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Jan 23, 5:08 PM

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Apr 2021
255
I like this prequel adaptation.

I hope the other one shots get adapted too.

If anyone didn't know, Monsters was actually a oneshot released by Oda before One Piece.
Jan 24, 10:55 AM

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Dec 2012
1490
Reply to LilyVarbik
I was very confused by the cover art, as I heard this was Zoro's Ancestor, Ryuma, and that guy looks nothing like Ryuma we know. I thought it might be since these pre-dates the release of One Piece. As soon as we saw him though, I knew.
I agree with comments elsewhere that Ryuma seems like a fusion of Luffy and Zoro. I honestly expected his hair to be blue, surprising it's black. More like Zoro though, when he saw what had happened, I knew he would explode. Was giving me flashbacks to the hedgehogs death, or people joking about wasting food.

Shusui being already a black blade at the time of this ONA was surprising. Apparently this isn't the first time he saved people. We'll likely never see him fight whoever the King is then, but if he keeps this up, I see why his grave and sword are a huge part of Wano. Also funny seeing Wano as a wild-wild west place over 800 years in the past (over 800 because I assume Ryuma pre-dates the voice centaury, I might need to check some stuff.)

I agree with chonky cat comments, but I gave 4/5, this was a really good ONA, but for whatever reason I wasn't feeling it though when I knew when Ryuma saw what was going on he would pop off, and i was a bit emotional as Flare is definitely devastated to find the truth. I'm glad they adapted this as O D. A decided to include the character since Thriller Bark and reference further in Wano.
LilyVarbik said:
We'll likely never see him fight whoever the King is then


@LilyVarbik Did you miss the dialogue in the end? Ryuma IS The King.
Jan 24, 3:26 PM
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Jun 2016
56
I remember reading Monster before my 3rd re-read of One Piece many years ago. I found the "Wanted" anthology series it was a part of rough but fun and charming and bursting with Oda's raw and untempered potential. But the short-lived "boss fight" One Piece character Ryuuma who shared the name with the protagonist of Monster was the main reason/attraction for reading. It was also one of those "bottom of the One Piece iceberg" facts never made fully official/canon that you could flex about knowing.

So why make this now? Perhaps the connection to One Piece, which this anime makes the bold statement "Yeah that shit's canon now". Perhaps it was because this year is the 30th anniversary of the original one-shot (by 9 months off but same year). And after all these years of One Piece, it is kind of fascinating and charming to see the early building blocks of Oda's story-telling quirks.

And man are they quite unrefined in this story. I'll forgive him because he ends up honing his craft and makes (one of) THE greatest manga of all time. But as it stands. As a piece of media detached from all of that... I don't really know if this story is really worth telling. Yeah yeah, action sakuga *eyes go awooga* and all that; God of Highschool and JJK Season 1 director Seong-Hu Park knows how to direct good action and does just that. But everything else surrounding anime? It's writing, characters, plotting, and emotions all feel empty. I think that it's because the tone of the anime takes this story as seriously as possible is part of the problem.

Perhaps it worked better as a goofy one-shot drawn in black and white; something that only existed to ever be a prototype. But there's something about the way when this adaptation tries for the serious dramatics, the bold colors, and the wistfully emotional music that overestimates the story it's a part of. It feels really silly for characters we barely get to know and whose stories are either underwritten or unwritten. You go from nonsensical comedy fun times to predictable flat melodrama at the drop of a hat. And you feel the tone of the anime desperately trying to make you care when it's got nothing and done nothing to get you there.

When you get to the part where the villains loudly talk about their heel turn in the open and the one person who most gains to suffer from this realization is in earshot, I struggled to not hit the right arrow key to "yadda yadda" through it. Well I didn't struggle for long because I ended up doing just that for a bit of the last 3rd. I mean I like the way the scene of Ryuuma tries to casually hide it was directed. But that's it. But it's just so painfully and plainly blunt story-telling. It's got NO sauce...

I guess Oda's character design is well adapted and is fun to see in a different style/studio but that's most of the positives. Most else what's good about this short can be summarized with a short trip to sakugabooru. To be appreciated in a more museum-like setting.
Jan 25, 5:01 AM

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Jul 2016
3161
Reply to SouthRzVa
Pretty mediocre overall. Most of the cast was annoying asf and having the villains shouting their evil plans for plot reasons was plain laughable.
Only good things were those two animation cuts with MC beating Captain Hook wannabe and him beheading that dragon.
@SouthRzVa

Odas original work and it showed. He has grown alot as a writer and storyteller since this was made.

