One Piece was created by Eiichiro Oda, a former assistant to Rurouni Kenshin author Nobuhiro Watsuki. The series began its run in 1997 in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump and is still being serialized. As of December 26, 2005, the first 388 weekly installments have been collected in 40 tankōbon volumes. One Piece has currently reached 403 chapters.
One Piece is set in a fictional world, where pirates run rampant in an era known as the "Age of Piracy". This age was inaugurated with the execution of Gold Roger, the Pirate King. With his last words, Roger declared that all of the treasure he had collected was up for grabs, if it could be found, and that he left all of it "there." The story of One Piece begins with the Age of Piracy well underway, and follows the adventures of a 17-year-old pirate named Monkey D. Luffy, who intends to become the next Pirate King. Luffy's body was turned to rubber after he ate a cursed fruit known as a Devil Fruit (Akuma no Mi). Luffy's particular fruit was the Gum-Gum Fruit, or Gomu Gomu no Mi in the Japanese release ("gomu" means "rubber"). While Devil Fruits grant their eaters fantastic powers (Luffy, for example, can stretch like rubber), it comes at the cost of never being able to swim, and in fact becoming complete dead weight upon being submerged in water. (This weakness may have a historical basis, as many real pirates were unable to swim.) The story features many pirates with super powers gained from the Devil Fruit, but the main focus of the story is that of Luffy and his crew striving to achieve their dreams while fighting those who would crush the hopes and dreams of others. Some villains are reformed by their contact with Luffy and his crew, while others are given a sound beating. Though the Straw Hat Pirates are technically outlaws to the World Government and its Navy, they are much truer to their ideals than both other pirates and the corrupt establishment.
Because of its story, characters, fights, and plot twists, One Piece has become the most popular current shonen manga published in Japan, and is now almost as recognizable a pop culture icon as Dragon Ball . In February of 2005, the comic set a record in Japan for the fastest manga publication to reach 100,000,000 copies sold.
As the popularity of One Piece swelled after its debut in Shonen Jump, it soon would reach an even larger audience through the medium of television, being adapted into an animated series. That television series (a largely faithful adaptation of the manga) debuted in 1999, but animated One Piece actually had its origins one year earlier.
In 1998, OVAs for three manga serialized in Weekly Jump (including One Piece) were produced for the July "Jump Super Anime Tour". Called "Defeat Him! The Pirate Ganzak", this one-episode OVA featured an original villain designed by Eiichiro Oda (the titular Ganzack). Notably, the animation for the OVA was handled by the renowned Production I.G., and the voice cast was completely different from the later TV series, both of which lend a different feel to this production. Wataru Takagi (this OVA's Zoro) would later return to the Toei Animation-produced TV series to voice the pirate captain Bellamy the Hyena.
This OVA was originally shown only at the 1998 Jump Super Anime Tour; however, there was a Jump-exclusive promotion in early 1999, where fans could send in special coupons from the magazine and redeem them for a VHS copy. [1]. Later, a novelization of the OVA, by Tatsuya Hamazaki, would be published under Shueisha's Jump jBooks imprint. [2].
The One Piece anime, produced by Toei Animation, first aired on October 20, 1999, on Fuji TV. More than 260 episodes of the television series have aired as of Jan 2006. From episode 207 (aired October 31, 2004) onwards, One Piece has been simulcast in both HDTV and standard definition. The HDTV version is not simply a "letterboxed" version of the "normal" episode, but actually animated completely in the 16:9 aspect ratio, while the "standard" 4:3 version crops off the right and left sides of the frame. Due to the increased resolution and different aspect ratio, the commercial eyecatches were changed from the format used from episodes 1-206, though Toei was slow to include all the variants featured in their original incarnation.
Since the debut of the series on television, Toei Animation has also produced six One Piece feature films, released each spring since 2000. In typical fashion for movies based on serialized manga, the films feature self-contained, completely original plots, and animation of higher quality than what the weekly anime allows for. Additionally, three of these movies have had special featurettes, showcasing the characters engaged in various activities unrelated to the series (dancing, playing soccer, and playing baseball). These movies, and their attached featurettes (where applicable), are as follows:
Clockwork Island Adventure (ねじまき島の冒険 Nejimaki-Shima no Bōken, 2001)
Featurette: Django's Dance Carnival (ジャンゴのダンスカーニバル Jango no Dansu Kānibaru)
Chopper's Kingdom on the Island of Strange Animals (珍獣島のチョッパー王国 Chinjū-jima no Choppā-Ōkoku, 2002)
Featurette: Dream Soccer King! (夢のサッカー王! Yume no Sakkā-Ō!)
