This is the biggest anime I'm ever going to review, so hold tight for One Piece.
Okay quick run of the plot; Monkey D Luffy wants to be Pirate King so he gathers a crew and goes in search of the One Piece and is still going over 500 episodes later, there's your plot now lets review it.
After all these years One Piece is still just as good as when it first started and unlike other Shonen Jump shows doesn't fall into an endless cycle of trying to beef up it's story to obscure levels.
Allow me to expand (Joke not intentional)
You see a long series like One Piece is always going to have obvious strengths such as good action and colorful characters, after all one of it's biggest selling points is vivid color themes and creative design, but with such a long time spent on setting up it's characters, it's beginnings couldn't match how well Naruto & Bleach did in the same time period as they didn't spend so long introducing everything and were already doing defining moments in their respective shows such as the Ichigo-Byakuya battle and the Rock Lee-Gaara battle, two of anime's best fight scenes.
But once One Piece got going, it was creating it's own defining moments while the other two were on the decline; even now when Bleach is making it up as it goes along and Naruto is pretty much now called Uchiha, One Piece is still the same since it began in 1997 and that's the big secret to it's success, nothing has changed for the Strawhat Crew but the World around them and they all adapt without losing what made them in the first place.
Luffy, Zoro, Nami, Usopp, Sanji, Chopper, Robin, Franky & Brook have gotten better at what they do but are still the same inside. They don't need impossible jutsu or an ass-pull power up, they just continue doing what they do best. Fairy Tail is the same, in some respects Dragonballz is the same and Pokemon is the same. Status Quo is necessary for a long show's survival and One Piece always nail it, that's why it can still keep going and will probably end another ten years from now.
Final Verdict: I understand that a large long running show is very off putting to most but I still think One Piece deserves a lot of respect regardless. If you are able to devote the time to watching it then give it a try, you won't be disappointed.
This is a follow up to the previous list Top 10 Corrupt Corporate Executives. Inspired by an idea from silvershriek, this list will run down the Top 10 Honest Corporate Executives, this follows the same rules as the last list.
10. Steven Stone from Pokemon
He's not technically in charge of the Devon Corporation but the fact that he's Hoenn's Champion makes him quite the public figure. He also helps you take down Team Aqua/Magma in the games.
9. Yoshino from Appleseed Ex Machina
Despite the Poseidon company products causing a lot of damage in the Appleseed world, the surprising response from it's leader Yoshino is to take responsibility and clean up the mess. Not many bosses do that.
8. Regal Bryant from Tales of Symphonia
Despite looking like a brute and being locked up for murder he's still a disciplined, diplomatic, highly-intelligent gentleman in charge of the Lezareno Company. Looking past his crime, he still runs the company well.
7. Maximillion Pegasus from Yu-Gi-Oh
Despite being one of the big villains I can't really call him a corrupt business man. He created one of the worlds most addictive card games including painting the monster designs, he is shown painting the Egyptian Gods after all. He even gives a chance to Duke Devlin's Dice game. Bonus points is that he's wonderfully camp and enjoys comic books, what's not to like?
6. Hank Scorpio from The Simpsons
Another villain but he treats all his employees like royalty which not only makes the town the ideal place to live but you actually find yourself supporting his regime.
5. Bigweld from Robots
Incredibly nice and always out for new ideas. Perhaps he's too nice as he gets overthrown pretty quick.
4. Bruce Wayne from Batman
I don't even know what Wayne Enterprises actually does but whatever it does you can bet that it's the most trusted company in Gotham and run by it's most popular citizen.
3. Tony Stark from Iron Man
Whether you consider weapons manufacturing a good thing or not, you cannot deny that Tony Stark earns total respect from his employees so much so that in one comic story when Stark Industries was taken over, Tony started a new company from scratch and the whole of the Stark Industry workforce joined him.
