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Book Review: One Piece, Vol 1: Romance Dawn by Eiichiro Oda

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One Piece, Vol 1: Romance Dawn         

Author: Eiichiro Oda

Publisher: Viz Media

American release date: June 1, 2003

Format/Genre/Length: Paperback/Manga/Action & Adventure/216 pages

Overall Personal Rating: ★★★★★

Reviewer: Julie Lynn Hayes

Just before Gold Roger, the “King of the Pirates”, is beheaded for his crimes, he’s asked for the whereabouts of his treasure. His reply—that it’s still out there in the world somewhere, and free to the person who finds it—triggers the start of a great era of piracy!

A pirate ship has made its base in a small harbor village for the past year. A young boy in the village, Monkey D. Luffy, is determined to be a pirate and go with them on pirate adventures. When they refuse to take him seriously, he shows them he means what he says by stabbing himself beneath his eye! Although they are amazed that he’s done that, nothing changes. Pirate Captain “Red Hair” Shanks reminds him that a pirate has to be able to swim, and Luffy can’t do that—he has a tendency to sink like a stone. Luffy refuses to give up on his dreams, no matter how nicely the pirates try to let him down. He is determined that he shall learn to swim!

When a big blustery mountain bandit named Higuma comes into the tavern and tries to rile up the pirates, they refuse to fight, to Luffy’s dismay. He pegs them as cowards and yells at them. However, when he tries to storm away, he makes a startling discovery—because he stole and ate the gum-gum fruit the pirates took from an enemy ship, his body is now rubbery and stretchy! Furthermore, as the captain informs him to his chagrin, now he’ll never be able to swim!  Oh no!

Luffy has a lot to learn about what constitutes true courage!

Ten years later, his real adventures begin.

Still determined to become the king of the Pirates, Luffy sets out in a small boat, with no real sense of direction but a whole lot of determination. An encounter with a whirlpool leaves him in the company of the pirates of the dread lady pirate Iron Mace Alvida. Here he meets Koby, a timid young man who’s been enslaved by her against his will, and only wishes to join the Navy. Luffy befriends Koby and instills in him a courage and fortitude he’s sorely lacking. After they leave her, Luffy confides that he is assembling a super pirate crew in order to seek Gold Roger’s treasure, known as “One Piece”. He’s heard about a really good swordsman who’s imprisoned at the naval base, named Roronoa Zola, and he’s determined to add him to his crew. Koby is a bit skeptical.

They reach the naval base, which is under the command of Captain Morgan, and his despicable, cruel, effeminate son Helmeppo.  Zolo is a prisoner, tied to a post in the naval yard. But when Luffy approaches him for possible recruitment, he says forget it, it’s only for a month, he can tough it out. Luffy soon discovers that things are not as they appear to be.

Can Luffy rescue Zolo? And even if he does, can he convince him to join his pirate crew? What of the despotic Captain Morgan and his horrible son? Can Luffy help Koby attain his lifelong dream of being in the navy, or will their acquaintanceship put an end to Koby’s chances?

First off, I know, I’m slow at getting to this. That being said, I wasn’t sure what to expect, despite the fact that it’s a long-running series. That doesn’t mean it’s for everyone. I quickly discovered that it’s really quite funny and very entertaining, and I’m looking forward to reading more.

Monkey D. Luffy is quite the character, and a fitting hero for this series. His ability to be rubbery at will, and also to withstand bullets, is pretty cool, and not something you see in your average hero. He’s young and enthusiastic and determined—traits which will carry him a long way. Eiichiro Oda doesn’t play to stereotypes. The pirate captain Shanks isn’t what you’d necessarily expect in a pirate, and neither is his crew. I like the artwork, it matches the story well, even to the exaggeratedly big mouth that Luffy has, a common characteristic I notice in Oda’s characters.

This book is rated for teens, but I think it would be enjoyed by all ages. It’s first and foremost an adventure tale, so there will be fights, but it’s not what I’d call particularly gory. If I have any complaints with the artwork, it would be that his girls tend to look more like boys. But that’s not really a complaint so much as an observation.

I enjoyed the first volume and look forward to reading more. Yes, I know he’s up to like 100 now. Guess I’ll be reading for a while!

Wednesday Briefs: January 10, 2024

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Here is a list of all the authors flashing this week, along with a brief snippet from their latest free work. Click the link after the snippet to be taken to the complete story on the author’s home page.

