I’d Rather One Piece | Week 1

It’s been one week since I started One Piece and I managed to watch way more episodes than I thought I would. It’s kind of (REALLY, REALLY, REALLY) addictive. I managed to watch the first 44 episodes this week and they were awesome! I really enjoyed seeing Luffy gathering, recruiting, and forcing the members of his crew to join him. Each person Luffy recruits has a great back story.

If you haven’t watched the first 44 episodes and don’t want to be spoiled, you should probably jump ship now.

The backstories of the characters all follow a simple template: Luffy sees someone he wants for his crew, he tells them that they are joining, they say no, he earns their respect (usually by beating up some bad guy), then they decide to join his crew. It sounds really simple, but it works. I think one of the reasons it does is because people actually die in this show, giving it a true sense of realism and permanence. Nobody comes back from dead. If you lose an arm or a leg it’s gone and it doesn’t grow back. The characters keep their scars. This gives the fights a real seriousness to them.

When it comes to fighting, each member of Luffy’s crew has their own talents with some unique combat ability. Zoro is a ridiculously skilled swordsman. Usopp has impeccable aim with anything he shoots. Sanji has incredibly powerful kicks and never fights with his hands; he is a chef after all, he can’t really get his hands dirty. Nami is a skilled thief and navigator, which aren’t necessarily combat abilities, but she’s very skilled with her weapon of choice and is able to deceive others with her actions. Her sheer determination is incredible.

Luffy.

Luffy fights with no fear, no regret, and often without thinking. Once Luffy has decided to fight, he’s going to win. It’s only a matter of time.
These five people make up the Straw Hat Pirates and each member of Luffy’s crew has their own unique backstory that feels very weighty; meaning they have depth and true meaning to them, unlike most other anime. Each backstory shows what the characters ambitions in life are and explains why they have them. All of their ambitions, despite how diverse they are, can be achieved by sailing with Luffy. It shows how well thought out each character is.

I like that each person has their own motives for joining up with Luffy and aren’t just blindly following him without reason. I also like that Luffy has chosen each one of them with a purpose. A swordsman to fight by his side, a sniper to back him up, a cook to feed him on the sea, and a navigator to help them get to where they’re going.

I look forward to the Straw Hats next adventures and seeing more interesting characters join Luffy’s crew. I can’t wait to see what happens next in the story, what fight’s they get into next and why. What are your thoughts on the first 44 episodes? Leave a comment down below and share your thoughts, but please, no spoilers.

The Otaku Couple