2. Scrooge McDuck from Ducktales
A surprise entry considering that Scrooge's penchant for money makes him out as greedy as the character he's based on but he prides himself on earning all that money the honest way refusing to be immoral or corrupt. This is shared by his employees who actually like working for him.
Note: Ironically Ebenezer Scrooge himself is a lot of things but the original book makes it clear he's not a dishonest businessman.
1. Jerrica Benton from Jem
So benevolent it's actually sickening.
Other than being the boss of Starlight Music, she also runs their charity and a Foster home for young orphan girls, all the while performing as Jem as part of the Holograms. While the other entries on this list have numerous hidden depths to their personalities and businesses, Jerrica is just straight up benevolent.
I'm starting a new list type known as Tribute Lists. These lists are not numeric and can be any number of entries; there's also no rules and restrictions so anyone from cartoons, anime and games can enter as long as it matches the theme and today's theme are those individuals who didn't get the girl or guy. Because someone has to honor them for trying.
Anime
Brock from Pokemon
Undisputed king of this list, has failed to land any girl even from those who have liked him and even when it looked like he finally had someone in Prof Ivy, something happened to break his heart and throw him into depression.
*Space reserved for Serena from Pokemon*
Way it's going she will have her heart broken by the time she leaves the group.
Yoko from Gurren Lagann
The two guys that shared a kiss with her both end up dead.
Sanji from One Piece
Has not been with any women and had ended up in Okama land during the time skip which if you've read or watched the scenes then you know what that is.
Yamcha from Dragonballz
Lost Bulma to Vegeta and now forever has to spend his days with a cat on helium assuming he's not dead.
Hitomi from Escaflowne
Ended up with no one by choosing to go back home.
Tai from Digimon
Didn't end up with Sora and the fans were not happy.
Lelouch from Code Geass
Don't even get me started on his history, he was doomed from the start.
Jigen from Lupin III
Has a high body count of dead lovers.
Milly Thompson from Trigun
Loses Wolfwood 24 hours after finally getting together.
Cartoons
Batman from All Versions of Batman
Believes he'll get them killed and remains permanently single Despite Terry McGinnis being his son in Batman Beyond
Lion-O from Thundercats remake
Loses Cheetara to Tygra, this also creates a lot of drama between the group
Mordecai from Regular Show
After finally getting Margaret to notice him she leaves to go to her dream school.
Squirrel from Sword in the Stone
Cruel because the squirrel didn't take it very well when Wart turned back into a human. It's actually difficult to watch.
Woody from Toy Story
Loses Bo Peep between films and is clearly dejected by it.
Brian from Family Guy
Never really seen him succeed in love despite having a lengthy relationship once.
Bart Simpson from the Simpsons
This may be down to the show needing the Status Quo to stay the same around the main family but poor Bart has yet to succeed in love.
Wolverine from X-Men
It's far worst in the comics.
Video Games
Ike from Fire Emblem
It was implied that he would end up with Elincia but by the sequel she ends up with someone else.
Byuu from Bahamut Lagoon
Despite being the main character he never ends up with the Princess.
Mario from Mario Games
Don't expect Princess Peach to ever make any effort; this is even lamp-shaded by the one off anime OVA when Mario doesn't end up with Princess Peach at all.
Amy Rose from Sonic Games
Will forever chase Sonic until the games become redundant although considering how much Sonic Boom will mess with the formula and set pieces she may escape this list.
Terry Bogard from Fatal Fury
Not so much the games but in all Anime forms he's ended up with dead girlfriends.
And that's your lot, so while you enjoy Valentines Day today, spare a thought for those who are single.
Everyone has probably heard of or has seen the Lego Movie but there are always people trying to ruin the fun; this time it's Fox News (Surprise Surprise) saying the Lego Movie is Anti-Capitalist for using a corporate executive as it's main villain and that got me thinking.
Exactly how often is the Corrupt Executive used in animation?
Well lets go through the top ten Corrupt Corporate Executives.
