The winners of the Osamu Tezuka Cultural awards are out and the winners will definitely take us a trip back in time.

The Grand Prize was shared by two titles. First one (and the only one I’ve seen… at least in drama) is Jin by Murakami Motoka, a story of a surgeon who falls into a time slip and changes history by introducing his knowledge of medicine during the Bakumatsu period. I was only introduced to the drama a few weeks back but I’m happy to hear that this series has a strong manga enough to win the prize.

The other title is Takemitsu Samurai, drawn by Matsumoto Taiyou and written by Eifuku Issei. It’s a historical manga who has a mysterious ronin for a protagonist. Unfortunately, I can’t say much about it beyond it being printed in Big Comic Spirits. I’m only assuming that it’s one of those critically acclaimed yet unpopular titles (doesn’t even have a wiki page. :<)

The New Artist award was won by Full Metal Alchemist. And the Short Story award was won by Yamashina Keisuke.

I think this year’s award winners are quite a lovely set and I think their stories are definitely worth a read. I find it amazing though that Jin won this year. It’s like a nice homage to Osamu Tezuka. In a way, Jin is like the Black Jack of Edo. Sort of…

An awarding ceremony will be held on May 27 and the winners will be awarded 1 million yen and a bronze statue of Atom. Congratulations to all of the winners and hopefully we’ll have another lovely set of manga to read by next year!

I thought that this has got to be the funniest joke but it turns out, it was no joke at all.

I’ve seen this being tweeted for some while but it wasn’t long until I finally saw the commercial for Shueisha’s new quarterly BL magazine (under its subsidiary Homesha), BL-ink.

But don’t they have Weekly Shounen Jump already?

I know. It’s crazy. But it seems Weekly Shounen Jump is not the “Sweet BL” that BL-ink is trying to offer. The magazine is a dedicated BL magazine for Homesha and I think this is perhaps an outright acceptance of the popularity of BL.¹

What I found interesting was it took some google powers to find the site. It’s mostly mentioned as BLink which doesn’t come out much in searches. Looking at Shueisha’s website doesn’t even announce the magazine (or at least I didn’t see it.) I had to find the websites of actual authors in the magazine to actually figure out that it should be searched as BL-ink to finally find the proper search term for the said magazine.

As I mentioned, BL-ink will be sold more under Homesha, but it’s inevitable to not associate this publishing firm with Shueisha. In fact, in the advertisements, they would proudly put the banner of Shueisha as if it’s quite important and crucial that Shueisha’s involved in this. After all, the company has had a love affair with fujōshi especially with Shounen Jump.

This love affair can be seen with the appearances of some famous JUMP BL doujinshika turned mangaka in the magazine. The two that I recognize are Aoi Levin, who is notoriously famous for Dino x Hibari from Katekyo Hitman Reborn, and Ichinomiya Shihan, known best as the circle Love Potion No. 9 and is known for Gintoki x Hijikata doujins from Gintama. I’m quite sure that other mangaka in the magazine had also done some SJ doujin at some point. Upon researching, the mangaka for the opening story (in color) is Natsume Isaku who has done Sanji x Zoro from One Piece at one point. So does Takaoka Nanaroku who did Inui x Kaidou from Prince of Tennis, and L x Light from Death Note.

The other authors that are contributing in this magazine are Sakura Haiji, Haruno Ahiru, Takanaga Hinako (The Tyrant Falls in Love), Kusunoki Jun, Akiba Touko, Kamon Saeko, Hashimoto Aoi, Enzou (who apparently made a Gintama doujin BUT I DON’T KNOW AS WHAT CIRCLE! THIS IS PREPOSTEROUS!), Tamaquis Wren, Misasagi Kumiko, Kawamura Natsu, Murakami Sachi, Kuju Sham, Cotonorino Desuko, and Jaryuu Dokuro.

The magazine presents itself as a collection of “Sweet like chocolate” BL stories and it shows in the number of authors that will be present in the magazine. I’ve read most of these author’s works outside of the magazine and they’re the kind of authors who will write sickeningly sweet BL that would make you either believe in romance again or for rather cynic readers, make you flip over the next page. Of course, the road to love might come a little different for everyone, but I’m quite sure that those in the magazine will make any fujōshi squee and giggle. What is amazing is that hardly any of these artists are familiar to American audiences as only Takanaga Hinako has been licensed in the US. Still, a number of these authors has been causing waves in the fujōshi world that their presence in this magazine is nothing but important.

