Bookstooge's Reviews On the Road: Pirates

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Wednesday, October 23, 2024

Doctor Syn Returns (Doctor Syn #3) 3Stars

Title: Doctor Syn Returns
Series: Doctor Syn #3
Author: Arthur Russell Thorndike
Rating: 3 of 5 Stars
Genre: Historical Fiction
Pages: 154
Words: 74K

Syn is not so bloody thirsty and hypocritical in this one, but I still had serious issues with the liqueur smuggling going on. While I’m not a fan of the government taxing the soul out of us (one of the reasons America kicked the Brits ass back in ‘76 after all), I don’t feel that the smuggling of alcohol is in any way justified. Alcohol is almost as evil as drugs and I’ll go so far as to say that it IS a drug, as bad as meth, crack or marijuana. While we have the God given right to defend ourselves (why I AM in favor of gun running, ghost guns and other such libertarian ideals that are opposed to a tyrannical dictatorship run by a woman who was not actually elected), He did NOT give us the right to get shit faced drunk. So do yourself a favor and get rid of it.

This was the story where The Scarecrow is given life and while we only see him in action once or twice, he’s as great a character as Captain Clegg was. Considering they are both Syn, it’s no wonder.

I’m still on the fence about this series. I can see myself waffling about it right up until I finish it and I can see myself just throwing it away in disgust and dnf’ing at a moment’s notice. Taking this one book at at time.

Even if I do finish the series, it’s not one I’ll ever recommend.

★★★☆☆

From Wikipedia & Bookstooge.blog

Synopsis – click to open

It tells the story of Syn, who has tired of piracy, tries to settle down as the vicar of the little town of Dymchurch in Kent, England.

Syn’s attempt to live an obscure life fails when he is drawn into the local smuggling trade. To protect his parishioners from the agents of the King’s Revenue, Syn becomes the masked Scarecrow of Romney Marsh and becomes leader of the smugglers.

During this time, he falls in love with the oldest daughter of his best friend only for her to die. He also finds his wife, who is on death’s door. She has a daughter by her lover. Said lover pretends to be the Pirate Captain Clegg and dies so that Syn will take care of his baby daughter.

Tuesday, September 10, 2024

Doctor Syn on the High Seas (Doctor Syn #2) 3Stars

Title: Doctor Syn on the High Seas
Series: Doctor Syn #2
Author: Arthur Russell Thorndike
Rating: 3 of 5 Stars
Genre: Historical Fiction
Pages: 182
Words: 66K

In the first book, which was the last book chronologically and sees Doctor Syn killed (oh, wait, did I just spoil that for you? Oh boo hoo, I am sooooooo sorry. Get over it, pansy), I wondered how someone who was a man of the cloth could preach what he did and still do the things that Doctor Syn did. Well, from this book it is obvious that his theology never went more than skin deep, if even that. To be blunt, Syn was a hypocrite was the start.

He is not a hero or an anti-hero, Syn is a straight up villain. He pillages, plunders and kills with nary a thought or regret and is the very definition of an Evil Pirate Captain. His revenge is the consuming fire in his life, over ruling every other thought and feeling in his head.

From a purely storywise angle, this was good stuff. Syn is talented, skilled, well off and implacable. Nothing stops him and his adventures here are many. When the local lord kidnapped Imogene and her mother near the beginning, I almost put the book down because Thorndike really had me wondering just how far he was going to go with the situation. Thankfully, while the end goal was stated, it never got there.

I’m really up in the air about continuing this series. It is grand adventure, but Syn is a scoundrel and hypocrite and I find that abominable. I will read the next book and if I still feel this way, I’ll be stopping. There is no need to read about or promote scoundrels and villains.

★★★☆☆

From Bookstooge.blog

Synopsis – click to open

Doctor Syn (a Doctor of Theology), a young man at seminary college, meets and falls in love with a beautiful spanish girl. He and his close friend save her and her mother from falling into the financial clutches of a local lord with the worst of reputations. Imogene in turn falls in love with Dr Syn. Stymied, the local lord decides to get his revenge by kidnapping Imogene and her mother and forcing Imogene to marry him. They are rescued by Dr Syn and friend and the local lord is killed, to nobody’s regret, not even his nephew, who now inherits and was a one time suitor to Imogene.

Dr Syn and Imogene marry and move to Romney Marsh. But it is too gloomy for Imogene and she goes back to one of the big towns to “help her mother”. She meets her former suitor and they seduce each other and run away to Spain together. Dr Syn gives up the cloth and vows revenge. He begins to chase them down.

He is then captured by pirates but because of his brains and skill at sword play, kills the pirate captain and takes over the crew. He loots the sea to fuel his fortune to hunt down Imogene and the Seducer. He blows up the pirate ship he is on, killing all the pirates and takes the treasure for himself. He continues his chase but each time, never quite catches them. He goes pirating again and repeats the same formula as before.

Eventually, Imogene and the Seducer drop out of sight and Dr Syn makes his way back to Romney Marsh to settle down to what unsettled peace he can have. The book ends with the ship he is on crashing on the shores of Romney Marsh and Dr Syn swimming for shore.

