OMGGGG THE WAY I ROLLED AROUND CLENCHING MY HEART WHEN U SAID UR NOT DONE WITH DAISY
Pls! Dont play with me heart 🥺🥺
Thanks so much for the message!
I'm so sorry it's taken me long to reply, I'm an idiot when it comes to checking anon messages hahaha
I swear that I'm not done, I've just been... slow to update? Slow to write... just slow all round hahaha
Essentially, my uni has buried me hahaha
I will do my best to have some new content out as soon as possible :)
I've never been shy about naming One Piece as one of my favorite, if not the favorite, anime/manga of all times. It's comedy, story arcs, character building, world building, etc, all of this makes it a great piece of entertainment and simply a wonderful journey to go on. So, here are some of the things I really liked and those which I liked a little bit less in the OPLA. (which was still really great in my opinion!)
SPOILERS for OPLA and One Piece under the cut
What I enjoyed:
Sanji. Let me just kick this off by saying that LA Sanji does such a great job. From the casting to the subtle differences and normalization of his 'quirks', Sanji is such a great character in OPLA. He is the perfect foil and 'calming down' factor for the lackluster Strawhats gathered up until the Baratie arc. While his flirting in the og makes him a bit obnoxious for me, the toned down version of OPLA is just on point. Everything is executed perfectly. The vocabulary he uses, the cooking, the fighting, the flirting, I'm just in love with OPLA Sanji. His backstory packs a punch, as it always did, and it doesn't feel rushed or forced. The crying is also on point. The only thing which could've been improved on was his leaving of Baratie.
Sets. The visuals are perfection. Like, this was it. It was One Piece. The world was there, in live action. All the little cultural details added and portrayed were absolutely stunning. I could see exactly where the budget went. It was on. point. I have nothing to add. It's perfection.
Fight scenes. All of the fans of the og I've spoken to were slightly worried about the adaptation of typical shonen fights, abundant in OP, being presented in OPLA. Needless to say, they were a perfect balance of flashy and entertaining, without going over the top or running for too long. Even Kuro's style was adapted amazingly for the live action. Here, I only have to add that Zoro and Nami seemed to overshadow Luffy a bit when it came to fighting, and this was a tad of a pity. With a little bit more screen time for the theatrics at the beginning of OP (where everyone is shocked to find out that Luffy has eaten a Devil Fruit), the issue could've been solved.
The pacing. Another thing which typically turned away anime watchers from OP og was the sheer size of the massive franchise. OPLA solves this issue very well, condensing and separating flashbacks, including them at different moments in order to provide for a more watchable show. Simply, great.
Side characters. I could go on and on about the amazing casting and screen time awarded to the side characters in the OPLA. Let me just list some of them who impressed me: Koby, Helmeppo, Buggy, Kuro. They shined. Every single moment of them was pure perfection. I was particularly impressed with Koby's portrayal. I was also on board with the slight addition of horror to Kuro and the Syrup village arc. I was completely in love with how Buggy ate up every scene he was in, going from a terrifying villain to a funny antagonist who is in for the ride with the main crew. Helmeppo's showcasing was perfect. I'm just impressed. I was shook. No other comments regarding this. Simply on point.
The different point of view. It's no secret that the og focuses heavily on the Stawhats. Their stories and development take the majority of the show, which is amazing. Still, the addition of little details, for the og fans, was definitely a treat. If I were to name an example, Mihawk's decimation of Don Krieg is a highlight. Small scenes which were off-screen in the og, being added to the OPLA, were satisfying to watch.
In conclusion, there were a lot of things I adored about the OPLA, but these were the ones I really wanted to highlight.
What I didn't like:
Zoro. As someone who was a firm simp for Zoro from the beginning of the og, I was a little disappointed with the OPLA version of him. The switch from 'a strong dumbass' to 'angsty swordsman' was a little bit too much for me. Simply, it seemed more like a Sasuke interpretation of Zoro, than Zoro. Like it was Sasuke acting as Zoro, or something similar. This, in turn, changed his relationships with the rest of the crew. The most painful one for me was his relationship with Luffy. Og Zoro never really disrespected Luffy nor was he ever visibly annoyed with his captain. OPLA Zoro is just... annoyed. Which makes one think - why does he even join the crew? Not to say that I hated OPLA Zoro, there were really some amazing moments to him. All the fight scenes were great, especially the Mihawk duel one. His oath to Luffy was also amazing. However, the 'unspoken first mate who is the backbone of Strawhats' really became a 'angsty man with anger issues and obsession with alcohol', which is, sadly, a simplification of his character.
