One Piece

One Piece is the most successful manga in the history of Japan for a reason. It has been going strong for over a decade now and seems to be only hitting its peak. As shonen manga goes, One Piece far and beyond surpasses the likes of similar titles such as Bleach and Nauto in my personal opinion, and it mostly has to do with the characters.

One Piece has some of the best characters in a manga. Each of them gets a heartfelt and tragic story arc in which we get to see their past and the tragedy that of them had to go through. But we get to see how those hardships in the past made them to who they are currently. Its that kind of attention to characters and character development that really got me into One Piece. Where most shonen fail at creating compelling character development, One Piece succeeds.

One of the most popular manga out there, one piece is definitely a piece of wonder. Sure, it has a few faults, but are they enough to to bash it? I'm not so sure I'll explain why.

STORY=8
Its story is quite simple, a boy named Monkey D Luffy wants to become the pirate king, and he goes on a journey seeking adventure and new crew members. It's not definitely bad, but people are now criticizing its 'repeated' story arcs. They reach a new island, see its culture etc. and then find out that this island is not as peaceful as it seems to be as the are ruled by a dictator like antagonist, the crew gets split and in the end the enemy ends up with a beaten up face. BUT, heres my problem, aren't there many mangas that have repeated story lines? (even though they are not shonen, en example of diamond dust and Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso will be an elaborate one) It does not matter that the story is repeated one, what matters is its execution, of which one piece is a master. The arcs are different in every aspect except for their basic plot.
Another problem is that people are saying that one piece post-time-skip is of lower quality, is strongly disagree with this statement. One piece has always been a manga that has gone up and down for me. I loved Alabasta and Jaya arc, hated skypiea, liked enis lobby arc, disliked Thriller bark, and was blown away by marineford and dressrosa arcs. So no one can say that it is worse then before. And one needs to remember that Oda is building up the second part for another big war. Just like before the time skip. I'm quite sure that it will be better the marinefore. So patience is virtue.

CHARACTERS=9
Oda uses his ultimate move to bring color to his characters, flashback, a move very few people pay heed to. It gives great depth to his characters and ,to be honest, I was moved to tears by Nami's and Robin's as well as Luffy's flashback. And through these flashbacks, secondary characters are also brought to life.
One piece has its fair share of characters that people love and hate.And most of them are diverse in their characters. The most unusual of the pack are made Straw-hat's cre members. I mostly enjoy Luffy's nakama's personalities ( with honorary mention to Robin's , Chopper, Sanji, Usopp, and Luffy ). And then there are people like Enel and Spandam as well that I absouletl despise. Even Blackbeard is an interesting character.

ART=8
One of the many reasons why one piece has not reached world domination is because a lot of people are swayed from reading it due to it's art, which they have termed as 'childish'. I have seen other mangakas draw Sanji, and to be honest, I really do not think that they will give me the same feel to the manga. Deal with it, this art is perfert for one piece.

ENJOYMENT=9
It is the type of manga where it will be more fun and emotional if you read at least 5 chapters together, other wise the pace will kill you. It is one hell of a good read, lets hope that it does not become retarded like it's brothers. (Naruto and Bleach)

OVERALL=8
It can be frustrating at times but I'm quite sure that it will always keep you interested.

One Piece is a legendary manga. Known for its absolutely crazy fans and forums, people often chalk One Piece up to be all hype and no substance. I know people who didn't want to try it because the artwork didn't appeal to them or they didn't want to go through the 300+ chapters that it would take to catch up. Most of the people who were initially hesitant to read One Piece fell in love with it right at the second major arc.

Of the 'Big Three,' One Piece was the last I started with and I wish that I had started it earlier. Ridiculously awesome characters, tear-jerking moments, comedy that actually makes me laugh, and Luffy. Oh, Luffy. In One Piece, very few characters are treated as wastes. Oda is very detailed when it comes to setting up a new character. It's hard to forget even the most minor of villains. And it's definitely the type of manga that sends chills all over your body. When you see a character make an epic return, when you hear the background stories of the nakama or whoever, when you watch battle being fought (often intelligently). Oda's chapters feel as if there's a purpose to everyone. The most minute of detail can easily become something big. And as Oda and his audience matured, the themes and events in One Piece did, as well. It's a manga for all ages, no doubt.

I can probably wax poetic for quite sometime regarding the sheer greatness of this manga, but I won't. Please give the manga a chance.

One Piece is the most charming, heartwarming, heartbreaking, unique, well-thought out fiction I have ever read. It was life-changing for me to be honest. It manages to be hilarious while teaching amazing lessons, heartbreaking while still instilling feelings of hope, have a unique art style while still being visually stunning, etc.
It's often been said that the characters don't develop at all, and while I understand that claim, I don't agree. Characters like Robin manage to do a 180 throughout the course of the series while still retaining the core traits that made you like them in the first place.

Every moment of One Piece for me is pure joy.
The best way I could describe what makes it stand out from other long-running shonen is that to me, in series like Naruto, you believe Naruto will become Hokage because he is the main character.
In OP, you believe Luffy will become the pirate king because he is Luffy.
OP has the best world building out of any story I've ever read, a unique and well-written cast of characters with goals and morals as diverse as they are, and a story that still manages to be engaging after 20+ years.

As much as I may love this series, I am not blind enough to think everyone will enjoy it. If you are new to the series, I would recommend reading up to the end of the Arlong Park arc (about 8 volumes in). At that point, you can get a feel for the rest of the series will be like, and decide if you want to continue.

I'm still stunned that a manga that I only rediscovered about a year ago has managed to change my life so much. I can definitely say that OP has changed my life for the better.
If you read it, that's cool! If you aren't convinced, that's cool too! Either way, thanks for reading this far!

One piece has gathered a lot of hype in the last few years, and i have heard many sceptical views of its rising popularity. But regardless of your view, the sheer number of manga being sold suggest that there is something which differentiates this series from others. Personally, I have thoroughly enjoyed reading this series, regardless of my general dislike of shounen manga.

Story: at the start of the series, the storyline is quite basic and a little cliche. There is the main character who gathers friends and sets off on an adventure, fighting a series of bad guys along the way. While the story is still exciting and enjoyable, it is understandable why many drop this series after reading the first 100 chapters or so, as it is almost underwhelming in the scheme of things. Oda also writes very long winded stories which may seem to drag on a little. However, if you power through, the plot which Oda has woven gains complexity and depth and somehow manages to move away from the typical shounen manga cliches. Each arc still has the typical structure of the main characters overcoming a group of enemies, but is far from typical in the originality of the world Oda has created and the underlying plot which strings each story together. One piece is not just about epic adventures, becoming stronger and battling pirates, but is centered around the key themes of friendship and dreams, ideas which are displayed liberally throughout the series.

overall, the story is one big epic adventure, an emotional roller coaster riddled with delightful humor, friendship, quirky characters, action and a surprising amount of depth.

Art: Oda's style is not something I would normally like at all, and it can be described as an acquired taste. Personally, I am usually guilty of picking manga by the style of art rather than story. Despite this, I have come to genuinely enjoy the art of One piece. If you like the style, great. If it is not you cup of tea, as you read, the story and characters will make up for the drawings. I think it would be a shame to miss out on this series because of the 'unusual' art style. Once I had started reading I found that I began to view the art as delightfully quirky and perfectly fitting for the story.

Character: My favorite part on one piece would have to be the characters. The nine main characters are intensely diverse and quirky, yet somehow manage to fit together and compliment each other. Each has a very strong personality and unique past, designed in detail down to their habits and ticks. Their crew is odd to say the least, but the three dimensional characters and the dynamics between them make one piece stand out as a quality piece of work.
In addition to the main characters, each and every enemy or subcharacter is almost equally quirky and unique. Every character of this series is odd and three dimensional, adding to the humor, quality and general feel of one piece. Character design is one of Oda's strong points.

