Forum - View topicShelf Life - Air Raid
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Megiddo
 Posts: 8360 Location: IL |
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Length? You thought Arlong was long? You were right to quit. Arabasta is nearly 40 episodes itself and Water 7/Ennies Lobby is most likely around 100 episodes as well. As for Arlong, pretty much the fights lasted 2-3 episodes at most... that's rather quick compared to something like... DBZ, Naruto, or Bleach. |
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Agent355
 Posts: 5113 Location: Crackberry in hand, thumbs at the ready... |
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As far as I'm concerned, it's perfectly ok to pick and choose arcs from long running shonen if you're not an uber fan of the particular show. That being said, Arlong Park is where One Piece gets good, huh? Okay, where does that arc start in the manga (I know, now I'm just being lazy!)
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21stcenturydigitalboy
 Posts: 103 Location: Virginia Beach, Virginia |
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IMO, I think the arc right before that is great, too. I think it's pretty fine if you just skip the Usopp arc - just read enough to know who he is and skip the fighting, because that arc is lame. (anime watchers, that's eps 10-19 or so) If you remove that then instead of 'a show with potential that suddenly got bad' you get 'a show with potential that didn't disappoint' |
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erinfinnegan
ANN Columnist
 Posts: 598 |
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On One Piece:
I did that math, too... but either way, a new laptop or all of One Piece? One will last me three or four years and the other will take two years to watch...
Is there Netflix in New Zealand? Or you could read the manga.
Something is funny about the season numbering versus the box numbering.
I was cool with just the first episode and this box set. I'd go back and watch more if I had time. |
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erinfinnegan
ANN Columnist
Posts: 598 |
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On FMP:
I don't hate the FMP dub, but it didn't set my world on fire and I prefer the Japanese track for this release. I liked Tokyo Majin's dub and I didn't even like the show. Five years ago FMP's dub was OK, but by today's standards it's lacking. Sorry I can't get into to more detail, it's just an instinctual like or dislike in this case.
Wait a minute...! $36? I don't have an HDTV or monitor and I use Macs. Can I also upgrade for $36? |
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erinfinnegan
ANN Columnist
Posts: 598 |
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Other Stuff:
Agreed. Baccano! is Shelf Worthy.
Don't worry! It'll happen.
I have to consider the audience of the column. I wouldn't mention other anime titles if I was talking to a non-fan. This site is filled with hardcore fans who will probably pick up on what I'm saying. The inverse is also true, if you've only seen the show I'm reviewing, and I say it's like some other show you've never heard of, it's like a recommendation whether or not I personally loved/hated both show A and show B. (Plus this site has a useful database where you could learn more about both A and B...) Also, many people responded very positively to my anime and non-anime references, so I purposefully continued this behavior. |
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pparker
 Posts: 1185 Location: Florida |
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If I understand correctly, the point would be whether or not your Mac will play Blu-rays, since you have no other option. Assuming so, since you reviewed this title. Maybe I'm confused... you had to play it somewhere. Otherwise, your actual upgrade price for FMP TSR is around $1,500, give or take  .
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Agent355
Posts: 5113 Location: Crackberry in hand, thumbs at the ready... |
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Erin, I love that you take time out to post in the threads and respond to those who critique the critic! It makes me feel like we are all having a conversation.
Now, I want to know what made you cry in Planetes, since it's one of my favorites. 
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Bell02
 Posts: 168 |
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I got into OP a lot earlier than the Arlong arc as well (that many claimed to first get into, also this is because the comic hadn't gotten that far yet. I started reading when the middle of the restaurant arc was going on) I got into it almost immediately (basically chapter 2), I don't remember many other options at the time, and liked it for the gags and upbeat attitudes, along with the creative use of powers. Of course, then I was closer to the demographic age. I think if a person can't get into the comedy of One Piece, then they probably shouldn't bother. It is true that it is action heavy, has incredibly dramatic moments, and big surprises and revelations, I feel the comedic routines sell the characters the best, and what One Piece does best is the characters. So if a person isn't enjoying that, or only watching for the "cool fight scenes" then they need not bother. I also want to say it kind of has a Disney quality of feel, which automatically is going to make people despise it for not always being moody and serious. I think I'm at a point were I don't care if anyone else is reading One Piece or not. It's become one of the world's most beloved comics, it doesn't need to do any proving to anyone. If a person doesn't want to give it a chance than they can just miss out and keep wondering why it is so popular. |
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dtm42
Posts: 14084 Location: currently stalking my waifu |
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Unfortunately, the United States is keeping Nexflix all to itself. Those bastards. As for the Manga of One Piece, not a single store in my home city sells Manga, except for the odd volume of Full Metal Alchemist. So it went from three series to just one (well, part of one), which is sad sad sad. I realise that New Zealand isn't the worst place to be an Anime fan, but I sometimes find myself wishing I was back in America. Gah.