Saturday, April 27, 2024

Doctor Syn (Doctor Syn #1) 3.5Stars

Title: Doctor Syn
Series: Doctor Syn #1
Author: Arthur Russell Thorndike
Rating: 3.5 of 5 Stars
Genre: Historical Fiction
Pages: 209
Words: 69K

This was NOT at all what I was expecting, not one tiny bit. I remembered vague bits of an old Disney show called “The Scarecrow’, a Zorro’esque creature fighting evil and righting wrongs. And that is what I expected here, a man in disguise fighting corrupt authority figures while Robin Hood’ing it for the little guy.

Ha!

This is the final book, chronologically, in the Dr Syn series. It is however, the first published book. I suspect Thorndike wrote this as a standalone story and then just went back and wrote all the rest of the prequels when he needed money.

Dr Syn, a clergyman of all things, is also the Scarecrow, a leader of the smugglers in the Romney Marsh area. He’s smart, well organized and not above sending anyone who gets in his way to an early grave with a bullet in their heart. We also find out that he was an infamous pirate captain that roamed the seas pillaging and looting with the worst of them.

I kept waiting for the redemption arc, but it didn’t happen. Every revelation about Dr Syn just makes him out to be worse and worse and there is no repentance on his part at all. While he has embraced the lifestyle of a clergyman, he has in no way taken to heart anything he apparently preaches on. Complete and utter hypocrisy. I kept waiting for the curtain to come down and his good intentions to be revealed. And it just never happened. It actually shocked me at the end when he is captured and then killed by a harpoon, because he’s in full on pirate mode at that point.

I really wondered if I wanted to read more. I think I will though. I want to see how Syn got the point he’s shown at in this book. In many ways, Syn is a Vader without a Luke and I want to see if the downward trajectory was the same. Redemption, or the lack thereof, is something I’m always interested in when I’m reading a story.

★★★✬☆

From Wikipedia

Captain Collyer, a Royal Navy officer assigned to smash the local smuggling ring, uncovered the deception and Dr. Syn’s true identity, thanks in part to the tongueless mulatto (who had been rescued by Collyer years before and who had been serving Collyer as a “ferret” seeking out hidden contraband) who recognized Syn as Clegg. Syn evaded capture while at the same time making sure that Imogene and Squire Cobtree’s son Denis (who had fallen in love with Imogene) would have a happy life together (they were eventually married), but was murdered in revenge by the mulatto, who then mysteriously managed to escape, leaving Syn harpooned through the neck. As a last mark of respect, Collyer ordered that Syn be buried at sea, rather than have his body hung in chains.

Mipps escaped in the confusion of Syn’s death and disappeared from England, but it is said that a little man very much like him is living out his days in a Buddhist Monastery somewhere in the Malay Peninsula, delighting the monks with recounting the adventures of Doctor Syn and the eerie stories of the Romney Marsh and the mysterious Scarecrow and his Night Riders.

Friday, April 05, 2024

Currently Reading: Dr Syn

Currently reading Dr Syn by Russell Thorndike. Pirates and smugglers! And a 12 year old boy who drinks rum and wants to be a hangman and swing his schoolteacher from the gallows.

Come on, is that just pure awesomesauce or what?

Tuesday, September 05, 2023

Legend of a Hero (One Piece #43) 2Stars

Title: Legend of a Hero
Series: One Piece #43
Arc: Water Seven #12
Author: Eiichiro Oda
Rating: 2 of 5 Stars
Genre: Manga
Pages: 215
Words: 10K

Fight, fight, fight, fight and fight.

Waaaaaaaaaaaait for it…..

and fight some more.

Yeah, I’m done. I didn’t enjoy this volume. I think I’m burned out on One Piece for quite a while. Back in the ‘00’s I started OP and made it up until vol 29 and had to quit in August of ‘10. I didn’t try again until July of ‘21.

It started well and I loved the zaniness and silliness. But it has turned into a truly massive shonen manga and I’m tired of the fighting. I don’t like how Oda-san draws the fights because I can’t figure out what is going on.

Therefore I am going to stop. I have no plans of ever picking this up again, but if I do, I’ll start here and not try to re-read all the early stuff. But right now, I suspect I’ll be done with this. If I don’t enjoy it, why read it? And I am definitely not enjoying it.

Sighhhhhhhhh. This really feels like my time with manga overall is wrapping up too. I hate changes, even if it is just a part of life.

★★☆☆☆

From Wikipedia:

“Super-Size Nami”

“Nami vs. Kalifa”

“You Missed Your Chance”

“Hunter”

“Sanji vs. Jabra”

“Heat Up”

“Zoro vs. Kaku”

“Asura”

“Luffy vs. Rob Lucci”

“Legend of a Hero”

With the destruction of Enies Lobby imminent, all government personnel begin to evacuate. The Straw Hats continue fighting and, with the exception of Luffy versus Lucci, defeat the remaining members of CP9. Their battles won, they team up and hurry to stop Robin from being taken past the point of no return. They succeed and Robin is freed.

One Piece Reviews

Thursday, July 06, 2023

Pirates vs CP9 (One Piece #42) 2.5Stars

Title: Pirates vs CP9
Series: One Piece #42
Arc: Water Seven #11
Author: Eiichiro Oda
Rating: 2.5 of 5 Stars
Genre: Manga
Pages: 207
Words: 10K

A lot of fighting between the Straw Hats and the CP9. It goes to one vs one battles or two vs two in some cases, as the fighting spreads all over the place. The premise is ridiculous. Robin is handcuffed and one of the CP9 has the key. They all split up so the Straw Hats have to split up to recover each key in hopes it is the correct one.