Garp. While I agree that the depth added to Garp in the live action was great, too much time was given to him. If the focus had been more on Koby and less on Garp, I would've enjoyed the live action more. Especially the build up of Luffy's confrontation with Garp was anticlimactic in the end, where there seems to be no point in the tension which had been made previously. Simply, his appearance at the end of Water 7 was much more impactful.
Nami's arc. Nami's arc is one of my favorites from the og. Her emotional journey from hating pirates to loving Luffy and trusting him was too flat in the OPLA. Og Arlong was terrifying. Og Bell-mère's story was heart wrenching. Og Nami's decision to go with Luffy was inspiring. This arc was a huge set up for later developments with fishmen and it was simply amazing. One of the many situations where I applauded Oda later on when he expanded on the universe seamlessly. In the OPLA, this is missing. While Arlong is still terrifying, he doesn't quite pack the punch he did in the og. Luffy doesn't struggle nearly enough to defeat him, which makes later development of the universe, with Arlong as a strong character, hard to believe. Bell-mère's death made me sob like a baby in the og. It just passed by me in the OPLA. Just.. whoosh. I didn't feel enough. The emotional stakes weren't high enough. The build up wasn't there. Still, the scenes with Nami and Luffy in that arc were on point. Though, I did miss the situation where Luffy walks away from hearing Nami's story. And, I was admittedly impressed with Usopp's first highlight fight, which was left in the OPLA. Altogether, while this arc should've been the crown jewel of the first season, I felt like it really wasn't. The Mihawk duel was a much better scene.
Stawhats. I liked all of them - individually. However, their dynamic as a crew felt a bit off-kilter. Nami and Zoro openly saying 'not a crew' to Luffy all the time didn't sit right with me. Them agreeing on not being a crew simply left a sour taste in my mouth. The core of my issues with Stawhat dynamics is probably due to the change in the Zoro-Luffy relationship, which is the most charismatic in the og. Sure, Zoro wants to smack Luffy half of the time, but he doesn't. Nami is the one who disciplines the reckless captain. Luffy is the one who brings them together. The sheer disrespect (yeah, quoting here the OPLA 'mutiny') is what made their dynamics odd. And then, Usopp and Sanji being fully on board and invested made it strange. It should've been Zoro who provides the example, not Usopp and Sanji. Zoro, though, is not the one to give the faith, but instead to give the annoyance. In the end, Luffy could've definitely been more selfish. Og Luffy is charismatic because we never know what to expect from him. He's captaining how he sees fit, without consulting anyone. And it works. Og Luffy is admired because he is so eccentric. OPLA Luffy lacks that. He is unsure of himself, which makes him hard to like. While he surely is Luffy and he does an amazing job with all the necessary scenes, he lacks that conviction. And, in the end, it's his passion and conviction which makes OP so lovable, in my opinion.
To conclude, with a little more addition to recklessness and that dynamic of 'Jesus what is he doing but oh well I'm joining because it's fun' Zoro would've been on point, which would've solved the Strawhats issues. A little more time dedicated to Nami's arc would've made it pack more of a punch. A little less time to Garp would've tickled us to know more, later on. This was all solvable.
Does this mean that OPLA is not a good show? No. It's a great show. It's certainly one of the more amazing live adaptations I've seen, second only to the Kenshin movies. It's watchable, for both new fans and old fans. It makes the old fans want to re-watch or re-read the og. It makes new fans want to watch and read the og. It is visually stunning. The casting is amazing. It gives depth where needed. It makes the show appealing to all genders, races and ages of audience members. However, there is room for improvement.
Long story short, I'll be eagerly waiting to see if the dynamic of Strawhats and the climactic fights of arcs and the emotional build up in them are improved upon in the later seasons. Hopefully, we will see more of Luffy's charisma in the later episodes.