Dead End Adventure (デッドエンドの冒険 Deddo Endo no Bōken, 2003)
Curse of the Sacred Sword (呪われた聖剣 Norowareta Seiken, 2004)
Featurette: Take Aim! The Pirate Baseball King (めざせ! 海賊野球王 Mezase! Kaizoku Yakyū-Ō)
Baron Omatsuri and the Secret Island (オマツリ男爵と秘密の島 Omatsuri Danshaku to Himitsu no Shima, 2005)
The 7th movie, The Giant Mechanical Soldier of Karakuri Castle (カラクリ城のメカ巨兵 Karakuri-Jō no Meka Kyohei), premiered in Japanese theaters on March 4, 2006.
The One Piece manga is published in English in the North AmericanShonen Jump by VIZ Media. Viz also released an English version of the first One Piece manga artbook, Color Walk 1, in November 2005.
After the English adaptation of the anime began on the Fox Box (later renamed 4Kids TV), Viz renamed the character Roronoa Zoro to Roronoa Zolo, and later editions of the first four volumes of the series were changed to match this. Apparently, the rising profile of the series in North America meant that both VIZ and 4Kids were at risk of a lawsuit from those who own the trademark on the fictional character Zorro (which, the author has admitted, was the inspiration for his own character's name). Many fans displayed a very adverse reaction to this change, which was made without comment after 50 chapters of the previous spelling. However, while "Zolo" is not the official romanized spelling of the character's name in Japan, both spellings would be pronounced the same way by a native speaker of Japanese. On the other hand, Oda consistently uses Zoro throughout the entire series whenever the name appears in English, which lends credence to the notion that the correct spelling is Zoro. This change is also the most obvious deviation from the original Japanese version: the English-language manga's story and artwork (aside from text replacement and redrawing of sound effects) continue to remain unaltered, in a stark contrast from the English version of the anime (see below). There are criticisms of a severe toning of curse words in recent translations, as well as contextual/colloquial phrasing of dialogue, though there is far more animosity between fans and 4Kids Entertainment.
In Singapore, the anime is licensed by Odex, who produces a different edit and English dub than the 4Kids version.
Since January 2, 2006, Cartoon Network has begun airing One Piecereruns on their Miguzi block. Reruns are also played on Cartoon Network's primetime slot.
On February 11th, One Piece episodes on Toonami became World English-Language Premiere Episodes, as the series was taken off the 4Kids TV schedule.
An example of an edited scene in the American version of the One Piece TV show. In the Japanese version Helmeppo is pointing a gun at Koby's head.
In producing a version of the One Piece anime for the North American market, 4Kids made a number of changes to the property [3]. These alterations include (but are not necessarily limited to):
cutting longer scenes for time, editing episodes together, and skipping entire story arcs, including those which were originally important to the progression of the plot. As of October 2005, approximately 32 episodes' worth of material had been cut from what were originally 86 episodes, meaning that roughly 37% of the series had been eliminated thus far. Several of these episodes are filler and nothing major is lost by not showing them. However, the entire Little Garden section was removed; this arc introduced several characters that would later appear in the series as well as being the source of Nami's illness that would force the detour to Drum Island.
removing the original symphonic score and replacing it with music produced on a synthesizer;
replacing the opening theme (originally a succession of upbeat pop songs) with a rap theme (even though an English version of the original opening song had been produced);
altering much of the dialog from its original intent, and adding extraneous lines during moments of silence;
removing or changing anything suggestive of alcohol or tobacco use, including Sanji's cigarette (which is turned into a lollipop) and Captain Smoker's two cigars (which are removed, and his name changed to "Chaser"), and changing wine or beer into "orange juice";
Comparison between original Japanese version and 4Kids edit of supposed blackface.
altering all weapons other than knives or swords (including firearms) to become either toys (like Naval Marines' rifles) or odd contraptions (such as Helmeppo's pistol — see above image);
editing of more "intense" scenes to lessen or eliminate the peril to the characters (including the removal of nearly all blood, many crucial or implied deaths, and much of the explicit violence);
removing all Japanese (and some English) text, and altering every instance of the Navy's emblem (which reads "MARINE") to say "NAVY";
changing the skin colors of some characters to downplay supposed racial stereotypes.
Even after all these edits, One Piece is still one of 4Kids' more violent properties as they have left in some blood and even appendages being ripped off (such as Shanks' arm or Zeff's leg). Not all scenes have been edited with much attention to detail, however, causing such oddities as a Luffy with two scars (the left side of his face being mirrored to remove a knife held near the right side of his head).
