I didn't think there were going to be more mysteries when we finally got to the Holy Land of Mary Geoise. I mean, why would there be in the first place? What is One Piece? What happened during the Void Century? What is the relationship between the Celestial Dragons and the Will of D? These were just some of the many questions that we have been waiting to have answered. Many thought that Reverie would be the place where some of these mysteries would make themselves translucent as opposed to completely opaque.
Then there was THE HAT. At the top of a staircase was a door. This door lead into a vault. Inside of this vault was a vast expanse that lead to a hallway. At the end of this hallway was a room, and inside of this room was THE HAT. Not "A" hat. "THE" HAT. To be honest I had no idea that Eiichiro Oda was such a huge fan of holism. From the moment that Shanks put the straw hat upon Luffy's head, our hero has gone on to earn himself the title of "Straw Hat". One would think that the Celestial Dragons might draw a conclusion or two about the up and coming pirate wearing something that they warrant requires a vault to contain it. One would think that people who could accurately predict when exactly Dragon would become a veritable threat to their institutions might be inclined to put a stop to someone running around wearing what may well be a national secret. One may even go so far as to say that the Celestial Dragons and Gorosei are incompetents who really have no clue about to hold onto their administrative powers. All of this certainly sounds ridiculous, but what facet of ONE PIECE is not steeped heavily in comical premise? If there is one thing that Oda has taught us, it is that comedy, and harsh reality are one and the same. They are ever present and permanent fixtures of our daily lives. Depending on where you stand in a conflict, the situation can appear either dire or hilarious. In truth, the revelation of a hat that has served to iconify Luffy as a state secret is wildly out there, but is nevertheless true to Oda's storytelling style. The seriousness of discovering this supposedly well kept secret only to see a straw hat is stupefying, and yet deftly comical. Many people have gone on to theorize about what the significance of this hat is and where it might come from. These theories verge from completely ridiculous to incredibly lazy to meticulously thoughtout but lacking in hard facts. The truth of the matter is that we don't know what Oda is thinking, and that is the beauty of ONE PIECE. There is no road map. We are on a journey alongside the Straw Hat Pirates, and Eiichiro Oda is our navigator. He knows the course and is guiding us to our inevitable conclusion. In adding yet another mystery, Oda has achieved two objectives with this chapter. The first is that readers are no longer one-sidedly fixated on One Piece, or the Void Century because they now have a brand new problem to contend with. The second function of the added mystery is almost a reproach to anyone that frequently asks for more information. In showing off THE HAT, Oda emphasizes how little we actually know about the world his characters inhabit, and that there are still more incredible things to be explored and discovered over the course of this story. What is the deal with THE HAT? I can comfortably say that I don't know and that I don't want to know as of yet. We'll cross that bridge when we get to it. For now, Reverie is on, and there is sure to be a wealth of information to be gleaned - hopefully before the Revolutionaries rush in a ruin the proceedings! The chapters to come are sure to bring more excitement and mystery from Eiichiro Oda's ONE PIECE. Written By: ALAN "VIENNA" SINGH
0 Comments
This past weeks chapter of ONE PIECE brought together a bunch of plot related tangents, and began building up new expectations for Reverie going forward. Where the two chapters prior to CH.905 placed a strong focus on both the Strawhats and Revolutionary Army, this chapter sees the World Government take the spotlight in full form. Eiichiro Oda's world is one that has been lauded for its many mysteries, diverse characters, and eclectic styles. It should come as no surprise that his World Government pulls together these elements to create a smorgasbord of wildly comical characters as his leaders of state. Through much fanfare and celebration, the prelude to Reverie now seems to be coming to a close as officials from across the Blues make their way up to the Holy Land of Mariejois.