Bad Karma and the Family Plan #97 (20.6) by Julie Lynn Hayes

“I’m not going to dignify your stupidity with an answer,” Ethan said in a voice filled with disdain. “You’re just a shit-disturber, Chip, and you know it. You think you’re someone special because you killed some poor innocent people and managed to make it into the news. You made headlines all across the country and you even got your picture on  national TV. You made people frightened of you and the idea of what you might do to them.  So they dubbed you the Florida Mangler. You think that’s something to be proud of?” Ethan snorted. “You know that there are serial killers out there a lot smarter than you are. How do I know that? Because they’re still out there and you’re here.” He waved his arms to encompass the small room in which we sat.

“Not for long, dickhead,” Chip replied, but I got the feeling his bravado sounded a little forced.

“You tell yourself that,

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Saturday is Horror Day #147 – Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum, Unfriended: Dark Web

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Reviewer: Julie Lynn Hayes

Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum

Gonjiam Asylum is listed by CNN as one of the seven freakiest places on the planet as well as the creepiest place in Korea. Which makes it a natural attraction for thrill seekers and attention seekers. Especially what is said to be the most haunted place in the asylum – Room 402. So far, no one has gained entry to that room. And some have disappeared in the attempt…

Ha-joon (Wi Ha-joon) is the driving force behind the Horror Times, a web-based horror series. He has a

goal in mind – one million views – not just for the accomplishment but, of course, for the revenue such numbers will generate. And what better place to do this than in the notorious asylum of Gonjian? He assembles a team and makes his plans. While they sneak inside the asylum, he operates the control center and live streams it to his hungry audience.

Everything is ready for a most profitable evening. However not everything is as it seems, as Ha-joon doesn’t believe in leaving things to change. So just maybe everything is not on the up-and-up. Everything is wonderfully scripted with moments of sheer genius when the team genuinely freaks out at what they experience. But just when has everything changed?

I have to say that this is a most creepy and spectacularly horrifying film in every sense of the word. Even when you begin to doubt the reality of what you are seeing, you can sense that the line between what is fake and what is real is thinning all the time until you have no idea what might happen next, or what has actually already happened… and why. The atmosphere is off the charts, the scares are genuine, and yes, I did jump, although most of the scares are far from predictable jump scares. Be prepared for the unexpected because this movie really delivers. You may recognize Ha-joon, as he played the young detective in the Squid Game. Very well done and very genuinely terrifying. I give this film 5 Stars.

Unfriended: Dark Web

Matias (Colin Woodell) is working on an app that will make communication between himself and his deaf girlfriend Amaya (Stephanie Nougueras) better. He seems to be getting nowhere, however, and she is becoming more and more frustrated with him. It doesn’t help that his laptop is crappy, which makes both communication and working on the app difficult. So when he notices a laptop in the lost-and-found for three weeks at the cafe where he works, he seizes the opportunity as well as the laptop.

Of course, he has to figure out how to get into it, since it’s locked. But the answer is surprisingly easy.

He skypes with Amaya to show her the app and what he has done for her, but she remonstrates with him, tells him he’s making it easy for her to understand him but not him to understand her. She leaves the chat and he logs into his friend’s group for a game of Cards Against Humanity. But there’s something odd about the laptop. He asks his friend AJ (Connor Del Rio)who suggests that it’s full. And maybe there are secret files. So Matias does some digging, and what he finds will change their lives forever…

Although the sequel to Unfriended, which I reviewed previously, this is a stand-alone film and doesn’t involve any of the characters from the other movie. I confess to being a little confused at first, not understanding what was happening. It doesn’t help that I found the texting hard to read at times and a little fast. But then everything began to come together, and I found myself fascinated as I watched everything unfold. This is an edge-of-your-seat kind of film. You never know what is real, what isn’t, and what might happen next. Terrible decisions have to be made, ones I would never want to have to make. I enjoyed the acting of everyone, they were all believable, as was the script and the direction. Be aware that there are four alternate endings. I watched them all. Well done. I’ll give this film 4.5 Stars.

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Wednesday Briefs: January 3, 2024

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Here is a list of all the authors flashing this week, along with a brief snippet from their latest free work. Click the link after the snippet to be taken to the complete story on the author’s home page.

Broken Path, Starless Tail: Chapter Thirty-one by Cia Nordwell
 

“How in the hell would I have an appointment? Do I look like I have an appointment? Or know how to get an appointment?” Everyone else he’d met in this damn place had called him human or gawked at him.  

