Girls and One Piece!! Help!!

Lint

I want a female friend of mine to get into OP. I showed her some videos from thriller bark(Oz vs Strawhats); but she was not impressed. She told me that One Piece is a boys thing, and she would rather read 'Hunger Games' than OP. Well she is not much into anime and manga unless its yaoi or shonnen ai. I don't know much about how girls psychology works when it comes to selecting mangas or stories to read in general. Well I want to prove her wrong that girls don't watch or read OP.

Where I live not many people are into anime, so it's kind of taboo to discuss it openly. It's more like a thing you do indoors and don't talk about it with your friends and colleagues. She is the only one I know; who has read or watched some anime or manga; albeit it's yaoi. I'm kind of desperate to have a real life friend to discuss my favorite pastime.

I want to show her that girls too watch and read OP. Are there any videos showing girls reviewing or commenting on OP manga or anime episodes; or OP fan blogs/articles written by females; or something similar to pique her curiosity? Please help me out!!

MetaMario

Er….try showing her the emotional and comedic moments? I can see why she wouldn't be impressed with mere battle scenes....One Piece isn't about the fights.

@Lint:

Well she is not much into anime and manga unless its yaoi or shonnen ai.

….this might be tough lol

taboo

Just show her all the zoro/San and law fanart

Cyclone_Baroness

@MetaMario:

Er….try showing her the emotional and comedic moments? I can see why she wouldn't be impressed with mere battle scenes....One Piece isn't about the fights.

....this might be tough lol

Not all girls need emotional stuff to get into a show. I'm into OP for the adventure and action! Comedy is a bonus. Emotional stuff in OP is over the top because almost once every episode someone cries a liter of tears and loses a pint of snot.

But yeah if she's into yaoi maybe show her some doujinshis or something. Or maybe pique her interest with some of the movies with wardrobe changes. Sanji and Zoro usually get extra spiffy looking.

One Piece takes longer to get into because the art style is mostly goofy. If she can't get past the way some characters look, might just be a lost cause.

Or…just show her Cavendish lol.

MetaMario

@Cyclone_Baroness:

Not all girls need emotional stuff to get into a show. I'm into OP for the adventure and action! Comedy is a bonus. Emotional stuff in OP is over the top because almost once every episode someone cries a liter of tears and loses a pint of snot.

Nah I know, but one could argue its the emotional moments that set it apart from being the average shonen. Some people like the comedy more, some people like the fights more. Different strokes for different folks.

oh Lint….if you show the anime scene where Zoro and Sanji almost kiss, you may be in the clear :ninja:

FelRes

No one, not even avid fans, should be impressed by Thriller Bark anime, so that's really a crappy way to start out. Also, what you're dealing with there is a fujoshi. Show her some One Piece yaoi, there's pleeeeenty of that around. Alternatively, just show her the pictures thread here, girls have posted their pics in there so that should be enough for your argument. Although, why on earth would you care so much about showing her that girls can enjoy One Piece. And where do you live that talking about anime is taboo. This is a bizarre thread.

The Laughing Man

Tie her up, and throw her on the chair. Then, turn on One Piece.

She can't do anything! She has to watch it!

Cyclone_Baroness

@FelRes:

No one, not even avid fans, should be impressed by Thriller Bark anime, so that's really a crappy way to start out. Also, what you're dealing with there is a fujoshi. Show her some One Piece yaoi, there's pleeeeenty of that around. Alternatively, just show her the pictures thread here, girls have posted their pics in there so that should be enough for your argument. Although, why on earth would you care so much about showing her that girls can enjoy One Piece. And where do you live that talking about anime is taboo. This is a bizarre thread.

I liked Thriller Bark. One of my favorite arcs lol.

Pochipochi

the only thing girls are biologically inherently programmed to do is tongue twisters and watching MMA

the rest is up to interpretation and symbolism good luck

Enzeru

Not sure if showing her yaoi fanart of the series will make her like it. I guess you're trying to awaken your friend's interest for the story and not Sanji and Zoro getting it on. If she doesn't like OP for what it is then it can't be helped I'm afraid.

Chrissie

…I wasn't aware I was specifically programmed to like specific things :U Shit, I must be abnormal since I love the fuck out of One Piece (fight scenes, art, adventure and most important of them all, story plot), Berserk, Dragonball (need to reread this) and so many other manga that are "strictly" geared towards males. Maybe I should call the manufacturer and turn myself in for some reprogramming.

Lint, just ask her as a friend to try watching it up to the end of Arlong Park arc and a bit after (though I'd rather she reads the manga, I understand if she doesn't want to and is more of a watcher than a reader). If she is not hooked by then... well... Tie her on a chair and force her to watch each and every character flashback and/or Skypiea. :U That oughta do the trick!

Noqanky

You could also just accept the fact she just … well, doesn't like it?