Minazuki Yuu also contributes to this magazine by writing a column. To cap it all off, magazine will also include a CD called “Icha icha CD” and eventually they’ll also have a net radio.

I’m completely roaring in laughter upon hearing this endeavor. I am totally amused and mildly excited for this issue, hoping to see new works, familiar works, and at least evolution of the Shounen Jump BL doujinshika into a full-fledged mangaka.

It’s interesting how it comes full circle doesn’t it? These girls starting out in admiration for Shueisha’s titles and now they are writing for that magazine. I wonder if it’s greater respect if they can actually manage to write a title in Shounen Jump. CLAMP (who did St. Seiya parodies) managed to break through Jump Square… but it’s not quite Jump yet. Other authors like Natsume Ono (who did Kakashi x Gai from Naruto) and Yoshinaga Fumi (who did Mitsui x Kogure from Slam Dunk) have found their niche and have soared far from the pages of Shueisha. These BL-ink authors may have possibly tickled the fancies of Shuiesha’s Homesha enough to at least merit them the pride of writing for the first BL magazine for that company. Of course, I wasn’t surprised that they got some of the most romantic mangaka in BL, but hey, Shueisha’s the kind of company that takes pride in formula. These girls can sell and for their first BL project, they’ve got to make sure that it sells.

BL-ink will be on sale in Japan on February 7. You can visit the site (which still seems to be in construction) at bl-ink.net. You can view the Niconico douga ad here. You’ll need a niconico account to view the video.

1. strangely, the niconico video has only been seen by 1000++ people!

How do you like your Shounen Jump heroine?

Do you love her dressed in a pristine school uniform, where her smiling face (and possibly panties or if your lucky, cleavage) grace every panel? Do you like her making bentou for the hero, sharing laughs right before he enters the greatest of his greatest battles? Or do you love her strong, the type who would smack the hero when he is wrong and is generally unforgiving to anyone who insults her short skirt but is soft to the hero who basically ignores her D-size bra? If she has one.

For years, legions of Jump readers, particularly women from the Western frame of thought¹, would write a post or two complaining why women in a particular Shounen Jump manga is often misrepresented. An interesting  rant came by my timeline today, a disheartened Katekyo Hitman Reborn! fan who cannot forgive Akira Amano for making cooks out her heroines. In her blog, she pines about why the female characters in Reborn have been ill-presented, nothing but dolls whose only purpose in the story was to make the boys look better.

Yeah. Right.

Seriously, this magazine was not meant for you

There are two key things that “Jump feminists” must remember when it comes to tackling feminism in Shounen Jump. First, the magazine is published in Japan, drawn by Japanese mangakas,  edited and published by Japanese publishers, and sold to Japanese people. Second, the magazine’s target market are Japanese boys ages 10 to 15. These two factors play a great role in building and creating the stories that are published in the magazine.

The least of the magazine’s concerns is a 10-yr. old Japanese boys going feminist, suddenly complaining that Kyoko is only capable of making an onigiri.  I doubt 10 year olds think this way. I doubt Japanese boys, or even men would actually hate her for that.

A lot of great points about differences in culture and perspectives has been pointed here.

To wrap it up, the magazine was built for a different set of people, with cultures and practices much different than ours. The Western feminist concept does not exactly apply to them. For them, being a woman has an entirely different meaning. Hence, you cannot force the Western concept of what makes a woman unto a working theory that’s already been established and deeply ingrained in Japanese culture.

Japan loves their women pure

Perhaps I will segue here differently from Kae, looking closer to the cultural side of Japan’s feminism on why authors tend to draw their girls like Kyoko and why we would probably be reading more of them in the future.

One of the most interesting readings I crossed was Mikiso Hane’s study² on how men, after World War II, preferred their women pure. In history, Japanese women were often portrayed as ghosts or sly creatures or crazy ladies who are out to teach men a lesson or two about humanity. The war has taught Japanese men the comfort of a woman’s doting support. The purity and the innocence of loyal servitude.

