I get the impression that the four vassals owed a great deal of their power to their superior mastery of mantra. It's clear that most people on Skypiea have no mantra at all, including even someone as highly placed as Gan Fall, so having that advantage and training it to a high level would go a long way.