But still, I'd hope she not liking it doesn't mean she can't join you to watch some episodes just to hang out. I don't particularly like some of the shows my friends watch (in fact, I hate some of them), but sometimes when they're watching you still hang around just to hang out. And make fun of everything possible.

CosmicDebris

I think if you wanted to get anyone into One Piece regardless of gender, you should start with something much earlier in the series. Later on there's just too many characters and too many things that most fans just know from years of reading/watching. Heck, start at the beginning. The first story arc might not be the best, but that sets the series up.

But, maybe it's just not for her. You really don't need a study on female psychology for this. You either like a story or you don't.

TheCrystalShip

Honestly surprised this is not one of Holy's threads.

GuetaMinute

It's cool finding out a friend likes something you're into as well and is kind of taboo or unusual to talk about, but it's not like I'm ever thinking about shit like that. I have other stuff to talk about with friends and people I meet and know well. Getting someone into something you like and they don't or just don't care about just seems annoying, no offense. I've had people try that to me and I'm just like Oh cool man or whatever but if I'm not into it I'm not into it and I really don't care. May sound like an asshole but it is what it is.

Demonicpoodle

The same "taboo" air is around where I live, but it's really just a farce. If you strike up someone about anime, I usually have about a 50% success rate of them being into it. This is only with men in my age group though, haven't tested it on girls. I wouldn't go around asking senior citizens if they're into anime, unless you get that desperate.

You know you do have people online you can talk to about it. Also I've seen and read Hunger Games (first book not the trilogy), it's pretty good for mainstream fiction, but you can try going for the "quality" and "don't judge a book by its cover" arguments for One Piece because HG doesn't compare (IMO).

If you could find out the particular aspects that she likes of Hunger Games, you should try playing up those aspects of One Piece.

But remember, people can be polar opposites on media regardless of its inherent objective quality (if you believe in that, I do to a certain extent). A friend tried to get me into Diablo 3 (now he's trying Final Fantasy 14… why is his taste so bad?), but regardless of how much I'd physically force myself to play with a grimace on my face the whole time, I would never stay for long periods of time.

bepo

i am lucky with my freinds. With all off my interest i can talk to some freind. some are into one piece, some are into watching cycling, even league of legends and mountan climbing.
if you want them into one piece i would show them al up to buggy. you get the idea off what one piece is about and it will only take 3 hours to watch it. Maybe give some spoilers aboit what going to happen next and what the big picture is.

DarthAsthma

In my opinion watching the chopper introduction arc could be good.
It has a lot of elements that I can see can be appreciated by anyone.

A new cute character, arguably with a quiet poignant back story, some good action some good comedy, luffy showcasing why he is pretty likable(with climbing the mountain and trying to recruit chopper) and a very beautiful ending with the pink snow.

But then you might also have to accept that not everyone likes the same things.

ShimpanzeeThat

Just watch it together untill the Arlong park, its not that many episodes! if she would not like this ark you will know that hope is lost

CCC

@The:

the only thing girls are biologically inherently programmed to do is tongue twisters and watching MMA

the rest is up to interpretation and symbolism good luck

Came in to say something like this, secretly hoping that Holy had beat me to it. Was not disappointed.

…
Getting a friend interested in One Piece should have nothing to do with that person's gender. There are aspects of the series that are have nearly universal appeal, if the Japanese demographics info is any indication. I would personally go with the end of the Arlong Park arc, if you're trying to choose a snapshot (Thriller Bark is all around terrible, even in the manga). There's fighting, emotion, comedy, foreshadowing, a bit of world-building. All that good stuff.

And then just give up. Trying over and over to force something on someone is a good way to get the opposite of the reaction you're looking for. And she might come around eventually on her own now that you've planted the seed.

Black Leg

Tell her to at least give it a go up to the Arlong arc, if she doesn't like it by then just go find better friends.

Cyclone_Baroness

Oh you know what got my friend's interested? Showing them AMVs. Specifically thins one

!

Señor Snake

I bet your friend would like Toriko

Hiroy

@Lint:

Are there any videos showing girls reviewing or commenting on OP manga or anime episodes; or OP fan blogs/articles written by females; or something similar to pique her curiosity? Please help me out!!

I know the culture of "fangirling" or anything beyond a false/shallow sense of masculinity isn't really looked up on this forum, but this isn't really all that hard to find. The fandom is huge and diverse.
And even at that, I see them more like every other fan more so fans that are classified by gender.

Here's my suggestion though. Make a deal with her. Trade your favorite thing, with her favorite thing. She reads OP. You read one of her things. Then exchange how much you both hate or like it as it progresses. I do this at times, and the results are usually fun. Especially when I open my mind to things that I found off-putting on the surface.

kappa-san

I'm a girl and I'm also a yaoi fan, so this is the advice I can give:
Well, I think most of the new members of this forum got hooked on One Piece through Marineford Arc. Why not show it to her? Or give her a summary of Marineford arc and at least one big spoilers then start in Impel Down.