So a lot of swirly fighting going on. If you like fighting, then this volume will be right up your alley.

★★✬☆☆

From Wikipedia:

“The Key to Freedom”

“Pirates vs. CP9”

“Handcuffs No. 2”

“Mr. Chivalry”

“Franky vs. Fukurô”

“Power”

“Life Return”

“Monster”

“Monster vs. Kumadori”

“The Terrifying Broadcast”

The Straw Hats and Franky break off and engage CP9 in battle. Unsuited for the initial pairings, the crew exchanges opponents to improve their chances of victory, allowing two members of CP9 to be defeated. Meanwhile, Luffy follows Robin’s captors, CP9 leader Spandam and CP9’s strongest member Rob Lucci. Lucci fights Luffy in order to give Spandam time to take Robin to the government’s inescapable prisons. Instead, while trying to call for help, Spandam accidentally triggers the destruction of the Straw Hats, summoning the world government to destroy Enies Lobby and whoever is on it.

One Piece Reviews

Wednesday, June 14, 2023

Declaration of War (One Piece #41) ★✬☆☆☆

Title: Declaration of War
Series: One Piece #41
Arc: Water Seven #10
Author: Eiichiro Oda
Rating: 1.5 of 5 Stars
Genre: Manga
Pages: 227
Words: 10K

From Wikipedia:

“Response”

“Accepting the Challenge”

“The Girl They Called a Demon”

“Dereshi”

“Olvia”

“The Demons of Ohara”

“Ohara vs. the World Government”

“Saul”

“In Hopes of Reaching the Future”

“Declaration of War”

“Jump Toward the Waterfall!!”

The Straw Hats and CP9, and their two captives, face each other down. Nico Robin tries turning the crew away again, but when Monkey D. Luffy tells her that she can die as part of the crew instead, Robin experiences a flashback to her childhood. Raised on an island of archaeologists, Robin and the rest of the islanders attempt to discover the secret of the void century, a period in time that the government forbids anyone to know. To prevent knowledge of the void century from spreading, the island and its inhabitants (except Robin) are destroyed. Aokiji allows Robin to escape, challenging her to find friends and to live. Realizing that she had almost given up on both, Robin decides she wants to live with the rest of the Straw Hats. Touched by their words, Franky reveals that the blueprints CP9 have been searching are hidden on his person, but they are not that of Pluton, but an “opposing weapon” and he promptly destroys them, giving CP9 no further reason to keep him in custody.

We are treated to another extended flashback, this time to Robin Nico’s childhood and all the wah wah wah baggage she’s carrying. Because her mother abandoned her to find out about the poneglif. What really chapped my backside is that the mother doesn’t want Robin to the be “the daughter of a criminal” so she tells Robin she’s not her mother. As the island is under attack from the World Government and Buster Call (the One Piece Equivalent of a nuclear strike). So nobody is going to survive and the mother still denies to Robin that she is her mother. It made me sick.That’s like worrying about causing your child pain because of pulling out a splinter while some chainsaw wielding psycho is chasing said child. And I hate this kind of flash back, as I’ve said before. It absolutely destroys the pacing of the story and while it may fill in some chunks, it doesn’t advance the Main Story about Luffy becoming King of the Pirates.

THAT, and THAT ALONE should be Oda-sensei’s focus. And it is very obvious that he’s doing all he can to stretch out the main story with all this crappy bull caca back story. I swear, he’s as bad as Brandon Sanderson and his disgusting love affair with world building at the expense of everything else. At the ¾ mark I was just about ready to quit I was so disgusted with this.

But I kept reading.

And wished I hadn’t. Because the scholars who are researching the Ponegliff, which is the cause of the island getting the Buster Call, are one and all complete fething idiots. They are researching forbidden material but have no plan to relocate or save their works. They squawk and squawk about “oh, they just CAN’T burn history, it wouldn’t be right”. Ivory headed idiots without one brain that works in the real world. I know Oda-sensei is writing them this way on purpose, but it’s like authors who make their characters really dumb just to make the plot happen. There was no need for these scholars to die, or for all their works to be destroyed. It was lazy writing and I couldn’t get past it.

The end of the volume is back in the present and Robin decides she wants to live after all, so the Straw Hats all jump off of a cliff to save her.

But it was too late for me. This was not fun to read and I hate being taken away from the main story and I am going to consider if I actually want to continue this series. I quit reading this series once before because of the manga-ka’s proclivity towards selling the manga instead of telling the story and I was hoping I could get past that. This volume has shown me that I can’t. And from what others have said, these flashbacks continue.

I am very grumpy right now.

★✬☆☆☆

One Piece #1-41 Reviews

Wednesday, May 24, 2023

Gear (One Piece #40) ★★✬☆☆

Title: Gear
Series: One Piece #40
Arc: Water Seven #9
Author: Eiichiro Oda
Rating: 2.5 of 5 Stars
Genre: Manga
Pages: 225
Words: 10K

From Wikipedia:

“Casualties”

“Power Level”

“Enies Lobby Main Island Express”

“Fired”

“Demon Lair”

“Luffy vs. Blueno”

“Signal the Counterattack”

“There Is a Way”

“Unprecedented”

“Gear”

“Gear Two”

The Straw Hats lay waste to Enies Lobby, defeating anyone who tries to keep them from Robin. As the rest of the crew deals with the less formidable guardians of the island, Luffy goes ahead and calls out to CP9. Only one member of CP9, Blueno, agrees to fight him, remembering how quickly Luffy was defeated in their last encounter. As the battle progresses Luffy demonstrates his ability to use one of CP9’s abilities. After using his “Gear Two” and before demonstrating his “Gear Three”, Luffy defeats Blueno and calls out to Robin that he is there to rescue her.

