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4.19 AVERAGE
4.19 AVERAGE
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
this was so fun to read ! Never expected to like Manga
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Like everyone who has taken the time and effort to catch up to the over 1100 chapters of One Piece, the series undoubtedly holds a special place in my heart. Many people unfamiliar with the series or those who have only watched/read select parts of it may call the show bad, or, or too long. There is simply no way to properly represent the series without watching/reading it. As such, it’s hard to review this series, but I will do my best.
What makes One Piece special is hard to pin down. One aspect is the world-building. Despite running for over 25 years, One Piece’s story takes place over a span of less than 5 years. Knowing this can run the risk of removing some of the charm, because the bonds built between these characters feel strong enough to last a lifetime. However, it’s quite the opposite. Much like people who rewatch the same shows (The Office, South Park, etc.), One Piece gives readers the opportunity to spend hours upon hours with these same characters. The inherent challenge for author Eichiiro Oda is to continue to develop these characters— and their relationships with each other— in complex and interesting ways. There’s no point to go into specifics, but I would say he accomplishes this time and time again.
The concept of “found family” is at its strongest in One Piece, but even that isn’t a lackluster summation. In most “found family” stories, the loneliness, isolation, and sometimes individualism is hyperbolized. Thus, the conclusion of the story is finding your new family amongst your friends, and the individualism is praised/accepted rather than seen as a source of struggle. However, One Piece is so long that those connections have been finalized long ago. In other words, the family has already been found, and now we see where the story goes from there.
This is a great thing. Up until the Enies Lobby arc, there was some question of how tight this “family” truly is. Following the arc, there’s almost no question. The Straw Hat Pirates will defend each other no matter what. Beyond this, the “family” builds so much strength and confidence that they develop unyielding faith in each other. Early in the series, we often see characters freaking out at the thought of their crewmates being found in dangerous situations. Nowadays, characters will react with confident, beaming smiles upon hearing this. This isn’t because a lack of care; in fact, it’s the opposite. These characters have so much care and respect for each other that they put utter faith in one another to endlessly triumph. And seeing how these characters ended up here, we as readers often share that same faith.
Given the history of the two series, it’s inevitable that One Piece and Naruto will receive some comparison. One of the largest comparisons I see is in regards to the action/choreography. I have only seen some of Naruto, but I’m willing to accept that Naruto may be superior in this regard. This isn’t to say One Piece is lacking action, it’s certainly not. It’s just that the longer, drawn-out fights are typically much less entertaining than the short, specific moments likeLuffy punching Arlong or Charlos the Celestial Dragon. However, I would argue the emotional moments that fuel the fighting in the first place are the truly unforgettable scenes. One such moment is Robin’s “I want to live!” scene. It’s raw, beautiful, displays the themes One Piece had dug into up to that point, and contextualizes all the further fights to be of even more epic proportions.
I rated this a 4.5/5 simply because with a story that has gone on for so long, it’s inevitable that there are going to be low points. Long Ring Long Land, Punk Hazard, Fishman Island, etc. If you’ve seen or read the series, you’re aware that these sections drag, and there’s moments in Long Ring Long Land that legitimately feel like reverse-character-development (in my opinion). Not to mention that LRLL comes right before the Water 7 arc, which leads into Enies Lobby, one of the greatest arcs of all shonen. If I could remove or shorten these arcs, the series would deserve a 5/5. I realize -10% for a couple bad arcs amidst 1100 chapters may seem harsh, but it’s absolutely a flaw of the series. It runs the risk of alienating viewers, which is upsetting because sticking through is so incredibly rewarding.
P.S. The pacing of One Piece the anime is often horribly slow, but I will not attribute that to the manga. The manga rarely hosts that same issue.
What makes One Piece special is hard to pin down. One aspect is the world-building. Despite running for over 25 years, One Piece’s story takes place over a span of less than 5 years. Knowing this can run the risk of removing some of the charm, because the bonds built between these characters feel strong enough to last a lifetime. However, it’s quite the opposite. Much like people who rewatch the same shows (The Office, South Park, etc.), One Piece gives readers the opportunity to spend hours upon hours with these same characters. The inherent challenge for author Eichiiro Oda is to continue to develop these characters— and their relationships with each other— in complex and interesting ways. There’s no point to go into specifics, but I would say he accomplishes this time and time again.
The concept of “found family” is at its strongest in One Piece, but even that isn’t a lackluster summation. In most “found family” stories, the loneliness, isolation, and sometimes individualism is hyperbolized. Thus, the conclusion of the story is finding your new family amongst your friends, and the individualism is praised/accepted rather than seen as a source of struggle. However, One Piece is so long that those connections have been finalized long ago. In other words, the family has already been found, and now we see where the story goes from there.
This is a great thing. Up until the Enies Lobby arc, there was some question of how tight this “family” truly is. Following the arc, there’s almost no question. The Straw Hat Pirates will defend each other no matter what. Beyond this, the “family” builds so much strength and confidence that they develop unyielding faith in each other. Early in the series, we often see characters freaking out at the thought of their crewmates being found in dangerous situations. Nowadays, characters will react with confident, beaming smiles upon hearing this. This isn’t because a lack of care; in fact, it’s the opposite. These characters have so much care and respect for each other that they put utter faith in one another to endlessly triumph. And seeing how these characters ended up here, we as readers often share that same faith.
Given the history of the two series, it’s inevitable that One Piece and Naruto will receive some comparison. One of the largest comparisons I see is in regards to the action/choreography. I have only seen some of Naruto, but I’m willing to accept that Naruto may be superior in this regard. This isn’t to say One Piece is lacking action, it’s certainly not. It’s just that the longer, drawn-out fights are typically much less entertaining than the short, specific moments like
I rated this a 4.5/5 simply because with a story that has gone on for so long, it’s inevitable that there are going to be low points. Long Ring Long Land, Punk Hazard, Fishman Island, etc. If you’ve seen or read the series, you’re aware that these sections drag, and there’s moments in Long Ring Long Land that legitimately feel like reverse-character-development (in my opinion). Not to mention that LRLL comes right before the Water 7 arc, which leads into Enies Lobby, one of the greatest arcs of all shonen. If I could remove or shorten these arcs, the series would deserve a 5/5. I realize -10% for a couple bad arcs amidst 1100 chapters may seem harsh, but it’s absolutely a flaw of the series. It runs the risk of alienating viewers, which is upsetting because sticking through is so incredibly rewarding.
P.S. The pacing of One Piece the anime is often horribly slow, but I will not attribute that to the manga. The manga rarely hosts that same issue.
Devoured! Loved the live action af so decided to read it and it was juicy ofc!
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
inspiring
lighthearted
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Entertaining and fun. A solid building block for what I expect to be a great series. A bit cheesy at times but I think it's worth continuing.