Art What I Like: One Piece Is Awesome, Example #18

Following the ending of the Baroque Works saga, the heroes of Eiichiro Oda's One Piece set off for further adventure, which prompts the question of how to follow up such a long and satisfying storyline. With the long buildup that stories can require in this series, will we get bored and wonder when it's going to get good again? Well, here's Oda's way of getting us excited for what's next:



I've mentioned how well Oda uses a sense of scale before, and this is a great example. Look at the size of that ship that just suddenly falls out of the sky! That image alone is compelling enough to make both the characters and the readers anticipate answers, and it definitely merits two volumes of the Merry Go crew trying to figure out how to find their way up to a mysterious island in the clouds. That sense of adventure and exploration can be as much of a draw in this series as the emotional relationship drama and the basic goal of following one's dreams, and Oda can pull us right in with his images. He's leading us by the nose, but I for one am ready to follow wherever he wants to go.