The majority of criticisms against 4kids' interpretation of the anime come from fans of the original Japanese series. The primary reason for these complaints is the large scale editing done by the series by 4kids, both to the artwork and the storyline itself. A sticking point for the fans is the 4Kids' marketing strategy for the franchise; although the show is enjoyed by a fairly broad audience in Japan and consistently scored high ratings from teens, children, and even adults, 4Kids decided to air the show on Saturday mornings and focus solely on the lucrative 6–11 demographic (which the show was only partially intended for originally). Such practices do not apply solely to One Piece; they follow the corporate policy of Americanization. As a result, many of 4Kids' other properties are heavily edited as well. Madman Entertainment, holder of the distribution sublicense in Australia, had stated that it would be releasing uncut One Piece DVDs, but as of January 23, 2006, "for the time being, Madman will be releasing the TV edited version only."[4] It is unclear when Madman Entertainment will release uncut episodes of One Piece in the future or what factors transpired in this sudden change. This might have stemmed from 4Kids' plans to release uncut, undubbed versions of their anime series, which they have done with Yu-Gi-Oh! and Shaman King; however, they abruptly discontinued these versions in 2005, for reasons unknown. Considering that Madman generally releases DVDs that were released and refined in the US (converted to PAL, for Australian viewers), this may be a plausible reason.
Another contentious aspect to the editing in the North American English dub is that the same naming conventions are used in One Piece-related media in North America, such as the English version of the fighting game One Piece Grand Battle (known as One Piece Grand Battle! Rush in Japan) for the PlayStation 2 and Nintendo Gamecube. While the English adaptation of the manga remains true to the original story and has no art edits, it uses some of the naming conventions established by 4Kids, such as "Zolo" and "Coco Village", the English manga translation does not use most other 4Kids conventions (For instance, the changing of some names in the English anime, which are not likewise altered in the English manga).
The English dub that is made and shown in Singapore is frequently ridiculed by fans for having low production values, though it is considered to be much more faithful to the original Japanese series than its American counterpart. Nevertheless, there are a few edits, such as the occasional omission of Smoker's cigars and Sanji's cigarettes.
Spoiler warning: Plot information is revealed in these articles
This is the portion of the anime which is based on the manga. The series can currently be broken down into 4 parts: The East Blue Saga, The Baroque Works Saga, The Skypiea Saga and The World Government Saga. It is broken up to smaller sub-arcs.
Due to the One Piece manga's nature as a weekly serial, each individual chapter has its own title page to start that series' section of Weekly Shonen Jump. While most manga artists use this space either to expand the chapter's length by a page or to draw a one-off illustration, Oda will take minor characters and defeated villains, and give them their own story arcs, which sometimes end up coinciding with the goings-on of Luffy and his crew at some point. Each of these stories, known officially as "Short-Term Focused Title-Page Serials" (短期集中表紙連載 Tanki Shūchū Hyōshi Rensai), runs for between 20 and 40 (usually around 30) consecutive installments, interrupted only by title pages drawn in color. Each "episode" is one panel, with a caption that includes the title of the arc (given by Oda himself) and a description of what happens in the image. After each arc has run its course, there is a set of "normal" chapter title pages that showcases each member of the Straw Hat crew, and then a new story arc is introduced. While these "mini-arcs" (as fans call them) are part of the canon manga story, only two have appeared thus far in the anime: those of Buggy and his crew (episodes 46–47) and of Koby and Helmeppo (episodes 68–69).
There are currently eight title page story arcs in the manga, with the last still ongoing:
Buggy's Crew: After the Battle! (An Account of Buggy & Crew's Adventures (バギー一味冒険記 Bagī Ichimi Bōken-Ki) in the Japanese version), ch. 35–75 (28 installments, plus 2 "sidestories" with Richie as captain)
Chronicles the misadventures of Buggy as he makes his way across the sea without his limbs or torso, and his crew as they choose a new captain and (literally) get themselves into hot water. Also marks the reappearance of another pirate captain in a new form.
Koby and Helmeppo's Chronicle of Toil (A Diary of Koby-Meppo's Struggles (コビメッポ奮闘日記 KobiMeppo Funtō Nikki)), ch. 84–119 (30 installments)
Follows Koby and Helmeppo's trials and tribulations as Chore Boys in the Navy, the incident involving Helmeppo's father, and their being taken in by Vice-Admiral Garp.
Hatchan escapes from prison and travels the ocean, meeting various characters. Though he is spurned by Octopako, the object of his affections, he finds fulfillment in running a takoyaki stand.
