One Piece Vol 17
Jul. 16th, 2012 12:06 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sara_tanaquilSakura snowflakes, and farewell to Drum Island. T_T (These are the good cry kind of tears. One Piece has a lot of both happy tears and sad tears.)
Volume 17
146
Cover arc: Jango takes first prize in the dance contest, Mystery Man takes second. (Actually, I think this is the first time we get a close enough look at his face that Mystery Man is clearly recognizable as Lieutenant Fullbody. I love that Oda never bothers to actually give his NAME in the caption, oh, no, he can count on his obsessed fans to connect the dots. For those who are not thus unhealthily obsessed, Fullbody was the idiot Marine snob who was trying to impress his date with his knowledge of wine on the Baratie in volume 5.)
Back to Luffy's fight with Wapol. (snore)
Luffy's nickname for Wapol is "jama-guchi" (nuisance-mouth)... which is accurate, I guess?
Luffy seems to have contracted Buggy's "late-reaction" syndrome -- he's reacting to everything thirty seconds too late, causing all his crewmembers to facepalm. I guess Oda is going for comic with this fight, but it doesn't really work on me because I find Wapol so UNfunny.
I always love when someone figures out Luffy can stretch for the first time. (Sanji to Chopper, grinning: "He's a monster.")
Kureha says she only moved into the castle because Chopper insisted on raising the flag marking Hiluluk's grave there.
Wapol and his ministers recognize Chopper as the bakemono who attacked them on the day of Hiluluk's death.
Chopper tells them that he won't allow anyone to take down the doctor's shinnen (meaning, the flag).
Kuromarimo attacks.
Killer static cling afros are... probably the stupidest attack I've ever seen, and in One Piece, that's saying a lot.
Haha, I don't know whether Sanji's talk about afros and "brother soul" is funny or offensively racist or maybe a bit of both. The translation decided to steer clear of the issue, evidently. (Honestly, it reads to me not so much like racism and more like a line from some incredibly cheesy 70s blaxploitation flick... which raises the same dilemma, really.)
Oh, Luffy, if Nami weren't convalescent, you wouldn't get off so easily for insulting her taste in clothes. ("Your clothes are lame." "They're cooler than yours!") Personally, I agree with Luffy, that coat is kind of ugly.
Nami must really still be weak, if Luffy is able to talk her into ignoring the ruckus outside that easily (she goes right back to sleep).
LOL, the "decoy ploy!" Chopper learned from Hiluluk (this time, Sanji's the bait).
147
Oh, good, Dalton's still alive. (Because everyone who's buried in snow miraculously goes into suspended animation.) The Ishii 20 step forward to help him.
The Ishii 20 say they never wanted to follow Wapol. Even while they were forced to serve him, they continued their research, because "a certain quack doctor" taught them never to give up.
Oh man, I forgot about Wapol eating his own ministers and producing Chessmarimo (the "Baku-baku Factory" technique).
Back in Bighorn village: When USOPP tells you you worry too much... worry. (Poor Vivi! Someone really does need to tell her to stop taking the weight of the world on her shoulders.)
Zoro teasing Usopp, pointing out he's really just scared to go up the mountain.
Dalton staggers to his feet, vowing to fight. (Zoro: "No, seriously. Who IS that guy?")
Aw -- and once again, Usopp's courage shows up when you least expect it. He offers to carry Dalton up the mountain.
Back at the castle: Wapol shoots down Hiluluk's flag, and Chopper charges him in a rage.
Even in his rage, Chopper can't bring himself to hit Wapol, because he remembers Hiluluk telling him not to hate humans.
Meanwhile, as always, Luffy goes straight for the thing that matters most -- the flag.
Luffy says Wapol, who pretended to be a pirate without being willing to risk his life (inochi wo kakezuni), has no understanding of what a pirate flag means.
148
Cover arc: Jango and Fullbody bond over post-victory drinks. (Fullbody's characteristic bronze knuckles are just barely visible in this picture; they're clearer in the following chapter image.)
Aw, Zoro, don't go stealing Usopp's thunder. (Even if he probably wouldn't have made it another ten steps. How did he even lift Dalton in the first place?)
The villagers reveal that there is still one secret ropeway leading up to the castle ("someone" used a white rope so it wouldn't be visible).
Back at the castle, Luffy lectures Wapol on the true meaning of a pirate flag.
Oh crap, I just realized Luffy tore the arm off Nami's coat to tie the flag back up. Nami's going to kill him.
Luffy echoes Hiluluk's words about the pirate flag being a symbol of one's conviction (shinnen no shouchou). <3
Luffy: "Reindeer! *I'm* going to kick this guy's ass (= Wapol) -- what are *you* going to do?"
Sanji tries to jump into the fight, but his broken back (!) gives out. (I can't imagine it's improved by Kureha stomping on him to get him to hold still.)
Chopper challenges Chessmarimo.
Chessmarimo taunts Chopper with having been alone and friendless his whole life, saying he has no reason to fight.
Chopper: "Shut up! I don't need nakama to fight!"
"I'll be your nakama!" Luffy <3 <3
Sanji wants to fight, but Kureha tells him not to worry: "He's good in a pinch, our reindeer."
(I wish there was some word in English to properly convey uchi no. It's a word that only a family member can use of another family member... it has such a note of pride here.)
Chopper is still holding a grudge against Wapol's ministers because they laughed at Hiluluk on the day of his death.
Chopper: "RUMBLE BALL."
149
Chopper vows to defeat his opponent within 3 minutes.
(Hee, both Wapol and Luffy react to this with "3 minutes? Sugoi!" They don't mean the same thing by it, though.)
Each of Chopper's forms is characterized by an English name (in katakana) glossing a kanji phrase that describes what it does.
Walk Point (脚力強化) - reinforces the power of his legs (the only form in which he goes on four feet and looks like a normal reindeer).
Chessmarimo identifies Chopper as a Zoan-type devil fruit user, just like Dalton.
Heavy Point (重量強化) -- reinforces his weight (this is his tallest and most human-looking form).
"A reindeer-human?" Chopper: "Wrong! A human-reindeer."
Chessmarimo says that Zoan users all have three forms (animal, human, and man-beast), so he figures he now knows all three of Chopper's forms (his "reindeer" form, his "human" form, and his "man-beast" two-legged reindeer form). But Chopper isn't finished.
Jumping Point (飛力強化) -- reinforces his ability to fly up into the air.
Guard Point (毛皮強化) - reinforces the thickness of his fur coat, for defensive purposes.
