A Series that has Inspired Me - Learning from a Master
Years ago I got obsessed with yet another anime series. This one is called One Piece. The manga holds the world record for the most books sold by any one author ever. No one has sold more books (ever) than Eiichiro Oda. Blink, blink. It’s about a kid named Monkey D. Luffy with stretchy rubber powers who is determined to become the king of the pirates. The name ‘One Piece’ comes from the name of the treasure that is inherited only by the next king of the pirates.
I’ve watched 920 of the current count of 958 episodes (airing since 1999). In your face The Simpsons (The Simpsons only has 695 episodes). Keeping up with this body of work can seem daunting, but it’s an easy labor of love. I’m not complaining that it’s still going at all. Keep ‘em coming.
When I started watching One Piece with my kids, my daughter was in 2nd grade, and my son was in kindergarten. She already had reading down, but he wasn’t there yet. We only watched the version in Japanese with subtitles (out of personal preference). In the beginning I would actually read aloud the dialogue to my son so he could keep up. Thankfully he caught on quickly on his own. At the end of one summer my wife lamented that the kids hadn’t read enough books over the summer to stay sharp for school. I was like “don’t worry. They’ve been reading subtitles for hours everyday.” So basically you could probably say that One Piece taught my kids how to read. Or strengthen their reading game anyway.
One Piece Intro
I totally get why this series is so loved by the world. All its ingredients add up to something that is captivating. I’ve been dissecting what makes it great over the years. All of my conclusions have informed the structure and formula I’ve employed in the world and story building of Remember Tomorrow. One of those elements is having the most unique characters one could dream of in a character driven adventure story. Just the fact that a shape shifting reindeer doctor was a part of One Piece was enough to blow my mind.
The cast of Luffy’s crew - The Straw Hats
Roronoa Zorro: An infamous swordsman hunter of pirates with a unique three swords technique, and no sense of direction.
Sanji: A chain-smoking chef who’s feet are deadly weapons. His weakness is beautiful women, but he’s so overcome with emotion in their presence that he becomes so incapacitated that he really can’t properly communicate with them.
Usopp: Their sniper is a compulsive liar. His name literally means ‘liar’ in Japanese.
Nami: A clever thief became the Straw Hats crew navigator. Not only can she detect potentially dangerous storms from miles away, she can use weather as a weapon.
Franky: A pervert cyborg shipwright who is responsible for the building and maintenance of their sea fairing vessels.
Tony Tony Chopper: A shape shifting reindeer doctor who tends to all of their medical needs.
Brook: They found the living skeleton of a man who can’t die on a ghost ship that had been floating on the sea for over a hundred years. He’s a skilled swordsman and musician who eventually becomes a world famous rockstar.
Nico Robin: A powerful former assassin with a heartbreaking past who was rescued by Luffy from her indentured service to a criminal syndicate.
Monkey D. Luffy: The self made pirate captain with an unwavering determination to become the king of the pirates. His deceivingly scrawny appearance triggers everyone to doubt his success. That only fuels his determination deeper. That determination is only eclipsed by his passion to defy any form of tyranny. Those qualities coupled his stretchy superpower make him a contender to actually achieve his dreams.
I just wanted to acknowledge this work of Eiichiro Oda as being very inspirational to me and my work. Thanks so much for your contribution. Sincerely. I’m in awe.
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