AHHH i came here when i discovered you had a tumblr through your hitsu fic on FF!
I used to read it many years ago and still do; i probably go back to reread it a few times every year ;w; when it got updated last year I just about lost my mind!!!
Really love that series, and i don't know if it'll be continued (i intend to read Scarborough at some point when i hv time because Kol is 😍) but your Hitsu fic is honestly one of the best out there and fueled my Hitsu dreams for years🥺😊☺️
Thanks so much for reaching out!
I have to admit, I’ve been lazy with Daisy for a long time xD But, the fact that Bleach will be coming back in autumn.... hehehe more updates to come, I’m sure :D
What can I say, the best praise an author can get is when they hear that someone re-reads their work or binges it Q.Q It’s surreal and means so much to hear that! I will do my best to give another update soon :D I’m definitely not done with Daisy yet :D
Scarborough Fair is a good one, but I’m biased :P I’ve been writing it like a maniac xD Kol is bae. He needs more fics about him xD I hope you will enjoy it :)
I will do my best to keep fueling your Hitsu dreams :P
Take care and thanks so much once more for writing to me! All my best <3
Hi! I wanted to say that I just read your “Trouble and Sweetheart” fic in AOO and it is so so good!! I really enjoyed it, the OC and Tommy’s relationship just fits without making it too weird or unnatural. Also loved that the story is mainly following the TV series’ plot, I find that very hard to do while at the same time creating something new. Please tell me the story is not over :)
Hello there! Thanks so much for the message :)
I'm so glad that you enjoyed the new work! I was debating for a while whether to even post it, but then decided to let it go out into the world and regret later, if need be xD I love writing Anna, she's super fun and quirky, and definitely not my usual type of OC to write xD Tommy comes more naturally, to be honest xD Which is precisely why it's been such a fun ride :P
I usually am quite the sucker for writing outside of the canon plot, but Peaky Blinders were simply to good to resist! There's so much off-screen time for every character and so many loopholes that fanfic can fill that I couldn't help myself... It's a bit fragmented, but world after WWI was, too! Hence, double pun... in a way?
Anyways, before I get too weird, I'm glad that you've been enjoying it, I've definitely got more planned (writing chapter 13 right now), so, should be an update sooner rather than later :)
If you guys have been reading my stories, you have likely noticed a common theme of flower language going from the early stuff, all the way back to Daisy. I enjoy aligning the meaning and symbolism of flora with my OCs and canon characters. So, as we’ve got a KobaHitsu blog now, I would like to give you guys some more info on the topic.
Floriography has been present in different cultures for centuries. In Victorian times, it used to be a way to ask questions which weren’t appropriate spoken out loud or flirt without anyone knowing except the two participants. The number of flowers, arrangement in a bouquet and choice of species all changed the words or feelings expressed through the gift. Hence, the Victorian ladies and gents had a lot of possibilities as to how to communicate with one another secretly throughout the 1800s and early 1900s.
However, nowadays, the symbolism of the flowers has mostly changed, their old meanings in conversation forgotten. Each culture has its own purpose for different buds, mostly connected to old traditions and the new religion. The only way we know about the specific meanings of certain bouquets is through literary works from the era.
In Daisy, you can notice a mixture of Victorian-era meanings and the centuries-old Hanakotoba (Flower Words). I mostly try and focus on the latter, as it fits our setting better. The Hanakotoba can get tricky to understand, though. It is meant to convey only emotions, unlike the Victorian floriography. Hence, we can assume that Hinagiku, being a proper lady, has been taught in both meanings of the flowers, and is able to decode the messages being sent to her with only a little difficulty. In most cases, the secret notes are fairly straightforward. Though, some of them do have multiple meanings which make her pause and think. In Victorian times, it wasn’t rare to have a flower which could have different, contradictory, meanings attached to it. This changed depending on the situation, number of buds and arrangement with other flowers. So, the mystery and difficulty of decoding the message make floriography all the more interesting to our protagonist.
Stay tuned for more information, as I will be going over each and every coded message we have seen until today, explaining the different methods of decoding it!