Damn, that gurl is missing a lot of yaoi fun. Hahaha! This is the fandom where I'm shipping a troll man with a half cyborg. Don't even get me started with Arlong/Apoo. XD

I think this thread is big help regardless of gender: http://apforums.net/showthread.php?t=31001

Callaghan

From a survey 51,8% of the readers of one piece are female XD

http://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXNASFK31007_R31C12A0000000/?dg=1

poque

@Cyclone_Baroness:

Oh you know what got my friend's interested? Showing them AMVs. Specifically thins one

!

I, as a girl, second this. I showed it to one of my friends and now One piece is on her 'planning to watch list'.

bepo

@Callaghan:

From a survey 51,8% of the readers of one piece are female XD

http://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXNASFK31007_R31C12A0000000/?dg=1

i cant read it, but could it also mean that 52% of women who read jump, read one piece?

BloodPact725

Maybe show her compilation threads that show certain moments of One Piece. One user who has it really down is xKeega, and maybe others. However don't expect that everybody is going to be into it. Especially over here. Even where I work, the people that are into it are all JAPANESE people. The problem is that when it was first brought over here, it gave an everlastingly disasterous first impression we all know as the 4Kids flub. Not a great way to start off trying to introduce a series to everybody.

Tyler_Durden

@Señor:

I bet your friend would like Toriko

zachri

'One Piece is for boys' she says?
~~WHERE IS MY PENIS?~~
Just show her Trafalgar Law and make sure she has a spare pair of panties and you're all set!

FelRes

Pair of spare panties? You Law fans are gross.

Femme

I'm into OP for the action and the story. My first interest in manga was shounen so… I can't really think .... OH. The funny moments!

Youtube's full of "One Piece funniest.." etc. Try that.

zachri

@FelRes:

Pair of spare panties? You Law fans are gross.

Gross? No.
Cautious and good with precautions? Yes.

Adilia

Some of the best scenes are early on when it's just Luffy, Usopp, Nami, and Zoro joking around and developing their relationships

Ask her to read through Arlong Park and if she doesn't like that then it's probably not for her

Melllorine

@Lint

That may come late, but:

That's the same problem I have! I live also at a place, where only few people watch anime. My friend (female) says she likes reading the hunger games much more and that my One Piece "thingy" is weird stuff. (Btw, I'm a girl.) I think, that you should show her the emotional scenes. And yes, there is a video on youtube, where a girl is recording her reaction while seeing the episode of Ace's death. Maybe you should show also her the manga/anime from the beginning. Because those moments from thriller park are scenes which happen in the middle of the story. That's confusing if she doesn't know anything about One Piece.

…nah whatever :3 Here is the video

knceng

One Piece target basicly for boys, it's shonen. But if you want to give a shot, let her read Nami's flashback part, to the point where Belmere choose to admit she's a mother of two daughters rather than saving her life. If your friend still can't get into it, then maybe One Piece is not for her, because the drama in One Piece is usually based on that kind of sacrifice.

Cruithne

If the only manga she likes is yaoi, throw a few doujins at her.

Otherwise just swap recommendations. Like if you read a thing she likes that no one else knows about, she'll read something you like (One Piece). That way you'll both be able to talk about stuff you like with someone IRL, and you're not actually forcing her to.

(And as for "its for boiz lolololol!!!111one", most OP readers are female (anyone got a more up-to-date version?). Basing your interest on demographics is just silly.)

knceng

@Cruithne:

(And as for "its for boiz lolololol!!!111one", most OP readers are female (anyone got a more up-to-date version?). Basing your interest on demographics is just silly.)

I don't see it, it only says "IF 50% of Weekly Shonen Jump readers are female"

TheCrystalShip

@knceng:

I don't see it, it only says "IF 50% of Weekly Shonen Jump readers are female"

In the image, it says that 51.8% of OP readers are women.

knceng

@TheCrystalShip:

In the image, it says that 51.8% of OP readers are women.

Oh.., i thought it says 51.8% women who read WSJ, read One Piece. I still need to work on my japanese…

shinpanman

It's kind of offensive that guys feel like they have to market their interests differently to women. I'm pretty sure that I like One Piece for the same reasons that guys do maybe minus the tits and what attracts someone to a hobby is going to vary from person to person regardless of gender anyway. Then again, if your friend is going to say things like "One Piece is a boys' thing" then I guess she's kind of setting herself up for that kind of treatment…. Anyway, what I mean to say is that you shouldn't be worrying about what girls supposedly look for in a series but rather you should find out more about this person in particular and what they would want to see. If it's just about proving that women like One Piece, I think it's easy enough to find evidence of that anywhere.