Enjoyment: One piece is a series which can be enjoyed by anyone. Oda has created a world of pirates which is very unique and highly entertaining. The characters are spectacular, the story exciting and action packed and the message one of chasing dreams and true friendship. The entire series is wonderfully hilarious, riddled with just enough humor unique to one piece. It is a series that will make you smile, laugh, tense and cry, while taking you on an epic adventure.

Overall, one piece is a very good series once you get into it. It is well balanced for most of the part, though some parts are a little long. It is my favorite manga, even though i don't like shounen manga. (chapter 450/500 onwards is so good!)

The most unfortunate thing about this series is that so much is lost when it is translated. Oda portrays characters largely through dialogue, almost all of which is lost in translation. The language and its nuance is so vital to characters and story and it is almost depressing how little makes it into the translated versions. Most unfortunate is the loss of the humor. While still funny in english, Oda's humor does not translate well at all. The uniquely Japanese humor, the style of boke and tsukkomi, nuances and tempo can not really be translated or sometimes appreciated in english. Having tried to read it in english, I gave up very quickly. It is a shame if you can not read Japanese or do not know the culture very well because a ridiculous amount is lost in translation. One piece really is 10000000X better in Japanese

I hate this manga. I hate it so much every time I even hear of it I want to die. I want to breakdown on the floor and cry my eyes out until I die from dehydration. This is so bad. I read this because it hit 500 chapters and I heard it being hyped up. I thought to myself "oh it must be good, it hit 500 chapters". Boy how wrong I was. I don't understand how this dogshit manga series hit 1000 chapters recently.

I kept reading only because I went too far in. I've had multiple heart attacks from panic attacks just thinking about the torture the next chapter will bring me. I went too far in, I can't drop it now. I torture myself every week taking in another chapter of One Piece.

The only reason this manga series called One Piece doesn't have a rating of one, is the character Roronoa Zoro. God, the things I would do to that man. I could write an entire novel series on how much and why I love Roronoa Zoro. Each week, for 12 years, I have read One Piece only for the character Roronoa Zoro.

But alas, even Zoro cannot save this horrible series. Please I wish I just died a slow death from being hit by a truck so that I don't have to read One Piece anymore. I never want to see a fruit ever again because it just reminds me of devil fruits. I don't want to watch or talk about the sport hockey, just because it sounds like haki. I hate going to zoos and seeing monkeys, because it reminds me of Monkey D. Luffy. I hate toilet paper rolls because the cardboard thing in the middle reminds me of Usopps stupid long nose. I hate the bird Robins because of Nico Robin. I hate skeletons because of Brook. I hate almost everything about this series.

TLDR: I hate One Piece and almost everything about it, except for Roronoa Zoro.

I don't necessarily despise One Piece for being a bad manga. I loathe it for being utterly mediocre. The series has a potential in each new arc to be something more, but the author often prefers to choose his tired and mundane formula.

I genuinely don't feel any kind of emotion reading this series. When I first started, I was a bit more younger I admit but there was a thing or two here and there that induced certain emotions, whether they were happiness, sadness, anger, or pride. But right now, reading the series almost feels like a chore; something I feel obliged to do after investing in it for so long. But deep in my mind, I honestly just don't care. Whether Luffy becomes Pirate King or dies unceremoniously to some random fodder, I equally don't care. But now that I think about it, the latter option might be a little more interesting for the sheer reason that I didn't see it coming. Even though it's straight up shit writing, I'd prefer it because it would have succeeded to induce at least something.

The series main's downfall is that it fails to make the readers uncertain. Ninety percent of the events are rehashed that a six-year old could see them coming from a mile away. The other ten percent are quickly glossed over, either in arc epilogues, or in small random portions of info-dump. The side characters at this point are far more interesting than the main ones. You often keep hearing about them, but never truly see how they go about their plans until it's too late. For a series that has gone for so long, you'd expect a respectable amounts of creativity and intrigue, but the majority of the big arcs are the same story, bar the setting and the hero's outfit-of-the-week. Oda tries to force these emotions out of his readers by his dishonest, sometimes borderline manipulative attempts of characters crying buckets of water, screaming their lungs out, or saying "badass" lines. But here I am, all I'm thinking about is that I've seen this exact moment in this and that arc. This doesn't just make the interior plot incredibly easy to guess, but so are the character actions, motives, and decisions.

I could go on and on about other aspects I hate, like the poor fight choreography and writing, but these will just be droplets of water against the core issue, which is that the whole series is incredibly dull to think about.

If happiness is my favorite series, and sadness is things I hate with a passion. One Piece will be depression.

One Piece is a beautiful, beautiful manga; however, many people overlook it because it stands in the "Big Three" manga, which are highly criticized.
I admit, I did NOT like One Piece at first, and it bored me to tears at points. That was about 4 years ago, when I still did not have a full grasp on the struggles life had to offer me. I resumed OP around 2 months ago, and I saw it in a very different light.
What I saw once as a silly pirate story became a ongoing, complex story about finding one's passion, friendship (or in this case, "Nakama"), adventure, and overall, growing up (this is especially evident in the later chapters).

Story (10/10):
You might not see it this way if you are still young, or rather, in the "I-don't-know-where-I-belong age group" (around 12-14). If young enough, this is an comical adventure story. If old enough, the plotline is amazing and the characters -- just right. I started OP when I was 12, but only after 3 years in high school did I notice the similarities in the challenges faced in this manga and real life. Whether it be a quest for an "impossible" dream or just pure acceptance, One Piece touched many edgy topics in a way that was both serious and comical.

Art (8/10):
The art is simple and unique when it comes to characters, but the background is GORGEOUS. So gorgeous that it draws away sometimes from the actual action. For example, if two characters were fighting in a room, the detailed curtain drapes might confuse you. But, overall, the feeling is not lost. The characters' features were hard to get used to at first, but then I realized Oda was a genius for making them this way: the features were perfect for both extremes of the emotional spectrum. Comical because they were flexible (especially Luffy, ha) and stoic because they were firm. One flaw I see, though, is the women are anatomically disproportionate, even for manga, being incredibly skinny with huge breasts. Huge.

Character (10/10):
Oh my goodness, this makes up the whole show. No joke. With each addition to Luffy's crew, you feel a certain connection, all because of two major points: bizarre characteristics and awesome background stories. My goodness, the BACKGROUND STORIES. I wish I could tell you more without spoiling, but I can't! They're just beautiful! However, characteristics you may see that no other character possess are Zoro's complete (COMPLETE, COMPLETE) lack of direction (COMPLETE), Chopper's insulting gratitude, and much much more.

Enjoyment (9/10):
One Piece keeps you on your toes because you don't know what's going to happen next. Of course, an adventure, but where? These places are not for ordinary people with ordinary actions. The rest of the enjoyment comes from many of the qualities above (character, especially).

Overall (9/10):
I love this manga so much. So much. It makes me feel better when I'm down, and laugh even through the saddest times. It makes me cry with the characters and yell at the pages sometimes. Just don't judge it by its first few chapters, because it WILL get better and mature along with you.

THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS!! But if you don't care then welcome aboard. Let's set sail and see what One Piece has to offer.

Characters:9/10

The story of One Piece follows the journey of a young boy named Monkey D. Luffy who wants to become the King of the Pirates by finding the treasure called One Piece. And in order to earn that title, Luffy has to recruit a pirate crew. His ignorance of the dangers of the sea is a great barrier to his journey, so he needs a navigator. He likes people who can fight cool, so he recruits a swordsman. He is a big eater, so he recruits a chef. Every single crewmate that Luffy recruits has some kind of important purpose in his crew, which makes the crew dynamic more and more lively and holds a strong bond for the crew.

And that is just the nine crew members of the Strawhat Pirates. The entire series has a plethora of outstanding characters some of whom are more fan-favourited than the Strawhats. Each character is either a member of a Pirate crew, a Marine, a Revoultionary or not involved in any faction directly.