Shows what happened to Wapol after he was knocked out of the Drum Kingdom. Though he is reduced to abject poverty, his Devil Fruit powers prove useful and he soon ascends to power once more as the wealthy CEO of a toy company.
Ace's Great Blackbeard Search (エースの黒ひげ大捜査線 Ēsu no Kurohige Dai-Sōsasen), ch. 272–305 (29 installments)
Follows Ace as he searches for Blackbeard on behalf of his captain, Whitebeard. During the course of his travels, he befriends the milk-maiden Moda, and infiltrates the Naval base G2 where he is able to obtain classified documents about Blackbeard's whereabouts, as well as help reunite Moda with her parents.
Gedatsu's Accidental Blue-Sea Life (ゲダツのうっかり青海暮らし Gedatsu no Ukkari Seikai-Gurashi), ch. 314–348 (32 installments)
Shows what happens to Gedatsu after he loses his battle to Chopper and falls from Skypiea. Through a series of accidents and coincidences, he ends up as the business partner of Goro, Kohza's uncle, and helps him found a hot spring resort.
Miss Goldenweek's "Operation: Meet Baroque Works" (ミスG・Wの作戦名「ミーツ・バロック」 Misu Gōruden Wīku no Sakusenmei "Mītsu Barokku"), ch. 359—
Because the One Piece manga is still ongoing, Toei Animation uses non-manga material (filler) as a way to slow down the progression of the plot. If the anime were to catch up with the manga, Toei would either have to wait for Oda to release more manga chapters, take the story in a direction independent of the manga (as was done in Rurouni Kenshin, InuYasha and Fullmetal Alchemist), or simply end it; any of these would likely damage the popularity of the series, and would not reflect well on either Toei Animation or Oda. Thus, additional material is the only viable alternative.
Unlike non-manga material in many other shows, most One Piece filler takes place in story arcs independent from the main plot, and having little to no effect on the subsequent canon story. These arcs also generally consist of lighter fare than Oda's own work, containing much more comedy, the presence of child characters, and little in the way of drama. Purist fans of the series tend to consider them little more than entertaining fluff, and inferior to material by Oda himself. Currently, the anime has four story arcs not present in the manga:
Warship Island Arc (a.k.a. Apis arc): comes between the East Blue and Baroque Works sagas. The Straw Hat Pirates attempt to help a mysterious girl named Apis and a "Thousand Year Dragon" named Ryuji, while combating the nefarious Erik and the Naval forces after the dragon. It was completely cut from the English-dubbed anime. Despite the arc's low reputation among fans, its removal struck many as an uncharacteristic move on the part of 4Kids, as the Warship Island arc seems to be aimed at younger viewers than the majority of the series, featuring very little content that 4Kids would consider "objectionable" by its standards.
Filler Arcs: comes between the Baroque Works and Jaya/Skypiea sagas. It is composed of several standalone episodes, followed by two short story arcs.
G8 Arc: comes after the end of the Jaya/Skypiea saga. Instead of splashing down in open sea, the Merry Go is trapped within the enclosed and heavily fortified waters of a Navy base, where the crew must scatter to survive before attempting to retake their ship and escape.
Ocean's Dream Arc: follows the Longring Longland arc and precedes the crew's arrival at Water Seven. The crew loses its memory and has to get it back before they can continue. It is notable in that it marks the reappearance of Arlong, and is the only non-manga storyline thus far to be based on a One Piece videogame (Ocean's Dream, released for the Sony PlayStation in 2003).
The One Piece (glossed in print as ひとつなぎの大秘宝 Hito-Tsunagi no Dai-Hihō "The Great Treasure of One Piece", but still pronounced Wanpīsu) is a legendary treasure said to be of unimaginable value. It is said that it was hidden somewhere deep in the Grand Line by its previous owner, the Pirate King Gold Roger. Nobody seems to know what it really is or what it looks like.
The Will of D: A mysterious property linking Monkey D., Luffy; Portgas D., Ace; Marshal D., Teach (a.k.a. Blackbeard), and Jaguar D., Saul to Gold Roger (originally named "Gol D., Roger"). The Japanese tradition of naming puts the first name last making the shared initial the actual last name. It is not clear what the significance of the shared last initial is, but it appears that all share a similar faith in their own (and others') dreams. It has been speculated by fans that these characters may in fact all share some sort of blood relation, though there is currently no evidence in the series to either support or contradict this notion. Nico Robin has commented that all people with D as their middle initial are incredibly strong and violent.
