Semi-Perpetual Book-Reading Blog, 2022

[Quatermass]

BOOK 158

One Piece New World 79-80-81 by Eiichiro Oda.

At last, I come to the end of the Dressrosa arc of One Piece. But how would it fare? Let’s find out…

In the desperate struggle to save the people of Dressrosa, Luffy barely manages to beat the cruel Donquixote Doflamingo, former World Noble-turned-pirate and tyrant of Dressrosa. Luffy and his allies must depart from the kingdom, though, and track down their friends. But when they come across the Mink kingdom of Zou, a country of animal people on the back of a giant elephant, they learn that not all of their crewmates are present…

Again, One Piece’s surreal nature and juvenile humour works against it. All that comes at the expense of plot. Plus, this omnibus volume is a bridge, a transition between the Dressrosa arc and the Whole Cake Island arc, so it feels like it’s laying down the groundwork for that.

Still, the Dressrosa arc ends on a decent note. What’s more, we get some more worldbuilding in the form of the Minks, as well as a startling revelation about Sanji’s past. Not only that, but we finally see one of the strongest characters in the series, Kaidou, making his debut in darkly comedic fashion.

Overall, this was a good, but not stellar end to one arc, and an intriguing beginning to another. Here’s hoping it picks up…

****

 

[Quatermass]

BOOK 159

Encyclopaedia Eorzea: The World of Final Fantasy XIV III, by Banri Oda et al.


The first couple of volumes of the Encyclopaedia Eorzea were enjoyable enough. But how would the third such volume in this tie-in to Final Fantasy XIV fare? Let’s find out…

Dark and shocking revelations abound about the past of not only Eorzea, but the cosmos at large. This volume, then, tells the tales of these truths. About the Ancients, about the Endsinger, and about the legacy they leave to this day…

I have to admit, one of the problems with these works is that the detail is not just exhaustive, but exhausting. Plus, as mentioned before, those not familiar with the Final Fantasy franchise in general, and Final Fantasy XIV in particular, will find it hard to get into. It certainly felt like too much minutiae of the worldbuilding were crammed in, and not enough of the plot.

Still, for what it’s worth, these books still showcase the sheer effort put into the worldbuilding of the game, and this volume continues that trend. It’s gorgeously-presented, and there’s plenty of interesting revelations about the backstory of the game. And it’s always a delight to see references to past games in the franchise.

This volume of the Encyclopaedia Eorzea, while pretty good, nonetheless was fatiguing to read and less interesting than the prior volumes. A shame, really…

****