ONE PIECE
ONE PIECE
One Piece (stylized in all caps) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Eiichiro Oda. It has been serialized in Shueisha's shōnen manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Jump since July 1997, with its individual chapters compiled into 101 tankōbon volumes as of December 2021. The story follows the adventures of Monkey D. Luffy, a boy whose body gained the properties of rubber after unintentionally eating a Devil Fruit. With his crew of pirates, named the Straw Hat Pirates, Luffy explores the Grand Line in search of the world's ultimate treasure known as "One Piece" in order to become the next King of the Pirates.
Premise
The series focuses on Monkey D. Luffy, a rubberized young man who, inspired by his childhood idol, the powerful pirate "Red Haired" Shanks, sets off on a journey from the East Blue Sea to find the mythical One Piece and proclaim himself the King of the Pirates. In an effort to organize his own crew, the Straw Hat Pirates,[Jp 1] Luffy rescues and befriends a pirate hunter and swordsman named Roronoa Zoro, and they head off in search of the titular treasure. They are joined in their journey by Nami, a money-obsessed thief and navigator; Usopp, a sniper and compulsive liar; and Vinsmoke Sanji, a perverted but chivalrous chef. They acquire a ship, the Going Merry[Jp 2], and engage in confrontations with notorious pirates of the East Blue. As Luffy and his crew set out on their adventures, others join the crew later in the series, including Tony Tony Chopper, an anthropomorphized reindeer doctor; Nico Robin, an archaeologist and former Baroque Works assassin; Franky, a cyborg shipwright; Brook, a skeleton musician and swordsman; and Jimbei, a fish-man helmsman and former member of the Seven Warlords of the Sea. Once the Going Merry becomes damaged beyond repair, the Straw Hat Pirates acquire a new ship, the Thousand Sunny,[Jp 3] built by Franky. Together, they encounter other pirates, bounty hunters, criminal organizations, revolutionaries, secret agents, and soldiers of the corrupt World Government, and various other friends and foes, as they sail the seas in pursuit of their dreams.
Devil Fruits
A Devil Fruit[Jp 19] is a type of fruit that, when eaten, grants a power to the eater.[17] A person may only eat one Devil Fruit during their lifetime, as eating a second Devil Fruit will swiftly end their life.[18]
There are three categories of Devil Fruits;[19]
- Paramecia[Jp 20] is a category of fruits that gives the user various superhuman abilities, such as Luffy's rubber physiology, Nico Robin's appendage generation or Brook's self-revival.[20]
- Zoan[Jp 21] fruits allow the user to fully or partially transform into a specific animal, like how Tony Tony Chopper can transform into a human-reindeer hybrid. Certain Zoan fruits allow the user to transform into prehistoric creatures, like X Drake being able to turn into an Allosaurus, and even mythical creatures, like how Marco can transform into a phoenix. Through an unknown technique developed by scientist Dr. Vegapunk, inanimate objects can also "eat" a Devil Fruit and gain sentience, like how Spandam's sword become an elephant.[21]
- Logia[Jp 22] fruits give control over and allow the user "to change their living body structure into the powers of nature", like Smoker's control over smoke, Portgas D. Ace's control over fire, and Sir Crocodile's control over sand.[19]
Devil Fruits are said to be incarnations of the sea devil himself and as a result, Devil Fruit users cannot swim in sea water as "they are hated by the sea".[22] When even partially submerged in sea water, they lose all their strength and coordination, although some abilities remain. For example, Luffy is still able to stretch after being totally submerged. Sea-prism stone also has this effect. Moving water, such as rain or waves, does not have this effect. When a Devil Fruit user dies, the powers reincarnate into a new Devil Fruit. For unknown reasons, Devil Fruit users cannot eat a second Devil Fruit because it would cause their bodies to burst, although series antagonist Blackbeard manages to obtain a second Devil Fruit power through an unknown method. Devil Fruit powers can also be "awakened", greatly increasing the power and utility of the user's abilities.[23]
There is also an artificial Devil Fruit created by Caesar Clown called the SMILE which enables the user to obtain the abilities of a specific animal, but having only partially a part of the animal such as the legs, ears, or the head protruding from any limb of the body, like the head of an animal in the stomach or in place of the hand, wings in the head or the waist, or an animal appearing in place of their legs.
