Group Collab || One Piece Of Us

One Piece; could be a treasure that’s being sought, a thrilling adventure to explore and enjoy yet the meaning behind the word varies to individuals. It has been a well-known series, be it anime or non-anime fans. It’s no wonder how this series is not just a story about a young pirate who wanted to explore the great sea to achieve his dream but it is something more inspiring that has left a mark to its viewers. It has something more than meets the eye and its eminent reputation has brought nakamas who wanted to explore to find their own treasure, explore their capabilities or just simply enjoy. ‘One Piece of Us’, defining oneself can feel daunting sometimes, yet inspiration spark when you see reflection of yourself in someone else. It gives you this sense of connection and often relates to the personality you have, thus, as part of our first launch, we, in AA Nakama will share ‘a piece of us’, to tell you something more about us and why we chose these characters to represent us.

#GrandNakama

OPL and Banners: Thanks to Lorida for the astounding edits 🫶

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Jeongmin Choi

ReinPhilippines

I chose Jeongmin because of her distinctive personality and we're like two pieces in a pod. Given that I adore badass, her gaze can take somebody aback, as if she could devour you with a single glance. She is genuinely compassionate, particularly to her mother, boyfriend, and later to her peers. She was an introvert in primary school, and when she got to middle school, she got bullied by an ex-friend. She was dismissive of all she had dealt with, for instance bullying. Regardless of her past incidents, Jeongmin is an extraordinary woman who is capable of manipulating because of their unethical behavior. She became increasingly apprehensive of every act she had to take, making it difficult to control her emotions. Lucid Dreaming proved more beneficial to her in overcoming her resentment and despair towards her bully fellow classmates. I liked her sense of humor much more when she dated Siyun, she has grown into more appealing. She is devoted to Siyun and showed signs of jealousy. She is also strong-willed, but in an inaudible manner. I'm still not recovered from her possessive mentality and the fact that she becomes frosty when distraught.

I felt sorry for Jeongmin, who had experienced a lot of unnecessary things in her school days. But then the story unfolded, it became more complicated, her possessiveness and her mentality worsened because of Lucid Dreaming. I got distracted especially by her family, her dad's drunken bastard who hurt his wife physically. It was satisfying that her father died in a car accident so that her mother could live peacefully. My questions run deep in the storyline and I'm gripped by them considering their psychotic nature and possession. The manhwa is currently underway. I definitely suggest Dreaming Freedom if you enjoy obsessive characters.

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Princess Yona

JiShin

As someone not fond of bright colors, red is far from anything that might have caught my interest, yet this lady in red has managed to captivate even my discerning nature. She might have initially given the impression of a damsel in distress, yet she’s far from that. She’s a character who showed me that with determination and perseverance, even a powerless lady like her could fight for her principles. Her character development in the series gives me this feeling that even if she’s a fictional character who is being written by another person, yet for me, she feels real as if I am watching someone so special to me.

“I fight so I can survive. I have no desire to bow down to unjust power.”

As a princess, there’s nothing she could ask for more as she has everything yet it is being taken for granted until she was placed in a situation where she had to let go of her comfortable life and run away to save her life. There was no one she could lean on except her childhood friend Hak who protected her until she was strong enough to defend herself. It was not an easy journey for a sixteen-year-old girl yet she persevered. Yona’s temperament is why I have grown to love her character as I see myself in her; I can relate to her. We may not have the same experience in life but the way she carried herself through everything she has been through gives me this sense of connection.

As I watch Yona’s character development, from a helpless young princess to a courageous woman, it’s like watching myself as I face the challenges I have encountered in life, the only difference is that she has Hak, Yoon and the four dragons. Also, she could exact revenge on Soo-won for what he did yet she did not, as she viewed the bigger picture rather than cloud her judgment with her emotions. She was hurt and betrayed, yes, but she chose to let go of the past and focus on things that mattered more, and for that, she earned my respect. Explaining further as to why I am so attached with her would take a while as I simply love everything about her character. If there’s a character that I could say moved me so much, it would be Yona, thus she’s the character I would always pick if I were to choose a character.

