So is Monster proper nakama or is he just the pet of the bald guy, Like Zeus for nami or stronger for Doc Q? If he is a chopper/pekoms mink Like thing, then it makes sense that he is proper nakama.
Volume 101 Predictions/Discussion
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Funny how Good-future-Franky becomes less robotic with time (gets rid of the shoulders and grows a Tom-like beard to hide his robot chin) while Bad-future-Franky goes full battleship. I'm not sure what message is behind this or if there is any to begin with.
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Funny how Good-future-Franky becomes less robotic with time (gets rid of the shoulders and grows a Tom-like beard to hide his robot chin) while Bad-future-Franky goes full battleship. I'm not sure what message is behind this or if there is any to begin with.
I actually wonder if we will see those designs again during the epilogue in… 10 years or so, hah. Would be kinda cool.
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Funny how Good-future-Franky becomes less robotic with time (gets rid of the shoulders and grows a Tom-like beard to hide his robot chin) while Bad-future-Franky goes full battleship. I'm not sure what message is behind this or if there is any to begin with.
Franky's always been an aversion to the whole "cybernetics eat you soul" thing (in contrast to Kuma, for example), so I think it's just a matter of an older, retired Franky not having the same need for his more extensive modifications that he did during his life as an active pirate, and subsequently going back to a more "normal" frame over time.
"Bad timeline" Franky is seemingly leaning into becoming more and more machine (and implicitly, less and less "human") over time.
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Is the Monkey considered a commander?
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Always has been.
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Got today my 2 One Piece Volume 101 copies :wub::wub::wub:
Full illustration is AMAZING!!!
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Mugiwara_23
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Shanks Crew !
Lime Juice - Bunk Banji/Panshi - Monster (Monkey) - Building Snake - Hongo - Howling Gab - Rockstar.
*left to rightHow King eats !
[qimg]https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FFighlNXoAcZ-j7?format=jpg&name=900x900[/qimg]
–- Update From New Post Merge ---
Yamato Kanabo "humanized".
[qimg]https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FFilwK1XoAoFBsG?format=jpg&name=small[/qimg]
I've waited years for their names, so its great we finally get em. The names are kinda weird though, but i like em.
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I've waited years for their names, so its great we finally get em. The names are kinda weird though, but i like em.
Well, they seemed like a bunch of weird, but also mostly regular sort of guys to begin with. lol
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I've waited years for their names, so its great we finally get em. The names are kinda weird though, but i like em.
They're named after drinks I think.
Including Monster (Energy).
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sadly, the sales decline continues; Volume 101 sold 986,727 copies in the first three days. The first volume since volume 49 to sell less than 1 million copies in that time frame.
Now, obviously 986,727 copies in 3 days is nothing to scoff at and One Piece is still incredibly successful.
I can't help but wonder if the decline in sales has affected Oda's interest in hastening the conclusion of the series? Perhaps it's the reason he feels he's losing the attention of his readers?
I wish there was a way to entice new readers to pick up the series.
Luffy, Zoro, Nami, Usopp, Sanji, Chopper, Robin, Franky, Brook, Jimbei, Carrot, Vivi, Smoker
"ONE PIECE, IT EXISTS" - The Great Pirate Edward Newgate
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@Vongola_Boss_XI:
sadly, the sales decline continues; Volume 101 sold 986,727 copies in the first three days. The first volume since volume 49 to sell less than 1 million copies in that time frame.
Now, obviously 986,727 copies in 3 days is nothing to scoff at and One Piece is still incredibly successful.
I can't help but wonder if the decline in sales has affected Oda's interest in hastening the conclusion of the series? Perhaps it's the reason he feels he's losing the attention of his readers?
I wish there was a way to entice new readers to pick up the series.
Nah, no one seems to like the series more than Oda himself, and it will be his passion that drives it all the way through to the end. I understand that he's happy anyone bothers to read his manga at all.
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Nah, no one seems to like the series more than Oda himself, and it will be his passion that drives it all the way through to the end. I understand that he's happy anyone bothers to read his manga at all.