Haki
Haki (覇気, lit. "Ambition") is a latent ability that every living being in the world of One Piece possesses; very few manage to awaken it, and even fewer master it. There are three varieties of Haki: Color of Observation (見聞色の覇気, Kenbunshoku no Haki) allows one to sense the presence of other beings and to have a form of limited precognition. Color of Arms (武装色の覇気, Busōshoku no Haki) allows one to envelop body parts and even inanimate objects with a force akin to an invisible armor that possesses defensive and offensive properties. It also allows one to inflict harm upon logia Devil Fruit users. The rare Color of the Supreme King (覇王色の覇気, Haōshoku no Haki) is an ability that, unlike the other two Haki, only a few gifted people have. The Color of the Supreme King enables one to overpower the will of the weak-willed. It can be used to force others into submission or even render victims unconscious. Strong-willed people can withstand, or even completely ignore, the effects of this Haki, even if they do not possess the ability themselves. This Haki can also have physical impact, such as causing shock waves and destruction to the user's surroundings.
Production
Concept and creation
Eiichiro Oda's interest in pirates began in his childhood, watching the animated series Vicky the Viking, which inspired him to want to draw a manga series about pirates.[25] The reading of pirate biographies influenced Oda to incorporate the characteristics of real-life pirates into many of the characters in One Piece; for example, the character Marshall D. Teach is based on and named after the historical pirate Edward "Blackbeard" Teach.[26] Apart from the history of piracy, Oda's biggest influence is Akira Toriyama and his series Dragon Ball, which is one of his favorite manga.[27] He was also inspired by The Wizard of Oz, claiming not to endure stories where the reward of adventure is the adventure itself, opting for a story where travel is important, but even more important is the goal.[28]
While working as an assistant to Nobuhiro Watsuki, Oda began writing One Piece in 1996.[29] It started as two one-shot stories entitled Romance Dawn[29]—which would later be used as the title for One Piece's first chapter and volume. They both featured the character of Luffy, and included elements that would appear later in the main series. The first of these short stories was published in August 1996 in Akamaru Jump and later in One Piece Red. The second was published in the 41st issue of Weekly Shōnen Jump in 1996, and reprinted in 1998 in Oda's short story collection, Wanted!.[30] In an interview with TBS, Takanori Asada, the original editor of One Piece, revealed that the manga was rejected by Weekly Shōnen Jump three times before Shueisha agreed to publish the series.[31]
Development
When creating a Devil Fruit, Oda thinks of something that would fulfill a human desire; he added that he does not see why he would draw a Devil Fruit unless the fruit's appearance would entice one to eat it.[32] The names of many special attacks, as well as other concepts in the manga, consist of a form of punning in which phrases written in kanji are paired with an idiosyncratic reading. The names of some characters' techniques are often mixed with other languages, and the names of several of Zoro's sword techniques are designed as jokes; they look fearsome when read by sight but sound like kinds of food when read aloud. For example, Zoro's signature move is Onigiri, which is written as demon cut but is pronounced the same as rice ball in Japanese. Eisaku Inoue, the animation director, has said that the creators did not use these kanji readings in the anime since they "might have cut down the laughs by about half".[33] Nevertheless, Konosuke Uda, the director, said that he believes that the creators "made the anime pretty close to the manga".[33]
Oda was "sensitive" about how his work would be translated.[34] In many instances, the English version of the One Piece manga uses one onomatopoeia for multiple onomatopoeia used in the Japanese version. For instance, "saaa" (the sound of light rain, close to a mist) and "zaaa" (the sound of pouring rain) are both translated as "fshhhhhhh".[35] Unlike other manga artists, Oda draws everything that moves himself to create a consistent look while leaving his staff to draw the backgrounds based on sketches he has drawn. In this way, he wishes to maintain a uniform representation, leaving only the realization of the backgrounds to his staff, based on his sketches.[36] This workload forces him to keep tight production rates, starting from five in the morning until two in the morning the next day, with short breaks only for meals. Oda's work program includes the first three days of the week dedicated to the writing of the storyboard and the remaining time for the definitive inking of the boards and for the possible coloring.[37] When a reader asked who Nami was in love with, Oda replied that there would hardly be any love affairs within Luffy's crew. The author also explained he deliberately avoids including them in One Piece since the series is a shōnen manga and the boys who read it are not interested in love stories.[38]