Women also appreciate this fact, despite Japan’s transition into a modern cosmopolitan country. They understand that their role as women is to help build and raise a healthy family. In fact, this is an accepted reality among women in Japan. Even if they’re career women, they also have to play the role of housewives. One of the most loved comics that’s still running in Japan, Sazae-san, presents a loving wife who has found comfort in taking care of her family. Sazae’s image is one of many that has become an institution in Japanese society. So much so that women dream to be like her once they start having families. I can go on talking about the women’s double burden, but for sure, Sazae’s image is something that men and women both revere. The image of a domesticated woman is highly appreciated in Japanese society.

And this was a facet of Japanese feminism that has been highly translated in manga. From Captain Tsubasa, all the way to Reborn, and even in mangas outside of Shounen Jump, the ideal Japanese girl would be someone who has this doting innocence, the sunshine in the hero’s life.

Her bento skills may make her appear very domestic, but these are the traits that the hero respects so much that he would have an unshakeable determination ( e.g., Tsuna’s Dying Will) to protect it, may it be driven by his affections or his stomach.

But really, do their images and what they represent matter?

I would like to believe that it is not what the heroine in Jump does that really matters. They can be strong tsunderes or they can be quiet girls. They can be important or unimportant to the story. I’d like to think that no matter how small or big their role is in the story, their existence is key in teaching boys how to relate, respect, and treat the girls around them. And I think this is what is primarily in the heads of the mangakas and the editors as they shape and build these women. Maybe there are higher things, but at the core, it all boils to this, for the intended audience of Shounen Jump. They’re actually there to make men out of the boys.

Boys who read this magazine are at a fragile age where they start to realize the stark differences between men and women. In my opinion, Jump does a great job in showing the strangely complex world of women (as much as they show us what a boy’s world is like too). On one end you have the strong and independent women like Hana, Nami and Sakura. On the other end you have Kyoko and Orihime, fragile girls who appears innocent at first but learns to understand their roles in the grand scheme of things and offers as much help that they can give, to the best of their abilities. I believe, characters in Jump titles are built to represent personalities in Japanese reality. This is pretty much a fact for any story, I think. But for those who think these are fragments of fiction, then let me share that yes, strangely, in my experience at least, I have met Japanese girls who are as polite as Kyoko, and some who are as sinister as Nami.

They exist not because the authors thinks their weakness makes the boys look better. That is a lame assumption. Looking back at tons of stories in Jump, their existence are integral to the growth of the hero and his relationships with other people. Even if they’re just a side character, they offer a lesson or two for the hero to learn from.

No really, they’re cool girls

You see, Jump Heroines, weak as most appear, are really great girls. I’ve explained above why they’re admirable to the Japanese. I’ve also shown why they exist in such a shounen magazine.

So do not diss these girls just because they make onigiris than join the boys in a big fight against phantom knights and giant robots. The girls represent so much more than just eye candy for the boys. Really, without them, we won’t have heroes to admire every time we open Shounen Jump.

1. Oh yes! Orientalism plays a key part here!
2. Found in Eastern Phoenix: Japan since 1945

1990 to 1994 can be considered by many as one of the strongest periods of Jump. The title that carried this period was an epic intergalactic superhuman masterpiece named Dragon Ball Z. It was so popular that no one in this world could not have encountered this anime. However, despite its popularity, the fujoshis focused their attention towards the other titles that were also great but somehow fell under the cloud of Dragon Ball Z.

For the Fujoshi, Goku and his dragon balls did not spark a fire to their fragile fangirl hearts. Instead, they looked at the bishounens from other Jump titles. The era of androgynous men have come to an end. In this era, it was all about the handsome boys of Jump.

1990-1994: Move aside Son Goku, it’s all about Rukawa x Hiei x Kenshin. TOTALLY!

There were 3 major titles that caught the attention of the fangirls. These were Slam Dunk, Yuu Yuu Hakusho, and Rurouni Kenshin. There were two factors that became crucial in the recognition of these titles as fujoshi havens. The first factor were the bishounens. I have to give dibs to Inoue Takehiko, Yoshihiro Togashi, and Nobuhiro Watsuki. These men have immortalized some really handsome faces in Jump history. Who can’t forget the sweaty face of Rukawa? Or maybe Hiei’s cold stare? Might I add Aoshi’s smirk¹? These boys were drawn quite handsomely by Shounen Jump standards. Compared to their predecessors who either had comical faces, if not realistically masculine faces; these mangakas managed to create a great balance. They were handsome but not pretty. They were masculine but not scary.