[I laughed and laughed the first time I realized that "Guard Point" was literally "fur strengthening". (Fur Reinforcement powers, activate!) Also, Guard Point, OMG CUTEST THING EVER.]
The Rumble Ball is a medicine that "disturbs the wavelengths" [波長を狂わせる] of the Zoan-type transformation. (An odd phrase, I wonder if it's significant?) In five years, Chopper has developed an additional four transformation forms (giving him a total of seven forms).
(Note for those geeky enough to count: we meet only six of Chopper's seven forms in this chapter. The seventh is Horn Point, first seen in Alabasta.)
I never get tired of Luffy's starry-eyed reaction to Chopper's powers. (LOL, he's so starry-eyed that he forgets all about his fight with Wapol. Sanji: "Looks like his happiness meter just went off the charts.")
Arm Point (腕力強化) -- reinforces the muscles of his arms.
Brain Point (頭脳強化) -- reinforces his intelligence (or, more specifically, his ability to perceive weaknesses). (This is his normal chibi-reindeer two-legged form, which is pretty much his default -- he is a very smart reindeer, after all.)
Haha, Chopper's "radar scope" is shindan, usually used for a medical diagnosis.
Chopper's attack: Kokutei "Roseo" (kanji = sakura).
"Three minutes." Chopper's fight is won.
150
Wapol sneaks off while Luffy is busy being star-struck by Chopper's seven forms.
Sanji immediately realizes that Wapol probably snuck into the castle, meaning that Nami is in danger.
Wapol runs into Nami, who is trying to escape while Kureha's back is turned.
Wapol is, if anything, 100 times CREEPIER in his svelte form.
Luffy catches up with Wapol and rescues Nami in the nick of time.
I called it -- the first thing Nami notices is the fact that Luffy destroyed her jacket by tearing the arm off.
... And of course she converts it into a loan at 300% interest.
Wapol makes a big villain master-plan speech about the weapons room, only to discover that he's missing the key.
There is no pocket Nami cannot pick. (She's disappointed that it wasn't the key to a treasure room, though.)
Hee, way in the background as Luffy is yelling at Wapol not to run away, Sanji crawls up to Nami: "Are you all right, Nami-san?" It took me a minute to figure out that the little black squiggle was Sanji.
Wapol's "ultimate weapon" (a giant cannon), foiled by a nest of snowbirds.
Luffy to Wapol: "I don't care if you're a king, or a god!"
Heh. Good thing, because Enel might not be the last god they have to deal with.
Chopper's STILL marvelling over Luffy calling him a nakama two chapters ago, aw.
151
Dalton and the villagers (with Vivi, Usopp and Zoro) discover the hidden cable car Kureha rigged up.
Dalton flashes back on Wapol's fury when Dalton defied him five years earlier, and their efforts to get him to recant in prison.
Wapol tells Luffy he can't go up against the king of Drum Island, because the kingdom is allied with the world government, and Luffy would be committing an international crime.
Good thing Luffy doesn't mind declaring war on the World Government.
Like that Vivi is the most closely attuned to Dalton's love for his own country.
Like Hiluluk before him, Dalton intends to blow himself up (and take Wapol with him).
Luffy shoots Wapol up into the air (it fell to earth, I know not where).
Kureha, to Chopper: "This country has fallen to the pirate flag."
152
Luffy crashes head-first into Zoro and Usopp just as they show up (he was confused by the fact that they were wearing the uniforms of the enemy).
Love Kureha sweatdropping as she looks on. (I totally didn't know whose head that was at first. "But the hair is too long to be Nami's...? And Vivi is wearing a ponytail?")
Poor Usopp, his lying speech bubbles are all overwritten because no one's listening.
AW, it's Dalton's turn to bow his head to Luffy.
LOL, poor Chopper, running away in terror because Usopp called him a monster. (It shouldn't be funny, but it is. Luffy smacks Usopp for scaring him, and then runs after him yelling "Wait! MONSTER!!")
Kureha starts gathering up the wounded. (Sanji and Nami are hiding out, praying she won't find them. She finds them anyway.)
I guess that's why Kureha needed the torture table (so she can strap recalcitrant patients to it).
Nami "negotiating" with Kureha (the key to the weapons room in return for waiving their medical fees) is so awesome. They really are exactly alike.
LOL, Kureha giving Nami instructions on precisely how to escape. (Dalton: "......?")
Luffy is still running around looking for Chopper.
Ahaha, it took me a minute to locate Chopper hiding up on the roof.
Aw, Luffy's sadface when Chopper is giving his refusal speech is the saddest thing ever.
"Shut up, let's go!"
Zoro: "Since when is "Shut up" an invitation?" (One of my favorite Zoro lines ever.)
153
The Strawhats wait outside for Chopper to say his goodbyes.
Luffy perks up when he overhears Vivi say to Nami, "No problem, since we'll have a doctor on board!", but he doesn't get to follow up until later because Usopp drags him off. ("There's a ropeway? Cool!")
(Luffy is totally that dog in Up. "Squirrel!")
Kureha is mock-dismayed to find she's short a couple of patients. (Dalton: "They disobeyed your orders to the letter and ran off.")
No one in the One Piece world ever has a simple, tearful farewell. (Words? Sentimental tosh! Kick 'em out in grand style!)
[For discussion: was Kureha merely trying to avoid a lot of crying and hugging, or was she secretly testing Chopper's resolve by pretending to oppose his decision? I'm thinking the latter.]
Dalton's men are busy hauling out the cannons on Kureha's orders.
Luffy dangling off the end ofSanta's the witch's sleigh, hee.
I feel sorry for those poor people down in the village, trying to figure out what on earth is going on.
Sakura snowflakes, sniffle. (That's another scene that can't help but look better in the anime.)
Aw, even the Lapin are watching!
Baka musuko. T_T
(Kureha and Zeff should get together and become the communication-stunted blended family from hell.)
154
Aw, Drum Island ("the still nameless country") adopted the sakura and crossbones as their national flag!
"A story for another time."There is a brief sequence in Wapol's cover arc that shows Drum Island, now renamed the Sakura Kingdom with Dalton ruling as king under Hiluluk's flag, rebuilding their government. Inherited will, indeed! Hiluluk would be proud.
Dalton seems to like sitting around cross-legged in the snow.
LOL, Kureha commenting that the biggest miracle of Hiluluk's sakura was that it got "that third-rate hack of a reindeer" (あのへっぽこなトナカイ) to go to sea. (She and Zeff really do have a terrifying amount in common.)