“No one sees the Mages without an appointment,” the golem intoned.  

“Make an exception. This is important. I—”  

The golem cut him off. “No exceptions.”  

There should always be exceptions. People in power were always about isolating themselves from those who had problems and actually needed help. It pissed him off, and the power he’d just learned he had

 
 

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Saturday is Horror Day #146 – Saw III

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Reviewer: Julie Lynn Hayes

Saw III

Detective Eric Matthews (Donnie Wahlberg) awakens to find himself in quite the predicament – chained inside of a bathroom. But not just any bathroom, one that was obviously the scene of a horrific crime. Blood smeared everywhere, dead men grotesquely displayed. And the only tool he can reach is a hacksaw. He furiously saws at his chains, but to no avail. And then he spies what was clearly someone else’s solution to the dilemma. The question is, can he do the same thing?

Lynn (Bahar Soomekh) is a doctor whose marriage is clearly suffering, but she doesn’t seem to have the stamina or the will to deal with the estrangement between herself and her husband. She leaves for her night shift at the hospital, her husband’s last words ringing in her ears – “I want a divorce”. At work, she can’t seem to focus on what she should and is told to go home. But Lynn is unexpectedly kidnapped by a strange figure and wakens to find herself in her own precarious predicament. She has a deadly contraption fastened about her neck and the rules of this strange game are explained to her – she must keep John Kramer alive or Lynn will die!

John Kramer (Tobin Bell) has a new protegee, former junkie Amanda (Shawnee Smith) who is assisting him in his games. She has kidnapped Lynn to keep John alive. She has also kidnapped a man named Jeff (Angus Macfadyen) who is grieving over the loss of his son, killed in an accident. He is set to undergo tests of his own, under Amanda’s watchful eye, and just maybe he will be able to take his revenge on the man who killed his son. Let the games begin.

The third installment in the Saw franchise may just be the best one yet. Beneath the surface story of bloody violent games, Saw III is about revenge vs forgiveness. There is a lot going on here beneath the surface, as well as the usual scenes of violence and gore. Makes you think about what you would do if you found yourself in a similar situation. I really enjoyed this film. I’ll give it 4.25 Stars.

Wednesday Briefs: December 27, 2023

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Here is a list of all the authors flashing this week, along with a brief snippet from their latest free work. Click the link after the snippet to be taken to the complete story on the author’s home page.

A Game Grumps Christmas by Julie Lynn Hayes

The halls were decked, the mistletoe hung, the Christmas tree fabulous with sparkling ornaments and glittering tinsel, and yet the Hanson-Avidan household wasn’t exactly stuffed with good will to men. Danny sighed for the thousandth time. He paused in curling a bright gold bow to go on another present for his spouse, Arin. This would be their first Christmas as a married couple, although they’d celebrated many such occasions together in the past as single friends. Danny had had such high hopes for this holiday, but Arin was throwing up his yearly fuss. And what was the cause of such perturbation on the part of one half of the popular Youtubers, the Game Grumps?  What else – Jingle Grumps, of course.

It’s not that Arin had no desire to play the Christmas-oriented games

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Saturday is Horror Day #145 – As Above, So Below

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Reviewer: Julie Lynn Hayes

As Above, So Below


Scarlett (Perdita Weeks) is tormented by the suicide of her father in pursuit of his life’s work – the search for the philosopher’s stone. Following in his footsteps, she finds a clue that she believes will lead her to find what he did not. She calls upon the expertise of her ex, George (Ben Feldman) who reluctantly helps her. Her clue calls for her to enter the catacombs beneath the city of Paris, where millions of bones repose. George agrees to accompany her team only so far, but refuses to enter the depths with her. However, circumstances beyond his control compel him to go with them.

A local named Papillon (Francois Civil) knows the catacombs very well, and is persuaded to guide them. 


At first all seems to go well. But they reach a blocked-off tunnel which Papillon refuses to enter, saying that people never come back from there. But again fate intervenes, and they find themselves heading deeper beneath the city, past a sign that reads Abandon Hope All Ye Who Enter. They begin to face things they cannot explain, and their team is losing members. Now they aren’t sure if they can get back to the surface, even though Scarlett has found what she believes to be the stone. Will it be their doom?

 

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this film, but I was pleasantly surprised. Basically, it’s like Dante’s inferno, where they must descend through the nine levels of hair before they can emerge, must face their demons… and some will be found lacking. It’s stylish and well edited and photographed. There is plenty of suspense and horror and mystery. I confess, I had to look it up to discover the Dantean implications. But what is repeated is As above, so below. And you have to go down to get out. All in all, I think it was well done and worth a watch. I’ll give this film 4 Stars.

