lillipup13

I feel like some reviews either love One Piece to death or just hates it at most its most of the time gets a 10 or gets a 1 which I feel like as a manga One Piece is neither of those. It isn’t a Godsend of a Manga or such a trashy manga that is just straight poop. I will review One Piece as non-bias as I can but no promises. Spoiler Warning intensified.

Art (7/10) – For my own personal preference, I love One Piece’s style, but I know it isn’t the best around. The drawing are nice and easily looked at, with panels making you follow in accordance making it a breeze to read at times. But sometimes there are a tad bit too much happening at times that jokes and interactions can be miss. For as many manga as I read, One Piece art is not the best but It’s not the worst. Does your manga have to have a good art to tell a compelling story, if so tell ONE that his stories bad because his art is bad compared to something like berserk, which is of course false since those two tell two very different but compelling story also. Still of course I do find his creation of male character are fine and dandy compared to his female characters. I was sadden when Robin went from a nice tan to an almost Hancock look alike in the time skip(there was a concept art to give Robin short hair which I thought would have had made her stand out more compared to now but Oda probably wanted to save that for Koala). Also, almost most females are either babes, kids, old hags, or fat; most being the former. After time skip almost all the girl characters have giant boobs, which I don’t mind but was it necessary for every female.
Characters (7/10) – I do personally love all the characters in One Piece but know that they get little developments for such a long running series. Yes, most time the characters are one note at times and they feel like there are no development, but character wise they are all enjoyable and mesh well against each other. I do feel like with all the adventure they had there must be some growth in the characters. But like many stated before Oda likes to treat each arc as its own self contain story, which may be his downfall. They should all mesh together better which I felt he did well when the crew reach Shabody Archipelago. So many things happening but it felt like they all connected well compared to the other parts. Not saying that the other arcs and saga didn't bode well together, just not as well. But like many stated, Usopp could and should be braver with all the adventures they been through, Luffy less of a numbskull, etc. But how I feel about it is that the Strawhat crew is that they accept you for who you are no matter if you are weak or not. That is why Luffy after his fight with Aokiji felt he needed to get stronger because he knows he got weaker people in his crew. He knows if he doesn't get stronger, he will lose people on the way to finding One Piece and he doesn't want that. Usopp reaffirm that desire in their fight, because Usopp saying he feels like he will be thrown away one day for being weak, hurt Luffy deeply and made him find ways to be stronger. Same for Robin which I felt like had the most development as a character in the story, since for her trusting people wasn't a given. She has been targeted for years by the government and after being in the crew she was scared that the people she been so close with might turn their backs on her. After saving her from the world government Robin opened up even more toward the crew and became more relax than normal around them. Also, there are so many side characters that are use and reuse which I felt like other manga should do so more often. Like how Dragon that we met in the beginning and was a mysterious is being use more now and is a big player in the story. Or how like Luffy friend Coby didn’t just become a run of the mill Marine after they separated in the beginning but now is a Marine Captain. Plus another benefit is that I feel like all the characters gets growth and are use properly compared to other shonen series. For example, like in Naruto where beside team 7 did any of the other fan favorite characters matter in the last fight as much. Team 7 are fighting gods now and everyone else can’t really fight on par with them anymore. Or like in Dragon Ball where Saiyan’s is all there need now, characters like Picollo or Krillin are just there to fill in spots. While in One Piece the crew are given a role to do stuff and while not everyone is strong, they all got a power boost and are still very prevalent in the story. Which is why I feel like there is a need for Luffy to be an idiot because for that very reason his crew matters even more to the story and won’t just all of a sudden be him focus only.
Story (8/10)- Honestly, One Piece is my all-time favorite read but I can see the flaws in the story and how there are better stories out there. Yes, yes each arc is the same with Luffy them fighting a bad guy with a time limit with Luffy knocking out the bad guy saving the trouble island. Ends with a celebration and the crew leaves for a new island to get closer to Raftel. Which does sound boring when you put it that way anything would. But sometimes knowing the ending isn't a bad thing because we are here to find out how the characters will get to that point and what occur in the middle. Even if most of the arc are the same format, the adventures in those arcs are different. The world is change by Luffy and his crew but they aren't the only one that are causing all the changes. Blackbeard cause way more change to the world more than Luffy did. He did the impossible by having two devil fruit power, he killed White Beard(albeit it he was close to death already), he injured Shanks(but of course a sea king did also LOL), he cause the Summit War between Whitebeard and the Marine, and became a new Yonkou. He sounds way more dangerous than the most wanted man right now Dragon, but of course we barely know anything about Dragon himself. Which is another reason why I like the story in One Piece. There are so many mysteries still left in the story even after 900 chapters, which sounds stupid but it just makes it more enjoyable. Like who is Joyboy, what is the void century, when will Noah's ark be use, why will Luffy destroy Fishmen Island, and so forth. These don't take center stage at all and sometimes even be forgotten because the story is so long, but still they are a foreshadow of what to come. Also, the world building is great, even if it does feel like an LSD fuel world, but why is that a bad thing. It just makes the world way more unique in my mind.
On a personal note I give One Piece a solid 10 out of 10 for me, but for a manga review note One Piece is a 7.5. That may seem like it is a bit harsh but honestly it isn’t One Piece’s fault at all. It is how Manga are written faults, especially for long running shonen manga. Popular manga are kept as long as possible until their popularity falls down greatly before getting ax like Bleach or if it’s still popular enough it gets a proper send off like Naruto and Dragon Ball to only be brought back to be use as a cash cow again. Oda even stated that the series was to be concluded back in 2002 five years after he started on it and even written an ending for One Piece since then but of course the popularity demands it to continue. Which is why I felt like One Piece does a better job at this than most long running fight series, there are still mysteries, we seen the power ceiling with the Summit War but not all of it since White Beard was already an aging and sick man, and the adventure still feel fun but of course can be a tad bit to long at times in arcs. If anything One Piece is an enjoyable Manga, that isn’t a Godsend or shit manga. It doesn’t change the fabric of story telling but it doesn’t just straight bore you. Last thing I want to mention Overhyping something almost always kills most of the enjoyment of a story, which is did for me for Hunter X Hunter, which is why instead stop listening to other people opinion and just read One Piece as a manga not as the Giant titan it is but instead as any other regular stories out there.