The villagers rush up in a panic, saying that they completely forgot to pass along an important message.
A mystery man (seen only in silhouette), passing through town a week before, was searching for Blackbeard but left as soon as he learned Blackbeard was already gone.
LOL, I totally missed the comment about "Strangely, it didn't snow that day at all" until just now. (What is this, my third reading? fourth? fifth?) Hee! (The significance of this will become clear in the next volume.)
He left a copy of Luffy's wanted poster, asking the men to pass along a message if they happened to see him. "Tell him I'll wait for him in Alabasta, but only for ten days."
Ace! ACE!
OF COURSE he pulled a dine and dash, LOL. There must be restaurant owners gunning for Ace all over the Grand Line.
Dalton figured out who Vivi was after all. (Also, aw, I love him thinking that he has no idea what circumstances would lead her to be running around with a gang of pirates, but she certainly grew up well.)
First mention of Gol "D" Roger. (I wonder if Dr. Kureha met him... she would have been a spring chicken in her 120's at the time.)
(Dalton: "You mean Gold Roger?" Kureha: "Is that what they're calling him nowadays?")
Kureha: "So, the Will of D is alive."
We still don't know exactly what this is... right?
Back on the Merry, it's time for the victory/welcome-the-new-nakama party.
Hee, I didn't realize Luffy learned his chopstick trick from Yosaku.
Poor Karoo, frozen stiff because he tried to save Zoro from the river.
Chopper can understand animal speech.
Vivi calls Chopper "Tony-kun." <3 (She's always so polite.)
LOL, Luffy recruiting Chopper without ever knowing he was a doctor. ("Why'd you invite him, then?" Luffy: "Seven forms! Cool reindeer!" Sanji: "Emergency food supply.")
It makes me all teary when Nami figures out that Doctorine must have packed Chopper's medical bag in the sleigh because she knew all along he would want to go with them. *sniffle*
Chopper joins right into the chopsticks idiocy with Luffy and Usopp.
Vivi is scolding Karoo for drinking too much. I had no idea that bird was such a lush.
Chopper: "I've never... had so much fun in my whole life!" *bawwwwwwl*
LOL, during the community toast to "our new nakama," Sanji and Zoro are still trying to kill each other while lifting their glasses.
Next stop: Alabasta.
Backing up a bit to Little Garden:
Mr. 2... Hideous anti-gay stereotype or most awesome character ever? So much love.
"Jou~dan ja na~i WA YO!" (Translation: "It's not funny" or "Quit joking around.") This is, of course, Mr. 2's catchphrase. Only a woman or an okama (a transgender gay man) would ever use wa yo, the ultimate feminine sentence-ending combination particle.
Every time I imagine Mr. 2's voice in my head while reading the manga, all I can hear and see is Franky. It's very disconcerting. Oddly, I don't have the same effect with Jango. (For those who don't know, the awesome voice actor Kazuki Yao has played/plays all three, and his voice is very distinctive.)
Having somehow missed Mr. 3 on the route between Little Garden and Alabasta, Mr. 2 resolves to return to Alabasta at top speed.
Back at Alabasta, Mr 0 (Sir Crocodile) is discussing with Miss All Sunday the importance of upholding his "front" as a Shichibukai.
Crocodile: "A ouka-shichibukai (Royal Warlord of the Sea) is a pirate who crushes other pirates. A hero of the people!"
(This is not the first or the last time we will get a... range of conflicting opinions on the role and moral standing of the Shichibukai.)
155
Crocodile shows up in Nanohana (port town of Alabasta) to put down some random pirates who are causing trouble, and is welcomed by the people as a savior.
Crocodile is such a creep.
But it's hard not to be just a little bit more impressed with him after the events of Impel Down. He's a bastard, but he's got FLAIR.
Crocodile's Oda-box clearly indicates that his EX-bounty was 81 million.
The pirates regard him as a "government dog" who sold his soul for power.
When Crocodile attacks, the pirates are wiped out by... some sort of mysterious power that seems to result in a lot of sand blowing around.
I don't know how many times I've read this, and it only just occurred to me to wonder... whatever happened to Crocodile's hand (the one which was replaced with a hook)? Do we even know?
"Our status as pirates is different... you pigs." (i.e. "We're not in the same league.") I note this line only because Crocodile seems to be obsessed with the concept of 海賊の格 (kaizoku no kaku), and I think the concept might come up elsewhere later, as well.
Royal Palace of Alabarna (capital of Alabasta).
Pell! Chaka! (Only from the back, but still.)
COBRA! (I do not have enough hearts on my keyboard for this.)
"He beat us to it again? [...] As long as the people are safe, that's all that matters."
The Merry, en route to Alabasta.
Sanji confronting Luffy (who can't lie for s@#$) about who stole all the food rations out of the kitchen during the night.
LOL, I'm trying to imagine Luffy playing poker. The mind boggles. (Even worse: Luffy playing poker with Chopper.)
LOL more, Usopp, Chopper and Karoo are all listed as "co-conspirators" (desperately hoping Sanji won't notice the food they have stuffed in their mouths). Judging from the lumps on their heads on the next page, the subterfuge didn't work.
Sanji begging for a refrigerator with a lock!
He finally gets one after Water 7, right?
How can Zoro sleep in the middle of the deck like that? He's a freak.
Vivi comments from from the point of view of the people, both the marines (who crush pirates for "justice") and the shichibukai (who crush pirates to get money and treasure) are welcome forces that keep marauding pirates at bay. No one has any idea that this particular shichibukai is actually aiming to overthrow the government of Alabasta and occupy the country for himself.
Baroque Works explained.
(A chart, see? Bleach, are you paying attention here? A CHART. They're nice to have.)
I like how the "thirteen agents" (male) are described as "１２人、一匹." (Twelve humans, one critter. The ippiki would be Mr. 13, the otter.)
LOL, "Mr. 2, no pair (because he's an okama)." It is explained elsewhere that he considers himself to be both male and female in one, so he doesn't need to be part of a male-female pair. (This is also why his name contains both a number and a holiday, even though usually the male agents are numbers and the female agents are holidays.)
Argh, I find it really confusing that the Billions outrank the Millions (and that there are accordingly more Millions than there are Billions). It's like I need a footnote every single time to remind me which is which.
Nami correctly concludes that the Officer Agents will be gathering in Alabasta, preparing to carry out their most important goal (the conquest of Alabasta).