Yeah, that's true. I just hope he knows his readers will stick with him to he end of the line - no matter how long it takes to tell his masterpiece the way it deserves to be told.
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@Vongola_Boss_XI:
sadly, the sales decline continues; Volume 101 sold 986,727 copies in the first three days. The first volume since volume 49 to sell less than 1 million copies in that time frame.
Now, obviously 986,727 copies in 3 days is nothing to scoff at and One Piece is still incredibly successful.
When you say decline and then say over 900k in sales over 3 days does that mean the cut off is 3 days to determine if sales are declining?
Cuz as far as I see it the volume still has a chance to still have a million in sales. Unless this is a thing other sales where the numbers just continue to decrease weekly.
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@Zik:
When you say decline and then say over 900k in sales over 3 days does that mean the cut off is 3 days to determine if sales are declining?
Cuz as far as I see it the volume still has a chance to still have a million in sales. Unless this is a thing other sales where the numbers just continue to decrease weekly.
It's a very gradual decline - and likely stops with One Piece still selling 5 - 6 million books per year. It was just sad to see the million+ sales in week 1 trend end after 14 straight years. But yes, One Piece is still selling incredibly well and will continue to do so as long as it runs.
I actually took a look at annual sales for the pas decade or so:
I know one significant factor is the slower publication rate; Oda averaged 4 - 5 books per year in the past, but has reduced to 3 - 4 books per year. You can see red line represents actual annual sales data. I wanted to 'correct' for the publication rate factor, so I added in sales for a fourth volume in the years in which only three were published (blue line).
Oda publishes 3.5 volumes worth of chapters per year, so I projected out for the next 12 or so years (I think OP has about 10 - 12 years left):
And that's assuming a constant rate of decline with no boost in sales surrounding a new movie, the live action series, or the series entering the actual endgame.
Even assuming sales continue to decline at the same rate they have been declining, One Piece sells another 80 million volumes if it runs another 12 years.
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@Vongola_Boss_XI:
sadly, the sales decline continues; Volume 101 sold 986,727 copies in the first three days. The first volume since volume 49 to sell less than 1 million copies in that time frame.
Now, obviously 986,727 copies in 3 days is nothing to scoff at and One Piece is still incredibly successful.
I can't help but wonder if the decline in sales has affected Oda's interest in hastening the conclusion of the series? Perhaps it's the reason he feels he's losing the attention of his readers?
I wish there was a way to entice new readers to pick up the series.
The boom created by Marineford-Strong World-Timeskip might mot be replicated ever again.
Unless the live action series is a massive success.
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@All:
The boom created by Marineford-Strong World-Timeskip might mot be replicated ever again.
Unless the live action series is a massive success.Yeah, I think the live action series is the only thing that could significantly boost sales at this point and that's contingent on it being a massive Game of Thrones scale international success. I'm cautiously optimistic about the live action series, but I'm not sure One Piece could capture the zeitgeist in the same way as GoT, particularly with wester audiences, even if it's extraordinarily well-made.
I just don't think One Piece has the same kind of shock factor that shows like Lost or Game of Thrones have. That doesn't make it a worse story by any stretch of the imagination. And certainly, I personally believe One Piece to be one of the best and most entertaining stories ever told - and find the central mystery and lore to be incredibly engaging. But a lot of those big moments don't really arrive until later - by design. One Piece starts out as a simple voyage in pursuit of lost treasure. Though there are early hints at the story he's really telling, the much grander scale narrative gradually comes into view over hundreds of chapters, which is part of what makes One Piece so fun to both read and re-read. Those wow moments are only possible because certain details or characters seem relatively unimportant for a long time before Oda reveals their true narrative purpose.