One dumb misconseption is that One Piece doesn't have character development. This is a blind way to react to characters. Just because a character is the same since long time ago doesn't mean that they have bad character development, it's just that they don't have character growth. Character growth is when a character goes through a character arc. It is a good storywriting technique but one that isn't completely necessary. Character development is the term used to describe what the audience thinks of the character, their backstory, their motivation and personality etc. A story doesn't have to make you agree to a characters actions, it has to make you understand that characters actions.

Case in point, Luffy is ignorant and has a party-loving charm in him. But this is because he wants to be free from others. He wants to go wherever he wants to, see everything without being chased by the government. This is his ultimate reason for being a pirate. Pirates IRL are more likely to be associated with violence and murder and whatnot, but a core ideal in every pirate for being that way is personal freedom. Freedom from the shackles of a higher authority. Wanting to live a life in your own authority. And that is what Luffy embodies, the want to be free from everyone else. He won't join the ranks of the marines or a big pirate crew, he wants to do his own shit. And that is why we can understand all the silly actions that he takes.

Story: 10/10

The story is basically a journey. The more we read the more we go.

One of the biggest attributes of One Piece is its world-building. Every island we go to has a ditinct atmosphere and culture. Alabasta is a desert island with archtiecture resembling ancient Egypt. Sabaondy Archepalago is a mangrove forest with trees so big that they could be used like islands. Every detail of the world is given a rational explanation for why it exists or how it works.

The story structure is fairly simple but is executed properly. Every big island the Strawhats encounter, there is something wrong. It turns out that an evil organization has either been secretly planning great destruction or trying to gain power by unorthodox and unethical means. Then that plan is shattered because the Strawhat Pirates end up messing things up. It is a simple way to look at things but the varying degrees of nuances in each scenario and diverse cast of characters makes things more interesting and it never feels old.

Art: 10/10

His art isn't the most appealing at first glass. Why do the characters look so wacky and what not? Well, it lends Oda, the creator of One Piece, more freedom in creating his stories. Luffy's rubber powers makes Oda able to stretch the limitations of what can be done. And his manga flows very well. I have not read many mangas while reading One Piece probably because of the fact that I am unable to feel like reading anything that doesn't flow as well as One Piece does which has taken me a long time to realise. That realization is partly why I am now starting to read other manga's.

And the action scenes are drawn really well. There is no way to properly explain in this written language just how good Oda does action. It is just that good.

Enjoyment/Overall: 10/10

There is just this feeling I get whenever I read One Piece that makes me want to read it more. I like this series a lot. I can't really explain in words better than many others can about how I like this series. It is my most favourite manga as of now.

The artwork isn't the best in the industry (I didn't said it's bad), but the story and how it is told is something unique from this manga. Oda can make you like not only the main characters but the secondary ones too, each backstory has it's weight and lesson, I've cried and cheered inumerous times with this anime/manga and I hope I can keep doing this until its unavoidable end.
The present arch, Wano, which Oda said is going to be the best so far, is keeping its promisse, fantastic revelations and events are going on and it's still halfway through.

One Piece is not a very good manga, and I highly suggest not reading it if you haven't started already. I also think Eichiro Oda is a mediocre writer. It's nothing but a waste of time and energy.

The story is very generic. The story is about a group of pirates that want to get treasure, and the main character wants to become "Pirate King". The story isn't interesting in the slightest, but that's not the only bad part. The plot in One Piece is formulaic, and can get boring really fast. Every single arc is essentially the same thing repeated over and over again ad nauseam. It got boring real fast.

The characters aren't very good either. Almost all of the characters are one dimensional and have absolutely no redeeming qualities. Luffy is the most basic shounen protagonist I've seen in any anime/manga. There is no character development to be found in One Piece. None whatsoever. Usopp is still a coward even though the manga is more than 900 chapters. Luffy is still being a bad captain as always. Infact, there's more character regression than development. Anytime Usopp does something brave, it wouldn't matter because next second he goes back to being a coward. Anytime Luffy acts like a captain, it doesn't matter because he'll be acting like an idiot soon. The characters and their relationships never change at all. They behave the same way they did back in chapter 1, therefore I don't find any of them interesting.

The characters become even worse after the time skip. Almost all of the characters are extremely underwhelming after the timeskip. Characters like Robin, Chopper, Zoro, etc. All of these characters are always in the background for the majority of post time skip. There's even an arc in which half the straw hats aren't even on the island for over 100 chapters. That's absolutely ridiculous.

Speaking about arcs, One Piece doesn't have any good arcs. Well I'd say Water 7 is a decent arc, but anything besides that is typical shounen garbage. As I said before, every arc feels the exact same. The crew goes to an island, befriends pepople, find out that bad guys are there, beat bad guys, and then go to another island. This is pretty much the entirety of One Piece. Now of course there are some arcs that are different, but most of the arcs follow that structure. Arcs like Alabasta, Skypiea, Thriller Bark, Fishman, Arlong Park, etc. There's just too many to name!

I'm sure everyone already knows this, but One Piece has awful pacing. Every single arc is dragged out to the point where it just becomes boring to read. Even the shorter arcs like the Baratie have awful pacing. That's just oe of the many reasons why I consider Eichiro Oda to be a mediocre writer. He's just not capable of making an arc with good pacing! I can't think of one One Piece arc with good pacing.

The fights in One Piece are very bad. They're just the typical shounen fights with two people punching each other around. The only good fight in One Piece was Luffy vs Usopp, because it wasn't just two people smacking each other around. That was the only One Piece fight that I actually enjoyed watching. The rest are absolutely awful. Almost every single fight involves the use of plot armor and asspulls. Well, at least the fights in the manga aren't nearly as bad as the anime. Either way, One Piece has poorly choreographed fights in genral. They're also dragged out for like 20 chapters.

One Piece has one of the worst art styles I've ever seen. The art just looks extremely childish and silly. The characters are drawn to be so hideous, and I have no idea why. Drawing hideous characters doesn't make your art style interesting Oda.

I just didn't enjoy reading One Piece at all. The characters are all underdeveloped and generic, the story is very childish and basic, and the art style is bad. One Piece literally has every cliche in the book. I'll still be reading it though, just to see if it gets better.

Ok so I gave 10s to all: story, art, character, enjoyment, and overall.

I gave this manga a 10 even though it deserves, like, 1000.

One Piece is a battle mainstream manga. It is full of action and fights, and at first glance might seem stupid and random, but oh gods believe me, this is so very likely to be the BEST battle shounen manga you guys will have ever read. Widely classified as the top three most popular battle series alongside Naruto and Bleach, I've got to admit that One Piece is just.... way above those two. One Piece stands on top, the pinnacle of perfection, so posh and fabulous and flawless and pretentious.

Story - The story tells us about the adventure of Monkey D. Luffy, a very fiery young boy who dreams to be the Pirate King. The story starts from when he first set sail, and he gradually collects one member at a time to join his pirate crew. To me the story is original (I mean, who talks about pirates nowadays?) and the execution is nothing less than PERFECT. Can't talk about all the arcs because this manga has more than 700 chapters at the moment, but from the very start, when Luffy met the first man to join his journey, from that time on, the story progressed real smoothly, and real intriguing.

One Piece is one of the most complex series I've ever read-- it's full of unanswered questions at the moment. All the mysteries waiting to be solved-- ahh the thrill! Even though there are still so many holes until the main story is fully revealed, it doesn't make me feel agitated at all. My curiosity is perfectly fine and healthy, and I will patiently wait until everything gets explained. On the other side, I have a rather high expectation for the revelation, but looking at past experience and how Odacchi, the author, has brought the story so far, I have no complaints.

Odacchi also doesn't seem to run out of ideas. One Piece is overflowing with wild, wild imagination. So many awesome things support this manga and make it even more surprising. I mean how many people in this world would ever think of making snails as a medium of communication? How many people would ever create mermaids with specific fish types? How many people would ever think of creating the Void Century, mysterious devil fruits, poneglyphs, the Marines and their posh Justice cape, Will of D, Sea Kings, and Yarukiman Mangrove?? I suppose nobody but Odacchi could ever make these epicness possible.