As was hotly anticipated by many readers, Oda has begun to elaborate heavily upon the world inhabited by our main characters. He continues heavily draw inspiration from real world countries that he then transposes and tweaks in order to fit the world that he is creating. In true ONE PIECE form all of the arriving officials are disproportionately drawn, and the severity of the more serious characters is made with an air of whimsical fancy. We are going to a meeting heavy with political intrigue that is made lighter by the weird forms of the delegates. In the cases of some more explicit references - Matryoshka Princesses, King Tacos, and Ballywood Kingdom - Oda interprets fun representations of Russian, Mexican/Brazilian, and Indian identities. In light of the more fun aspects of this chapter, there are still many more hard topics touched upon over the course of this chapter. This is particularly evidenced by King Sterry who, by virtue of deceit and trickery, has been able to rise to his current position as ruler of Goa Kingdom. The rampant racism and xenophobia of his character mirrors similar beliefs held by colonial Europeans as they conquered much of the known world. Garp's interaction with him, and the hilarity of his character design play a role in downplaying his off-putting character while simultaneously building up the idea of acceptance for other peoples, places, and cultures. We know that as of yet the Revolutionary Army hasn't fully elaborated on their plans for this summit. What we do know is that they have managed to successfully infiltrate the proceedings, with both Karasu and Sabo disguised amongst the crowds of arriving guests. As opposed to how they'll go about it, it might be more important to consider WHEN the Revolutionary Army intends show their hand. After all, announcing a war against the forces of the Celestial Dragon is not something to be taken lightly. In truth the Revolutionaries could stop Reverie from the outset should they manage to make land on the Red Line. Alternatively, during or at the end of the summit may yield the necessary momentum for Oda to buoy us back to Luffy and friends as they make their way to Wano country. All the elements that make ONE PIECE the exceptional work of fiction that it is have coalesced in this last chapter. The comedy, drama, and intrigue of Eiichiro Oda's imagined World Government is shaping itself up to be one of the most interesting plots unleashed upon readers across more than twenty years of serialization. With Revolutionaries, World Government, and pirate supporting countries coming together, an overwhelming feeling of "anything can happen" has begun to permeate the literature. There are certainly outstanding questions that many of us are desperate to have answered, but the anticipation of seeing Mariejois in all of her splendor is one particular mystery that is sure to entrance in the upcoming chapter. Written By: ALAN "VIENNA" SINGH Eiichiro Oda is back from the planned hiatus that is Golden Week in Japan! With him, the foremost mangaka has brought the next exciting installment to the critically acclaimed series ONE PIECE, and what a chapter it is! Insofar as it has been seen, Oda's masterpiece is one that thrives off of secrets and to finally see one of the series most well kept secrets developing before our very eyes is a treat in and of itself! This is largely emphasized by my use of persistent exclamation points, and general exultation!
There is nothing left wanting in the latest chapter of ONE PIECE. Though the clock is winding down slowly on the annual meeting of the World Government known as "Reverie", there are other powerful forces at work within the world of ONE PIECE. The movements of the World Government have not gone unnoticed by their counterpart, the Revolutionary Army! A militarized force of much notoriety and secrecy, long time fans of the series have been waiting for this particular group to gain focus. As of yet, there are still many thing unknown about the Revolutionary Army, and with good reason. Unlike many of the other organizations familiar to readers, the anti-establishment crusade lead by Luffy's own father, Monkey D. Dragon, is one that has thrived in the shadows. Hunted by the Marines, and lauded as a growing threat during a Reverie four years past, Dragon has stretched his metaphorical wings across the oceans of both Paradise and the New World. For anyone well versed in contemporary data mining practices, there is an innate understanding that a high probability is not a guarantee. So when the World Government hypothesized that the Revolutionary Army would grow to become a fairly serious threat four years ago, it speaks to their level of technological and scientific advancement. To be able to so accurately predict what might happen in four years time, particularly with regards to human growth, is a subtle indication about how capable the World Governments administration has become. Whether this knowledge stems purely from an greater understanding of human nature, the man Dragon himself, or Vegapunk's science is something that has yet to be expanded upon. Interestingly, we know that the Revolution has spread throughout all four Blues without having to be explicitly told by Oda. In introducing the four commanders of the Army, each appears to maintain control over a particular arm of the Revolution. As such, Morley, Belo Betty, Lindburgh, and Karasu maintain their forces in West, East, South, and North Blue respectively. Of the four commanders, Karasu is one that has been seen time and again by readers by virtue of his abilities. Though his face was never shown, his crows have been shown to converse with Sabo and other members of the Revolutionary Army. The use of crows as messengers is a paradigm that was originally put forward by the Animal Behavior Enterprises (ABE) of Mound, Minnesota and has since found its way to contemporary literature. Used widely as a means for delivering important communiques, and providing somber ambiance crows under ABE methodologies have been trained for espionage purposes. It is apt then that Oda delivers secret messages between the Revolution members by way of Karasu's powers. The introduction of powerful new characters, and revelations about the Revolutionary Army's intentions have set a high bar for the coming chapters of ONE PIECE. Eichiiro Oda is nothing if not resourceful and tactful in how he develops his story, but is it possible for him to top this weeks reveals? With Reverie coming up, and the Strawhats on their way to Wano country, there appear to be plenty of opportunities for awe inspiring moments. How Oda intends to capitalize on these upcoming plot points is something to watch out for going forward with ONE PIECE. Written By: ALAN "VIENNA" SINGH |
Archives
July 2019
Categories
All
|