I wrote those, not Seca. |
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Top Gun
 Posts: 4575 |
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Just to chime in on One Piece, I will agree with the previously-stated opinion that the Arlong Arc, which runs from episodes 31-44 or so, represents the high point of the series' early going. When I first started watching the show from the beginning, after seeing the first few episodes of FUNi's dub on Toonami, Arlong Park was the point at which I sat up and said to myself, "Holy shit, this show is going to be an amazing ride, isn't it?" There's some fantastic emotional content in there that really helps to define the main themes of the series as a whole. That being said, however, Arlong is hardly some hinge point where the show goes from "just watchable" to "genuinely good," or anything like that. I found myself engaged even by the first few episodes; while they're not anything special yet, they do introduce the show's particular brand of wacky humor and the singularly unique character that is Luffy, and there are a few moments that hint at greatness to come. In my own opinion, the show starts to hit its stride in the Kuro Arc, which spans episodes 9-17 (or parts of the first and second FUNi boxsets). It hits some of the same themes that the Arlong Arc later covers with more emotional oomph, and it firmly establishes the idea that these characters are not your standard definition of "pirates."
In the end, if you're genuinely curious as to whether or not you want to give the series as a whole a try, I'd recommend at least trying to sit through the first 13 or so episodes, corresponding to FUNi's first boxset. If, by the middle of the Kuro Arc, the show's doing next to nothing for you, then maybe you'd be better off spending your time elsewhere. If even that many episodes seems overwhelming, then you probably shouldn't start watching a series that will most likely easily surpass 800 total episodes in the first place.  As several people have said, One Piece is far more about the journey and the characters that journey on it than any sort of eventual destination; it's definitely an "epic" in the classical sense of the word.
And Erin, please do your best to overlook some of the nonconstructive criticism flying around in here, as difficult as that may be. I'm personally enjoying your style as a whole; it's certainly somewhat different from Bamboo's, but I appreciate your ability to pick out specific scenes and examples to be representative of your overall opinion. Elements like those and the comparisons to other series are very useful to those of us looking for new material. And hey, anyone who gives a One Piece set a Shelf Worthy rating is fine in my book.
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vashfanatic
 Posts: 3489 Location: Back stateside |
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...all of which I've also quit watching, for pertty much the same reasons as I quit One Piece.
Actually, it's a perfectly legitimate reason (as opposed to "excuse"). If a series doesn't have enough going on in each episode that it can waste three or four minutes an episode recapping what you just watched, then the pace has crawled down to molasses level. I realize this is a flaw of most long-running series, in order to keep behind the manga so that you can avoid filler, but that doesn't mean it's something I have to like or tolerate. (note: I've been interested in reading the One Piece manga precisely to see if I still like it when it avoids these techniques) And I'm not saying you can't like it, I'm just saying I don't - at least not anymore - and one can have legitimate reasons to not like a series without meaning that it's bad. Am I being clear? I appreciate the interesting story in the Arlong saga (though I've seen better), it was the pacing in the anime that was my biggest problem. |
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erinfinnegan
ANN Columnist
Posts: 598 |
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The ending! Because it was spoiler[soooooooo happy]!
I went to a friend's house to watch it.
Some people just aren't fans of long format shows. I mean, they can be any genre, but when anime is 150+ episodes it very well may take 30 episodes to get started. Not everyone is in a place in their life where they can enjoy that format of entertainment. I mean, I can't imagine playing a videogame that takes 60 hours to beat! I think your points are very valid, vashfanatic.
This is the internet, after all. Thanks for the compliments! I do read all the responses, but I have three part time jobs (counting this one) so I don't really have time to worry about the nonconstructive bits anyway. |
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doctordoom85
 Posts: 2093 |
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Sorry about that, Erin, I wasn't trying to pressure you specifically into buying One Piece (though that would be great, it's a long series and needs all the support it can get for FUNi to keep releasing it), but the price tag you listed could scare away potential buyers (not that was your intent, of course) so I proposed a cheaper alternative to owning the series. |
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Wyvern
 Posts: 1555 |
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Personally I love the Usopp arc, and wouldn't skip it for the world. I found Usopp to be such an unusual character, especially for an action show, and Kuro is STILL my favorite One Piece villain (even though we haven't seen him in about 400 episodes and probably never will.) But again, different strokes. On the other hand, I would gladly skip the Baratie arc which comes right after it (it's one of the few times where OP falls into "all fights no plot" territory) but I know some people who swear by that arc, so there you go. One of the things about One Piece is that when it first started up, Naruto and Bleach didn't exist. Many fans ended up seeing those two first, then going back and thinking "What's the big deal about One Piece?" I got into it when it was still relatively new (the anime was about 80 episodes in, I think) and I had never seen anything quite like it. These there are a lot more options for long-running shonen, but I still think OP does what it does better than any other current series in its genre. But again, that's subjective. I can easily see how someone else would prefer Naruto or Reborn over One Piece (or Bleach, back when it had a plot.) |
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