The anime industry also provided great help in feeding the fandom. First, for whatever rough lines that were drawn in the manga, the anime made it more smoother and appealing. Any girl would agree that the anime posters for Yuu Yuu Hakusho would have blown them over the moon. The characters look cleaner than their weekly manga counterparts. More so, it would have reached a particular standard once it goes in anime. Gone was the once chubby and lion mane hair for Kenshin. For any detail missed in the weekly, it is somewhat compensated with the anime poster. It was partly a marketing ploy, but it worked for the girls. Especially those damn YYH posters with the four guys in suits. GOD! Although this marketing strategy was introduced with Saint Seiya, it reached it’s full potential with these three animes. Imagine all the character albums just for the characters alone is amazing!

Invasion of handsome demons, foxes and boys from the dead.

Now, let’s look at these series closer and see the popular pairings in them. Let’s start with the series that pretty much started the fujoshi in me, Yu Yu Hakusho. Ah, going through this series is a constant reminder of my bad fangirl beginnings and my fujoshi awakening. <3 This series is hardcore makai² action with Yuusuke as the leader of his ghost hunting team. He has three underlings of sorts, Kawabara, Hiei, and Kurama, that he has whipped to submission sometime during the series.³. The story for this series is rather simple. The YYH boys had to protect the earth from greedy spirits and monsters, at the same time ferry some lost souls back to the spirit world. It’s rather sad that the series had no complete closure, but the mystery of the future always leave a good aftertaste for fans.

There really is just one main pairing that catapulted the series to great fujoshi heights — Kurama x Hiei. Since the revelation of Kurama’s demon form, the girls even experimented with Demon Kurama x Kurama x Hiei. It was their strange closeness that piqued the curiosity of many fangirls. Kurama teased Hiei more than any man should and Hiei, to an end, feared Kurama’s wrath. This relationship eventually inspired a lot of doujins and fandoms. A favorite of mine is the Petit Hiei series by Private Label⁴. In this series, you have have Kurama taking care of toddler Hiei. It’s primarily gag, but deadly cute. It’s also quite interesting how Yun Kouga⁵ is also a known doujinshika for the series. She’s been doing doujins for other Jump Series like Tsubasa and Saint Seiya, so creating doujins for another Jump was nothing new to her.

There were other pairings in YYH. Another favorite is Yuusuke x Kurama. Then it gets more obscure with Yuusuke x Kuwabara. Throw in some Toguro in there and Sensui. Yeah. No one was spared from the pairings. Maybe it has something to do with the guy:girl ration again. Ah~ the fujoshi imagination is really scary. ^^;;

In my experience, YYH was one of the early Jump fandoms that I witnessed taking over the internet. I mean, I type Yu Yu Hakusho back then and there were a lot of information sites, fanfiction sites, and so on. In Anipike, it had tons of sites related to YYH! And the fanfiction sites and mailing lists were amazing. Being fresh into the fandom, with no shounen-ai experience whatsoever, the idea of Kurama and Hiei doing the deed with KY⁶ was beyond my imagination. It was shocking at first. But just like that first hentai video you accidentally borrowed from your video lady thinking it was just another anime, it was a guilty pleasure that you kept on reading out of your own personal curiosity. I wasn’t too big into the YYH Yaoi movement, although, I cannot deny its existence. There was this one fic⁷ I enjoyed because of all the crazy pairings that were in the series. For one it had that Yuusuke x Kuwabara pairing. PLUS, it had a whopping chapter size that my friends and I printed it so that we can read it while we were not online at home. It was crazy but I do remember that by the end of it, even I found that sly fox as one seductive demon. God Kurama, you’re hot. And you know it. ><;;

On a side note, there’s also a bit of sexual ambiguity with Kurama which could have affected his image. It was quite obvious that in the Philippine dub of YYH, they had the mistake of calling Kurama, Denise. Later on, they just called him Dennis. lol.

And then there was that Basketball team…

Around the same time that YYH started was another manga written by the ambitious Inoue Takehiko. For him, his manga was all about perseverance and the struggle to change your life and fulfill your dream. Retribution, pride, and victory became the key themes in his Jump masterpiece, Slam Dunk.

The art of Slam Dunk was rather interesting. Takehiko-sensei’s art style is very realistic but unlike JoJo and Hokuto no Ken, it was neither violent nor gory. This made the series a little more pleasing to the girls. Plus, the guys didn’t look too bad altogether. Sure, Akagi (Gori) looked scary, but his character earned him the respect of many. The rest of the team were charming but there was one guy that many girls (and boys) swooned over. L-O-V-E, Rukawa!!