Raftel: The island at the end of the Grand Line. Gold Roger is supposedly the only one to ever make it there. One would assume that the One Piece is to be found there, though it is not entirely certain.
Poneglyph: Scattered among the islands of the Grand Line are mysterious stone blocks called "Poneglyphs." These blocks are inscribed with the script of an ancient language, and tell of a history long forgotten. This history includes the mention of (at least) two weapons of terrible power: Pluton and Poseidon. It is said that the Rio Poneglyph, which contains the true history of the One Piece world (including the "Blank Century" that is forbidden to be researched), may be found on the island of Raftel at the end of the Grand Line. Recently it has been revealed that it is against the law of the One PieceWorld Government to decipher them. Regardless, to reach and decipher the Rio Poneglyph is the ultimate goal of Nico Robin.
East Blue Weakest of the four seas that make up the One Piece world, East Blue was the setting of the first five arcs of the manga and Anime. East Blue, like its sister seas, comprises almost entirely of ocean, with a few scattered islands and a border with Red Line. It is the birthplace of Nami, Zoro, Usopp, Luffy, and Gol D. Roger
All Blue A mystical sea of legend, rumored to be the only place in the world where the North, South, East, and West seas meet. In this legendary ocean there are said to be fish from each of the seas. Sanji strives to find this ocean of dreams. It is said that the All Blue is found in the Grand Line. In the English anime it's called the "Great Blue"
Berries (ベリー Berī): The unit of monetary currency in One Piece, almost exclusively depicted in paper form. Although closely resembling United States dollar bills, the large values on the notes harken to the Japanese yen. "Berry" is not necessarily the appropriate rendering in Roman characters, as the author has spelled it both as "Berry" and "Belly" on the actual bills. (See: Japanese phonology.) Instead of writing the word out in the text, the author typically uses a shorthand "Berry sign," consisting of a capital "B" with a vertical line through it (similar to a dollar sign), rather than writing out the pronunciation.
Going Merry( ゴーイングメリー号 pronounced Gōingu Merī-gō, the extra gō being a suffix used to denote that the name is that of a ship), also known as the Merry Go in the US versions.
Nakama (仲間): This Japanese term means friend(s), buddy(ies), crew, comrade(s) or gang. In the Japanese version of One Piece, this term is used extensively to describe friends who are as close as or closer than family, especially in the context of Luffy's crew. Because of this, many popular fan-translations of One Piece will not translate this term.
Dials: Coming from the land of Skypiea, dials in this manga are shell-like devices that vary in sizes and uses. Some are used to power everyday items such a lamps, stoves, or recording devices. Others have more powerful properties, such as absorbing smells, powering machines (such as the JetSki-like Wavers) and even taking attacks which can then be thrown back at their opponents. Usopp gains a number of these dials, which he uses later on in the series.
Den Den Mushi: These are the odd "phone snails" that are used throughout the series. They come in a variety of colors and shapes and have multiple functions. The snails act as a number of devices including: rotary phones, fax machines, and cellular wrist watch devices. The latter is called the Kuro (Black) Den Den Mushi, which is used by the Navy to intercept calls between pirates or other miscreants. A miniature version, the Baby Den Den Mushi, is fairly small and portable, but incapable of international calls. When they are used, the snails speak in sync with the caller's voice, as well as sometimes imitating the facial expressions of the caller. There´s also the Golden Den Den Mushi, a special kind that is used to summon the Buster Call. A Silver Den Den Mushi is like an alarm used to receive the Golden one´s Buster Call request.
The SBS (short for 質問を募集するShitsumon o Boshū Suru, "I'm Taking Questions") is a question-and-answer column that began in volume 5 of the manga, in which Eiichiro Oda answers questions sent in by his fans, making jokes and sometimes telling useful information about the story and characters. It is here that the ages of the Straw Hat pirates were first revealed, as well as various facts about the story that are not immediately apparent (but nevertheless present) in the chapters themselves. There are several running jokes throughout the SBS, including the the fact that a reader always manages to start the SBS before the author can. The SBS was also where the author revealed the existence of the hidden characters Pandaman and Tomato Gang, who appear hidden in the background at many points during the series.
As has become typical of long-running youth-oriented anime, One Piece has gone through a long succession of theme songs, performed by popular artists, since its debut on television. Though performed by popular singers and bands, most seem to be written specifically for the show, as nearly all of them reference treasure, the sea, or ships in some way. As of November 2005, there have been 5 opening themes, 17 regular ending themes, and a number of film- and special endings as well. Soundtrack CDs released in Japan also include a large number of "image songs" based on the series, performed either by cast members in character, or by theme song artists.
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