Log 6: What Really Matters

    

The Series recently released their 87th volume.

I’ll admit, One Piece isn’t a perfect series. While I believe it is good, it is still very long, as I said earlier, it has just released its 888th chapter, but even so I feel at this point, its long story only strengthens the series from a narrative standpoint. Once you go deep and far into the story, it is amazing when you look back, to see Luffy setting out from his village in a little row boat, to now he is one of the most infamous pirates in the world, it makes you reflect on just how much has happened, and once the series finally wraps, you’ll be amazed by just how big and detailed of an adventure the series was. 

                There is also an underwhelming sense of depth and worry throughout the series as well, no matter how bad it looks, you just know Luffy and the Straw Hats will make it out of it somehow, which can make the series boring from time to time from the lack of stakes in it, however One Piece isn't like Game of Thrones, the Walking Dead, or any other thick piece of fiction, it is made to be light hearted and bring out feelings of joy and perseverance. But I will admit, when you feel this sense of reassurance and laid-backness from the series, it only makes moments of incredible heart ache and sadness all the worse, as there is a major death in One Piece you don’t see coming and it hits you bad when it happens, but I’ll leave it at that. In the end guys One Piece, is a massively giant series, and from where the story is now, it’ll probably be another 5 or 6 years until its finally done, Which’ll be a emotional day for me. But you’re probably wondering why I chose to talk about some random Japanese series? 

             Why should it matter if I read it? How does it help me? First off, I am just an admirer of quality entertainment whether that be movies, tv, video games, or comic books, and i like to prefer them to others. But honestly, the one thing I can say about one piece is that it just is a joy to read and it makes you feel so much more up than you would normally feel. It may be just a goofy comic book, but One Piece explores some really great and relevant themes about racism, totalitarianism, war and justice, and when we live in a world, especially today when most people are fighting and arguing about these kinds of issues, you look at this series, knowledgable to address them, but smart to keep them in the background.

Nakama- means comrade, friend

The Japanese term to which Luffy describes his crew is “nakama” which means friend, comrade, ally, but Eiichiro Oda describes it as something much more to them, it stands for a brotherhood among men, different people from different places and backgrounds, each with different experiences, but none of that defining them or their relationship with one in other. This simplicity that One Piece expresses, never giving up, following your dreams, looking towards the unknown may seem very one dimensional, but it transcends beyond that, evolving and growing to even greater heights, making it something truly remarkable.