Rukawa was handsome beyond words. I know guys who are actually in love with him. And they’re straight. He also had that ‘cool’ factor that girls found very attractive. On the other hand, you have Sakuragi who was more of a monkey than GoriAkagi will ever be. Unlike Rukawa, he was emotional and temperamental. Their domestic banter in every panel was so charming and amusing that girls used this as their base for their relationship. Rukawa played the Kichiku-seme in this scenario. He would generally appear cold and uncaring, but in the end he would do anything for Sakuragi. Sakuragi was the wild monkey he had to tame. Their chemistry is interesting and very dynamic. The RuHana swept the hearts of many fujoshis, such as BL mangaka Yamane Ayano.

There were some doujinshikas who experimented with other couples. One such doujinshika was Yoshinaga Fumi who drew Mitsui x Kogure. Oh yes. You read that right. Yoshinaga Fumi. I’m not sure if her claim to fame were her Slam Dunk doujinshis, but checking her doujinshi list, it seems to be the she’s been faithfully creating MitKo doujins even after winning her manga awards for Antique! It’s amazing really. I didn’t sense that she was the doujinshi type, but I guess Kogure’s megane charm totally drove this megane otaku crazy. God, her doujinshis go where her mangas would never be. Unlike her BL doujins that maintained a balance between the sex and the story, her doujins just go all the way with sex! And some lovey dovey lines in between. When I crossed one of her doujins, I was just blown over with the rate that Mitsui was going at it with Kogure. Amazing! It’s like all of her dreams of Ono’s escapades were placed in Kogure’s doujins. lol. That aside, this is one of the more mature pairings in the series. They’re both handsome plus it had that nurturing atmosphere. And slightly naughty too, especially with Mitsui’s character. *blushes*

After a chit-chat with Ed, I realized that there were other interesting pairings that were present in Scram Dunk… err Slam Dunk. Apparently there’s a GoriKawa movement. It’s the whole Beauty and the Beast aspect which I think can work, but only after I have drunk around 5 bottles of vodka. I know there’s also a Sengoku x Rukawa (SenRu) movement as well. Pairing the two aces together is really interesting. A very sexy dynamic, in my opinion. *blushes*

Now, the $20 question. For fans of Genshiken, I know you’d be asking “So, who’s the pairing that lured our dear Ogiue to reveal her fujoshi side in the Genshiken Room?” Based on the illustration of the cover it was a MitKo doujin. The number on the guy with the glasses is 5 (Kogure’s) and the other guy, based on his hair and features is Mitsui. In her heart of hearts, she’s really quite a romantic. If she had drawn Scram Dunk instead of KujiAn, I can only imagine what kind of MitKo doujin she would have drawn. I mean, just imagine Angela’s reaction and add the dynamics that Yoshinaga Fumi uses for her MitKo doujins… *blushes* :3

Then those boys with their swords.

Next up, and perhaps the last for this set is Rurouni Kenshin. Kenshin started rather slow for fans but picked up once the Shishio arc was in motion. Watsuki’s art was stunning, if not brilliant. He had a knack for motion and drama. Drama involved a lot of tension between Kenshin and his rivals. I think those cold piercing eyes drove some fangirls insane.

Although sexual tension is the key for most of the pairings, in this case, it’s the close friendship between the protagonist Kenshin and Sano that pushed some crazy fangirls to draw. Of the lot, their pairing was most popular. Their relationship is funny and comforting. It’s almost like an “I Love Lucy” but this time it’s like “I love Kenshin” at work. Sometimes, they’ll introduce a third wheel, either Saitou or Aoshi, just to break up the lovey-dovey relationship that these two have. But in the end, you can expect some fluffy ending (and luckily some schmex) afterwards. The likes of Erio Horio and Misato Ibuki were some doujinshikas who drew for the Kenshin x Sano x Kenshin pair.

There were crazier pairs, some bridging shota and some bridging S&M. The SaitouxAoshi pair delved into that sadist side that Kenshin’s Saitou seems to project. Although I think the real Shinsengumi Saitou is far from tying a young ninja leader til he bleeds, but the idea is definitely hot and sexy. And quite a lot of doujinshikas abused that. lol. Especially if you’ve got an uke’s who’s got battle-scarred chest.