Officer Agents, in silhouette! (The three and five pairs are missing because they were already defeated on Little Garden.)
Volume 17
146
Cover arc: Jango takes first prize in the dance contest, Mystery Man takes second. (Actually, I think this is the first time we get a close enough look at his face that Mystery Man is clearly recognizable as Lieutenant Fullbody. I love that Oda never bothers to actually give his NAME in the caption, oh, no, he can count on his obsessed fans to connect the dots. For those who are not thus unhealthily obsessed, Fullbody was the idiot Marine snob who was trying to impress his date with his knowledge of wine on the Baratie in volume 5.)
Back to Luffy's fight with Wapol. (snore)
Luffy's nickname for Wapol is "jama-guchi" (nuisance-mouth)... which is accurate, I guess?
Luffy seems to have contracted Buggy's "late-reaction" syndrome -- he's reacting to everything thirty seconds too late, causing all his crewmembers to facepalm. I guess Oda is going for comic with this fight, but it doesn't really work on me because I find Wapol so UNfunny.
I always love when someone figures out Luffy can stretch for the first time. (Sanji to Chopper, grinning: "He's a monster.")
Kureha says she only moved into the castle because Chopper insisted on raising the flag marking Hiluluk's grave there.
Wapol and his ministers recognize Chopper as the bakemono who attacked them on the day of Hiluluk's death.
Chopper tells them that he won't allow anyone to take down the doctor's shinnen (meaning, the flag).
Kuromarimo attacks.
Killer static cling afros are... probably the stupidest attack I've ever seen, and in One Piece, that's saying a lot.
Haha, I don't know whether Sanji's talk about afros and "brother soul" is funny or offensively racist or maybe a bit of both. The translation decided to steer clear of the issue, evidently. (Honestly, it reads to me not so much like racism and more like a line from some incredibly cheesy 70s blaxploitation flick... which raises the same dilemma, really.)
Oh, Luffy, if Nami weren't convalescent, you wouldn't get off so easily for insulting her taste in clothes. ("Your clothes are lame." "They're cooler than yours!") Personally, I agree with Luffy, that coat is kind of ugly.
Nami must really still be weak, if Luffy is able to talk her into ignoring the ruckus outside that easily (she goes right back to sleep).
LOL, the "decoy ploy!" Chopper learned from Hiluluk (this time, Sanji's the bait).
147
Oh, good, Dalton's still alive. (Because everyone who's buried in snow miraculously goes into suspended animation.) The Ishii 20 step forward to help him.
The Ishii 20 say they never wanted to follow Wapol. Even while they were forced to serve him, they continued their research, because "a certain quack doctor" taught them never to give up.
Oh man, I forgot about Wapol eating his own ministers and producing Chessmarimo (the "Baku-baku Factory" technique).
Back in Bighorn village: When USOPP tells you you worry too much... worry. (Poor Vivi! Someone really does need to tell her to stop taking the weight of the world on her shoulders.)
Zoro teasing Usopp, pointing out he's really just scared to go up the mountain.
Dalton staggers to his feet, vowing to fight. (Zoro: "No, seriously. Who IS that guy?")
Aw -- and once again, Usopp's courage shows up when you least expect it. He offers to carry Dalton up the mountain.
Back at the castle: Wapol shoots down Hiluluk's flag, and Chopper charges him in a rage.
Even in his rage, Chopper can't bring himself to hit Wapol, because he remembers Hiluluk telling him not to hate humans.
Meanwhile, as always, Luffy goes straight for the thing that matters most -- the flag.
Luffy says Wapol, who pretended to be a pirate without being willing to risk his life (inochi wo kakezuni), has no understanding of what a pirate flag means.
148
Cover arc: Jango and Fullbody bond over post-victory drinks. (Fullbody's characteristic bronze knuckles are just barely visible in this picture; they're clearer in the following chapter image.)
Aw, Zoro, don't go stealing Usopp's thunder. (Even if he probably wouldn't have made it another ten steps. How did he even lift Dalton in the first place?)
The villagers reveal that there is still one secret ropeway leading up to the castle ("someone" used a white rope so it wouldn't be visible).
Back at the castle, Luffy lectures Wapol on the true meaning of a pirate flag.
Oh crap, I just realized Luffy tore the arm off Nami's coat to tie the flag back up. Nami's going to kill him.
Luffy echoes Hiluluk's words about the pirate flag being a symbol of one's conviction (shinnen no shouchou). <3
Luffy: "Reindeer! *I'm* going to kick this guy's ass (= Wapol) -- what are *you* going to do?"
Sanji tries to jump into the fight, but his broken back (!) gives out. (I can't imagine it's improved by Kureha stomping on him to get him to hold still.)
Chopper challenges Chessmarimo.
Chessmarimo taunts Chopper with having been alone and friendless his whole life, saying he has no reason to fight.
Chopper: "Shut up! I don't need nakama to fight!"
"I'll be your nakama!" Luffy <3 <3
Sanji wants to fight, but Kureha tells him not to worry: "He's good in a pinch, our reindeer."
(I wish there was some word in English to properly convey uchi no. It's a word that only a family member can use of another family member... it has such a note of pride here.)
Chopper is still holding a grudge against Wapol's ministers because they laughed at Hiluluk on the day of his death.
Chopper: "RUMBLE BALL."
149
Chopper vows to defeat his opponent within 3 minutes.
(Hee, both Wapol and Luffy react to this with "3 minutes? Sugoi!" They don't mean the same thing by it, though.)
Each of Chopper's forms is characterized by an English name (in katakana) glossing a kanji phrase that describes what it does.
Walk Point (脚力強化) - reinforces the power of his legs (the only form in which he goes on four feet and looks like a normal reindeer).
Chessmarimo identifies Chopper as a Zoan-type devil fruit user, just like Dalton.
Heavy Point (重量強化) -- reinforces his weight (this is his tallest and most human-looking form).
"A reindeer-human?" Chopper: "Wrong! A human-reindeer."
Chessmarimo says that Zoan users all have three forms (animal, human, and man-beast), so he figures he now knows all three of Chopper's forms (his "reindeer" form, his "human" form, and his "man-beast" two-legged reindeer form). But Chopper isn't finished.
Jumping Point (飛力強化) -- reinforces his ability to fly up into the air.
Guard Point (毛皮強化) - reinforces the thickness of his fur coat, for defensive purposes.
[I laughed and laughed the first time I realized that "Guard Point" was literally "fur strengthening". (Fur Reinforcement powers, activate!) Also, Guard Point, OMG CUTEST THING EVER.]
