@Gjork:
Are those little pieces of japanese text after or before each spread Oda's ramblings of them? Would anyone be so kind and translate them for us that are illiterate in japanese please?
Here:
Oda's Comments
Page 12
I wonder why beach hut ramen tastes so good. The flavor is crude compared to street ramen, and the noodles taste like flour, but the atmosphere just makes it great. Sanji never lets up on the taste, so I think that's what makes this pirate ramen so unimaginably good.
page 26
"Japanese style" is nice, isn't it? This really shows the delicateness and skillfullness of Japanese people. If I were to put this scene in the manga, it would be with a Hiragana "DO-DON!!" sound effect, rather than the usual Katakana one (Hiragana is the Japanese alphabet used for pronouncing Japanese words, whereas Katakana is used for foreign words). The three black-haired crew members in Japanese style.
page 34
This is an illustration I made according to a reader's request. Rather than a "Sea Train," it's a "Sky Train." Surpassing a child's imagination is a near impossible art. This was a learning experience for me.
page 50
I got the feeling that landscape paper probably wouldn't give me enough room to draw a giraffe standing up, so I thought I'd try drawing him with his neck stretched out horizontally. While in this position, it just so happened that his gaze fell upon the giraffe pelts magazine Nami was reading. Right after this, the giraffe runs away at full speed. This was during the adventure in Water 7.
page 58
It's a King Hippo! This guy'll be our dinner! The men prepare for battle! Robin and Chopper just came to watch so they won't get any closer than this. Usopp's new invention, the "Usopp Flashy Rider" flies in from the cliff!!
Nami: "More to the left!!" WHAM!
Usopp: "Get out of the way, Luffy!! We'll crash!!"
Later that evening, what sort of dinner will they be having!?
page 66
The chorus of the singing frogs at Tougenochaya is quite lovely. Amidst the gentle spring rain, men wait beneath the appointed pine tree for the duel to come. "Once this is over, let's have some tea," announces the spectator, Nami. She orders 5 cups of tea and 5 dumplings. She believes they will return alive (but 5 dumplings probably won't be enough).
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There weren't as many as in the last three books.