This could have been a fantastic volume. It was one massive battle as the Straw Hat Pirates and Frankie’s “family” came to rescue Robin and Frankie from the stronghold of the World Government. I could actually follow most of the action, which isn’t a given with how swirly the manga-ka usually does his battles. I also thought how the various crew members getting stronger was well done. Even Usopp, excuse me, I mean “Sniper King” is getting better at surviving extinction level events. And Luffy’s battle with one of the CP9? It went fantastically.

But.

There were simply too many double paged spreads. That might work in a paper magazine or even in a tankouban (the manga you see in a bookstore) just fine. But I’m reading this digitally, on my computer. And my options are to either shrink to a 2 page spread (and lose a ton of details and possible what the characters are saying) or to stick to 1 page at a time and have to flip back and forth to get the full picture of the action as it is spread across 2 pages and goes from top to bottom. It was incredibly frustrating.

In the manga-ka’s defense, digital wasn’t nearly as big when this was originally published. But I’m reading it now, not 13 years ago. And even then, trying to open a tankouban fully usually meant breaking the spine or having details on the inner edge being lost to view. SO NOT GOOD. THEN OR NOW!!!!!!!!!!!! HERE ME RAWWWWWWR!

Therefore I am going to be inventing time travel so I can send Oda-sensei this review, so that he flipping knocks it off. There’s no need for double page spreads. Period. And if he continues them, well, then you’ll know the REAL reason why Kyle Reese and the T800 went back in time.

★★✬☆☆

All My “One Piece” Reviews

Wednesday, May 10, 2023

Scramble (One Piece #39) ★★★✬☆

Title: Scramble
Series: One Piece #39
Arc: Water Seven #8
Author: Eiichiro Oda
Rating: 3.5 of 5 Stars
Genre: Manga
Pages: 207
Words: 10K

From Wikipedia:

“Sea Train Battle Game”

“Ramen Kung Fu”

“You’re Not Alone”

“The Honorable Captain T-Bone”

“Plastic Surgery”

“Necessary Evil”

“Scramble”

“The Supermen of Enies Lobby”

“I Got It!!”

“The Big Showdown on the Judiciary Island”

As they move through the train looking for Robin, Sanji, Usopp, and Franky deal with the lesser members of Cipher Pol. Although they find her, Robin does not allow herself to be saved. CP9 captures Franky again, kicks Sanji and Usopp from the train, and continues on to Enies Lobby. Sanji and Usopp wait along the tracks, and reunite with Luffy and the others when they go by. They arrive at the judiciary island soon after CP9 does and engage the forces of the world government in order to get Robin back.

This was an absolute action packed volume. To the point where there were pages where I didn’t even bother trying to figure out the details of what was happening because all that mattered was that several characters were fighting. I have to admit, I am not a big fan of how Oda-san draws his action scenes. He might know exactly what he’s trying to convey and can see it himself, but for me, it is just a big swirly mess.

The crew keep increasing in power and I have to say, I really like Usopp becoming the Sniper King. And Luffy’s reaction to him is hilarious. Luffy thinks he’s a super hero because he wears a cape, hahahahaa. Good stuff.

With more info about the World Government, this world is really starting to remind me of the Warhammer 40,000 Universe, ie, there is no good side and power is all that matters. The CP9, the supposed arbiters of Justice, are as corrupt, ruthless and unprincipled as any pirate villain we’ve seen so far. At this point, I’d throw my hat into the pirate ring just to oppose them, they’re that bad. It doesn’t speak well of the WG that they employ and condone such characters.

This volume ends with the Straw Hats and Franky’s gang having broken into the Island where Robin is going to be judged. All of the CP9 are there as well as 10,000 WG marines. So I expect the fights will be continuous and non-stop in the next volume as well.

★★★✬☆

All My “One Piece” Reviews

Wednesday, April 26, 2023

Rocketman!! (One Piece #38) ★★★★☆

Title: Rocketman!!
Series: One Piece #38
Arc: Water Seven #7
Author: Eiichiro Oda
Rating: 4 of 5 Stars
Genre: Manga
Pages: 207
Words: 10K

From Wikipedia:

“Reactivation”

“Bingo”

“Departing Soon”

“P.S.”

“Ebb Tide”

“Aqua Laguna”

“Kokoro”

“Rocketman!!”

“Sortie!”

“Sniper King”

After the Straw Hats recover from their injuries they discover that Robin has sided with the government in order to save the rest of the crew from destruction. CP9 captures Franky and Usopp and takes them and Robin to Enies Lobby, the government’s judiciary island, using a sea train. Sanji sneaks on board in an effort to save them, freeing Usopp and Franky before continuing on to Robin. The rest of the Straw Hats, the loyal members of Galleyla, and Franky’s friends, follow on a sea train of their own, unimpeded by the Aqua Laguna.

Man, this was a great entry. The flashback finished up pretty good and we got right back in the action of Luffy and the Strawhats.