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Rukia Kuchiki

Asa

I bet my closest friends would think I’m more than capable of choosing Osamu Dazai because of my countless ‘feelings’ for him. Months after creating this account, I never cease to incorporate my love for Dazai because I truly, inevitably, endlessly and thoroughly love him from the bottom of my heart, for a billion reasons. However, this time, I want to advocate for this wonderful femme fatale I lately came across with.

Recently, life has been a string of mental struggles but Rukia has put my lights on. I always feel this magnetic force pulling me to encounter such honourable series I’ve known since forever but struggled to dig through. Good thing, I yielded to urges and finally started watching Bleach, and there wasn’t any better time to savour it than now.

R is for Reliable. The fantastic relationship between Ichigo Kurosaki and Kuchiki Rukia gave me a tree of glee. Their chemistry grew deeper and deeper after Rukia saved him from a Hollow and Kurosaki came to be a Substitute Soul Reaper. And when it was time for Kurosaki to do the same, it formed a silver lining of hope amidst the chaos. Their reliance and trust is top-notch. Rukia is reliable. She made sure that every day is another opportunity to start again. When Kurosaki had an inner problem concerning his “Hollowfication”, she lifted him up and inspired him. She, along with the others, came to aid Kurosaki to save Inoue in the Hueco Mundo Arc.

U is for Unique. Kuchiki Rukia’s uniqueness is what motivated me to select her as my wiki profile counterpart. One of my favorite attributes of her is her deep regards for her friends. During the Soul Society Arc, Rukia has been sentenced to prison that led Kurosaki to go against Renji and Byakuya. It scared Rukia knowing it endangered Kurosaki so she had to leave the world she was beginning to be attached to. Her thoughts allowed me to share the same hopeless feelings for how come a celestial being, ever so powerful and mighty, can’t be able to touch the ground she felt greater fulfilment on.

K is for Kind. During her imprisonment, she had to fend for herself and for the well-being of those who tried to rescue her. Rukia’s kindness is so adorable. She brings a sense of justice to her friends, she puts other people before her, and she helps people a lot. I think that’s also the reason why Renji admired her too.

I is for Independent. Her sense of independence is to look out for as well. During childhood, she helped Renji and the other kids dig resources for food. Their life wasn’t easy but together, they became strong. Rukia’s life experience was what led her to join to be a Soul Reaper.

A is for Admirable. Finally, I chose Rukia because she is admirable. Perhaps the reason for my decision is because I do really look like her. I used to have short black hair and what’s more is that we shared the same height. Seeing her fighting for what’s right makes me proud because I could have seen myself doing the same in another universe.

Rukia’s reliability, uniqueness, kindness, independence and being admirable are the bases of my determination to select her.

Oh to have your own Renji Abarai!

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Allen Walker

Kaito

I decided to go with one of my favorite anime protagonists of all time, Allen Walker. I'm certainly not talking about a famous DJ or music producer. Rather, I'm here to talk about D. Gray Man’s protagonist, Allen Walker. Every work under the Shounen genre revolves around an underdog who's most likely the main character; their journeys are brought up with a rocky start with the motive of successfully touching a dream, wherein they start off as underdogs because it gives a baseline for a cascade of elevating events and gives more space to develop them as a character. Obviously, one can improve and become a top dog after achieving something or if the writer feels the need to revise and add essential changes. There can be various reasons leading to the changes, but the execution of catchy suspense and anticipation is very crucial while the changes occur, which is why I believe Allen Walker is executed perfectly as a protagonist, his regular monologue involved around helping the weak and not letting the evil expand, yet he finds himself in a dilemma where his dark side occurs. This wasn't supposed to be a pun about one of Alan Walker's songs, but it turned out that way; nonetheless, Allen Walker found himself unable to control his body, which was followed by an enthralling series of events clashing within Allen Walker's dark side and everyone who surrounded him including himself.

