One Piece: Ace's Story

This little spin-off to me is a very fun self contained experience and a must read for anyone getting seriously invested into One Piece. It gives us a glimpse into a subplot we never got to fully experience in the main story and because of how it was made, presents a snippet of what an alternate take on our favourite series could've been like. In any case, it's a fun bite sized experience that's definitely worth it! Story-wise, it has all the charm and wonder of One Piece. Plus given it takes place at the start and growing period of Ace's journey, it has that classicfeel of unfiltered hope, childlike joy and pure sense of adventure that early One Piece had. It's also such a nice way to get even closer to Portgas D. Ace, one of most beloved characters in the entire series. This also shows that just like his brother, Ace has all the charm and larger-than-life personality to carry the story as a protagonist. Plus, he's noticeably diverges from Luffy, so it shows a different approach, a wholly different path to becoming Pirate King! Not to mention that this tale lets us spend some more precious time with other vital characters from the story, most notably Whitebeard. Everything with him is thoroughly engaging and this is no exception. Everything you'd expect from a quality One Piece story arc is present here in full force. Amazing action, great character chemistry, emotional heft and that unique sense of humour that only Oda-sensei could bring (even though this wasn't written by him, which is a compliment to the writers, given that they were able to replicate his style so well!). What really makes this manga special though are the visuals. Now, I'm a mad Boichi simp, so I'm more than likely a little bit biased here. I know some people don't like it when other artists draw a famous mangaka's work, but what we have here is something truly unique! It's a different look for One Piece that retains all the charm we know and love but gives it a type of fidelity we've never seen before! Boichi is an incredible artist that I feel is uniquely well suited for the job. His facial expressions are just as exaggerated and wacky as Oda's, but he has that absolutely impeccable technical prowess that, I'm sorry to say, Oda can never replicate, not in a weekly manga at least. It's the perfect blend of realism and stylization. The anatomy of the characters is superbly detailed and visceral. Every muscle, blood vessel and hair strand beautifully rendered. Already shredded characters are made extra ripped! The backgrounds and environments are rich in details, vast and overwhelming, truly conveying the insane scale of many things in this bizarre world. They help create these really somber and melancholic moments that I don't think mainline One Piece has ever been able to evoke in me. The movement is smooth and dynamic, every hit feeling fast and impactful. Devil fruit powers look immense and devastating. The lighting and shading are soft and intricate, giving everything an insane level of texture. Boichi really is a master at all of these things, but his diverse talents also allow him to be insanely adaptable based on the scene before him. He can draw hands, eyes and faces with enough detail and anatomical accuracy to befit a Renaissance painting, but he can also strip the detail away and reduce those same elements to cartoony scribbles when the time calls for it. This really shows why Oda-sensei personally chose Boichi to be the man to take on this task. That and Oda probably found a mangaka that's the exact same pervert that he is, but has all the technical abilities and anatomical knowledge that he lacks to make his characters look extra sexy. Also, it's absolutely insane that Boichi produced all of these absolutely impeccable chapters, not a single panel being half-assed or rushed, all while Dr. Stone was itself still running in Weekly Shonen Jump! I have no idea what kind of alien this Korean madlad is to achieve something like this. Hats off, that's all I can say. In short, the Ace Story is an awesome experience that I believe every One Piece fan needs to check out. It's a charming and emotional story filled with all the classic action, humour and poignant character moments that make this series great. Plus, it's visually stunning and a unique alternate view into what the series could've been like, especially with the fun One Piece remix chapters included in the volume releases. Listen, I've grown to appreciate Oda-sensei's art a lot, don't get me wrong. But I can't help but think - if all of One Piece looked like THIS and had the same insane level of detail and fidelity, while still retaining all the wacky character designs and exaggerated facial expressions - then maybe we (or at least I) would've loved the series even more than we already do. Just a thought to ponder. Be that as it may, I'm just happy this manga exists. Of all the extended media the franchise has to offer, this is probably my favourite. It's an incredible experience like no other and I recommend any One Piece fan checks it out. Just, do it after you catch up to the manga, otherwise the danger of spoilers is too great.