Art - The art starts off rather funny and functional, but Odacchi has always had this intricate, unique style to his drawings that is impossible not to notice. As time flies and chapters by chapters go, the art metamorphosed into something, not entirely new, but more brilliant and more beautiful. The art is really cool and it goes really well with Odacchi's wonderful imagination. There are sceneries and odd stuffs drawn so well you can't help but go whooaaa. The only minus I can note is how Odacchi draws with such vigor the fight scenes can be really confusing if you're not following well. But it still doesn't change the fact that the art is amazing.

Character - One Piece as a long running series is also supported by its diverse characters. We have seen a lot, so much characters in more than 700 chapters and despite all of the cliches and the i-will-protect-my-nakama type of people, they are still real fun and real engrossing. Our main pirate crew even consists of three inhuman beings: a living skeleton, a talking reindeer, and a cyborg wearing Hawaiian Aloha shirt. What do you guys expect? Good characters don't always have to be humans yanno. There is Surume the kraken. Even Going Merry has her own human personification. I mean, I have so many characters in my mind when I want to write their names my mind go blank. But that's it. You guys take my point.

Enjoyment - F*ck, how I enjoyed this manga. I enjoyed it too much, in fact. This manga is just simply entertaining and every arcs will keep you glued to your seat. I spent so much words describing my feelings above I can't seem to make anymore words to express how I love this manga. In short, this is a real masterpiece that nobody should ever miss, regardless of whether this is their cup of tea or not. One Piece is exceptional. When you realized it, you'll find yourself craving for more, not wanting to stop.

the reality : zero
the progress of the story : Zero
the development of the character : BIG Zeeeeeeeeeeero

it was nice story at the beginning but not more
in the world of pirates , a world with many fights and killing ,the strong kill the weak and during 1000 chapters there are only 2 death for side character really realistic man , actually the pirates who supposed to steal kill and spread the fear are really so cute

the time during 1000 chapters "no time " - "2.5 years of training in 2 or 3 chapters" - "no time again"
the character still the same with same personalty, style and ideas through that 1000 chapters

the author tried to make unique world but ha failed and results to a world with many non logic things
but why he should end the series ?? he gains a lot of money with few events
the popularity of it based on the people who want to know the end but i can tell u the end :
there are no end it will continue and continue until no one watch it

I think we’re all familiar with what a fantastic adventure epic that One Piece is. Oda has created a world that is so brilliantly imaginative and exciting that I can almost confidently say that no other mangaka will come close to matching or surpassing what he has done. One Piece will make you laugh, cry, smile along with all the characters; it will make you feel like living in their world. I won’t review the plot or the battles and such, since that has already been comprehensively well-done by other reviewers, but I just wanted to share one aspect of One Piece that will always stay very close to my heart.

No other manga has given me as much joy as One Piece. During the time I read it, I was very happy. This manga is special because it reminds us of some very important things in life. It reminds us to follow your dreams no matter how hard it seems and what other people say, to stand up for what you believe in and most of all; it reminds us of the power of friendship and human kindness. I think these are all things we tend to give up on and stop believing in as we get older.

One of the messages that had a huge impact on me was that ‘No-one is born into this world to be alone’. No matter how lonely you feel, you have to hold on to life and hang in there for people who will love and accept you. You might not meet them now, but you will eventually. I’ve never had many friends, and only formed a few close relationships with people. I’ve never found anyone whom I can call a true friend. For people like me, this message is very powerful and can lend a lot of strength. I think it is wonderful that a manga can convey these kinds of pure, hopeful feelings.

And that is one of the amazing things, perhaps even the most amazing thing, about One Piece. It gives you a sense of real, genuine joy as you read it. It really touches your heart. That is why it has managed to captivate thousands, millions of readers around the world, and why it will continue to be one of my most favourite mangas ever.

This is my first review on this site and my first review EVER for anything so go easy on me.


I don't exactly understand the hate that one piece gets online. In terms of the anime, Yes I find it very annoying to watch as it's over 900 episodes with VERY bad pacing issues with animation inconsistencies (thank god Toei is giving it the proper care it deserves in terms of art style and animation but it still does lack a bit). Although the manga is nothing short of incredible (hence why I'm doing a manga review instead).

One piece is a story that I thought was stupid. A boy who can't swim decides to become a pirate, who thought that was a good idea ? After finishing the Arlong park arc , I was left feeling excited to read more (keep in mind I am currently caught up on the manga as of the time I am writing this review).

STORY 8/10 : One piece starts off with a very simple plot, find the one piece and become pirate king. This is the goal of one such man, the main character Monkey D. Luffy (hopefully he becomes future pirate king and doesn't die a sad death). Each arc mostly consists of traveling to a new island, and discovering what the island has to offer (ex: water 7 and it's reliable shipwrights or zou, a giant elephant that roams the world with a civilization on its back). These places are amazing and are well developed but this really isn't the story of one piece. What truly makes the story of one piece is the journey of adventure across the grand line, fighting cool villains' with ok ideals (ex: Arlong wants to destroy humans because of the tragedies in his past).

CHARACTERS 7/10: For the most part ,most of the characters do get good development (notice I say development and not progression). You learn about all the straw hats (luffy's crew) with each of them having their own ambitions and goals (my personal favourites being Luffy, Zoro , and surprisingly Robin who I thought had a really good story arc). Sadly, most of the characters don't really progress (although some do like Luffy, and usopp).

ART 8/10: Art's good what can I say, it's obviously not like vagabond or berserk good but it's nice and gets the job done.

Enjoyment 10/10: This manga is just fun, I love the journey that one piece takes you on with happy times , some really sad times (like water 7 and marineford) , and finally through some really badass fights like any shounen (my personal favourite being Luffy vs Lucci loved that fight in both anime and manga). As a shounen it's really good, it has it's classic shounen troupes but what do you expect it was first for its time. Ya one piece does have its flaws (like introduction of haki, length of manga, and slow arcs like skypea), but it's something that's enjoyable.

Story: 5/10. I have to say, the overarching metaplot of One Piece is actually quite interesting, and each arc contributes to adding another piece into the puzzle to allow the reader a deeper view into the world and end-goal of OP. Unfortunately, that interesting plot is hampered by abhorrent pacing. Not to mention the repetitive formula that is employed 90% of the time: sail to an island -> find the people are oppressed -> crew fights main bad -> some character has a dramatic backstory -> crew wins and saves the day -> rinse and repeat.

Some will say "formulaic is fine because there's a ton of different elements behind that formula". No, not really. If you read a single One Piece arc you'll know how all of them go 70% of the time. The other 20% might be changing how the side characters look, or changing the locale, but it's more or less the same. Moreover, there's no variety in how these situations play out; it will always end with a climax of the strawhats getting separated in some way, the minor ones fighting the minor villains and Luffy fighting the main bad and (probably) winning, and if he doesn't win the first time, he'll win in the near future after some deus ex machina powerup. It's a shame because if One Piece actually dried to diversify its arcs and not have them play out the same way every single time, it could easily skyrocket in quality.

The other 10% of the time is the actually interesting backstories we get, but they don't really add value because the character who gets the backstory ends up becoming a bland set piece as soon as the arc is over.

Art: 7/10. Oda is clearly a good artist, but the art style itself doesn't resonate well with me. I find it goofy and hard to take seriously.

Character: 2/10. I find the characters of OP unfortunately bland. They have moments in the spotlight, and each one typically gets an arc in which they're the main focus and get to shine. Outside of that arc, however, they are just a caricature of 1-2 personality traits; one likes to flirt with women and cook, the other likes to just lounge around and say a cool line once in a while, etc.

Moreover, once I was like 200 chapters deep into this series I realized, these characters don't change or offer anything interesting at all. I've read 30 chapters of manga with more character depth, exploration and nuance than these guys. None of them are memorable, charismatic or interesting in any way. Around 400 chapters in is when maybe ONE character got some interesting development, but then again...when it takes 2x some other manga's runtime to stuff some barebones depth, you're doing something wrong and your manga is bloated to all hell.

