ONE PIECE: EAST BLUE PART 2 (BUGGY THE CLOWN)
January 19th 2012 21:39
Category: Manga
Story & Art by: Eiichiro Oda
English Adaptation: Lance Caselman
Translation: Andy Nakatani
Touch up art & Lettering: Bill Schuch
Cover & Graphic Design: Sean Lee
Publisher: VIZ Media
Cost: AU$12.95/US$7.95
With a yo ho ho and a bottle of rum…well maybe not quite, though this particular piratical manga certainly captures that particular vibe and then adds its own unique twists to the whole genre. In fact when you look at it Monkey D Luffy would have to be one of the more original pirate characters to grace both print media and the television screen. Some would say that it has to do with his unique abilities although frankly in my humble opinion it’s more to do with the fact that he is a boundless well of optimism, a guy who sticks to his own moral code and someone who’s willing to stand up for the underdog when necessary. As someone who’s just starting out his piratical career it would seem that Luffy is something at a severe disadvantage, still adversity seems to be where Luffy lives and thrives.
Now the world in which One Piece is set is one where a golden age of piracy has been launched all via the actions of a single man; Gold Roger. Gold Roger was a legendary pirate who effectively became the first king of the pirates before he was captured by the authorities and executed. Before he died he revealed that his treasure was hidden and available to those bold enough to seek it, but they would have to scour the entire world to find this legendary pirates haul. And thus a vast horde of pirates has spawned across the world seeking to claim Gold Roger’s legacy…and now to this horde is added Monkey D Luffy…
At the end of the first volume Luffy had finally recruited the pirate hunter and master swordsman; Roronoa Zolo as his first crewmember. The two were on the high seas with no particular destination in mind when Luffy attempting to grab a passing bird for a meal found that he’d grabbed more than he could handle and was carried off into the distance, eventually ending up on another island which had been overrun by pirates. Zolo grabbing the oars makes haste to chase the bird carrying Luffy and in turn encounters some pirates who were conned out of their booty and ship…naturally three scurvy rats are no match for a swordsman of Zolo’s calibre and he gets them to take him to their leader.
As with any shonen manga usually the story eventually involves a confrontation between the protagonist and a significant enemy or antagonist, in this particular volume we have the first major obstacle that Luffy will have to face in order to achieve his goals…Buggy the Clown. At first the only reason why Luffy is interested in having anything to do with Buggy is the fact this pirates henchmen attacked him when he falls from the sky. Then events take their own turn, he’s eventually taken prisoner by a girl he seeks to recruit to be his navigator and brought before the infamous pirate.
A celebration is held by the Buggy Pirate Gang in order to celebrate the capture of the individual who apparently stole the captain’s map of the Grand Line. Now this very thing piques the interest of Luffy who realises that with this map he is a step closer to achieving his goal of finding Gold Roger’s treasure and becoming King of the Pirates. Problem is though that he’s now a prisoner, stuck in a cage and is soon destined to be cannon fodder…literally. In a typically cruel twist Buggy commands the former ‘partner’ of Luffy, Nami, to light a cannon pointed at Luffy’s cage and blow him to pieces as punishment. She rebels against this order but doesn’t have the strength to overcome Buggy’s minions…enter Roronoa Zolo…
Staging a rescue Zolo manages to save both Nami and Luffy though his sudden appearance draws the attention of the infamous Buggy. The pirate captain naturally assumes that Zolo is after him for the substantial reward that is on his head…he is sadly wrong, though he doesn’t cotton on to this fact initially. It seems that the superior swordsmanship has the edge over Buggy but the clown has a secret that Zolo is unaware of, a secret that is something of a shocker. Sliced and diced Buggy the Clown doesn’t die, in fact he is able to reassemble himself after having been shredded. All this is due to the fact that in the past Buggy at the devil fruit, the chop chop fruit that allowed him this incredible and somewhat macabre ability.
With such an edge it seems as if the tables are about to turn against Luffy though Zolo isn’t phased, wounded admittedly but he still has some of his own tricks up his sleeve to turn the tide. And his solution is somewhat unique and filled with carnage aplenty, one that has even Buggy ducking for cover… One Piece is a real rollicking ride of a read; it has an interesting cast of characters as well as good story that has a tight, taut tempo in terms of drama and action. As a series it definitely lives up to the hype and is well worth tracking down and giving a go…so what are you waiting for me hearties…
English Adaptation: Lance Caselman
Translation: Andy Nakatani
Touch up art & Lettering: Bill Schuch
Cover & Graphic Design: Sean Lee
Publisher: VIZ Media
Cost: AU$12.95/US$7.95
With a yo ho ho and a bottle of rum…well maybe not quite, though this particular piratical manga certainly captures that particular vibe and then adds its own unique twists to the whole genre. In fact when you look at it Monkey D Luffy would have to be one of the more original pirate characters to grace both print media and the television screen. Some would say that it has to do with his unique abilities although frankly in my humble opinion it’s more to do with the fact that he is a boundless well of optimism, a guy who sticks to his own moral code and someone who’s willing to stand up for the underdog when necessary. As someone who’s just starting out his piratical career it would seem that Luffy is something at a severe disadvantage, still adversity seems to be where Luffy lives and thrives.
As with any shonen manga usually the story eventually involves a confrontation between the protagonist and a significant enemy or antagonist, in this particular volume we have the first major obstacle that Luffy will have to face in order to achieve his goals…Buggy the Clown. At first the only reason why Luffy is interested in having anything to do with Buggy is the fact this pirates henchmen attacked him when he falls from the sky. Then events take their own turn, he’s eventually taken prisoner by a girl he seeks to recruit to be his navigator and brought before the infamous pirate.
A celebration is held by the Buggy Pirate Gang in order to celebrate the capture of the individual who apparently stole the captain’s map of the Grand Line. Now this very thing piques the interest of Luffy who realises that with this map he is a step closer to achieving his goal of finding Gold Roger’s treasure and becoming King of the Pirates. Problem is though that he’s now a prisoner, stuck in a cage and is soon destined to be cannon fodder…literally. In a typically cruel twist Buggy commands the former ‘partner’ of Luffy, Nami, to light a cannon pointed at Luffy’s cage and blow him to pieces as punishment. She rebels against this order but doesn’t have the strength to overcome Buggy’s minions…enter Roronoa Zolo…
Staging a rescue Zolo manages to save both Nami and Luffy though his sudden appearance draws the attention of the infamous Buggy. The pirate captain naturally assumes that Zolo is after him for the substantial reward that is on his head…he is sadly wrong, though he doesn’t cotton on to this fact initially. It seems that the superior swordsmanship has the edge over Buggy but the clown has a secret that Zolo is unaware of, a secret that is something of a shocker. Sliced and diced Buggy the Clown doesn’t die, in fact he is able to reassemble himself after having been shredded. All this is due to the fact that in the past Buggy at the devil fruit, the chop chop fruit that allowed him this incredible and somewhat macabre ability.
With such an edge it seems as if the tables are about to turn against Luffy though Zolo isn’t phased, wounded admittedly but he still has some of his own tricks up his sleeve to turn the tide. And his solution is somewhat unique and filled with carnage aplenty, one that has even Buggy ducking for cover… One Piece is a real rollicking ride of a read; it has an interesting cast of characters as well as good story that has a tight, taut tempo in terms of drama and action. As a series it definitely lives up to the hype and is well worth tracking down and giving a go…so what are you waiting for me hearties…
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