But that's incredibly difficult to capture in a live action series. As Cowboy Bebop proves, there's a very real concern Netflix will simply axe the show after a single season. Game of Thrones is unfortunately the exception rather than the rule when it comes to epic fantasy going the distance. Netflix is notorious for killing shows after 1 - 3 seasons. Stranger Things is in rare company lasting 4 seasons and it's probably the biggest success story for Netflix original programming. Live action One Piece can't really afford to pull okay ratings. It needs to be a huge, runaway success - or it won't last.
The other big factor is Netflix dumps their whole seasons at once - and I honestly don't think that model works as well in building a long-term audience because it doesn't give the fanbase any time to be actively engaged. Netflix shows are unfortunately perceived as something to be consumed and moved on from because they're dropped as a full season.
Shows like Lost, Game of Thrones, and more recently the Mandalorian hooked audiences and kept them engaged for a much longer duration of time. One Piece is a story that very much benefits from having a very engaged fanbase reading and discussing new chapters weekly. So that element is immediately sort of lost through the Netflix model. And Netflix track record when it comes to early cancellations is concerning because there's no way to tell the story in short form.
The other big hurdle is the fact that in order to gain the type of mainstream audience the series will need to maintain momentum for enough years to tell its story, I'm just not sure One Piece has the right type of story or content. For better or worse, sex and violence were a big factor in keeping people talking about Game of Thrones in the early seasons. The content itself was shocking in a way, even if it's fairly typical of HBO. But importantly, the story takes some pretty brutal and shocking turns which grab audience attention.
Now, I think a better comparison for One Piece than Game of Thrones is actually Lost. I am hopeful in that Steven Maeda was a writer and producer on Lost, so perhaps he will be able to incorporate some of the mystery box elements from that show to engage more mainstream audiences.
I do believe there is a winning formula for the live action One Piece series. I just think it's going to be very difficult to achieve - and because of the Netflix model, there's really no room for error. They need to hit the ground running in the first season, or they're just not going to make it to the finish line. I think that winning formula involves bringing forward some of the big players and introducing them a bit earlier. The East Blue works perfectly for the first season of a live action series. Gather the crew and depart for the Grad Line. I would add a b-plot rivalry between Smoker and Morgan and have Morgan be the corrupt Marine working with Arlong so that mainstream audiences have to remember fewer characters. Nezumi has never reappeared and Fullbody is basically a gag character along with Django. Having Morgan act as a secondary season-long villain would make the first season a bit more coherent - and would allow Koby and Helmeppo's defiance of Morgan to take place simultaneous to the battle against Arlong, which could make for a great penultimate episode before the crew head off to Logue Town.
So you can set the fairly traditional first chapter of the Straw Hats hero's journey / epic fantasy adventure against a backdrop of some of the big players moving behind the scenes. Which I think would have a couple benefits. First, it would mean the story can be told more quickly, which is important. At most, a live action epic fantasy series is going to receive 8 - 10 seasons and even that would take 15+ years given the production time required for VFX heavy shows. And that's with a big Game of Thrones scale hit. Bringing some elements of the overarching narrative forward would allow them to capture that mystery box element of Lost. As charming as the fun adventures through the East Blue are in the manga, I don't think mainstream audiences will be engaged enough to stick around until seasons 3 - 4 to begin learning the true nature of Luffy's quest and the scope of the world Oda gradually builds. I honestly don't think it would take away too much from the story to move certain things forward. Most often, the big players are introduced in cutaway scene around the world between arcs and they only intersect with the Straw Hats much latrer, so the sense of discovery for the crew and manner in which they relate to this bigger elements of the world really wouldn't be compromised or altered in a significant way.
All that said, I am surprised Wano didn't elevate sales for One Piece. There were so many initiatives to engage audiences - the celebrations of chapter 1000, volume 100, episode 1000, the announcement of the live action series, the announcement for Film Red, the WT 100 poll, the new omnibus format releases in Japan, and the new tankoban box sets - not to mention Wano being both the climax for the current story saga and themed on feudal Japan. As I understand, they have also been making older chapters available for free in waves on Jump+. So I do think it's very curious with all the efforts to promote the series the tankoban sales have still declined.
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i still fail to see why the live adaptation would boost the serie in Japan.
