One Piece Readthrough Week 1
Hello all! So something I've been wanting to do now for ages is to do a sit down re-read of the entire series, but considering life keeps me busy these days it's hard to squeeze in time to binge-read something I've already become acquainted with over the years. I'm sure most here are the same. 😆
So, what exactly is this readthrough going to entail? Well, let me lay out some groundwork rules to explain what we're going to do:
- Starting with Volume 1, we're going to read 1 Volume a week. The thread will be updated every Thursday.
- Every week the discussion will solely focus on that specific Volume...
- ...but if you discuss anything that takes place AFTER the Volume of the Week, put it in spoiler tags!
- New readers and re-readers are both welcome here, as well as any opinions on these volumes. Stay civil!
What is One Piece about?
Generally speaking, One Piece is about a boy named Monkey D. Luffy who dreams of being the King of the Pirates. To do this Luffy has to attain his ideal crew, which happens to be a journey in of itself. He's also a rubber man, eating a Devil Fruit that gives him the power to stretch any part of his body. So, what exactly about One Piece that resonates with fans on the level it does today?
As the series goes on - even in the first volume - the true nature of the series unravels. Even though the series is wacky, at its core it's about fighting oppression. Whether this enemy is a rival pirate like Alvida, or a Marine captain like Morgan the point remains the same. As you can imagine, these themes escalate as the series goes on into even grander and larger stories.
That isn't to say the wackiness of the series isn't important as well. One Piece is a series that is insanely fun to read, even ignoring the deeper themes that the series showcases. The characters remain silly throughout the entire story. Despite this, there's enough content for everyone in One Piece. Like edgy characters? One Piece has got it. Like bishonen pretty boys? It's got that too. Like battle-thirsty characters who love nothing but to fight? Have it in spades! Do you love gag characters? Gags everywhere!
On top of that, One Piece has a bunch of mystery boxes, and the series spends a lot of it's time resolving these things in both expected and unexpected ways. There is always the feeling of something greater coming in One Piece, even if that isn't really showcased all the well in the first few volumes of the series. The theory and discussion community for this series is absolutely massive; from youtube, to reddit, to various forums and groups inside of forums (such as Era! 😊 ).
One Piece starts out as a hybrid of Wizard of Oz and Dragon Ball, but by the time of the recent chapters it's turned more into A Game of Thrones (just without the rapey stuff). The growth of the series as well as the characters that inhabit it is astounding, and most fans consider the series to retain it's quality over the years.
Where do I read One Piece?
Fear not, you don't have to pirate the series! It's surprisingly easy to read One Piece officially. I'll rank from best to worst for our readthrough (I own the entire series physically so I'll be reading those).
Shonen Jump: For $1.99 a month, you can read it on the Shonen Jump App/website, as well as many other Shonen Jump titles.
MangaPlus: You can read the first three chapters for free here, in case you want to just dip your toes into the series.
Amazon Listing for Vol. 1: If you want to legally purchase the series physically or digitally.
Amazon Listing for All-in-One Vol. 1 - 3: If you want to legally purchase an physical omnibus version of the series.
Amazon Listing for Box Set: East Blue and Baroque Works Vol. 1 - 23: If you're committed and want the cheapest option, this is the way to go. You save quite a bit of money this way if you want to read this for the long run in a physical medium.
*Obviously there are other sources outside of Amazon to buy One Piece, including the Shonen Jump website itself. :)
What if I want to watch One Piece, but I want to participate in this thread anyway? 😈
>_>
Ugh ok, fine. You don't like manga. I get it. Manga can be a hard sell to a lot of people. Or perhaps you're someone who just wants to rewatch the series. I dunno. So, where can you view it officially?
Crunchyroll: Watch free but it has ads.
Funimation: Watch free but it has ads.
Netflix: June 12th both the East Blue and Alabasta Sagas will be available on Netflix in all Western countries!
Hulu: On here but it's the shittiest of the bunch tbh wouldn't recommend above the other two.
Amazon Listing for Collection 1: Has Episodes 1 - 26.
There's also uh...
A live-action series produced by Netflix, but you'll have to wait a bit for this one.
Volume of the Week:
Volume 19: Rebellion
167. Battlefront
168. Rainbase, Town of Dreams
169. Strongest Warrior in the Kingdom
170. It Begins
171. Koza, Leader of the Rebellion
172. Rebellion
173. Bananadile
174. Mr. Prince
175. Liberation
176. Rush!!
Watchthrough: One Piece Anime Episodes 105 - 110
Volume's Read:
Q&A:
Hey you guys are on Volume 43 but I just want to get started! Am I too late?
Absolutely not. If you're a re-reader you can just jump in with us at the volume. If not, catch up at your own pace. XD We'll await your arrival to the pirate summit!
I just finished Volume 1 and I want to read more! What should I do?!?!
Do it, nobody is going to stop you. Just make sure that you keep it in spoiler tags until the Volume of the Week changes!
What's up with "Zoro" and "Zolo"?!?!
Unfortunately this dates back to the days of 4kids changing the names of all of the characters. Viz in their infinite wisdom decided to do a bit of brand synergy by changing his name to "Zolo." 🙄 Till this day, the translation is retained for consistency sake in the official manga. By all intents and purposes however, his canon name is "Zoro."
What's with the text in between the chapters? Are they necessary reading?
Not really, but it does give you a fun insight into who Oda is as a person. Some of the SBS' later on in the series have lore and other canon information in them, but you really don't have to worry about them too much to be honest.
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Week 1:
One Piece, Vol. 1: Romance Dawn
001. ROMANCE DAWN - The Dawn of the Adventure: A young boy named Monkey D. Luffy swears to become the Pirate King, accidentally eats the Gomu Gomu no Mi, and is given a straw hat by his idol, Shanks. Ten years later, Luffy sets out on the high seas.
002. That Guy, "Straw Hat Luffy": Luffy meets cabin boy Koby and defeats his abusive captain, Alvida.
003. Introducing "Pirate Hunter Zoro": Luffy and Koby arrive at an island where Roronoa Zoro is imprisoned. Intent on having him in his crew, Luffy meets him and a girl who reveals why he was captured.
004. Marine Captain "Axe-Hand Morgan": Luffy goes to retrieve Zoro's swords, but enrages the captain of the Marine Base, Morgan.
005. Pirate King and Master Swordsman: Morgan and the Marines go to kill Zoro and Koby, and Zoro remembers the promise he made to his deceased friend Kuina. However, Luffy saves them and Zoro tells him he will join his crew.
006. The First Person: Luffy and Zoro battle against Morgan, Helmeppo, and the Marines.
007. Friends: Luffy and Zoro leave peacefully, and Koby joins the Marines. He and the Marines thank the two for stopping Morgan.
008. Introducing Nami: Luffy is captured by a bird and Zoro meets some of the Buggy Pirates. On an island, Luffy meets Nami, who is running away from some pirates.
Watchthrough: One Piece Anime Episodes 1 - 5.
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