One Piece, Vol. 1 [Paperback]

Eiichiro Oda (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Release date: July 23, 2003 | Age Range: 5 and up

A new shonen sensation in Japan, this series features Monkey D. Luffy, whose main ambition is to become a pirate. Eating the Gum-Gum Fruit gives him strange powers but also invokes the fruit's curse: anybody who consumes it can never learn to swim. Nevertheless, Monkey and his crewmate Roronoa Zoro, master of the three-sword fighting style, sail the Seven Seas of swashbuckling adventure in search of the elusive treasure "One Piece."

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Eiichiro Oda began his manga career at the age of 17, when his one-shot cowboy manga Wanted! won second place in the coveted Tezuka manga awards. Oda went on to work as an assistant to some of the biggest manga artists in the industry, including Nobuhiro Watsuki, before winning the Hop Step Award for new artists. His pirate adventure One Piece, which debuted in Weekly Shonen Jump magazine in 1997, quickly became one of the most popular manga in Japan.

Product Details

• Age Range: 5 and up
  
• Paperback: 216 pages
• Publisher: VIZ Media LLC (July 23, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1569319014
• ISBN-13: 978-1569319017
• Product Dimensions: 5 x 0.5 x 7.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (50 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #99,551 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Eiichiro Oda began his manga career at the age of 17, when his one-shot cowboy manga Wanted! won second place in the coveted Tezuka manga awards. Oda went on to work as an assistant to some of the biggest manga artists in the industry, including Nobuhiro Watsuki, before winning the Hop Step Award for new artists. His pirate adventure One Piece, which debuted in Weekly Shonen Jump magazine in 1997, quickly became one of the most popular manga in Japan.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 29 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly enjoyable manga July 17, 2003

By Jennifer Wilson

Format:Paperback

This wonderful series, "One Piece" is a comedy-drama, and one of my favorite manga. I think the reason I like it so much is that, although it is technically a shonen series, it has a little something for everyone: comedy, drama, tears, laughter, magic, strong male and female characters, and the obligatory "cute" character (Tonytony Chopper, who is introduced much later and is so much more than just a cute sidekick). And, of course, pirates. :D

Even with the over-the-top character designs, superpowers, and elements of magic, Luffy and his friends are all enjoyable and sympathetic, with well-balanced flaws and strengths. Luffy seems too stupid to captain a ship, but occasionally has moments of brilliance that make you wonder if he's secretly a genius. Zoro, the gruff woman-hating swordsman, softens when faced with a little girl who did something special just for him. Nami begins to care about Luffy and company, despite her insistance that she will never be a pirate. Usopp is a coward, but comes through when those he cares about are in danger. Despite his suave exterior, Sanji goes gaga when a pretty woman pays him the slightest attention. Chopper begins to see that there are humans out there worthy of his trust. The dynamics between the whole group, once they are assembled, is incredibly fun and full of chemistry.

On the most basic level, you could call it a pirate comedy, but it is so much more than that. Sure, it is full of funny jokes and silly sight gags, but there is something very serious behind all that.

"One Piece" is about chasing your dreams, and doing so with a group of loyal nakama ("companions") at your side. Luffy's crew are more than friends; they are family, bound together by affection and hardship. They trust their lives to one another, and learn each other's limits. Along the way, they confront their pasts and look to the future, and set out to make their individual dreams into reality.

26 of 29 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Yo Ho, Yo Ho, A Pirates Life for Me! November 7, 2003

By Zack Davisson HALL OF FAMETOP 500 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

"One-Piece" is currently the most popular manga series in Japan, and it well-deserves the fame and praise. It is a well-done, funny adventure and a rollicking good time. Full of strange, non sequitur characters and bizarre physical humor, One-Piece is a genre unto itself.

"Romance Dawn" is the first volume of the English-translated series, and has the stretchable would-be Pirate Captain Monkey D. Lufty in search of the fabled treasure, the One-Piece. He who finds the One-Piece will have the right to call himself the Pirate King, which is Monkey's dream.

"Romance" does not mean girls in this title, but the dawn of the romance of high adventure and the roaring seas. Of course, no adventure is great without the gathering of the crew, and that is what you find here.

It is hard to see anyone not liking One-Piece. Definitely the best comic coming from Japan today! Yo Ho!

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The first book will hook you and won't let you go October 24, 2003

By E. Cheng

Format:Paperback

This series is wonderfully original and phenomenally funny! Just reading the first chapter made me a fan for life. The art style is very different but quickly endears itself to the reader because of its flow, pacing, and simplicity. The author, Oda has a gift for storytelling which is evident in this book and only improves as the series progresses. I strongly recommend that everyone pick up this book immediately and see why the series is loved all around the world.

The book is set in a world where pirates roam the seas, and mysterious powers can be gained by eating "devil-fruit". The characters in this series are immensely likeable, with stories that will make you laugh and cry. The sense of adventure that the main character Luffy exudes is insanely infectious, and will quickly instill a desire in the reader to grab a bandana and join the crew.

This book is the epitome of how stories should be told. There are 29 volumes published in Japan (as of October 2003) and the series is still going strong. Currently it's being serialized in Viz's Shonen Jump monthly anthology (also highly recommended) and collected into Graphic Novels when enough chapters have been published. Shonen Jump tends to print 1-3 chapters of One Piece in each issue, and each volume contains 9-10 chapters each, so readers can expect 2 or 3 collected volumes each year.