One piece is one of the most well thought manga i have ever seen!

One piece does a great job in delivering the manga to all audience in my opinion. As an evidence, one piece become the highest grossing manga in the world. As a shonen story, one piece gives a dream, fulfillment, and enjoyment to every audience as it packs a lot of funny, emotional, and cool epic actions. One piece also shows a diverse backgrounds (places) and characters of the people and places (each people are different and some of them have unique personality).

In the other sides, while not emphasized, one piece also delivers deep knowledge of morale and some dark tragedies (Coup d'etat, country's destruction, slavery, racism, revenge , corrupt people, tyranny, black market, underworld, some dark secret in maintaining the peace, etc). Some children and people may not notice this while reading one piece; However, as the older and knowledgeable the reader get, the reader will view one piece differently when rereading it once again.

Some people believe that the characters do not show a lot of character building. However, I believe this is true and a right choice from the author, as, in fact, changing character is an actual hard thing to do in real world (in majority of people). While some persona may change, there are always some things that will stick with the characters. Moreover, all the main crews are selected few who are especially made to be unique and important.

I also really like that the main protagonist itself is like a child and think simply. The main protagonist is stubborn and reckless, but also pure. While it may look so shonen-ish, but there is more from the main protagonist action when he is always protecting his crew.

As for the art, while not the best in the world, the author has done splendid jobs. The author is able to draw lots of character in every panels within one week. To add up, the art is also amazing, and it gets better (Compare the first volume with the newly out volume). Even the panelings are wonderfully well thought, making people get excited when every chapter has finished.

Lastly, i would like to mention that the plot of one piece has actually been decided since the beginning of the series. While some things may be added or changed, the main plot will always still be the same.

I can darely say that all the story, panels, flow, and dialogue, even in tiny bit, have been carefully thought by the author!

Alright, first let me say that, the manga is infinitely better than the anime. INFINITELY. But, with that being said, I believe the manga should have ended at chapter 58/59. After that, it's just a crapload of "yeah-right" and "ooookay" and "bullshit". Seriously, I hated the second half of the story. However, the first half was so ridiculously good, that I just couldn't give the manga a bad score.

With that being said, on to the details.

Story
Brilliant. I can't think of anything else that has even come close to something like this. Entertaining, smart, and keeps you on the edge of your seat. You'll want to read the chapter after chapter to find out what happens next.