Shota comes in many forms for RK. The most popular is the Hiko x Kenshin. And just like the predecessor, Kenshin x Yahiko has a following as well. In one occasion, I read Sano x Yahiko. That was kind of funny, but the circumstances were also weird. *sigh*

Internationally, I think the distribution of Samurai X for Rurouni Kenshin also raised the popularity of the series, exposing many anime fans to the world of samurais at the same time, exposing the girls to yaoi. On a global scale, this was kind of a big fandom, and possibly succeeded Yuu Yuu Hakusho in terms of popularity. Most fangirls of my age would probably have joined a mailing list that involved Rurouni Kenshin, whether it was simply a discussion list or a fanfiction list.

The fuel to feed the fire

In essence, this time became crucial in the development of the popularity of the yaoi genre. If Seiya and Tsubasa were responsible for building or setting the foundations of the fandom, it was this age that may have successfully been responsible in corrupting girls en masse. More girls became exposed to the magazine especially after they chased their favorite bishounens. Their stories, relationships and characters became the playground of many popular mangakas who wanted to try making it big as a mangaka. The amount of sales made by the doujins made publishers see the potential of the fujoshi market. After this came the birth of magazines beyond that of June. Biblos and Wings took in these writers and eventually built a burgeoning genre which we will eventually know as BL.

Yeah, a lot happened in this period and I’m sure I missed out on some despite having written a LOONG ENTRY about it. But one thing’s for sure, if it weren’t for these three titles from Shounen Jump, we prolly wouldn’t know BL as we know it today. Of course they weren’t entirely responsible, but you can say that they played a big part in building the genre.

Internationally, these three titles also opened a lot of girls in the genre. With the beginnings of the internet, the presence of these animes in local channels, and the publishing of the localized version of these mangas, foreign fans finally saw the potential of what a crazy girl’s imagination about her favorite manga can do in a boring Algebra class.

Coming up next… unbelievable middle-school children, rivalry, and an explosion that not everyone can stop. Oh god, this entry is long. >3< But I might dedicate the next one to just Tenipuri! >3<

1. God. Aoshi. So much memories
2. demon underworld
3. Ugh, did I just say that? It’s really hard to get those fujoshi comments out, but it’s partially true
4. Doujin Circle for Fuji Shinichi
5. Creator of Loveless
6. Whoever remembers this fic, the author, and where I can read it again, I’ll give you big virtual hugs!! XDD
7. Only Yuu, I think.

One Piece by Oda Eiichiro
Published by Shueisha
Serialized in Shounen Jump
Translated by Viz

When friends ask me about a shounen story I’d recommend, the first title that comes to mind is One Piece. After hearing the title, most of them groan saying “it’s too long” or “there’s no bishounen in there” or “the art is butt ugly.” Although I’d honestly like to immediately contest and defend this rag tag crew to them, I always just throw at them the line “For your nakama¹, just give it a shot.” Happily so, after I lend them 20 volumes to read, they’d come back screaming “Nakama!!” with great gusto!

One Piece is more than just a shounen story with a pirate touch. Oda Eiichiro has turned Luffy’s quest for One Piece into your adventure as well. This is the reason why it has lasted a decade with fans and why it’ll be probably go on for a couple more years. This is a manga where the characters become your nakama.

Hopping on the ship

The story of One Piece revolves around a boy named Luffy who wants to become a pirate. The moment he grew older he set sail looking for comrades to join him in his ship. Together, they go all over the seas where they can find the great pirate treasure “One Piece”. Such a simple story, however, people are always hesitant to start with One Piece.

Getting started with One Piece is always an issue. Really. I cannot stress enough how much I have recommended this to many friends and all of them just shrug their shoulders wanting to read Bleach or Naruto instead. The first hurdle in One Piece is the art. It’s too simple. Un-mangaish. Luffy isn’t a bishounen like Sasuke or Ichigo. Luffy doesn’t look cool. I remember having said this myself when I started out but I sure ate my words by the second volume.

Sure, the art is not something we’d easily consider as handsome by Bleach or Naruto standards. It is indeed childish with large round eyes and gummy faces. But his art works well with the paneling. His art doesn’t look too constricted when he places them in small panels. When he dedicates a page for a moment it becomes ‘THE’ moment. More so, he also takes time in reconstructing the world. You can see detail in his backgrounds even for the small panels. The cartoony images work for his style and his world. And when it matters, Odacchi² will place the details on his character’s faces and they’ll be just as cool, if not even cooler than Ichigo.