Wednesday Briefs: December 20, 2023

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Here is a list of all the authors flashing this week, along with a brief snippet from their latest free work. Click the link after the snippet to be taken to the complete story on the author’s home page.

 Broken Path, Starless Tail: Chapter Thirty by Cia Nordwell
 

“To rest you need to sleep. If you want me to sleep now, you need to wake me up so I can take a turn,” Beckett argued stubbornly.  

“We are pretty far from the city. Unless they also have a dragon, I doubt they could catch up before midday tomorrow, and we won’t sleep past dawn.”  

“So, sleep here together?” Beckett wasn’t against that. It was clear, the actual stars shining over them in a thick blanket in the dark sky. He would probably stay awake from shivering if he wasn’t curled up under Valrinda’s wing in a cozy pocket
 

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Saturday is Horror Day #144 – Patient Zero, Deadstream

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Reviewer: Julie Lynn Hayes

Patient Zero

The world is struck by a virulent pandemic which resembles rabies, but is far worse and far more deadly. So far there is no cure. Morgan (Matt Smith) is an unusual case in that he was bitten but not turned. Also, he can translate the strange new unintelligible language of the “infected”. The military uses him to question infected prisoners in hopes of finding Patient Zero and put an end to this madness. While not military himself, Morgan has a personal reason to find a cure – his wife Janet (Agyness Deyn) is one of the victims and is currently being held in the facility where Morgan works, alongside Dr. Gina Rose (Natalie Dormer) and his assistant Scooter (John Bradley).

Colonel Knox (Clive Standen) is does not have the same patience as Morgan, and displays a distinct lack

of empathy for the infect, causing the two men to often butt heads. Morgan gives the infected he talks to nicknames, generally based on musicians he likes, such as Joe Cocker and Pete Townsend. One man they bring in has been dubbed The Professor (Stanley Tucci) and he seems different from the rest, not showing the same antipathy to music the others have. Could he be Patient Zero?

Morgan loves his wife, but he’s only human. He and Gina find themselves drawing closer and closer, leading to the inevitable. In a world filled with uncertainty, how such a relationship thrive? Especially when Morgan still loves his wife and wants to find a cure for her and the others. But that entails finding Patient Zero.

To be honest, I was going to turn this one off, not because it was bad or I didn’t like it, but it’s so dark and depressing. But I reasoned that since I hadn’t seen Stanley Tucci yet, I’d wait. And once I did, I couldn’t stop watching. Yes, this is rather dystopic, so don’t look for rainbows and kittens here, but it’s an interesting study of human nature under extreme pressure. We’ve been through COVID, so we know about pandemics – this one is far worse. I was interested in seeing Matt Smith as someone other than Doctor Who, and thought he did well, as did Natalie Dormer, who you might remember from The Tudors and Game of Thrones. Stanley Tucci – well, look him up if you don’t know him. He’s done a lot. This film kept me riveted till the end, so I’ll give it 4 Stars.

Deadstream

Shawn Ruddy (Joseph Winter) was a popular video streamer who did something stupid and was banned for a while. But six months have passed and he’s back and ready to go! His specialty has always been to exploit his weaknesses as a human being through his videos. But there is one venue he hasn’t challenged yet and he’s going to do it now, by live-streaming from a haunted house! He finds a house that isn’t so famous they’ll kick him out for trespassing and beings to stream. Knowing how weak he is, he takes precautions to prevent himself from taking the easy way out, such as throwing a couple of spark plugs from his car into the woods, padlocking the front door after he enters and throwing the key where it isn’t easy to reach… His viewers seem divided between supporters and hecklers, but he doesn’t mind, sure he’ll win the skeptics over.