The Rumble Ball is a medicine that "disturbs the wavelengths" [波長を狂わせる] of the Zoan-type transformation. (An odd phrase, I wonder if it's significant?) In five years, Chopper has developed an additional four transformation forms (giving him a total of seven forms).
(Note for those geeky enough to count: we meet only six of Chopper's seven forms in this chapter. The seventh is Horn Point, first seen in Alabasta.)
I never get tired of Luffy's starry-eyed reaction to Chopper's powers. (LOL, he's so starry-eyed that he forgets all about his fight with Wapol. Sanji: "Looks like his happiness meter just went off the charts.")
Arm Point (腕力強化) -- reinforces the muscles of his arms.
Brain Point (頭脳強化) -- reinforces his intelligence (or, more specifically, his ability to perceive weaknesses). (This is his normal chibi-reindeer two-legged form, which is pretty much his default -- he is a very smart reindeer, after all.)
Haha, Chopper's "radar scope" is shindan, usually used for a medical diagnosis.
Chopper's attack: Kokutei "Roseo" (kanji = sakura).
"Three minutes." Chopper's fight is won.
150
Wapol sneaks off while Luffy is busy being star-struck by Chopper's seven forms.
Sanji immediately realizes that Wapol probably snuck into the castle, meaning that Nami is in danger.
Wapol runs into Nami, who is trying to escape while Kureha's back is turned.
Wapol is, if anything, 100 times CREEPIER in his svelte form.
Luffy catches up with Wapol and rescues Nami in the nick of time.
I called it -- the first thing Nami notices is the fact that Luffy destroyed her jacket by tearing the arm off.
... And of course she converts it into a loan at 300% interest.
Wapol makes a big villain master-plan speech about the weapons room, only to discover that he's missing the key.
There is no pocket Nami cannot pick. (She's disappointed that it wasn't the key to a treasure room, though.)
Hee, way in the background as Luffy is yelling at Wapol not to run away, Sanji crawls up to Nami: "Are you all right, Nami-san?" It took me a minute to figure out that the little black squiggle was Sanji.
Wapol's "ultimate weapon" (a giant cannon), foiled by a nest of snowbirds.
Luffy to Wapol: "I don't care if you're a king, or a god!"
Chopper's STILL marvelling over Luffy calling him a nakama two chapters ago, aw.
151
Dalton and the villagers (with Vivi, Usopp and Zoro) discover the hidden cable car Kureha rigged up.
Dalton flashes back on Wapol's fury when Dalton defied him five years earlier, and their efforts to get him to recant in prison.
Wapol tells Luffy he can't go up against the king of Drum Island, because the kingdom is allied with the world government, and Luffy would be committing an international crime.
Like that Vivi is the most closely attuned to Dalton's love for his own country.
Like Hiluluk before him, Dalton intends to blow himself up (and take Wapol with him).
Luffy shoots Wapol up into the air (it fell to earth, I know not where).
Kureha, to Chopper: "This country has fallen to the pirate flag."
152
Luffy crashes head-first into Zoro and Usopp just as they show up (he was confused by the fact that they were wearing the uniforms of the enemy).
Love Kureha sweatdropping as she looks on. (I totally didn't know whose head that was at first. "But the hair is too long to be Nami's...? And Vivi is wearing a ponytail?")
Poor Usopp, his lying speech bubbles are all overwritten because no one's listening.
AW, it's Dalton's turn to bow his head to Luffy.
LOL, poor Chopper, running away in terror because Usopp called him a monster. (It shouldn't be funny, but it is. Luffy smacks Usopp for scaring him, and then runs after him yelling "Wait! MONSTER!!")
Kureha starts gathering up the wounded. (Sanji and Nami are hiding out, praying she won't find them. She finds them anyway.)
I guess that's why Kureha needed the torture table (so she can strap recalcitrant patients to it).
Nami "negotiating" with Kureha (the key to the weapons room in return for waiving their medical fees) is so awesome. They really are exactly alike.
LOL, Kureha giving Nami instructions on precisely how to escape. (Dalton: "......?")
Luffy is still running around looking for Chopper.
Ahaha, it took me a minute to locate Chopper hiding up on the roof.
Aw, Luffy's sadface when Chopper is giving his refusal speech is the saddest thing ever.
"Shut up, let's go!"
Zoro: "Since when is "Shut up" an invitation?" (One of my favorite Zoro lines ever.)
153
The Strawhats wait outside for Chopper to say his goodbyes.
Luffy perks up when he overhears Vivi say to Nami, "No problem, since we'll have a doctor on board!", but he doesn't get to follow up until later because Usopp drags him off. ("There's a ropeway? Cool!")
(Luffy is totally that dog in Up. "Squirrel!")
Kureha is mock-dismayed to find she's short a couple of patients. (Dalton: "They disobeyed your orders to the letter and ran off.")
No one in the One Piece world ever has a simple, tearful farewell. (Words? Sentimental tosh! Kick 'em out in grand style!)
[For discussion: was Kureha merely trying to avoid a lot of crying and hugging, or was she secretly testing Chopper's resolve by pretending to oppose his decision? I'm thinking the latter.]
Dalton's men are busy hauling out the cannons on Kureha's orders.
Luffy dangling off the end of
I feel sorry for those poor people down in the village, trying to figure out what on earth is going on.
Sakura snowflakes, sniffle. (That's another scene that can't help but look better in the anime.)
Aw, even the Lapin are watching!
Baka musuko. T_T
(Kureha and Zeff should get together and become the communication-stunted blended family from hell.)
154
Aw, Drum Island ("the still nameless country") adopted the sakura and crossbones as their national flag!
"A story for another time."
Dalton seems to like sitting around cross-legged in the snow.
LOL, Kureha commenting that the biggest miracle of Hiluluk's sakura was that it got "that third-rate hack of a reindeer" (あのへっぽこなトナカイ) to go to sea. (She and Zeff really do have a terrifying amount in common.)
The villagers rush up in a panic, saying that they completely forgot to pass along an important message.
A mystery man (seen only in silhouette), passing through town a week before, was searching for Blackbeard but left as soon as he learned Blackbeard was already gone.
LOL, I totally missed the comment about "Strangely, it didn't snow that day at all" until just now. (What is this, my third reading? fourth? fifth?) Hee! (The significance of this will become clear in the next volume.)
He left a copy of Luffy's wanted poster, asking the men to pass along a message if they happened to see him. "Tell him I'll wait for him in Alabasta, but only for ten days."