The abrupt and onset change of the characteristics of a character, in a high contrast always makes them prone to complexity and hard to deduce, which was evident in the case of Allen Walker, especially when his righteous side kept trying to validate its perspective on saving humanity and not wanting to commit any regretful decisions hand in hand with the regurgitation of the evil brewing within him. It was an emotional burnout watching Allen Walker fight his seemingly dormant inner demons suddenly resurfacing, until he emerged from the scene and created a mystery which furthermore elevated the experience for me. His existence just made the anime more engaging. And I certainly found myself in a pickle after seeing the effects it had on him; he was close to my heart, which shows how perfectly he was executed as a main lead, since I smiled whenever he was smiling, and I was stressing whenever he turned evil; nonetheless, he never ceases to amaze me.

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Masanosuke Akitsu

Niream

When first asked to select a representative character, I was at a loss. Perhaps I was taking it all too seriously (as I often do), but with so many characters I adore and many others I relate to, I found myself torn on whether to choose the character I felt best represented me or the one I simply liked the most. However, I ultimately selected a character that was representative of one of my all-time favourite anime and manga: the timid ronin Masanosuke Akitsu from House of Five Leaves.

One of House of Five Leaves’ greatest defining strengths is its multifaceted cast, with Masa being a deceptively complex character despite his straightforward and naive nature. Initially shadowed by Yaichi’s charisma and the mystery surrounding the other members of the Five Leaves, it is easy to think of him as an afterthought despite being the window through which we experience everything in the story and the primary helm we use to explore the characters. However, he grows on you slowly, and it is how deeply and naturally his character roots itself within the reader over time that makes me appreciate him so much.

Much like how Masa slowly becomes more comfortable in himself and finds a place of belonging within the Five Leaves as the series progresses, I came to feel more at home with his character as time passed and found myself completely enamoured by the end. By my third reread, I considered him my favourite character within the series, and he became somewhat of a comfort amongst the deception and uncertainty strewn throughout the story.

His many qualities possess an inherently loveable duality and always made him a pleasant character to follow, even if he views those qualities in a negative way and wishes to change. A coward who will never run when it matters most; an awkward conversationalist who lacks tact but always manages to say the right things at the right time; a skilled swordsman with a shy personality unfitting of a samurai; and a self-conscious man lacking confidence who manages to stay true to himself.

This is Masanosuke. A deeply flawed individual who fears never changing but manages to mature and grow with each passing page. His moral conflict in joining the criminal sect of Five Leaves and finding a place of belonging there is fascinating to follow. While there are many aspects of his character I relate to, I find it is how harrowingly human he feels in all his flaws, fears and nuances that pioneers my connection to him (which can be majorly attributed to Fuyumi Ono’s excellent character writing). What Masa lacks in memorability and charisma, he makes up for in heart, and I couldn’t love him more for it.

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Silvers Rayleigh

Jhin

I chose Rayleigh because he's a badass. Seriously, even though I'm currently still watching One Piece slowly, I just got introduced to this amazing character in the anime and I instantly liked him. Rayleigh appears as a fierce, empathetic character who truly values the morals of a pirate and is willing to do everything for his crew and captain. Going into the past of Rayleigh, he was the Vice-Captain of the king of the pirates Gol D. Roger and you can certainly tell how much of an importance he would be to his captain to be the Vice-Captain in the crew. Coming into the present, at the point, I am currently where in Rayleigh shows up to assist the strawhat pirates and guide them into their adventures for the future. During some of the episodes, he gives us a brief explanation of the downfall of Roger's crew despite how most of them have succeeded into their own crews in the future. Rayleigh explains to us calmly how the king of pirates was executed in Loguetown and how he scattered them before doing so, making the government tell the world how they captured him while in reality he shows how he turned himself in.

The way of explaining this whole story gives you the idea of a strange and mysterious event that happened during that time and him being there to witness it but unwilling to talk fully about it. It's understandable how he refuses to talk about the One Piece as it would be a huge spoiler for the anime at such early episode and by the looks of it, he is to be a really important character in a future arc for the development of the main characters (yes I've seen spoilers). Personally, this character gives me the idea of someone who is so strong to be messed with but also kind hearted to not mess with others unless necessary and that's what makes him the best besides his wisdom and his charisma as a character.