Conclusion
Oda revealed that he originally planned One Piece to last five years, and that he had already planned the ending. However, he found it would take longer than he had expected as Oda realized that he liked the story too much to end it in that period of time.[39] In 2016, nineteen years after the start of serialization, the author said that the manga has reached 65% of the story he intends to tell.[40] In July 2018, on the occasion of the twenty-first anniversary of One Piece, Oda said that the manga has reached 80% of the plot,[41] while in January 2019, he said that One Piece is on its way to the conclusion, but that it could exceed the 100th volume.[42] In August 2019, Oda said that, according to his predictions, the manga will end between 2024 and 2025.[43] However, Oda stated that the ending would be what he had decided in the beginning; he is committed to seeing it through.[44] In a television special aired in Japan, Oda said he would be willing to change the ending if the fans were to be able to predict it.[28] In August 2020, Shueisha announced in the year's 35th issue of Weekly Shōnen Jump that One Piece was "headed toward the upcoming final saga."[45] On January 4, 2021, One Piece reached its thousandth chapter.[46][47][48]
Publication
Main series
Written and illustrated by Eiichiro Oda, One Piece has been serialized by Shueisha in the shōnen manga anthology Weekly Shōnen Jump since July 22, 1997.[49][50] Shueisha has collected its chapters into individual tankōbon volumes. The first volume was released on December 24, 1997.[51] As of December 3, 2021, a total of 101 volumes have been released.[52]
The One Piece manga was licensed for an English language release by Viz Media, who published it via chapters in the manga anthology Shonen Jump, since the magazine's launch in November 2002, and in bound volumes since June 30, 2003.[53][54][55] In 2009, Viz announced the release of five volumes per month during the first half of 2010 to catch up with the serialization in Japan.[56] Following the discontinuation of the print Shonen Jump, Viz began releasing One Piece chapterwise in its digital successor Weekly Shonen Jump on January 30, 2012.[57] In the United Kingdom, the volumes were published by Gollancz Manga, starting in March 2006,[58] until Viz Media took it over after the fourteenth volume.[59][60] In Australia and New Zealand, the English volumes have been distributed by Madman Entertainment since November 10, 2008.[61] In Poland, Japonica Polonica Fantastica is publishing the manga,[62] Glénat in France,[63] Panini Comics in Mexico,[64] LARP Editores and later by Ivrea in Argentina,[65][66] Planeta de Libros in Spain,[67] Edizioni Star Comics in Italy,[68] and Sangatsu Manga in Finland.[69]
Spin-offs and crossovers
Oda teamed up with Akira Toriyama to create a single crossover of One Piece and Toriyama's Dragon Ball. Entitled Cross Epoch, the one-shot was published in the December 25, 2006, issue of Weekly Shōnen Jump and the April 2011 issue of the English Shonen Jump.[70] Oda collaborated with Mitsutoshi Shimabukuro, author of Toriko, for a crossover one-shot of their series titled Taste of the Devil Fruit (実食! 悪魔の実!!, Jitsushoku! Akuma no Mi!!, lit. "The True Food! Devil Fruit!!"),[71] which ran in the April 4, 2011, issue of Weekly Shōnen Jump. The spin-off series One Piece Party (ワンピースパーティー, Wan Pīsu Pātī), written by Ei Andō in a super deformed art style, began serialization in the January 2015 issue of Saikyō Jump.[72]
Related media
Festival films and OVA
One Piece: Defeat Him! The Pirate Ganzack! was produced by Production I.G for the 1998 Jump Super Anime Tour and was directed by Gorō Taniguchi.[73] Luffy, Nami, and Zoro are attacked by a sea monster that destroys their boat and separates them. Luffy is found on an island beach, where he saves a little girl, Medaka, from two pirates. All the villagers, including Medaka's father have been abducted by Ganzack and his crew and forced into labor. After hearing that Ganzack also stole all the food, Luffy and Zoro rush out to retrieve it. As they fight the pirates, one of them kidnaps Medaka. A fight starts between Luffy and Ganzack, ending with Luffy's capture. Meanwhile, Zoro is forced to give up after a threat is made to kill all the villagers. They rise up against Ganzack, and while the islanders and pirates fight, Nami unlocks the three captives. Ganzack defeats the rebellion and reveals his armored battleship. The Straw Hat Pirates are forced to fight Ganzack once more to prevent him from destroying the island.