Ace! ACE!
OF COURSE he pulled a dine and dash, LOL. There must be restaurant owners gunning for Ace all over the Grand Line.
Dalton figured out who Vivi was after all. (Also, aw, I love him thinking that he has no idea what circumstances would lead her to be running around with a gang of pirates, but she certainly grew up well.)
First mention of Gol "D" Roger. (I wonder if Dr. Kureha met him... she would have been a spring chicken in her 120's at the time.)
(Dalton: "You mean Gold Roger?" Kureha: "Is that what they're calling him nowadays?")
Kureha: "So, the Will of D is alive."
Back on the Merry, it's time for the victory/welcome-the-new-nakama party.
Hee, I didn't realize Luffy learned his chopstick trick from Yosaku.
Poor Karoo, frozen stiff because he tried to save Zoro from the river.
Chopper can understand animal speech.
Vivi calls Chopper "Tony-kun." <3 (She's always so polite.)
LOL, Luffy recruiting Chopper without ever knowing he was a doctor. ("Why'd you invite him, then?" Luffy: "Seven forms! Cool reindeer!" Sanji: "Emergency food supply.")
It makes me all teary when Nami figures out that Doctorine must have packed Chopper's medical bag in the sleigh because she knew all along he would want to go with them. *sniffle*
Chopper joins right into the chopsticks idiocy with Luffy and Usopp.
Vivi is scolding Karoo for drinking too much. I had no idea that bird was such a lush.
Chopper: "I've never... had so much fun in my whole life!" *bawwwwwwl*
LOL, during the community toast to "our new nakama," Sanji and Zoro are still trying to kill each other while lifting their glasses.
Next stop: Alabasta.
Backing up a bit to Little Garden:
Mr. 2... Hideous anti-gay stereotype or most awesome character ever? So much love.
"Jou~dan ja na~i WA YO!" (Translation: "It's not funny" or "Quit joking around.") This is, of course, Mr. 2's catchphrase. Only a woman or an okama (a transgender gay man) would ever use wa yo, the ultimate feminine sentence-ending combination particle.
Having somehow missed Mr. 3 on the route between Little Garden and Alabasta, Mr. 2 resolves to return to Alabasta at top speed.
Back at Alabasta, Mr 0 (Sir Crocodile) is discussing with Miss All Sunday the importance of upholding his "front" as a Shichibukai.
Crocodile: "A ouka-shichibukai (Royal Warlord of the Sea) is a pirate who crushes other pirates. A hero of the people!"
(This is not the first or the last time we will get a... range of conflicting opinions on the role and moral standing of the Shichibukai.)
155
Crocodile shows up in Nanohana (port town of Alabasta) to put down some random pirates who are causing trouble, and is welcomed by the people as a savior.
Crocodile is such a creep.
Crocodile's Oda-box clearly indicates that his EX-bounty was 81 million.
The pirates regard him as a "government dog" who sold his soul for power.
When Crocodile attacks, the pirates are wiped out by... some sort of mysterious power that seems to result in a lot of sand blowing around.
I don't know how many times I've read this, and it only just occurred to me to wonder... whatever happened to Crocodile's hand (the one which was replaced with a hook)? Do we even know?
"Our status as pirates is different... you pigs." (i.e. "We're not in the same league.") I note this line only because Crocodile seems to be obsessed with the concept of 海賊の格 (kaizoku no kaku), and I think the concept might come up elsewhere later, as well.
Royal Palace of Alabarna (capital of Alabasta).
Pell! Chaka! (Only from the back, but still.)
COBRA! (I do not have enough hearts on my keyboard for this.)
"He beat us to it again? [...] As long as the people are safe, that's all that matters."
The Merry, en route to Alabasta.
Sanji confronting Luffy (who can't lie for s@#$) about who stole all the food rations out of the kitchen during the night.
LOL, I'm trying to imagine Luffy playing poker. The mind boggles. (Even worse: Luffy playing poker with Chopper.)
LOL more, Usopp, Chopper and Karoo are all listed as "co-conspirators" (desperately hoping Sanji won't notice the food they have stuffed in their mouths). Judging from the lumps on their heads on the next page, the subterfuge didn't work.
Sanji begging for a refrigerator with a lock!
How can Zoro sleep in the middle of the deck like that? He's a freak.
Vivi comments from from the point of view of the people, both the marines (who crush pirates for "justice") and the shichibukai (who crush pirates to get money and treasure) are welcome forces that keep marauding pirates at bay. No one has any idea that this particular shichibukai is actually aiming to overthrow the government of Alabasta and occupy the country for himself.
Baroque Works explained.
(A chart, see? Bleach, are you paying attention here? A CHART. They're nice to have.)
I like how the "thirteen agents" (male) are described as "１２人、一匹." (Twelve humans, one critter. The ippiki would be Mr. 13, the otter.)
LOL, "Mr. 2, no pair (because he's an okama)." It is explained elsewhere that he considers himself to be both male and female in one, so he doesn't need to be part of a male-female pair. (This is also why his name contains both a number and a holiday, even though usually the male agents are numbers and the female agents are holidays.)
Argh, I find it really confusing that the Billions outrank the Millions (and that there are accordingly more Millions than there are Billions). It's like I need a footnote every single time to remind me which is which.
Nami correctly concludes that the Officer Agents will be gathering in Alabasta, preparing to carry out their most important goal (the conquest of Alabasta).
Officer Agents, in silhouette! (The three and five pairs are missing because they were already defeated on Little Garden.)
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2012-07-17 11:26 am (UTC)Very true. This volume and vol 16 is definitely among the more tearful ones for me.
Haha, I don't know whether Sanji's talk about afros and "brother soul" is funny or offensively racist or maybe a bit of both. The translation decided to steer clear of the issue, evidently. (Honestly, it reads to me not so much like racism and more like a line from some incredibly cheesy 70s blaxploitation flick... which raises the same dilemma, really.)
The Swedish translation didn't steer clear (it never seems to). But I agree with your parenthesis. Judging by this arc and the Davy Beck Fight, Sanji thinks afros are really cool and are connected to being a 'soul brother', which is also quite cool. Not sure on anything else...
Dalton staggers to his feet, vowing to fight. (Zoro: "No, seriously. Who IS that guy?")
:DD
Aw, Zoro, don't go stealing Usopp's thunder. (Even if he probably wouldn't have made it another ten steps. How did he even lift Dalton in the first place?)