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Nico Robin

Miyo

I have always thought that I am like Kanoroji Mitsuri from demon slayer, her bubbly personality and her innocence always was on highlight. A kind heart who was struggling to fit in society but as soon as she found the right circle, she never backed away from expressing herself. She loves food as I do but although these things exist, one thing for sure is, I couldn’t relate with her past. Some may find it controversial but I wanted to look out for a little more angst in the back story so why not go with the fan favorite, The devil's child Nico Robin.

Nico Robin is someone who I can relate to, her emotions, her vision. The Nico Robin in Enies lobby was just me, willing to sacrifice for people but not wanting to show it. Her desire to be alive yet ready to die was too relatable. Her unhinged remarks sometimes make me feel yes that will be so me. Nico Robin has taken my heart for this. She is quirky yet innocent at the same time. I believe that Nico Robin will represent me better as I emerged in various skills just to be acknowledged, like she learned how to read poneglyph so that her mother would acknowledge her.

Nico Robin was always aware of her skills unlike Nami, she never shied away from fight. Her love for cute things is just like me who is fond of something cute and adorable while maintaining a strong aesthetic. Apart from that, I believe that Nico Robin has excellent social skills just as much as required. As Nico Robin is misunderstood by many as rude, I do relate it with her hence, Nico Robin and I can somehow bring voices together if I understand her. Her love for fellow straw hats and her devotion to her captain is the same as my devotion for my cause and values. Her truth and her honesty is finally what made me settle her as my character.

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Roy Mustang

DoNUT

Ahh, my good ol’ buddy Roy Mustang, what do I have to say about you mate. I’ma start right off the bat, Roy Mustang might not be the most complex or best written character in the anime, manga and such that I have consumed throughout my entire life but screw that because there is a reason why people separate their favorites from the best thing they have seen and it’s the same for me too.

Honestly speaking, the thing that sold me on Roy Mustang was his powers and in particular, the *snap* element of his powers. One of the best ways of showing off absolute authority and sheer badassery in fiction is snapping your fingers (I mean Thanos eradicated half of living beings in the universe in a single snap so yes, it is so damn badass). I love the concept of snapping so much that I have developed my snapping prowess that in the right conditions, my snaps can be as loud as a vacuum cleaner (I kid you not, I measured it and the result came in as 80 decibels) and I have Roy Mustang to thank for that. As insignificant as that might be, it is still something that has a personal connection for me.

I said at the beginning that Roy Mustang “might not be the most complex or best written character” but he is damn well-written even for anime and manga standards. Even though he is overpowered for the universe that he is in, Roy is still a human being. At first, he might seem like a one-dimensional character but as the series progresses, you get to see other sides of him. He is not a paragon of virtue due to him making ethically questionable commands such manipulation and the “killing when necessary” character but he is also not a morally corrupt individual because all of his actions are for the broader goal of “justice” and to me, this is one of the many things that makes him human.

Something else that makes him human is he feels different emotions. Two of the most iconic moments in all of anime shows off just that. “Ah, it looks like it’s beginning to rain” is one of my favorite anime moments of all time because it exhibits that this cunning and calculated Colonel can also feel sorrow and grief and to be honest, whenever I go back and rewatch Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood, it still gives me goosebumps. “Roy’s Rage Unleashed” (I’m calling it that), is another moment that is forever immortalized in the anime community as one of, if not the best “rage” scene in all of anime because you get to see him as this vicious, ruthless man consumed by vengeance seeking to kill the very individual that caused the rain. To me, these moments show off the humanity in Roy Mustang.

I can still go on for days talking about his man because I just love him like that. Roy Mustang is my favorite character not just in anime but in all of fiction and there is nothing that would change that.

“No, it’s raining all right”

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Knowing oneself and being able to discern yourself and relate to someone's demeanor just means you know yourself more than you notice it. We are often fascinated and drawn to individuals who reflect ourselves or someone whom we aspire to be. With that being said, our Nakamas have brought themselves and shared something about their individuality to impart their naked selves thus ‘One piece of Us’ has come to fruition. Before we conclude this blog, we, the Nakamas, would be glad to see a piece of you. Is there any character you can think of that you can say ‘Ah, I see myself with this character or I wish I am like this character or something along those lines?’