Rules are that all animation is allowed and were looking at just the individuals rather than a whole company; for example it's clear that the whole of GENOM in Bubblegum Crisis is corrupt but cannot go on this list.
Without further delay lets begin.
10. Norman Osborn/Green Goblin from Spectacular Spiderman
Is not only a major villain but in this version of Spiderman he's heavily involved with other villains as well as creating half of them with his own experiments and betraying them should they go on a rampage.
9. Plutarkian Lawrence Lactavius Limburger from Biker Mice From Mars
Is disguised as a corporate executive but is really an alien from a race of Planet Looters.
8. Stavros Garkos from The Hurricanes
It's not enough that Stavros wants to increase his already high wealth but is also seeking ways to cheat so his soccer team can win the world tournament.
7. Gozaburo Kaiba from Yu-Gi-Oh
Had his own corrupt team of executives who all play card games, sadly for him he didn't foresee his own adoptive son betray him and turn his company into a Card Game amusement park complete with academy.
6. Looten Plunder from Captain Planet
This guy is the template for all Corrupt Corporate Executives and is the only villain in the show to have a plausible motive for pillaging the Earth.
5. MOM from Futurama
The only female on this list. She masks herself as a kind old lady in public but easily comes off as a gender swap Mr Burns when concocting evil plans.
4. Cyril Sneer from The Raccoons
As the picture shows, it's clear that Cyril is a greedy businessman who wants to destroy the forest for easy money and even has the Cigar to make the image work.
3. Albert Maverick from Tiger & Bunny
Although it's not so clear at the beginning when you essentially turn capturing villains into a tv show sponsored by major corporations but Using NEXT powers to cover up a murder he committed in front of the man he turned into a Superhero for the sake of continuing his TV show and then turning everyone against Kotetsu to keep it covered up and then gets away with it by wiping his memories before being killed off by Lunatic
2. Lex Luthor from Superman
One of the more famous examples in which the businessman (Or at least since the 80s) is having an inferiority complex when it comes to Superman and seeks to take down the powerhouse using anything and everything at his disposal which includes, kryptonite and powered mecha suits.
1. Mr Burns from The Simpsons
It's the height of hypocrisy when Fox makes comments about the Lego Movie being Anti-Capitalist when the Simpsons' (Fox's biggest money maker) most reoccurring villain is Mr Burns, whose history of crimes would make many of the other people on this list into petty thugs in comparison.
Extra: Funny how they don't bring up Robocop (Which has come out the same time as the Lego Film) when the main villain in that film is also a corrupt executive but nooooooooo they had to pick on a harmless yet awesome kids film about Danish building blocks. You must feel really big now Fox.
Really? Have my ideas dried up that much that I'm reviewing an old cartoon about talking shoes? Alright lets get this over with, this is the Shoe People.
The Shoe People is a British cartoon from 1987 based on a children's book about talking shoes that mimic the person they are meant for such as a clown shoe being a clown and a police boot being a Policeman.
The setting is an old cobblers shop with a backroom filled with old shoes but look further in and there is a magical place called Shoe Town just below Toecap Hill. This is where the Shoe People live.
And that's basically it. This is a very common British cartoon, it has a lot of similarities to the Raggy Dolls which uses a similar setup which I covered in my top 100 cartoons and the plotlines are pretty standard with character introductions and very basic children's plots such as losing something or surprise birthday parties.
Being honest looking back on it, it's a little bit creepy; I mean it's talking shoes, it's hard to embrace such a weird concept yet it somehow works; it's a pretty harmless cartoon but for an 80s cartoon it doesn't stand out as well as others.
It does have a couple of interesting facts.
1. The theme is sung by Justin Hayward of the Moody Blues.
2. It was the first western show to be broadcast in the former Soviet Union.
Yeah, in communist Soviet Union, talking shoes were acceptable.
Next time, something more interesting.