Turns out Robin was doing everything she did, not only to satisfy her curiosity about True History, but also to protect the Strawhats from a big confrontation with the World Navy, one which they could not have survived. While it gave me that “rabbit out of a hat” vibe, it did fit in with everything that has gone on before. Plus, it makes Robin much more sympathetic.

We find out that the CP9 is run by a character that had a run-in with Franky and Mr Iceburg years ago and that he has a personal grudge in this whole matter. And the members of the CP9 sink the Merry-Go and take Robin, Usopp and Frankie prisoner for sentencing at a scary World Navy place. So everybody else mounts a rescue mission.

Considering how the CP9 put the total beatdown on the Strawhats previously, it is going to be interesting to see what strategies they come up with to counter the difference in power. Or if they will just power up (make the Mario noise when he gets the star power). We do get a taste of that right at the end. And I think it deserves it’s own paragraph.

Sanji, the karate cook, has jumped on the train carrying the prisoners. He rescues Usopp and Franky and they end up on the top of the train. Sanji tells them what Robin has done and his plans to rescue her. Usopp, who had quit the crew and fought a very one sided dual with Luffy earlier, declines to participate as he’s no longer part of the Strawhats. So he starts to go away. Immediately, a World Government soldier finds Sanji and Franky on the top of the train and is about to shoot them when the soldier is knocked off the train by a “metal star” and a masked hero calling himself Sniper King tells Sanji and Franky that he’ll help them. Of course, it’s Usopp with a mask and cape on, and it’s silly and ridiculous and yet I totally understood it. Usopp is remaking his identity as a pirate and is starting to create The Man, The Myth, The Legend. Now, how long this will go on is questionable and will Usopp truly change or just become plain old Usopp again once he reconciles with the Strawhats, I don’t know. But I really like that the manga-ka is willing to go down this route. Usopp was never my favorite character from the get-go, but so far, he is the character that the manga-ka has used the most in a wide variety of ways. He is the Everyman of the crew, with no powered up abilities and as such his portrayal, in all of the various ways, seems the most genuine. I kind of hope that Sniper King sticks around but I’m not expecting it.

Finally, there are sometimes individual pictures, whether as part of the story or as just little one offs included, that encapsulate the spirit of One Piece. The following is one such picture. It is from the inside cover and it shows the whole gamut of emotions that make up the Strawhats. This is One Piece in a snapshot.

★★★★☆

All My “One Piece” Reviews

Wednesday, April 12, 2023

Tom (One Piece #37) ★★★☆☆

Title: Tom
Series: One Piece #37
Arc: Water Seven #6
Author: Eiichiro Oda
Rating: 3 of 5 Stars
Genre: Manga
Pages: 229
Words: 11K

From Wikipedia:

“Six Powers”

“Fighting Power”

“Ordinary Citizens”

“The Warehouse Under the Bridge”

“Klabautermann”

“Tom’s Workers”

“The Legendary Shipwright”

“Sea Train”

“Spandam”

“Mr. Tom”

“Cutty Flam”

The Straw Hats arrive on the scene and find Robin with CP9. Although she claims to want nothing more to do with them, Luffy and company attack CP9 so that they can talk to her. They are quickly defeated, and CP9 departs to look for Franky. As the Aqua Laguna approaches, Franky has given Usopp and the Merry shelter. Soon enough CP9 arrives looking for Franky and his blueprints. Because his teacher, entrusted him with the blueprints years earlier, and forfeited his own life to insure Pluton never fell into the government’s hands, Franky refuses to reveal their location.

The World Government wants the strongest ship and is willing do anything to get it. The showdown between CP9 and Luffy is so one sided that it’s not even funny. He gets tossed around like a broken rag doll. It was getting rather interesting when suddenly the last half of the volume is an extended flashback about 2 of the side characters who are linked to this power ship.

That was rather dull. It was the usual “wah, wah, we wanna be powerful and argue like kids” story about 2 boys growing up. I’m sure it gave world building fans an orgasm, but I want to read about Luffy and the Straw Hats and everyone else is incidental. I don’t need to know about side characters. The focus shouldn’t BE on side characters. As such, this little (big really, because it was close to 120 pages) flashback not only didn’t work for me, but it actively annoyed me. The flashback hadn’t finished up by the time this volume ended, so I already know I have to deal with it in the next volume. And I’m sure I’ll be finding out how Franky became a cyborg. Not that I care one bit.

I really did enjoy the parts with the Straw Hats. Usopp has an extended showing here where he talks to Franky about he knows the Merry Go (the ship) is doomed but that he can’t accept it and that’s why he keeps trying to repair her. I think Franky finally gets through to him but I obviously won’t know because of that flipping flashback! And Luffy and Zoro are totally beaten down but not dead, so how will that resolve? WE DON’T KNOW BECAUSE OF THAT FLIPPING FLASHBACK!!!

Yeah, not real happy with that half of the volume.