Still very nice to see animated.

I wonder if they will do any of the rest of the Wanted collection.
Jan 25, 11:52 AM

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Jan 2016
1453
Reply to Albi-kun
LilyVarbik said:
We'll likely never see him fight whoever the King is then


@LilyVarbik Did you miss the dialogue in the end? Ryuma IS The King.
@Albi-kun after reading a lot of comments elsewhere, I understand this now. I didn't miss the dialogue, but I definitely missed the meaning. Looks like I'm still right though as he's searching for himself hahaha

Jan 26, 11:02 PM

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Sep 2020
5382
WoW !!! It's good. 25 mins flew by.
Jan 27, 2:04 PM
🥊 CHAMPION 🥊

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Apr 2016
23907
nice plot, with action and humour!!!!
Cool minutes when Zoro recived the sword!!!
kekeke
Feb 2, 2:46 PM
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Sep 2021
42
é o piloto para o mangá, parece que vai ser o que vêm adiante....
Feb 2, 3:18 PM

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Nov 2012
2371
MORE!!!
That was a damn tease.
Feb 6, 4:03 AM
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Feb 2021
1
Very bad production
Feb 19, 6:21 AM
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Apr 2017
1
good but too short
Feb 20, 6:45 PM

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Dec 2022
4482
Love it man LOVE IT pretty embarrassing actually went into this totally blind on a whim and had no idea it was about Ryuma. whole time I'm thinking "man, this is really similar to One Piece with the character designs and what not". boy i wish there would have been a hidden camera to catch my expression when that ending hit
Feb 21, 2:10 AM

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Apr 2015
2527
Finally got to see this and having read the One shot, I think this was a pretty good adaptation.
Hopefully more of Oda's one shots can get adapted.
Feb 26, 4:25 PM
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Oct 2019
7469
Damn i wish it was longer...

7/10
Mar 6, 5:27 AM
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Dec 2022
9
good he was somewhat like luffy+zoro personality
Mar 29, 2:21 PM
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Aug 2020
539
A Great ONA for Oda Sensei original Oneshot but it could have been much better in my opinion
May 12, 2:19 PM

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Aug 2019
3131
Ryuma was both badass and a sweetheart
May 14, 1:45 AM
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Dec 2023
47
YOOOO.
This spin off was actually so cool. RYUMA DE KING!!! so cool how we got to see Zoro at the end, I do wish we got to learn more about Ryuma but glad it was expanded upon just a little bit!! Loved how the art style was reminiscent of one piece but still different its own style.
Jul 19, 10:51 AM

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May 2014
2395
This one-shot manga chapter/ep. had potential. It could have turned into something dece, but I am glad Oda went with One Piece. He took the right decision.
Oct 6, 5:21 PM

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Nov 2016
228
Is it a special genre of anime? The staging of the scenes is like the staging of a balagan.
Why does everyone blame the samurai? He didn't blow the horn, the creep just walked away and nobody cared. He blew the horn, broke it and walked away. And it's the samurai's fault.
The villains who tell each other all the backstory in dialogue, just retelling it to each other, even though they were together at the time of these events... Remembering the old days, shouting out their crimes and plans? Why?

It reminds me of a peasant play. There, too, the villain will shout that he is a villain, with all his appearance, words and actions, he will inform that he is evil, so that the spectator will not be mistaken. There, too, the hero is called a hero, and you are told exactly why he is a hero. I can understand why it was popular 150 years ago. But now there's so much cardboard? Is it some kind of postmodern irony? Stylisation? Who can explain this style of storytelling? Is it a kind of banter or parody?
I could explain this kind of chewing as childish, but the limited blood suggests 13+, and that's not exactly children. Is this a specific genre for the 'special' people?
Oct 23, 11:12 AM

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Jan 2013
6931
I love how Ryuma looks up to the "King" not knowing he's the legend himself.

Very predictable story with how this supposed swordsman somehow saved this entire town and only a single girl managed to live.
BUT very enjoyable, I loved seeing Ryuma's backstory and how it ties in with Zoro.

Solid addition to the One Piece franchise.
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It’s time to ditch the text file.
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