Luffy is the Captain. Not Zoro. Not Sanji. Not Nami. It can only be Luffy.

So, you have one great swordsman who can cut and slice anything with his swords. You have a cook who can mince meat with his feet. And you have a smart navigator who has a keen sense of the weather. So why do you have a captain who can’t swim and can’t make smart decision?

Sure Luffy is a glutton and an idiot. But he’s got the heart of the captain. And that’s why he is one. He may not be your average suave and cool shounen jump hero, but, in my opinion, he has the spirit and the energy to be one. His optimism and faith in his friends is endearing. Just when everybody thinks it’s over, here’s Luffy screaming his guts out telling everybody that the battle is not over until some fat lady sings. Because his crew knows that Luffy trusts them that’s why they too trust in him infallibly. It is this trust, earned and fought for by Luffy that made his people follow him despite his silly demeanor.

When Luffy steps up and decides to put matters into his hands, Luffy is cooler than Sanji and Zoro combined. You actually just have to read it and you’ll know why Sanji and Zoro are cool they way they do right now. It’s because they met someone like Luffy, someone who had absolute faith in them and someone whom they don’t want to disappoint. It’s amazing how Luffy’s energy just channels through the rest of the crew whenever they go to battle. His bravery, courage, and sense of justice is amazing. And this is why he’s captain and not anybody else.

A long adventure is long. But you’ll get by since you have your nakama

If there is a point where I would probably claim defeat is the idea that I’m pimping over 40 volumes of One Piece to my friends. IT IS LONG. And it will be even longer since I know that they have just arrived probably towards half of their journey (They just got their shipwright Franky a months ago!!). The interesting thing though is that you won’t feel the length of the journey nor get bored by it because you know that you’ll have a great adventure with great comrades. Odacchi is a master in plotting. The world he established for One Piece gave him an infinite amount of creativity to harness. You are guaranteed that you won’t be getting bored thinking that they’ll be on the same island again. In fact, after the last adventure, you’ll be asking ‘So, where do we go next?’ The One Piece world, wherein your next stop is unknown, creates opportunity for creativity. And Odacchi doesn’t fall short of this. He will always have exciting battles and moving stories to tell. Yes. Moving stories. One that can literally sweep you off your feet and make you cry. Yes, this is a shounen manga.

It’s a given if you cry in shoujo manga. Seinen, I prolly cried once or twice. But shounen manga is all about action and battles, victory, and perseverance. Sometimes emotions are set aside making the event more cool than it is really a development of a character. In One Piece, Odacchi is not scared to make his heroes cry nor is he scared to do something that will make you cry. It is this sad tale of parting, the happiness of victory, and the inexplicable trust that just punches your heart and makes you think “So, there are still people who value friendship like this.” I have cried countless times in One Piece. I even cried when they lost their trusty friend, their ship Going Merry. (Yes… I truly cried for a ship and the idea still brings tears to my eyes!) When Sanji left Baratie… all of them moving. And strangely so, in a shounen manga!! Of course, with most tears are joys and One Piece also has that up its alley. The crews personalities just collide and is really funny, especially Luffy. That guy is on crack. Him and his family. XD

As I said earlier, Luffy’s strength lies in his faith in his nakama and this will be utilized over and over again when hardships befall on the Strawhat pirates. You will see them try their best to get out of the ruckus together. And you’ll see them try to use their skills to protect and to journey through the dangerous seas. It’s really moving, to the point that it can move you to tears and make you shout “Nakama!!!” As you go through each adventure and you meet new people, over and over again you will see how this crew of 8 (or maybe 9… soon) prove time and time again that it’s their friendship that makes them strong. And this makes One Piece one of the best stories that is running on Jump. It has dreams and goals that boys dream of. More so, it has values that make men out of boys.

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On a side note, it’s kind of sad that the popularity of One Piece is not as big as Ghost Fighter or Dragon Ball was to Filipinos. Is it because Luffy looks lanky? But he’s really cool you know. And the Tagalog dubs are really good. I wonder why though. Hmmm… Bleach and Naruto is a whole lot popular here too, but I strongly and firmly believe that One Piece should get some loving from the local community too. lol.

1. Comrade
2. Eiichiro Oda’s nickname.