★★★☆☆

All My “One Piece” Reviews

Wednesday, March 29, 2023

The Ninth Justice (One Piece #36) ★★★★★

Title: The Ninth Justice
Series: One Piece #36
Arc: Water Seven #5
Author: Eiichiro Oda
Rating: 5 of 5 Stars
Genre: Manga
Pages: 209
Words: 10K

From Wikipedia:

“Protectors of the City of Water”

“Coup de Vent”

“Rumors”

“The Woman Who Brings Darkness”

“Demon”

“The Messengers of Darkness”

“Cipher Pol No. 9”

“Opposing Force”

“Sleepers”

“The Ninth Justice”

The Straw Hats are on the run and Robin is nowhere to be found. In order to determine where her allegiances lie, the Straw Hats decide to break into Galley-La’s headquarters to find her. To their surprise, they are not the only ones laying siege to Galley-La; a masked group has already infiltrated the headquarters looking for the blueprints to the ancient weapon Pluton. After finding the blueprints and discovering that they are fake, the masked individuals approach the recovering Iceburg. They remove their disguises, revealing themselves as Robin and some of the workers of Galley-La. Members of the secret government organization, Cipher Pol #9, they joined Galley-La to gain Pluton for the government’s use. After speaking with Iceberg, they learn that the real blueprints are with Franky, a shipwright and friend of Iceberg.

HOLY TOLEDO AND HOLD THE BBQ SAUCE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

Oh my goodness. I am astounded and amazed. After what I experienced in the previous volume, I didn’t know what to expect. Misaki was talking to me in the comments and assured me that most of the points I brought up were answered at some point and it made me laugh because this volume answered a lot of them.

This had all the twists. This had all the turns. And I didn’t see a single one coming. Now, to be fair, most of the time I’m so straight forward that even a simple misdirection is enough, like fake throwing a tennis ball for a dog to go chasing. But this was Pure Awesomesauce. One a scale of 1-25 on Awesomesauce’ness, I’m giving this a 23.

I was REALLY annoyed that all the shipwrights started hammering on the Straw Hat pirates without giving them a chance to state their case, but once the big reveal happened, it totally made sense. Of course, finding out that some of who I thought were fine, upstanding and powerful citizens turned out to be stooges of the world government was like a kick in the nuts. Governments are inherently corrupt and attempt to draw power to themselves and those who buy wholeheartedly into them become corrupt as well. Doesn’t mean there aren’t good people, but if they stay there they will be corrupted, much like the One Ring corrupted Gollum, Bilbo, Frodo and even Samwise.

Luffy gets beat all over the place here. He gets beaten by the Shipwrights. He gets beaten by Frankie. He gets beaten by the CP9 (the super secret world government black beyond black covert ops team). And he’s still kicking and hollering to beat the band at the end. I love this guy!

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/fwfquheuandc4iq/onepiece-36-1.jpg

Remember, read it Right to Left

★★★★★

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Wednesday, March 15, 2023

Captain (One Piece #35) ★★★☆☆

Title: Captain
Series: One Piece #35
Arc: Water Seven #4
Author: Eiichiro Oda
Rating: 3 of 5 Stars
Genre: Manga
Pages: 187
Words: 9K

From Wikipedia:

“The Pirate Abduction Incident”

“My Name Is Franky”

“It’s Decided”

“The Big Argument”

“Luffy vs. Usopp”

“Captain”

“Big Trouble in the Secret Room”

“Warning”

“Luffy vs. Franky”

Luffy reluctantly decides to abandon the ship. Usopp, having grown attached to the Merry, is unwilling to take this course of action and challenges Luffy’s captaincy. Once defeated, Usopp decides to leave the Straw Hats, and the others go searching for a new ship. Meanwhile, the Aqua Laguna, an annual storm that strikes Water Seven, is about to return. To coincide with this Iceburg, the owner of Galley-La, is attacked, and Nico Robin is labeled as the prime suspect. Knowing Robin is a member of the Straw Hats, all of Water Seven turns against them.

I was reading along and things were ok. Unfortunately, it quickly went out of control.

Everyone getting all emotional about the ship needing to be trashed and getting a new one made me roll my eyes a bit and then the “fight” between Luffy and Usopp really made me roll my eyes. Usopp, while never the sharpest tool in the shed, acts downright stupid here. It felt very forced to me.

Then you have the Mayor getting attacked. He claims it was somebody and Robin Nico (one of Luffy’s crew) and so before you can say “boo”, the entire town is convinced that the Straw Hat Gang tried to assassinate their beloved mayor. And the mayor doesn’t do anything about it. Throw in the Frankie Gang for fun too. They stole 2/3rds of the crews money and when the Straw Hats took retribution and destroyed their hideout, Franky gets all butthurt and goes after Luffy. And he’s a cyborg. And there’s some sort of superstorm coming in.

This was only 187 pages but man, does Oda pack in everything that he possibly can. It felt overfull and not well thought out. If Franky is so powerful and so out of control, why haven’t the Shipwrights controlled him before? This is what happens when you think logically and rationally instead of “what sells” like a manga-ka does. I cannot imagine reading this a chapter at a time, it would have driven me nuts. As it is, even reading one tankubon at a time (the book form) is pushing things. Part of me wants to just read about 5 volumes at a go and review them all in one post. If the pacing and storytelling goes on like this volume, that will be something I seriously consider in the upcoming months.

There are certain things I can suspend my disbelief for, but don’t shove 5 improbable things at me all at once and expect me to deal with it. Especially if the improbables center around the established characters. I am not the Red Queen and I do not believe 10 impossible things before breakfast every day.