He's growing stronger! As Zoro would point out in Enies Lobby, they really all do get stronger for every island they go to, no explicit training needed.
Argh, I find it really confusing that the Billions outrank the Millions (and that there are accordingly more Millions than there are Billions). It's like I need a footnote every single time to remind me which is which.
Me, too! Very confusing, that.
Sanji's antics with a broken back always makes me shudder. How quickly did Kureha cure that, anyway? It really doesn't seem like there was much time for his treatment afterwards, torture bench or no.
Back in Bighorn village: When USOPP tells you you worry too much... worry. (Poor Vivi! Someone really does need to tell her to stop taking the weight of the world on her shoulders.)
Loved this moment with Vivi and Usopp, showing both a perspicacious side of Usopp (never mind that he also didn't want to go up the mountain, what he said is still valid!) and underlines Vivi's personality more. There's a nice quiet moment in the cable car later where Usopp just looks at Vivi quietly, which is pretty rare for him. (It's the panel that this icon is from.)
Thank you for that - I was in another discussion on the Drum arc recently, and I couldn't remember where it was first said that it's "Sakura Kingdom" now.
One of the things that touches me the most in this volume is Kureha calling Chopper her "stupid son" and tearing up after he's left. You're right, she's a lot like Zeff.
No, we still don't know what the D stands for...
Sunny's refrigerator does have a lock, yes! And the secret code that Sanji's only shared with Nami and Robin is his birthday and month combines with Nami's, IIRC.
I like to imagine that in years to come, the inhabitants of Drum Island would celebrate the memory of this beautiful night when Wapol was defeated for good and their nation was reborn. Maybe they'd scatter more pink snow or at least (if that's too expensive) pink paper...
no subject
Date: 2012-07-17 09:01 pm (UTC)I'm glad you pointed that out and made the connection with the earlier conversation, because I noticed that moment where he was staring at her and Dalton, and wondered just what was going through his mind. (Love the icon!)
And the secret code that Sanji's only shared with Nami and Robin is his birthday and month combines with Nami's, IIRC.
LOL, I completely did not know that! That is ridiculous and awesome. Sanji lives in vain hope.
I like to imagine that in years to come, the inhabitants of Drum Island would celebrate the memory of this beautiful night when Wapol was defeated for good and their nation was reborn.
Aw, pink fireworks annually on Sakura Day would be a lovely tradition.
no subject
Date: 2012-07-17 01:25 pm (UTC)OMG YES (holy crap, the UFO catcher machine of them! Why wasn't this in Japan when we were there??)
"Wait! MONSTER!!"
♥ ♥ ♥
It's so hilarious to me that Chopper gets on the boat before Luffy even realizes he's a doctor.
Luffy playing poker with Chopper.
Worst. Poker players. EVER. XD
Mr. 2... Hideous anti-gay stereotype or most awesome character ever?
I have to think of One Piece "okama" as being "drag queen." Otherwise I'm too offended, and I love Mr. 2.
no subject
Date: 2012-07-17 01:46 pm (UTC)My Chopper change purse (which I use all the time) remains my favorite Japan souvenir, ever. OMG! There is a picture of what looks like the same item with some available to purchase on Rakuten. Noppin, you and I might be getting acquainted again. I always wanted to have a backup or two of that item, or extras for gifts.
I have to think of One Piece "okama" as being "drag queen."
Oh, this does help. Because there is just no doubt that the One Piece okama are FABULOUS and they know it. (I love Mr. 2 so much.)
no subject
Date: 2012-07-17 01:59 pm (UTC)Waaaaaay ahead of you. (Happy birthday to me!)
(Maybe I need to see what doujinshi I missed out on in December while I'm at it.)
(oh god)
no subject
Date: 2012-07-17 08:42 pm (UTC)I love Luffy's attitude when he finds out about the ropeway - given what he went through to get up the mountain; he truly does live "a life with no regrets"...
I really want to hear the story behind Kureha - to date, she remains the most mysterious good character in the series, I think.
no subject
Date: 2012-07-17 08:57 pm (UTC)What a great point! I can't believe that didn't even occur to me.
It's interesting that I never wondered much about Kureha (apart from wondering if she met Roger), but it would be interesting to learn more. I'm guessing we'll get something along those lines eventually.
no subject
Date: 2012-07-17 09:22 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-07-17 10:05 pm (UTC)I want to see some sort of giant victory party at the end of the series where all the side characters we've ever met get to hang out together. I'm sure it could never happen, but how much fun would that be?
no subject
Date: 2012-07-17 10:54 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-07-24 12:15 am (UTC)Ditto what Sara said -- an awesome observation.
no subject
Date: 2012-07-24 12:10 am (UTC)The translation decided to steer clear of the issue, evidently.
I can't say I mind, because what the translation did to 2 Bon Kurei's "Okama Way" still has me shaking my head. I literally had no idea what was going on the first time "Oh Come My Way" came up in an SBS. It wasn't until someone later claims that's what is written on his coat, and I was "but his coat says okama kanji…oh!"
Personally, I agree with Luffy, that coat is kind of ugly.
I think Nami might, too, since she expected it to get torn up. And she inherited a much cooler coat from Kureha. That Nami is a schemer.
Zoro teasing Usopp, pointing out he's really just scared to go up the mountain.
I don't see this so much as teasing as a factual statement re: why Usopp was all "nothing to worry about" to Vivi. Which makes Usopp's determination to carry Dalton up the mountain that much more awesome.
Aw, Zoro, don't go stealing Usopp's thunder.
Too late. Pardon me while I swoon.
I never get tired of Luffy's starry-eyed reaction to Chopper's powers.
So hilarious. I don't even really understand it. Is it because he's also a devil fruit user? I mean, "woot! SEVEN transformations!"
Sanji immediately realizes that Wapol probably snuck into the castle, meaning that Nami is in danger.
And he's crawling to the castle with a broken back to get to her. Okay, sometimes your chivalry does not completely suck, Sanji.
Like Hiluluk before him, Dalton intends to blow himself up
Oh, wow, thanks for tying that together. (I mean, i got the suicide bomb, I just hadn't related it to Hiruluk's.)
was Kureha merely trying to avoid a lot of crying and hugging, or was she secretly testing Chopper's resolve by pretending to oppose his decision? I'm thinking the latter.
I hope it was the latter. I hope there's some underlying purpose to these dreadfully unsentimental farewells.
Baka musuko.
Nani the what now?
the sakura and crossbones
Hiruluk's is the prettiest flag so far.