Netflix is not as big in Japan as it is in the west and everybody in Japan knows One Piece.Also this has already been discussed a few days ago in the 2021 sales thread. Do we really have new things to say ?
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Without them making the yearly top 10 it can be hard to tell, but are other 100+ volume ongoing series like Jojo or Conan declining at the same slow rate? I would presume so. They never even reached One Piece's peaks to begin with, but at least in the Jojo circles I follow there's no one getting all gloomy about falling sales and wondering if the author or editors will start accelerating the end of the series.
While I think it would be cool for the live action series to further One Piece's reach in the English-speaking world and get Viz to pull their finger out on the often-mused updated translation, I think Kdom might be right on it not doing much for Japan. Reaching the final arc and being able to say "hey all you guys who caught up for the Marineford hype and got bored in mid-70s volumes it's time to get back up to date" could be a good final push if done right. Especially if paired with an accessible blockbuster movie and dropped in the sweet spot between two of Kimetsu/Jujutsu style megahits Jump will obviously be trying to make from now on. And even if there is no final sales spike, I'm pretty sure Oda's the only author to have ever monopolised the top sales spot for a straight decade and probably won't be dethroned from that achievement anytime soon.
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Full illustration is AMAZING!!!
[qimg]https://images2.imgbox.com/61/4e/p90rH1SQ_o.jpg[/qimg]
That is going to look so bad on the Viz version with their giant number crescent moon obscuring half the bottom. Especially when they do whatever they're going to have to do to adjust for "100".
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That is going to look so bad on the Viz version with their giant number crescent moon obscuring half the bottom. Especially when they do whatever they're going to have to do to adjust for "100".
I really wish they didn't let 'consistency' stand in the way of quality. They have even changed the actual background color for more than one Wano volume because of the title colors they selected. This was a big reason I wish they had at least stuck to the more or less neutral New World title colors. At least they didn't alter the background color for those volumes.
–- Update From New Post Merge ---
Without them making the yearly top 10 it can be hard to tell, but are other 100+ volume ongoing series like Jojo or Conan declining at the same slow rate? I would presume so. They never even reached One Piece's peaks to begin with, but at least in the Jojo circles I follow there's no one getting all gloomy about falling sales and wondering if the author or editors will start accelerating the end of the series.
While I think it would be cool for the live action series to further One Piece's reach in the English-speaking world and get Viz to pull their finger out on the often-mused updated translation, I think Kdom might be right on it not doing much for Japan. Reaching the final arc and being able to say "hey all you guys who caught up for the Marineford hype and got bored in mid-70s volumes it's time to get back up to date" could be a good final push if done right. Especially if paired with an accessible blockbuster movie and dropped in the sweet spot between two of Kimetsu/Jujutsu style megahits Jump will obviously be trying to make from now on. And even if there is no final sales spike, I'm pretty sure Oda's the only author to have ever monopolised the top sales spot for a straight decade and probably won't be dethroned from that achievement anytime soon.
I didn't mean to sound doom and gloom. In fact, when I made the graphs, it was more to demonstrate the fact that sales are decreasing at a decreasing rate. Meaning 2021 is more of an outlier to the general trend. Projecting outward, sales approach a limit of approx. 5 million copies annually, which is still amazing.
And I didn't mean to say oda would now start hastening the ending either. I only meant that I know he has made those comments about wanting to end in x number of years and while I don't take those estimates seriously (I think OP will last approx. 10 - 12 years), he seems to focus on wanting to deliver promises to readers. I just worried that he might view declining sales as an indication readers are losing patience - and I hope he doesn't arrive at that conclusion and just keeps telling the story at his pace. His own enjoyment of One Piece is encouraging and I do believe he's fully committed to giving the series the ending it deserves.
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English covers:
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No idea how it is in other countries but the german publisher, which publishes One Piece, hands out a mini poster of the covers 99-101 if you buy the first edition of volume 101
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In the English-speaking world, we haven't had anything special announced at all unfortunately :(