Art
Looks good to me. Figures are drawn well and the females were good looking.

Character
By far, the best part of this show. The characters were...alive. You felt like you really "knew" the people. Almost like reading a book there was so much detail. There aren't any that follow a typical "stupid" or "cliche" trademark either. Thank god.

Enjoyment
Well, as I said, I didn't enjoy the second half of the story. After the first half, my enjoyment level plummeted. Read the second half, if only just to say you have.

Overall
Do yourself a favor and stop after chapter 57-59. You'll enjoy the manga a lot more and probably be happy with a well thought out ending (as opposed to the chapter 108 thrown together ending).

In the author's own words:

"The main character of the book is a skeletal mage, leading a large evil organization like the last boss of a game.
I don't believe the main characters in novels and movies who rescue people without asking for anything in return.
Readers who acknowledge that prioritizing yourself is the right mentality will enjoy this book.
It's very direct."

After reading it, he was right.

Story + Character + Enjoyment -
This series is in the view point of the invaders instead of the more common angle of the invaded.
It takes heavy inspiration from d&d and other mythology and has a distinct "strategy + game" feeling to it.
The protagonist of Overlord isn’t the type who only deals with the danger right before them, but one who will take the initiative to accomplish his goals and gain benefits for himself.
Detailed descriptions and subtle future hints are abound but do not defer in the enjoyment even for a reader who does not like reading that much.
The characters are all well characterized and developed even for those who do not have much screen time since the direct writing style really brings out the personalities in a clear and concise manner.

Art -
Beautifully drawn art by so-bin that fits the series and everything in it.
Marvelous.

Overall -
10/10
If is something to compare it to it would be Tolkien books.
Truly a masterpiece in the making not just in novels but in all of literature.

"I wanted to blossom discreetly. Not even once have I ever thought of showing myself in the sun, because I saw what becomes of the flowers of the dark seeking light, and I know with certainty that it doesn't suit me to be shined upon."

Sales assistant during the day and prostitute at night, Sumire Hayashi is a woman that has never known love in her life and is therefore unable to love anyone back. Cold and inexpressive, this doesn't prevent men from falling under her charm and she's aware of it.

Her mother having lost her sanity and having committed suicide, desperate to see her husband ever again, Sumire is determined to never become like her and makes up a detailed contract where she sells herself in exchange for compensation ; for a single night or for a month, to a young man or to an old lady, she even accepts to become the mistress to married men… All that matters is that this way she will not have to be betrayed and she'll forget about her pathetic existence for a while, and maybe, maybe she'll have a slight idea of what it means to love, even for a limited amount of time.

Chapters here see Sumire having a relationship with different men and trying to keep what she does outside of work secret as rumors are quick to be spread. The real problem in Sumire Hakusho is that it lacks a proper plot line or a main narrative drive, most of what happens doesn't really have any point to make as to women's status in society or in making the titular main character develop. I can admit some chapters help build a melancholic side by their vacuity and meaninglessness but half of the subplots are literally useless and could be cut off that it wouldn't change anything to the story. The subplots are forgettable and often rely on cheap bullying and violence without making any point just to make us feel bad about Sumire. The only meaningful relationship there is is the one she has with a blind shamisen player, the only person she will ever truly love and who will die soon after their meeting, but nothing happens after that to make it have an influence on the story. It doesn't even have any conclusion whatsoever and the lack of thematic depth makes it feel all the more worthless.

It's also one of Kamimura's works where his art barely shines at all with the exception of a couple spreads and the chapter openers. That wouldn't have been a great flaw in itself because even without being showy, he can as well greatly picture emotions and the dilemma his characters go through. No, the big problem is how cartoony the whole thing looks, be it with its atrocious chara-designs and ill-bodied proportions of most of the side characters, but also with the cheesy type of humor that shouldn't even be here and ruin the mood whenever it occurs. Her fat friend from work who acts as the comic relief would be a prime example of a character that constantly acts disproportionately and is more annoying than she is funny.

Sumire Hakusho had a promising beginning and could have been a great manga if only it knew what it was doing and presented more compelling ideas during its runtime. Finished as it is is, Sumire Hakusho stands amongst the weakest Kamimura titles and I can't decently recommend it.