Enjoyment: 5/10. It was ok. I really only enjoyed a handful of arcs out of the 500+ chapters I read. I'd say the best were Arlong Park, Skypiea and Water 7. But it never captivated me like it seems to do with everyone, so I know I'm in the minority. Perhaps it's because I didn't grow up with the series and don't have those rose tinted glasses.

Overall: 5/10. One Piece is one of the most mediocre shounen I have ever read. It has tons of potential: great art, coherent and expansive world-building, and a very consistent passion behind the series that has persisted for decades upon decades. However, it really holds itself back with shallow, static characters, a repetitive formula that has lost its luster and an unfortunate tendency to always play it safe.

Spoilers: I reveal the name of the crew members.
One Piece is the story of a boy named Monkey D. Luffy and on his journey to become the "Pirate King" and find the One Piece, which is the treasure left behind by Gol D. Rogers.

Let me start out by saying I used to really like OP and was a big time fan, and as of the recent updates my passion for it has really declined over the years.

Pros:
1) The setting - The world of OP is vast and filled with pretty much anything and everything possible. Fishmen, Mermaids, Giants, animal people, etc. Anyone with a sense of adventure can find some reason to like this world!

2) Tackles a lot of real world issues - Slavery, politics, corrupt government, etc. All these things appear and play a large role in the overarching story.

3) Haki is pretty interesting and I'm curious as to where it goes from here.

Negatives:
1) WAY WAY WAY too many characters - There are so many important characters to put up with, all with unique personalities, and powers that all play an important role in each arc. But the price for that is lack of screentime. A lot of characters get booted to the side and don't play a major role in the Arcs due to the large cast, the biggest example is one of the Strawhat members. He joined the crew in the final parts pre-timeskip and literally has had zero screen time after the skip. It's really disappointing seeing a lot potential go to waste. Even now, Oda continues to introduce more and more characters that continues to crowd out the old ones. While it's understandable that some more characters are necessary for story-reasons, the amount Oda has establish is completely unreasonable. For example, You have the straw hat crew, the navy, the pirate warlods, the Yonkos, the CP9 or whatever, the Supernovas and that's not even including their crews. This all moshed up with the required story characters really puts a hamper on the pace of the manga.

2) It's going the Naruto route. Before the time-skip, it felt like everybody on the crew were actually there and played a large role in the stories. Now we only have Luffy, Zoro and Sanji are the only really useful people, while Robin and Nami are just there for fanservice, Tony-Tony Chopper who's just there for marketing reasons and occasionally do his job, Franky who's really just there to steer their ship, Ussop who is just comic relief, and Brook. Poor, poor Brook. Even among the 3 useful ones, 1 has been out of the picture until recently thus leaving Luffy and Zoro. Again, Oda is just wasting potential by not utilizing these characters

3) Probably the one that I get the most hate for: Luffy is a really stale MC. Up until one specific arc, he literally is just the same as any other main character who fights for his dream and his friends with the only difference being that he doesn't really care about other's opinions. After the mentioned arc and he experiences the reality of the world, what does he do? Nothing. He literally does not change or develop. This really angers me as I feel Luffy doesn't develop as a character. We feel a better connection with the character when we see them struggle and overcome obstacles and then grow as a person. Which is why Zoro is the best written character in OP. He actually feels like a human for what it's worth while Luffy feels completely unrealistic. Especially his reaction in the Dressrosa arc when a certain character is introduced and he has the worst reaction ever. I would like to mention that there is one instance where I give props to Luffy for overcoming an obstacle and it's his "bloody" fight.

Final thoughts: OP is mediocre at best. It only has a few good moments that really stand out from the rest but the rest is just pretty eh. If you're into the pure essence of an epic adventure then I'd totally recommend One Piece to you, but if you're looking for more than there's plenty of better options out there.

One Piece is without a doubt something that is worthy to be called "King of Shounen," and for many great reasons. It is tough to miss since its popularity is mind blowing and growing at a rapid rate and it's everywhere. It has almost overtaken "Batman" comics, and it is not so far off anymore actually. Now, It has already set its sight on "Superman" comics, and I would say it has a perfect shot at the 1st spot too if it keeps selling like bread and butter as it has done for so many years already.

However, the popularity is justified, and it shows in the author, Oda's writing, and the executing of this superb piece of fiction. There is a lot more than what One Piece is set out to be. I will try to do my best to get that point across and much more, so you can also at the very least, get a glimpse of what I see in this manga, which I still to this day, consider my all-time favourite and not many have managed to reach the same level as this one.

Story

ne Piece starts with our main character, Monkey D. Luffy breaking out from a barrel in a certain pirate ship. He knows how to make an entrance if anything. His goal is to become one day the "pirate king" the person who has conquered all the seas, and the mysterious "Grand Line" as well. The path ahead of him will be harsh and not every day will be fun. He has set out from his village to find and build his crew, so he can set sail and start his grand adventure of taking the title of the "Pirate King." It is quite simple and straightforward and looking at it now, it does not seem to warrant all the popularity, and you probably don't have any idea how it got all that fame, in the first place.

As our crew begins to form and they start to set sail. The formula which will be most common for a while will be how the crew moves to an island, and then there will be a bad guy, they beat them up and move forward to the next island, and the same thing happens there. This is only the first phase before you get into a more complicated and complex situation, where the fun part begins. The first 100 or so chapters are what I would consider: an introduction to our character and world building to get you to know how the world works, what applies here, the government system, among other things.

Therefore, I would say huge do not even begin to describe this vast world of One Piece. Because, as you move forward, many exciting things will be revealed for the future, in the form of foreshadowing. You will get to know how scary the "Grand Line" really is, through someone talking about the many big shots over there. Alternatively, maybe if someone did see the strength differences of the different seas, it would make you excited for the future. This technique to get you interested in something Oda excels at and understand it enough, so he does not go too overboard. If you saw everything that the world has to offer, would there be any point in continuing One Piece? It would lose it's an effect, after all, if that were to be the case.

To, political drama, where the land is on the verge of falling, and you see the situation unfold dynamically, so you get to look at some remarkably new sides. A lot of world building which gets you very invested in the world and gave you a good understanding of all the components, like how the society works, all the different culture you will experience, you might even get some history lesson related to this world that might come up again at a later time.

Primarily, One Piece is a plot-driven series, the goal is already clear enough from the very beginning, but that only applies to our main character. One way to think of the latter is how every island you will get to visit in the duration of your journey is one big arc, where there are goals related to that island. For example, it could be something like overthrowing someone from the throne; a mad king who is entirely evil and does a thing in a benefit for himself and no one else. The thing is, this character will have their backstory, which might make you sympathy or hate them even more, depending on how it plays out. Moreover, another goal for any of the island could be something like, to retrieve someone back from an organization with their form of messed up justice. It is ridiculously hard to not go into spoiler territory; hopefully, this didn't give away too much.

This is just one of many scenarios and segments. One Piece takes use of, the author knows all too well how to write them out and end them. From my understanding, this is where even the aspect that is easy to hide between the actual main plot, gets a good and satisfactory ending. That's why, this one of the few manga that lacks some annoying plot holes, it has some, but there are not that many worthy enough to be called that. Furthermore, as already said, there are many different and fascinating cultures in the world. In a certain island somewhere far-far away, they use technology in the most unusual, and you might even call it a weird way. However, using the rules and logic Oda has established for any of the many islands, or even the world itself, he can give a not so intricate and fun description of how it works so you can easily understand the concept for yourself and get enchanted by their very own culture.

You even have your own "World Government" system which is not so simple and runs deeper than you might think. There might or not be people working and controlling them from the shadows, and who knows, there might be someone else who controls even them. One Piece has its society, land, and it is twisted and not easy to understand. There are people in this world who thinks they are fit to be called "gods” and think of themselves so highly that they don even breath the same air as the other humans. These nobles think they transcend normal human and the way they are cared for is incomparable and quite unfair to everyone else in the world.

