One Piece. I first read this manga when I was a little kid, and since then I've graduated from university but I still read it.
I've always loved Usopp, but nobody else seemed to like him. So when my friends would get
One Piece figures and gashapons and always say things like,
"Aw, it's Usopp. Here Tominon, you can have it."
"Ugh, Usopp again? Tominon, have it."
And I ended up with a bunch of free Usopp stuff.
It's great............ I think?
And so, today we have for you a
One Piece figure.
"If anyone wishes to come along...
Be ready to lose your life!"
Bam!
Excellent Model Portrait.Of.Pirates One Piece Series NEO-DX 'Whitebeard' Edward Newgate
Yes! It's Whitebeard!!!
The strongest man in the world, Whitebeard is now a member of the Excellent Model series!
He just looms over you with immense presence...
This is a great reproduction of his massive build, several times larger than your average person.
Would you believe that this is
over one foot in height?
And his weapon is
Almost 20 inches!!! This is amazing!
Whitebeard is
the strongest pirate in the world who matched Roger in a fight, and
the strongest man in the world who reigns supreme over the Golden Age of pirates.
You can see that just in this figure!
It's no wonder Shanks is still considered a "kid" after seeing the great Whitebeard.
And his crescent-shaped trademark beard is just dandy.
His weapon, the bisento, is carefully crafted with attention to detail.
His coat is removable.
The mark of the Whitebeard Pirates!
This hides under the cape when it's on, but they didn't skimp here either.
Just as we did
last time, let's compare him to Luffy.
Like this!
o_o
Um...
Uh...
o_O
He's huuuuuge!
He's taller than even
Jinbei!
What intensity... Put him by the front door and he'll surely ward off solicitors and weirdos. (This theory has not been tested.)
(Picture of Excellent Model Luffy/Jinbei for reference)
Whitebeard's name, Edward Newgate, comes from Edward Teach/Thatch, the notorious Blackbeard, and Newgate Prison.
His character was inspired by the master of a bar Oda used to frequent, who was just as wild.
Like Whitebeard, he was a heavy drinker and even continued drinking in his hospital bed.
A lot of characters in
One Piece are actually modelled after real people and pirates.
Here are some famous ones:
Kizaru - Kunie Tanaka, a famous Japanese actor
Aokiji - Yusaku Matsuda, another famous Japanese actor
Akainu - Toru Minegishi, yet another famous Japanese actor
Hancock - Thomas Hancock (male), the man who loved rubber and founded the industry
Ivankov - Dr. Frankenfurter of
The Rocky Horror Picture Show, and Norio Imamura, an actual crossdresser
Hogback and Cindry - Japanese comedy duo Nankai Candies
Hina - Angelina Jolie
Jango - Michael Jackson
Lucci - Ritchie Blackmore
It's said that you should use real people as a guide to making characters.
Through observing them and the way they act and speak, the characters probably become more realistic.
Oda often mentions the origins of his characters in SBS, a Q&A column in manga volumes, so check them out if you're interested.
This sometimes funny, sometimes serious column really shows how much Oda cares about his work and his audience.
It's sure to increase your enjoyment of the
One Piece world.
...I think I'll stop here before I get too carried away! ^o^
Excellent Model Portrait.Of.Pirates One Piece Series NEO-DX 'Whitebeard' Edward Newgate
Preorders open now!
Don't forget to check out the other Excellent Model series!
- Tominon