Sanji and Zoro are still trying to kill each other while lifting their glasses.
YES!
some sort of mysterious power that seems to result in a lot of sand blowing around.
And the pirates' faces are now pruney and wrinkled. Dum dee dum dum dahhhhh.
"Mr. 2, no pair (because he's an okama)."
I really hate translation around this okama issue.
I need to close the gap between finishing the volumes and commenting, because while your notes are fabulous, thorough prompts, I feel like I'm just being echoey and not contributing.
no subject
Date: 2012-07-24 03:29 am (UTC)That was partly my bad -- I have been reading the Japanese without looking too closely at the English, so I didn't realize how badly Viz was mutilating the okama references. (I mean, I get the politically correct motivation for why they would not want to have to translate or gloss that word, but Mr. 2 seriously makes no sense as a character without it.) I've been trying to put more of the okama stuff from the Japanese into my notes now.
That Nami is a schemer.
I love the moment when Luffy realizes she set him up. ^_^
Which makes Usopp's determination to carry Dalton up the mountain that much more awesome.
YES. I think in some ways Usopp is the bravest member of the crew, because he has to fight his fears all the time.
So hilarious. I don't even really understand it.
He can change into SEVEN FORMS! How is that not cool?
Seriously, there's kind of a running joke where some of the crew members -- usually some combination of Luffy, Chopper and Usopp -- think that something is OMG SO AMAZINGLY COOL when nobody else cares. It's like how all five year old boys think robots and dinosaurs are awesome.
Baka musuko.
Nani the what now?
Wait, are you confused by the Japanese, or the sentiment?
(I should have remembered to translate it: "Goodbye, my foolish son.")
I feel like I'm just being echoey and not contributing.
I love your comments! Why would closing the gap make a difference? Do you feel like you would remember more of your original reactions?
Also, idle curiosity -- does that mean you're actually further ahead in your One Piece reading from where you're commenting?
no subject
Date: 2012-07-24 12:29 pm (UTC)Maybe a tie between Usopp and Chopper. But otherwise, totally agreed.
no subject
Date: 2012-07-24 05:07 pm (UTC)No, I haven't even started volume 18 yet. Unless I'm operating under a due date deadline, I prefer to get your responses to my replies before I move on, because I'm concerned that further reading will change my reactions. (In fact, I deliberately peeked ahead into volume 15 just when I was going to scold you and weekday re: the death issue. I didn't want to look foolish. Now don't you wish I had followed policy then?)
Why would closing the gap make a difference? Do you feel like you would remember more of your original reactions?
The delay I'm feeling right now started with volume 16. I read it, was really sad and horrified by the poison, and slept on it before commenting. Then I felt as if I had less to say about the volume than it merited.
Part of the problem could also be that there's so much story behind me now (backstories, side characters, foreshadowing, maps and charts). I don't have the same sharp reactions to all the new data that I did before the world started to be colored in. For earlier volumes, I would put the book down and think, "I want to talk to Sara about X and Y, say funny thing Z, and point out problem Q." Now I'm all…suspended between everything that has gone before and everything that might be coming up.
Wait, are you confused by the Japanese, or the sentiment?
Both. In the translation, it was "…you foolish boy." So I didn't immediately get that "baka musuko" was Kureha's farewell to Chopper. *sniffle*
He can change into SEVEN FORMS! How is that not cool?
SNAKES! On a PLANE! (Sorry, that's my "if you don't understand why this is cool, there's just no explaining it to you" response. I think Oda would say "SNAKES! On a PLANE!" to me a lot.)
I didn't realize how badly Viz was mutilating the okama references.
The weird thing is that they come really close to saying that's what it is in the SBS corner in volume 17. But why they chose that particular translation for what's on 2 Bon Kurei's coat without actually relettering the coat confuses me. It's like they want people who can read the hiragana to understand what's going on? Or they're lazy about relettering.
Edit: Also, weirdly, once you make the connection, their translation choice makes it sound like he's recruiting. And surely THAT is a thornier issue than just letting 2 Bon Kurei be fabulous?
15th edit, just to make it clearer: "Oh come my [way]" reflects both the phonetics of okama and the idea of "coming out." The translator or editor must be sooo proud. *eye roll*
I love your comments!
Thank you!
no subject
Date: 2012-07-24 06:04 pm (UTC)This makes perfect sense to me. As frustrating as it is to the reader, I think that's exactly what makes One Piece such an amazing series. Setting aside the punch-in-the-gut impact of certain scenes (there are quite a few scenes where I will always remember exactly how I felt when I first saw/read them, whether in the manga or the anime), One Piece is really much better on re-reading or re-watching than it is on the first time through.
Some chapters or sections, in fact, are SO dense with stuff that will only make sense in retrospect that they run the risk of being dull or incomprehensible. But when you revisit them -- wow. (I'm thinking of certain parts of volume 25, in particular. I had NO idea what was going on the first time I read that volume; now I think it's one of the most amazing volumes in the whole series.)
If you ever feel like you haven't exhausted your reactions to a particular volume (or anime arc), feel free to come back and leave additional comments on earlier posts any time. It would be interesting to me to see your thoughts if you get a chance to go back and click on spoiler tags for arcs that would no longer be spoilers for you. But then, you have a lot of manga reading to do!
SNAKES! On a PLANE!
LOL, perfect comparison.
It's like they want people who can read the hiragana to understand what's going on?
I think that's exactly what they're doing. Viz is well aware that a small, but significant, proportion of the reading fanbase is both very well informed and fanatically picky. Even though the translation isn't always perfect, I think they're often aware of trying to balance the needs of the 9-year-old general reader with the demands of the crazed fan who owns 200 Shichibukai figurines, and they do a good job more often than not.
Interestingly, the anime, if I recall correctly, changed the lettering on Mr. 2's coat to 盆暮れ (Bon Kure) -- which REALLY confused me the first time I saw it. Maybe this is a sensitive issue in Japanese television as well as in the global market?
no subject
Date: 2012-07-25 12:04 pm (UTC)Some chapters or sections, in fact, are SO dense with stuff that will only make sense in retrospect that they run the risk of being dull or incomprehensible.
Totally agreed. I wish I had known what I was missing, only having read the series once (over time, so I didn't remember details, not to mention starting the series with fairly shaky Japanese skills).
That being said, I still thought it was a great series that I loved. I just didn't appreciate a lot of the world-building aspects, and most of the callbacks, even significant ones, went right over my head.