To go even further, One Piece also goes into some very serious territory and does an impeccable job of portraying each of them. You will see everything from slavery, racism, the underworld and some very severe and dark secret which will make you feel all kinds of different emotions at once. To put it very simply, while One Piece is focused around teen and up, it goes into some seriously messed up stuff and should not be taken lightly. It's not merely for children; you will get hurt thinking that way. The later parts get quite dark, and you might start questioning if you are watching or reading the same thing.

Moving on, this world has a power, or rather the fruit which gives the user the ability to fight with many strange ways but eating something like that will make you lose a knowledge which is very crucial for a pirate and should not be dismissed lightly if you have the chance. The concept is simple enough, you eat the fruit and gain powers which can form you into an animal, maybe make you able to become invisible, or even soar high through the skies. Make bullets pass through you without you getting hurt, control the very nature itself, break the world apart and unbalance the entire ecosystem itself.

Also, you can get the ability to control one of the four elements themselves. However, there is even more to this mystic fruit called devil fruit — alternatively, something more unusual like controlling smoke. Moreover, you have another power which let the non-ability user bypass the defense mechanism some of these ability gives you. I won't go too deep in, because I could easily spoil some significant parts. What you need to know, is no one will be impossible to beat if you put these powers to use.

Even more, if you somehow combine this ability with your very own devil fruit. The combinations are endless. As long as you can imagine anything is possible in the world of One Piece. Nothing seems off, because we do get an explanation when we least expect it. Oda does an excellent job of covering all the potential plot holes.

Do not think One Piece ends at the main character goal, it's a lot more, and hopefully, this made that clear enough to get you somewhat a simple understanding what you can expect if you dive this excellent manga.

Art

The art is unique and quite different from the other you might have seen before. It's weird and epic all at once. Oda can take on many forms with his art and manipulate it; however, he sees fit. Each character is different; there is no similarity, it is like another author drew them. I have seen some absurd and hilarious, character design from this mangaka, but at the same time, I also got hold of some experience of some quite badass and amazing designs. You can tell, he loves drawing and writing, it shows so clearly in his work and every panel always feels superbly detailed and well managed. Oda has one of my favorite art styles, just like the author of Tower of God, Siu, it is unique and his very own.

Depending on the situation, Oda can accurately change the art style just enough to satisfy the vibe you should be feeling in the moment. His facial expression is always on-point and never manages to do not give me chills if the situation calls for it or makes me all sad or angry if necessary. It is one a kind style he is using, and he is utilizing it amazingly well and not cutting any corners while doing so. He deserves all the respect and attention because he shows it clearly, he justifies for it.

Characters

Characters are not different either; there are some very unusual and bizarre ones out there. Moreover, the same goes for the opposite of the spectrum. One Piece boasts an insanely large cast of characters; you don't have just the crew, there is a lot more. Even the one that seems unnecessary gets their time to shine and show off their value. All of the characters are also unique with their quirky personality.

As stated previously, the first 100 or so chapters are to give characterization and growth to our characters, or even development if need be. You will see the backstory of every member of the crew at some point in time, so it's not like you won't understand them fully. Oda will make sure you get the best of it, and not disappoint you when the time is precise. For me no backstory fell short, I always had emotions welling up in me as I was watching or reading it unfold. You can go from hating a character to loving him or her in a matter of moments, and of course, the same is true for the other way.

The side characters themselves are also fun and make the journey more entertaining; each new island will have you get introduced to the original cast who you will be following for the time being — learning about their flaws and good points and so forth. Even the less critical background character get some focus from time to time. Nothing goes unnoticed by Oda; he makes sure to notice everyone.

The antagonist is one of the best I've seen and very well written and executed. Of course, there will be some who is not so amusing or does not hit off well. I have gone from hating one of the worst enemies to enjoying them and their character and can't have enough of them. Also, no, this is not restricted by one or two foes, but a lot more than you can count. There are so many antagonists I want to see again; I want to experience development or even get them the critical role if it's a possibility for Oda. For the most part, their goal is understandable and don't feel wishy-washy, so it's easy to come to like them.

Although, I will not deny there are some cruel and messed up people I hate with a passion from by bottom of the heart and wish to nothing but death and misfortune upon them. This goes for both the good and the so-called wrong side. Overall, though, One Piece has a fantastic cast of characters which you can't help but love and find yourself getting attached.

The Negative

Like any other long-running series, if you dive into One Piece, you have to understand it's very slow paced and quite so; since it had made people drop it before it got to the excellent stuff. Not everyone will have time to sit down watch or even read over 800+ on-going chapters or, especially episodes. I would say if you don't feel any attachment by the third arc, you can drop it there, of course, to truly understand the popularity you will have to go on reading for a very long time. Which not everyone can do, and even if you did you might find yourself figuring out that this series is not for you.

Despite being a shounen, it's not the same as "Dragon Ball" franchise or even "Naruto" in some cases. If you are looking for amazing fights, then One Piece is not for you. It has a lot more than simple battle maniac guys going at it each other. It has a story which runs deep and can get quite complicated in the long run. Although, being a shounen and all, One Piece does have some great fights further down the road and a lot of them to boot. However, in the case of the shounen mentioned above, it's not quite like them, and the battle is not the main focus.

Adding on, the cast of character will get development and growth. That said, it will not be very apparent, and the process will be prolonged for the future to come. Oda has mentioned before he is afraid that people will begin to dislike these great characters he has built if he were to change them just ever so slightly. Some "fans" even complained when they saw abnormal behavior from some of them.

All said and done, nothing of these can be regarded as "negative" if you take time to think about it. They are only obstacles that depend on peoples and their expectations. My advice as with any media or literature would be to go in completely blind, anime or manga alike and make your judgment instead of relying on everyone else. Because despite my best effort to draw out the picture the fans see when One Piece in focus, not everyone will feel the same. I hope this manages to at least, grab some attention to possibly new fans.

Conclusion

It's apparent that I've been saying this a lot in recent times, but One Piece is easily something that should be given a chance at one point in your life. It has one of the best plot-driven stories I have seen. So along with large and amazingly well executed and written characters, including some great antagonist/villain.

This review is just a brief description of what you can get if you decide to dive in. The only want to truly understand something is to form your judgment and go from there. The world building is vast and is clear from the very start; it's one of the best in its class. Not many manga or anime has this kind of fantastic world that is ever expanding. The only other one that is on the same line or more is "Tower of God," beyond that; I have no idea of anything else that stands on the same wavelength as these two. If anything, Hunter x Hunter is close, in any case.

Whether you prefer the anime or manga, both are amazing and have their advantages and disadvantages. The anime adaptation is spot-on until the early 500s where it starts degrading in quality, and the pacing becomes painfully slow. However, before then it's a great adaptation and having seen and read both, you can't go wrong with either of them.

If you prefer to pace yourself and want solid cannon content, no filler, then read the manga and set your own pace; it's quite easy to catch up if you read it then you might think, even if the amount of chapter is a lot.
In the case of anime, you have much time on your hand, there is no hindrance in your life at the moment, and you generally prefer it because of the bonus anime brings, and you don't care about pacing or any other hindering components. Then watch it. That's all you need to decide which path you want to take.

I hope this manga review capture some attention to potential new fans. So I hope you have a great time with One Piece as I did. It's my all-time favorite, so I won't deny I have some bias toward it. My opinion is not a fact; it's simply my own opinion and my experience as I went on reading this excellent piece of fiction. To this day, it's still on-going, and things are heating up quite nicely in the recent arc of the manga, I am very excited about the future and can't wait for more. Let's dive into this together, in this modern-day masterpiece of a shounen and one superbly written and executed story.

Overall Scores

Story: 10/10
World Building: 10/10
Characters: 10/10
Art: 10/10
Enjoyment: 10/10
Overall: 10/10

This review contains spoilers for One Piece. You have been warned.