Now, with all that complaining and whining and hand wringing out of the way, I do think that Oda showed the weight of command here. Luffy had to make a decision about the ship and when one of his crew acted like a baby about it, he had to Captain Up and put the beatdown on Usopp. No good being a pirate captain if you’re going to just let your crew rule by committee. In the future Luffy is going to have to make some really hard decisions and this book showed he was capable of that. He is growing up and becoming the Captain (hence the volume’s title) he is going to need to be. I like that “growing up” aspect of a story and it appeals to me a lot.

★★★☆☆

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Wednesday, February 15, 2023

The City of Water, Water Seven (One Piece #34) ★★★✬☆

Title: The City of Water, Water Seven
Series: One Piece #34
Arc: Water Seven #3
Author: Eiichiro Oda
Rating: 3.5 of 5 Stars
Genre: Manga
Pages: 230
Words: 10K

The Straw Hats win the Davy Back Fight and sail on to the island of Seven Waters where there is a whole city of shipwrights to work on the Merry Go. The shipwrights show their power and the Straw Hats convert all the gold into ready cash and immediately start having robbery attempts on them.

While the end of the Fight was stupid, the introduction to the shipwrights was as madcap as I could want in the One Piece world. And Luffy’s response was just what I would expect from him, as evinced by this panel:

I now have higher hopes for this Water Seven arc than I did when it started out. That makes me happy.

★★★✬☆

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Wednesday, January 18, 2023

Davy Back Fight (One Piece #33) ★★★✬☆

Title: Davy Back Fight
Series: One Piece #33
Arc: Water Seven #2
Author: Eiichiro Oda
Rating: 3.5 of 5 Stars
Genre: Manga
Pages: 227
Words: 10K

Luffy and his Straw Hats run into another pirate gang and end up playing three rounds of Davy Back Fight. The winner of each round can pick a crew member from the loser’s crew and make them part of the winner’s crew. The captain of the other pirates ate the slow-slow fruit and can shoot slow-beams that make people hit by it slow down. Fights ensue and poor Chopper (the reindeer doctor) gets passed back and forth like a bag of peanuts. The final fight comes down to Luffy and Captain Foxy. It’s a boxing match between pirate captains who both have gum-gum powers. Of course the volume ends before a winner emerges.

I must say, this was just over the top silly and I loved it. Captain Foxy isn’t a psychopathic killer, but more of a bumbling ne’erdowell who cheats outrageously every chance he gets.

I also noticed the length. At 227 pages, it “felt” long compared to the single issue comics I have been reading for the last couple of months. I think 200 pages is pretty optimal, as I didn’t have this same feeling with Fullmetal Alchemist #1, which clocked in just under 190 pages. I guess I’ve lost my manga edge and it will take a little bit to sharpen me back up 😀

Now, I mentioned over the top silly and I think the following picture exemplifies that: (remember to read the panels from right to left)

Luffy is wearing an afro wig because Usopp tells him it will make his punches more powerful. That idea is played with for the rest of the fight and random pirates will ask “did the Afro make him more powerful?” in all seriousness. There were a couple of pages I was considering, but the above seemed to be the best one to get it all together in one page. And come on, how can you not laugh at at? Hahahahahahaaha 😀

★★★✬☆

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Sunday, November 06, 2022

On Stranger Tides ★★★✬☆

Title: On Stranger Tides
Series: ———-
Author: Tim Powers
Rating: 3.5 of 5 Stars
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 301
Words: 122K

Phewwwww, what a re-read. I read this for the first time back in ’07. Then the Pirates of the Caribbean movie franchise used it as the basis for the 4^th movie.

This time, while I enjoyed it as much as the previous time, the magic used in the story really bothered me. I found the same thing when I read The Stress of Her Regards. The emotional content really hit me in the pit of the stomach. The inclusion of demoniacal beings in league with humans bothered me a lot more than last time too. Being older and seen more since then has made me realize that joking around about spiritual affairs, or trivializing them in fiction, has consequences.

Other than that, this was a cracking good read. I mean, we’re talking about pirates and magic all rolled together. Plus the Fountain of Youth and ghosts that can run you through with a ghost sword. That is just good story telling right there 😀 Add in that the hero’s name is Jack Shandy, he gets the girl in the end AND he kills an immortal Black Beard the Pirate, well, if that doesn’t do it for you then you should probably check your pulse.

★★★✬☆

On Stranger Tides (2007 Review)

Tuesday, October 25, 2022

Love Song (One Piece #32) ★★★☆☆

This review is written with a GPL 4.0 license and the rights contained therein shall supersede all TOS by any and all websites in regards to copying and sharing without proper authorization and permissions. Crossposted at WordPress & Blogspot by Bookstooge’s Exalted Permission
Title: Love Song
Series: One Piece #32
Arc: Skypiea #9 & Water Seven #1
Author: Eiichiro Oda
Rating: 3 of 5 Stars
Genre: Manga
Pages: 211
Words: 10K

★★★☆☆

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Tuesday, October 11, 2022

We'll Be Here (One Piece #31) ★★★☆☆

This review is written with a GPL 4.0 license and the rights contained therein shall supersede all TOS by any and all websites in regards to copying and sharing without proper authorization and permissions. Crossposted at WordPress & Blogspot by Bookstooge’s Exalted Permission
Title: We’ll Be Here
Series: One Piece #31
Arc: Skypiea #8
Author: Eiichiro Oda
Rating: 3 of 5 Stars
Genre: Manga
Pages: 207
Words: 9K

