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One Piece Re-Read Notes Volume 4
Oct. 29th, 2017 12:28 amVolume 4 – The Black Cat Pirates
This is the first volume dedicated solely to battle. The other volumes had fighting but also had other sections. The theme isn’t as immediately obvious here. We do see that Usopp is clever and determined and he can take a fair amount of punishment. However he actually doesn’t engage in that much combat in this volume as he is smacked around pretty badly. Next volume will see him shining again but here most of the middle chapters don’t have much to do with him.
I find it interesting (although I kind of already knew this since ZoSopp is a THING for me) that Zoro is the one doing most of the commentary on Usopp’s skills/bravery. I don’t know if it’s for contrast/similarity between them or because Luffy is out for half the volume or why exactly but I do think it Is interesting given future (Water 7) developments. There’s probably some other key elements in this volume related to how Kuro is seen by his crew in that he’s definitely a person they’re afraid of.
This is also a very slapstick battle despite the seriousness of its cause. Luffy and the hypnotism and all the cat puns and the general stupidity (L+Z getting lost, Nami using Zoro to escape and trapping him, Nami throwing the caltrops the wrong way, Usopp trio’s attack) make this fight have a weird tone. Buggy and company were themed and equally weird as hell but somehow they came off a little more serious overall. Only Kuro is serious in this fight and it makes the balance of the volume’s tone a little off to me.
Anyway, this is probably near the bottom of East Blue volumes, although there’s at least 1 or even 2 volumes for the Krieg fight that are worse. I just think tonally there’s something a bit off and, for being Usopp’s arc, he doesn’t have a lot to do for big sections of this volume.
( Read more... )
This is the first volume dedicated solely to battle. The other volumes had fighting but also had other sections. The theme isn’t as immediately obvious here. We do see that Usopp is clever and determined and he can take a fair amount of punishment. However he actually doesn’t engage in that much combat in this volume as he is smacked around pretty badly. Next volume will see him shining again but here most of the middle chapters don’t have much to do with him.
I find it interesting (although I kind of already knew this since ZoSopp is a THING for me) that Zoro is the one doing most of the commentary on Usopp’s skills/bravery. I don’t know if it’s for contrast/similarity between them or because Luffy is out for half the volume or why exactly but I do think it Is interesting given future (Water 7) developments. There’s probably some other key elements in this volume related to how Kuro is seen by his crew in that he’s definitely a person they’re afraid of.
This is also a very slapstick battle despite the seriousness of its cause. Luffy and the hypnotism and all the cat puns and the general stupidity (L+Z getting lost, Nami using Zoro to escape and trapping him, Nami throwing the caltrops the wrong way, Usopp trio’s attack) make this fight have a weird tone. Buggy and company were themed and equally weird as hell but somehow they came off a little more serious overall. Only Kuro is serious in this fight and it makes the balance of the volume’s tone a little off to me.
Anyway, this is probably near the bottom of East Blue volumes, although there’s at least 1 or even 2 volumes for the Krieg fight that are worse. I just think tonally there’s something a bit off and, for being Usopp’s arc, he doesn’t have a lot to do for big sections of this volume.
( Read more... )