One Piece is perhaps the most ambitious long-running manga series of all time; its attempts at crafting a world that's epic in scale is unparalleled in the history of the medium, and it follows a cast of distinct characters that are given unique quirks, powers and distinct character designs. Its cultural influence on the broader Japanese anime and manga scene is not something that can be questioned - it heralded an entire era of manga that had stronger emphasis on world-building, and while various One Piece characters were based off of archetypes - Dragon Ball being a particularly obvious influence - One Piece having the cultural footprint it did let to the series in and of itself also popularizing a few character tropes.

This isn't a review about One Piece's cultural influence, but rather on why in my eyes One Piece isn't a particularly good series and in many regards fails in the face of its contemporaries, being a relic of a bygone era that has refused to evolve where it matters most - but I'm getting ahead of myself.

On a fundamental level One Piece is a series about living freely - which ties well into how its premise is about a pirate finding the One Piece and becoming the greatest pirate in existence. There are various ways the series decides to explore this theme - from various characters tied down by both material and familial burdens, showing how absolute freedom can often be dangerous, represented by the pirates that act like conventional pirates (committing acts like murdering, looting and terrorizing civilians) like Blackbeard and Buggy, to having a rigid, authoritarian government that cracks down on civil liberties and engages in active historic revisionism over the origins of the world of One Piece and its backdrop. This works well in providing several conflicting ideologies and motivations in order to flesh out its themes, and it's perfectly understandable in rationalizing how this series gained the fanbase it did.

There are problems involving One Piece's plot structure, and particularly in how despite handling such nuanced subjects it falls into a black and white fallacy, with very little moral grayness covering actions characters take. Luffy himself is a representative of this - he has a simplistic understanding of the world and often is dismissive of critical information out of his lack of willingness to expand beyond what he already knows. While this personality trait makes him endearing to many, this also makes him a character that inspite of clearly developing and progressing in many ways refuse to evolve with the thematic backbone of the series. This problem extends to the series' villains, who while ideologically motivated are usually initially presented as evil villains that commit heinous crimes, with the writing emphasizing their wrongdoings more than their ideals. Examples like Akainu unambiguously murdering and fighting any pirate he sees, Crocodile causing a drought and being emphasized as maliciously scheming in the background or my personal favorite - Don Flamingo screaming about how he wants to murder civilians and especially children - make it difficult to care about any conflict that happens in the series. The closest One Piece ever had to a meaningful character conflict was Luffy and Usopp bickering over getting a new ship in Water 7 - which interestingly also highlights another problem with Luffy's character writing, and that is how exactly he perceives characters around him.

Luffy is a relentless, selfish and often egotistical pirate who in any context should be dead, yet somehow survives this series due to extensive plot armor and often moronic villains that refuse to finish him off when they have the chance, either to a justified code of honor or due to villains assuming he's already dead - which is one of the worst shonen tropes to consistently keep using and one this series repeatedly uses in an attempt to raise narrative stakes that falls flat (and especially on a reread/return after an extensive period of time) due to it meaning that the reader is never certain that thing would never genuinely go a character's way - and when they don't instead asking questions about why it didn't happen sooner in a better context (the Crocodile fight being a particularly good example of this). Luffy has no monologues, emphasizing his external character traits rather than any internal one, and often meaning that his actions are left up to the interpretation of the viewer. The problem this leads to is that a lot of context is absent from his actions, leaving simply a hero who does good things in a series that's about freedom, while ironically trampling over the freedom of others and demanding they do tasks for him or to join his crew, which is always justified in-setting as these characters being chained by some greater personal burden or villain that Luffy liberates them from.

While thematically consistent a lot of Luffy's actions when taken as stand-alone show someone that miraculously understands other people's problems and sympathizes with them, yet has a notorious habit of wounding others in conflicts with them instead of calmly explaining a given context or situation. This becomes particularly grating during the aforementioned conflict with Usopp, where Luffy is portrayed as being in the right despite (un)intentionally hurting Usopp and opting to instead engage in a fruitless conflict with him, only highlighting the author's inability to write a consistent character due to Luffy miraculously sympathizing and understanding others yet in this instance being unable to rationally understand why his comrade is upset. And in many ways, this problem plagues the entirety of One Piece's character writing - characters feel very disjointed from each other as a group, often being flanderized and reduced to whatever quirk makes them the most marketable while making sure there's barely enough progression to keep fans of the series immersed.

It is a successful tactic to be certain but detracts from the quality of the series - Luffy likes eating meat, Zoro has no sense of direction, Usopp is a coward, Brock keeps cracking jokes about women's private parts and the worst offender of the bunch is Sanji and his obsession with women that veers straight into extremely creepy territory. This flanderization robs the characters of a lot of their potential chemistry, making interactions feel strangely repetitive and superfluous. The gags also are not executed with enough variation and often the punchlines have similar buildup - if Sanji and a woman are in confrontation or directly interact with each other, the reader would naturally expect a joke, and a similar predictability exists with every running gag in this series.

What's worse than the running gags insofar as the humor goes is how it disrupts any narrative stakes a fight has. On one hand it gets easier to appreciate a fight when there's no jokes by commentators in the fight, but when characters who act as commentators say predictable jokes or have over the top wacky expressions (usually involving have these gigantic ass ugly mouths opening wide as they exclaim something in all caps) that completely ruin the flow of many fights, and this problem persists and even gets worse as the series goes on. This made it difficult to completely suspend disbelief and at various points ruined entire arcs for me, as the series constantly would fluctuate between joke fights, joking in the middle of fights and deadly serious ones at the drop of a coin.

Another major issue is how the serious handles the theme of fraternal family and specifically its strange socially conservative attitude to both family and its own circle. Characters often genuinely physically abuse each other - to say nothing of countless cases of physical abuse - and yet much of it is swept under the rug and even handled as though it's the natural thing a parent or friend would do. An example of this is Garp, who the narrative expects you to sympathize with due to the irony that despite the fact he's Luffy's foster father, his son is now the most dreaded man in the setting and fears the day they both clash with one another. The problem is, however, is Garp is an actual monster who was physically and verbally abusive to Luffy and him taking care of him (if you can even call it that considering his neglectfulness) isn't nearly enough to magically make me sympathize with him. Traces of similar attitudes I can find in Sanji's backstory or Nami's attitudes towards her crewmates (even if in the latter case it's occasionally justified with Sanji).

Where One Piece's problems multiply to hell and back are in worldbuilding, however. One Piece has some of the shoddiest writing involving politics ever seen, and it's a wonder the World Government are even a force in the setting considering their baffling actions and lack of accountability to injustices they themselves commit not only against civilians but also pirates. The series' approach to politics is extremely securitized - and this includes the Straw Hats - with alliances often drawn based on strictly shared goals and rarely on ideological agreement. The noteworthy exception to this rule that I actually liked was the Pirate Alliance, where there was even an attempt to construct an identity on what exactly it meant to be a true pirate. This was a breath of fresh air in contrast to the rest of the series' black and white attitude and featured a few characters that I'd argue succeed in actually being morally gray and intriguing - like Law, a character who in many ways works wonderfully as a foil to Luffy.

This is the exception rather than the rule and while there's clearly a lot of inspiration from classical fairy tales - fitting into the overarching theme of romanticism in adventure that the series is promoting - and even successfully manages to weave a way to have them fit thematically - Usopp's backdrop using the Boy who cried Wolf is a particularly good example of this - it often feels tacked on for its own sake and I'd argue even adds to the general feeling that the series is refusing to grow beyond what it started as on a fundamental level. The series is unbelievably juvenile in its appeal and that's something even Oda himself lampshades in an interview when he mentions that he wrote One Piece with the intent to be a story aimed at children. This is not a problem in and of itself - Digimon Tamers and Dennou Coil are examples of series aimed at children that I personally think are fantastic - but it leads to the entire series dumbing down its appeal in order to appeal to the broadest audience possible, without ever elevating or moving beyond particular tropes and running gags, instead simply being comfortable in what it is. This makes sense from a financial standpoint but not a narrative-related one, as the characters continue acting like 10 year old children who permanently are high on sugar and it's hard to ever feel like these are characters that grew with their audience even if they have progressed considerably from the beginning of the series.