★★★☆☆

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Tuesday, September 27, 2022

Capriccio (One Piece #30) ★★★✬☆

Title: Capriccio
Series: One Piece #30
Arc: Skypiea #7
Author: Eiichiro Oda
Rating: 3.5 of 5 Stars
Genre: Manga
Pages: 207
Words: 9K

Synopsis:

From Wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_One_Piece_chapters_(187_388)

“Shandian Rhythm”

“Maxim”

“Conis”

“Pirate Luffy vs. Kami Eneru”

“Floating”

“Deathpiea”

“Desire”

“On the Front Line of Rescuing Love”

“Sorry”

“Capriccio”

To save her own skin, Nami convinces Eneru to take her with him. They leave for the golden ship, leaving the defeated combatants to their fate. After Luffy escapes from the giant snake, and learns what Eneru has done to his crew, he goes to meet Skypiea’s god in battle. Although initially confident that he can beat Luffy, Eneru soon finds that he is no match for the Straw Hat captain: Luffy’s rubber body makes him immune to all of Eneru’s lighting attacks. Rather than fight, Eneru traps Luffy in a prison of gold and throws him overboard, expecting the gold’s weight to keep him away. Eneru sets sail and prepares to destroy the island in the sky. He is briefly impeded in his efforts by the remaining Straw Hats, Usopp and Sanji, giving the inhabitants of Angel Island, who have learned of Eneru’s plans, time to evacuate.

My Thoughts:

Muuuuuch better. All of the cannon fodder have been expended so now we get Kami Eneru fighting against whoever opposes him. Which comes down to the Straw Hat Pirates. Eneru and Luffy have a tussle and beat the snot out of each other with the balance of the fight being like a teeter totter, first one then the other is winning. Eneru wipes the deck with the rest of the Straw Hats.

Eneru’s plan to destroy the sky island like he did his own sky island doesn’t make any rational sense. I get that he wants to leave and go be powerful down on the world beneath, but why destroy everything? Because he’s a psycho bitch, that’s why. He’s the very definition of power run amuck. Whoever his mother was did a terrible job. And his father? Should have spanked him. But that’s neither here nor there. The point is that Eneru is very powerful and has had no check upon his power to this point.

The volume ends with the plan to destroy the island entering its final phase. While I know that Luffy and Crew are going to defeat Eneru, part of me hopes that he gets away mostly unscathed just so he can run into some other more powerful Pirate Lord and REALLY get his ass handed to him. Eneru needs to die and he needs to die painfully and gruesomely.

I actually want to read the next volume now. Which was not the case after the last couple and that is a really nice change.

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Tuesday, September 13, 2022

Oratorio (One Piece #29) ★★★☆☆

Title: Oratorio
Series: One Piece #29
Arc: Skypiea #6
Author: Eiichiro Oda
Rating: 3 of 5 Stars
Genre: Manga
Pages: 231
Words: 10K

Synopsis:

From Wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_One_Piece_chapters_(187_388)

“Pirate Robin vs. Heavenly Forces Commander Yama”

“Pirate Chopper vs. Vassal Ohm”

“March”

“Suite”

“Concerto”

“Serenade”

“Pirate Zoro vs. Vassal Ohm”

“Play”

“Quintet”

“Oratorio”

“Divina Commedia”

Having had a specific goal for becoming god, and with that goal now in sight, Eneru starts picking off the remaining combatants to complete his plans and ensure his prediction will be accurate. Those who remain (plus Luffy’s snake-captor) are drawn into one big, final brawl. Meanwhile, Nico Robin locates the city of gold, only to find that all the gold is gone. The pieces begin to fall into place, and it is discovered that Eneru plans to destroy everyone who resides in the sky, while escaping to the seas below on his ship made of gold. With the five surviving “contestants” unaware of this, they engage Eneru (the sixth) in battle to see who will be excluded from his prediction. With his mastery over thunder, Eneru reduces the playing field to the promised five, but then decides that none of them is worthy of escaping with him to the blue seas.

My Thoughts:

I made a mistake in my last review. I had stated that volume 28 was the last volume I had originally read in back in ’10, but the truth of the matter is that it was actually volume 29, THIS volume. Just wanted to set the record straight so no one can accuse me of deceiving my adoring public.

This was a bit better in terms of plot because we learn a little bit about the island and “secret history” of the world that Nico Robin is trying to track down. Of course, that is offset by Kami Eneru monologuing in the most confusing way about some sort of god delusion. He’s eaten a gumgum fruit, gotten some really powerful powers and thus thinks he can do whatever he wants. What his ultimate goal is was lost in the babble, if it was even there. He does want to return to the blue sea people, which makes me wonder what he’d do if he ran across one of the more powerful of the 7 Pirate Lords.

Unfortunately, there is still a LOT of pointless and interminable fighting and the artwork for them just makes me skim over it all. After this, everything is completely new to me. Hopefully the manga-ka goes back to his cleaner, simpler artwork. This Skypiea arc has featured so many backgrounds that blend into the characters that blend into all the “action” lines that it’s really hard to see what is actually happening.

Thankfully, he’s still doing little one off pictures between chapters and here’s the one I liked the best for this volume:

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/n9jpqlmfv0ptom6/op29.jpg

Seeing the lion with his pinky up in approved tea drinking fashion just made me grin.

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