When I first started reading this manga, I had my doubts about it, cause it was very similar to Doraemon, but after some chapters, its similarities will start disappearing.

The plot is a bit difficult to follow, but you get the hang of it when the author got where he wanted to go with the story.

I had my doubts about the art at the beginning because it really wasn't the kind of style that I like, but I ended loving it.
The character development barely exists, but that isn't a problem because the story is short enough to not have any.

I really liked this manga overall, it obviously isn't a great anime, but it's a good one to spend an afternoon reading.


Rating:
Story: 5
Art: 9
Character: 3
Enjoyment: 9
Overall: 7

Although I only read Volume 1 (the rest were not available to me yet), the story seems good, but not outstanding... what is outstanding: this is a full-color manga! Every single page is rendered in bright colors, really helps to show off the blood, amongst other things.

I like this so far because the artwork is a real pleasure to look at, and the story is interesting enough to keep me going. There was not much time to develop depth but there was time to have action (fighting) and some nice H-scenes (which seamlessly fit in, this is not a hentai work or something done just for the sex, it is integral to the plot).

It sorta reminds me of the TV series Torchwood... only, in manga form or course...

Well, I will write a deeper review when more volumes are available to me.

This manga was not bad, but it wasn't really all that good either. The setting seemed like a realistic small town, but it seemed like everybody in it was a violent psychopath. It seemed like this was supposed to be a message about bullying, but the middle school-age bullies are so cartoonishly evil that it's impossible to take the story very seriously. On top of that, (pardon the probable spoilers) the only villainous characters that ever show anything even remotely sympathetic or even human do so shortly before or as they die.
The other reason this doesn't really work as a message about bullying is because most of the characters that are victims of abuse are just as bad, if not worse, than the abusers. I'm not even sure what the thing with the teacher toward the end was about, since it didn't actually factor into the story in any way and just seemed like trying to fill page space.

Aside from that, the story did accomplish the goal of making the main character and her family sympathetic, even if the author had to go to insane lengths to justify what ends up happening. Despite that, I still ended up feeling bad about enjoying the later action, because I couldn't shake the feeling that on some level, this story was just the author's excuse to show children mutilating each other and the message about bullying was just a vehicle to make it a bit more palatable.

Overall, I found the manga to be very solid and much more satisfying then the Anime. The story is pretty straightforward and primarily focuses on romance. It's basically your typical love triangle manga with the necessary twists, HOWEVER, it's not as twisted as the anime.

Considering it was only 11 chapters long, I was pleasantly surprised that the manga ended the way it did. Unlike the anime, the manga will not pull the rug from under your feet. I don't want to drop anymore hints, but I will say this though, if you didn't like the way the anime ended, you will probably like the way the Manga ended. To be more specific, you will either like it or hate it depending on whether you're on team Yuuhi or team Minato.

If there was no Anime and it was just the manga, I would probably have the overall score somewhere around 8 or 7, but I have to give it a solid 9 due to the fact that I HATED the way the anime ended while I liked the direction the manga went.

I'm a big fan of the Cowboy Bebop anime series, I've seen it numerous times. It's a classic for sure so I thought I'd check out the manga adaptation.

Story 4/10
First thing is that this manga is a reboot and has different storylines for all the characters. Which wouldn't be a bad thing if the manga actually had a story at all. The anime was mostly episodic but had the main plotline of Spike, Julia and Vicious. This manga tries to do something similar to that with the Scorpion storyline but falls very short. I didn't find the story very interesting and was often bored.

Art 8/10
The best part about this series was the artwork. It had nice shoujo artwork. The characters were stylised in the artist's own style which was nice.

Character 5/10
The characters don't really stand out from each other. Spike isn't the cool guy he was in the anime, Ed is annoying instead of funny like she was in the anime, Jet isn't the cranky cool guy and Faye is hardly in it. I don't remember what the antagonists were like since they barely mattered.

Enjoyment 4/10
I often got bored. The manga just didn't feel like Cowboy Bebop. It felt like a generic space story with a Cowboy Bebop skin. Of course, with no audio, it doesn't have that awesome musical punch that the series did. Maybe Cowboy Bebop just isn't mean to be a manga.

Overall 6/10
I give it a boost for the art, which was cute and nice shoujo art. Otherwise, this is a forgettable title. Which is a shame.