Other issues tie in with how this reductionist writing ends up undermining the worldbuilding the series aims for. The series tries to show off a dynamic world, filled to the brim with culturally diverse settings and characters reflecting all these locations, yet there's this feeling that characters have to act like they're in a gag comedy manga so this immersion ends up being completely ruined. Due to the series' securitized understanding of how politics works, this extends to how these locations are seen by the central characters, often simply being side steps in a greater journey that are resolved and will be fine once the heroes have left said destination, even when it's something as grievous as a civil war or overthrowing an entire government of a small state. As such it's hard to genuinely feel like these are really functioning states but rather that each state is a concept that Oda simply explores. And that understanding is reasonable but in my eyes it detracts from the writing of the series rather than adds to it.

More importantly, there's a jarring lack of understanding on how globalization impacts humanity in such a setting, or how technology would impact such a series. Airships somehow can only be flown with Devil Fruits, but ships that are incredible technologically advanced exist. The World Government deprives parts of the setting from history, but how would such a setting react to the increasing prevalence of communication devices? The world of One Piece is constantly moving and shifting forward and yet the people and extended society in the setting act the same as they've always done, with no extensive efforts put into understanding how the world would change. And perhaps all of this wouldn't be a problem if the series either limited its setting scope or didn't try to focus on that, but it does and that in and of itself is a problem.

On a technical level, One Piece's artwork is easily among the best in its demographic and contributes much to the series' success. Panelling is marvelously done, with dialogue boxes handled efficiently and cleanly, conversations flowing extremely naturally (even in text heavy pages) and a constant emphasis on artwork, by extension using the medium to constantly show off various sides of its characters and have as much expression as possible. This is a wonder considering that the series has been ongoing for several decades and the artwork has somehow only been improving over the years, which is more than what can be said about many manga in general, which resort to time-consuming cuts that remove facial expressions and artwork and emphasize dialogue, often resorting to poor dialogue placement that is a drag to read. Character designs are similarly distinct and striking, with interesting variations on clothing and weaponry that end up adding a lot to the characters. The same can be said of the backgrounds, which are beautifully detailed and add to the overall experience of reading the manga.

What I cannot say the same for are the faces, which for the lack of a better word look extremely ugly and unseemly to look at. The proportions of the faces for the most part are extremely unappealing, and particular mentions have to for to the way Oda draws facial expressions involving open mouths (as I mentioned earlier), female character designs looking very jarringly similar to the point where it's very possible to confuse characters with each other, as well as both lips and the janky look of many characters' bodies. While the character designs deserve praise in some regards, I sadly cannot agree that the actual appearance of most characters are attractive.

There are yet other broader issues with One Piece as a series; arcs have a particular pattern and usually devolve to one on one fights between foils, the Straw Hats constantly committing a No True Scotsman fallacy over what is or isn't a true pirate while never seemingly being aware of that hypocrisy, exposition often being lazily repeated across the series despite information having already been explained beforehand and the general refusal of the manga to elevate itself despite having been ongoing for over two decades, I believe that by this point anyone who doesn't understand my issues with One Piece never genuinely will.

Truthfully, that is more than fine. This is a series that I certainly understand on a basic level the appeal for, it simply just wasn't for me. And if there are fans that can accept some or all of these flaws but love their series and think it's great anyway, more power to them. I can respect passion and love for a series, and fiction is powerful despite its flaws for what it can convey to so many people.

That being said, I cannot and will never like One Piece, and unfortunately that just is how it is.

Thank you for reading, and especially to those who do like this series but read this out of interest anyway.

One Piece is a monument in the manga/anime world. There is not another work that can be named that is so loved, so large, and so acclaimed.

For all that, though, the sensation lingers that maybe its faults have been washed from view by the massive wave of hype and adoration surrounding it.

I have read One Piece, to the at-the-time current chapter, at least three times. It was always a struggle to maintain focus and interest. Several flaws continuously added upon themselves, until they drowned out my view.

This review attempts to address the many faults of the manga, from the most objective point of view--that of a reader who neither hates nor loves the series, who holds no real emotions towards it.

STORY

The story reads like the ecstacy-driven doodle-comics of a child. The various arcs are surreal in basis, and character designs are fantastical. This is not in and of itself a bad thing--sometimes it is amusing to see what the mangaka comes up with next--but after hundreds upon hundreds of chapters of zany crazy hijinks, it all blurs together. There is a constant high output of crazy; however, after so many readings, a tolerance is reached, and it is no longer remarkable or engaging.

There is a well-developed fan theory that makes what I feel is a conclusive case for the end of the manga. It points to many hints and threads carried throughout the arcs, and weaves a pattern for the rest of the show, based off of real historical accounts. Many point to this theory as a sign of Oda-sensei's ability to create great plots. This is very, very wrong. This fan theory, while solid in nature, was only noticed by one reader, who had an extraneous amount of knowledge on key parts of the subject. Foreshadowing serves a purpose in literature--its primary purpose is to hint at what is to come, but more importantly, it builds excitement in the readers, and by fueling fan conspiracy, allows fans to become engaged in the work. This fan theory, while solid, is based off of hints so subtle that the audience at large passed by them, unnoticed, and if not that, misinterpreted them entirely. The foreshadowing failed in this regard.

ART

Like the story, the art is completely surreal. This is not to the benefit of the manga. Many will point to the elaborate backgrounds and surrounding action in large panels as signs of devotion and talent. I will not dispute the former, but the latter is definitely not the case. Artists need to be able to draw the reader's attention to important pieces of action. This is accomplished in many ways--through line thickness, framing, and level of detail. Oda-sensei fundamentally lacks the ability to focus layers of the background in meaningful ways. Some panels have so many details that just looking at them hurts. There is simply too much unsorted information to process, and it meshes together into a meaningless blur. In short, complexity and details do NOT automatically make a manga superior to any one or another. It requires balance, which One Piece lacks.

CHARACTERS

Here I will address both the general character design and the artistic design. The characters are, for the most part, loud, excitable, hooplah-generating machines. While there are characters who are "quieter", like Chopper or Nico, their characters often seem to get caught up in the overwhelming wave of energy that is mass-produced from other characters. I am certain that in any other manga these characters would be excessively loud in their own regard.

By loud, I mean that the characters lack much subtlety. They all have their reasons for sailing with Luffy, and they all have goals and dreams and backstory. However, their baseline personalities are caricatured versions of the person that these histories would've otherwise produced. Sanji is OBSESSED WITH WOMEN, Zoro is OBSESSED WITH SWORDS AND STRENGTH, Usopp IS A COWARD EXCEPT HE PULLS HIMSELF TOGETHER FOR HIS NAKAMA, Franky ALWAYS NEEDS MORE MODIFICATINS, Brooks IS LITERALLY BONES AND MUSIC AND PUNS, Nami IS A STRONG INDEPENDENT WOMAN. It's all so superficial; they all lack nuance. It's boring and annoying and grating after 700+ chapters of the same shallow characterizations.

One of my largest issues with One Piece is the simple visual character designs. I understand that the manga is surrealistic; however, there is a limit to how noodly people can get (and I'm not just talking about Luffy!) If people are thin or normal, then they are streched out, strange thin bendable shades of people. The opposite does not improve the situation; when they are large, they are just a mountain with eyes and appendages. One can capture the essential form of a person and transform it into a surreal caricature which still manages to express the essential qualities of a person; this mangaka cannot do that. People become monstrous, and it eventually feels like I'm reading a webcomic about an entirely different species.

OVERALL

The manga is popular. The manga is huge. The manga grosses more money than any other.

The manga's story has been the same theme for so long that it has lost its flavor. The manga's art shows severe deficiencies in simple framing abilities. The manga's characters are as shallow as the plot.

It's not terrible, being as large as it is. However, its size has blinded people to its very real faults. It's a good manga to read if you want to understand what your manga-loving friends are talking about; it's not the manga you want to read if you want a manga to digest, thoughtfully and slowly. The appeal of this manga comes from the community, not from the manga itself.