A second film, One Piece: Romance Dawn Story, was produced by Toei Animation in July 2008 for the Jump Super Anime Tour. It is 34 minutes in length and based on the first version of Romance Dawn.[74][30] It includes the Straw Hat Pirates up to Brook and their second ship, the Thousand Sunny. In search for food for his crew, Luffy arrives at a port after defeating a pirate named Crescent Moon Gally on the way. There he meets a girl named Silk, who was abandoned by attacking pirates as a baby and raised by the mayor. Her upbringing causes her to value the town as her "treasure". The villagers mistake Luffy for Gally and capture him just as the real Gally returns. Gally throws Luffy in the water and plans to destroy the town, but Silk saves him and Luffy pursues Gally. His crew arrives to help him, and with their help he recovers the treasure for the town, acquires food, and destroys Gally's ship. The film was later released as a triple feature DVD with Dragon Ball: Yo! Son Goku and His Friends Return!! and Tegami Bachi: Light and Blue Night, that was available only though a mail-in offer exclusively to Japanese residents.[75]
The One Piece Film Strong World: Episode 0 original video animation (OVA) adapts the manga's special "Chapter 0", which shows how things were before and after the death of Roger. It received a limited release of three thousand DVDs as a collaboration with the House Foods brand.[76]
Anime series
Toei Animation produces an anime television series based on the One Piece manga. The series, which premiered in Japan on Fuji Television on October 20, 1999, has aired more than 950 episodes, and has been exported to various countries around the world.[77] Two cross-over episodes with the anime adaptation of Toriko were aired. The first of these, which was also the first episode of Toriko, aired on April 3, 2011.[78] A second special, which also crossed over with Dragon Ball Z, aired on April 7, 2013.[79]
On June 8, 2004, 4Kids Entertainment acquired the license for distribution of One Piece in North America.[80] 4Kids contracted Viz Media to handle home video distribution. 4Kids' in-house musicians wrote a new background score and theme song nicknamed "Pirate Rap". 4Kids' dub mandated edits for content and length, which reduced the first 143 episodes into 104.[81] Initially, 4Kids originally created an English version of the first opening theme, "We Are!" by Russell Velazquez.[82] It premiered in the United States on September 18, 2004, in first-run syndication on the Fox network as part of the weekend programming block FoxBox TV, and later aired on Cartoon Network on their Saturday night action programming block, Toonami in April 2005. It also aired in other blocks and lineups, such as its Monday-Thursday night prime-time lineup and its Miguzi weekday after-school action block in 2006. Production was halted in 2006 after episode 143/104.[83][84] Viz also ceased its home video release of the series after volume 11. On July 22, 2010, an interview with Anime News Network and Mark Kirk, senior vice-president of digital media for 4Kids Entertainment, revealed that 4Kids acquired One Piece as part of a package deal with other anime, and that the company did not screen the series before licensing it. However, once 4Kids realized One Piece was not appropriate for their intended demographic, the company decided to edit it into a more child-oriented series until they had an opportunity to legally drop the license. Kirk said the experience of producing One Piece "ruined the company's reputation". Since then, 4Kids established a stricter set of guidelines, checks, and balances to determine which anime the company acquires.[85]
On April 13, 2007, Funimation licensed the series and started production on an English-language release of One Piece.[86] In an interview with voice actor Christopher Sabat, he stated that Funimation had been interested in acquiring One Piece from the very beginning, and produced a "test episode," in which Sabat portrayed the character of Helmeppo and Eric Vale played the part of the main character, Monkey D. Luffy. (They would later go on to provide the English voices for Roronoa Zoro and Sanji, respectively.)[87] After resuming production of the renewed English dub, which featured less censorship because of fewer restrictions on cable programming, Funimation released its first uncut, bilingual DVD box set containing 13 episodes on May 27, 2008.[88] Similarly sized sets followed with fourteen sets released.[89] The Funimation-dubbed episodes premiered on Cartoon Network on September 29, 2007 and aired until its removal on March 22, 2008.[90] On October 28, 2011, Funimation posted a press release on their official website confirming the acquisition of episodes 206–263, and the aspect ratio, beginning with episode 207, would be changed to the 16:9 widescreen format.[91] On May 18, 2013, the uncut series began airing on Adult Swim's revived Toonami late-night programming block from episode 207 onward.[92] One Piece was removed from the Toonami block after March 18, 2017.[93]
In May 2009, Funimation, Toei Animation, Shueisha, and Fuji Television announced they would simulcast stream the series within an hour of the weekly Japanese broadcast at no charge.[94] Originally scheduled to begin on May 30, 2009, with episode 403, a lack of security resulted in a leak of the episode, and Funimation delayed the offer until episode 415 on August 29, 2009.[95][96][97] On February 12, 2013, it was announced that Manga Entertainment would start releasing the Funimation dub of One Piece in the United Kingdom in a DVD box set format.[98] Crunchyroll began simulcasting the series on November 2, 2013, for the United States, Canada, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and Latin America.
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