Shawn has cameras set up all over, and besides his own supplies, his mother has given him a few things to take, including holy water. Supposedly a number of people have died in this house, supposedly killed by a ghost named Mildred, who hung herself after the man she loved and wooed with her poetry died. Shawn sets a few ground rules for himself to his viewers, including no running away, and if he hears a noise, he has to check it out, which goes against his grain as a scaredy cat. But as he begins to tour the house, he does hear things, and he isn’t sure what he is hearing, or what we are seeing. Until everything becomes all too real…

To be honest, I didn’t know what to expect here, but it wasn’t this. There is definite scary and creepy

vibes, especially when you think you see things the main character doesn’t. I played it back a few times to make sure I wasn’t seeing things, and I wasn’t. I knew from the outset when he threw out the spark plugs and padlocked the door that this would all come back to bite him in the butt and it did! I jumped more than once, and although Shawn is not particularly likeable, he does grow some as a person during the film. I am a big fan of found footage films, and I think this was a pretty good one. Low budget doesn’t have to mean low quality, and I think this one was well done. It was also written by Joseph Winter and his wife Vanessa. Well done! I give this film 4 Stars.

Book Review: The Sea of Grass by Conrad Richter

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The Sea of Grass     

Author:  Conrad Richter

Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf

American release date:  January 1, 1961

Format/Genre/Length: Hardback/Western Fiction/149 pages

Overall Personal Rating: ★★★★

Reviewer: Julie Lynn Hayes

Hal lives with his uncle, Jim Brewton, on his uncle’s large ranch in New Mexico. But the life he enjoys is shredded when his uncle decides to take a wife, a young woman from St. Louis by the name of Lutie. Hal resents that because of this new wife, he is being sent to school in Missouri, torn from the land he loves. A telegram is received that announces her arrival in Salt Fork a day early. Hal can’t find his uncle, so has no choice but to pick Lutie up at the train station himself.

Half expecting to see a brassy, overly madeup woman, Hal is surprised to discover Lutie is the opposite. Even as young as he is, he realizes there is something about her, a sort of light, that draws people to her. When she inquires about her intended husband, Lutie is told he’s probably at the courthouse. Hal thinks that going there is a waste of time, since they’ll never be able to get in because it’ll be so packed with people clamoring to see the trial that is currently being held. But she proves him wrong, and they are given seats inside the courtroom, although Jim isn’t to be seen.

The case in question involves a shooting by a couple of Jim’s hands of a nester, a term used to refer to people who come out to the area to build their homes and start new lives. Everyone in the courtroom is respectful to Jim as he enters the room. Everyone but Brice Chamberlain, the district attorney, whose sympathies clearly lie with the would-be homesteaders. Hal’s uncle wins the case and they leave, but the DA has a few words for him.

Hal hates his school and misses the ranch, and the first chance he gets, he runs back to it. The ranch has changed greatly in his absence, all due to Lutie’s influence. But even Hal can see something in Lutie’s eyes that cries out. The solitary life doesn’t suit her, she needs people and gaiety in order to shine. People say she will change once she has babies, and babies she has – three of them. Two boys and a girl. One of the boys and the girl are dark-haired and dark-eyed, but the other boy has white-blond hair and blue eyes. Lutie does not seem to have changed, thougn, and when the children are still very young, she confides to Hal that she is leaving. Or running away, as some might say. She also says Jim knows.

Hal drives Lutie to the station. Jim is there, looking grim. It seems as though everyone is convinced that Lutie is mot leaving alone, and they are all looking for someone in particular to leave with her. Hal sees the DA, who is still his enemy, but the man doesn’t come near, and the train leaves without anyone having shown up to accompany Lutie. But Jim waits at the station anyway, even once the train has gone, to see if perhaps Chamberlain will take the next train to go after Lutie. But he never shows up, and now Lutie is all alone… and life goes on.

This is a book about people against the backrop of the rather divisive range wars – cattle ranchers against farmers. Jim Brewton represents what will become a dying breed – the gentleman rancher. While it’s true he runs a lot of acreage, it’s also true that a great deal of it actually belongs to the government and he does not hold title to it. That makes the settlers’ request to farm there seem more reasonable with their government-given 160 acres. But, as Jim points out, this land is not suitable to farming, and he turns out to be right.

Jim didn’t marry until later in life, and when it comes to Lutie, she can do no wrong. Even when she leaves him, he is nothing but patient, sending Hal to Denver to give her money after the cowardly Chamberlain is a no-show. Hal doesn’t catch on until years later why the third son, Brock, is so different, but it isn’t hard to see that he’s an affair baby. Even so, Jim treats him no differently tan the others, even when Lutie never sends for them or contacts them.

This novel touched me on different levels. Well-written, it captures the soul of its characrters, and the turbulence of those times. A movie was made starring Katherine Hepburn, Spencer Tracy, and Melvyn Douglas. I haven’t seen it in years but I intend to watch it soon. I enjoyed this book a great deal and would recommend it, especially if you like character-driven stories.