A Modern Odyssey

  Since this is the first entry I thought I’d start with my favorite work of fictional literature One Piece.  One Piece is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Eiichiro Oda since 1997 and continues to this day. In its totality it has 1,079 chapters and 1,055 episodes with one new chapter and episode weekly for 26 years. It takes place around what looks like the 16^th century, our story encompasses our protagonist Monkey d. Luffy and his crew’s journey to become the pirate king. The names of the main crew the Straw Hat pirates for now: Monkey D. Luffy our captain, Roronoa Zoro the vice-captain, Nami the navigator, Usopp the sniper, Sanji the cook, Tony Tony Chopper the doctor, Nico Robin the archeologist, Franky the shipwright, Brook the musician and Jinbe the helmsman. I say for now because we don’t know if there’ll be a new crew member because they recruit members throughout the story, the first crew member was recruited in 1997 and the most recent one was last year.  

One of the things One Piece prides itself on is its characters as it frankly should. Characters in the series each have their own hopes, ideals, allegiances, and enemies for example Doflamingo who we all started hating at first because of his cruelty and abuse suddenly turned into a victim because of his backstory, he is a man wrapped in this worlds madness. We suddenly get an explanation to what and who cultivated this monster we see now. Due to this we see a sense of his actions and motivations and why he does what he does and how he sees himself, additionally his string powers complement him a lot since he’s a master manipulator and a liar and he controls people with his string powers like a puppet master. Furthermore, what most people watch One Piece for is its amazing story, the story of One Piece is gigantic what separates it from other series is that whilst other series make their stories short as to not bore its readers and keep them interested. But One Piece expands its story and because of this the world is as big as it is and leads to more impactful emotional moments while keeping readers interested, this is no easy feat and further showcases the author’s skill. Throughout its expanse One Piece has various mysteries such as what is the One Piece? Or what is the will of D, these mysteries are only just now getting explained after years of storytelling. The main aspect the series prides itself in is its worldbuilding, I wouldn’t be out of line if I said that it’s the best worldbuilding in any manga series. The One Piece world is made up of one sea and has one continent called the red line, a chain of islands called the grand line and four seas called the East blue, West blue, North blue, South blue additionally the grand line is the most important place since that is where most of the story takes place. The grand line is divided into two sections by the red line one called paradise because of how tame it is in comparison with the other part called the New World since that is where the four emperors (which are the four strongest pirates with the highest bounties) reside in. The author has created vast and intricate world that is full of detail and depth. From the different cultures and races that populate the various islands, to the complex political systems and power structures that exist between them, the world of One Piece is rich and complex. For instance, if you look up Skypiea in the One Piece wiki you will find a fully developed civilization. One of the most enjoyable parts of this series which is growing with the crew. Throughout the story you see these characters going through gut wrenching moments and grow a sometimes-worrying attachment to these characters. I mean some fans cried for a ship that’s how close some feel. As you see them grow you feel proud for them for instance let’s take luffy we see him going from this boy to the captain of the straw hats and an emperor of the sea and you can’t help but feel proud of him since you’ve seen his development. One Piece is truly a magical experience that is carefully laid and planned out throughout its entirety.
    

One Piece is a series that has captured the hearts of fans around the world with its richly detailed world-building, dynamic artwork, and emotionally resonant storytelling. Through its vibrant cast of characters and powerful themes of friendship and unity, it has become one of the most beloved and enduring works of popular culture in recent memory. It will inevitably be considered as one of the greatest literary works of all time some say it is a “Modern Odyssey”.