Written by: Kevin Berge
The One Piece crew each have their defined roles. Nami for example, well, shonen anime really could be more mature if it wanted to. (Image Courtesy of: truyentranhviet.vn)
Shonen anime has always been and will always be the most popular form of the medium particularly when also considering their manga roots. The three most popular shonen manga of the modern era are One Piece, Naruto, and Bleach. I have covered the second and the third, but One Piece is a different beast entirely.
While both Naruto and Bleach are among the most popular and best selling of all-time, they are trumped by other older manga. One Piece though is far and away the most popular and successful with an estimated 416 million copies sold, a number that so far exceeds other manga it rivals the total number of Batman comics ever sold (460 million) and outpaces Spider-Man, Peanuts, and X-Men.
The anime of the manga has reached 804 episodes, and I will admit I am not even close to catching up to that mark at the moment. However, I felt bad not covering such a monumental part of this medium, and I expect I would never get to cover the whole anime in one go given its size and increasing number by the week.
Instead, I am going to take the time here to introduce One Piece as an anime (not discussing its more popular manga though giving enough information to introduce the concept behind both) to those who have not seen it and talk about why it is so popular, perhaps allowing more readers outside of Japan where it is such a cultural phenomenon to get a sense of whether it is worth their time.
While both Naruto and Bleach are among the most popular and best selling of all-time, they are trumped by other older manga. One Piece though is far and away the most popular and successful with an estimated 416 million copies sold, a number that so far exceeds other manga it rivals the total number of Batman comics ever sold (460 million) and outpaces Spider-Man, Peanuts, and X-Men.
The anime of the manga has reached 804 episodes, and I will admit I am not even close to catching up to that mark at the moment. However, I felt bad not covering such a monumental part of this medium, and I expect I would never get to cover the whole anime in one go given its size and increasing number by the week.
Instead, I am going to take the time here to introduce One Piece as an anime (not discussing its more popular manga though giving enough information to introduce the concept behind both) to those who have not seen it and talk about why it is so popular, perhaps allowing more readers outside of Japan where it is such a cultural phenomenon to get a sense of whether it is worth their time.
Basic Story Set-Up
One Piece is set in a world that is largely water where piracy dominates the widespread and various islands. Monkey D. Luffy is a young man who was inspired to become a pirate and has finally set out on a journey to become King of the Pirates by finding the fabled treasure of Gol D. Roger.
Thanks to his joyful personality and ability to take on the properties of rubber thanks to his consumption of the Gum-Gum fruit, Luffy adds the Pirate Hunter/swordsman Roronoa Zoro, navigator Nami, mechanic Usopp, and cook Sanji, and they head out onto the Grand Line to begin their adventure and achieve their individual goals.
Thanks to his joyful personality and ability to take on the properties of rubber thanks to his consumption of the Gum-Gum fruit, Luffy adds the Pirate Hunter/swordsman Roronoa Zoro, navigator Nami, mechanic Usopp, and cook Sanji, and they head out onto the Grand Line to begin their adventure and achieve their individual goals.
One Piece may not have been much of my childhood, but I always knew Zoro was the awesomest. (Image Courtesy of: buzzerg.com)
What is One Piece?
One Piece is shonen anime at its simplest. It is dominated by story arcs where the cast of friends venture into a new landscape that is dominated by a group of thugs who test the crew individually. Luffy and Zoro are the primary fighters, but often everyone is forced into some of the action.
However, it can also be called the definitive series of the genre. While its staggering length does lead to some stalling, One Piece rarely is plagued by the fundamental flaw of the genre: filler, and it often makes the filler feel important and entertaining even when it does not directly link to the lead stories.
This hyper-fantastical pirate series is vibrant and varied with each island the group visit a new adventure all its own. While there is an overriding narrative at its core, One Piece is about the journey, and it constantly gives the viewer more worlds and characters to discover along the way.
There are strong and weak arcs along the way which has occasionally led me to stall out during particular storylines, but the best parts of One Piece are emotional rollercoasters that are nearly unmatched by any other show. I have said similar things about Naruto, but One Piece is much stronger from an arc to arc standpoint.
***Spoilers for a reveal in episode 31.***
A few examples of arcs early on the series include Arlong Park, a battle with a group of Fishmen that Nami it turns out has been working for the whole time, and Alabasta, the battle to reclaim the Kindgom of Alabasta for Princess Vivi from one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, Crocodile.
***Okay, spoilers over.***
To date, the best part of the series I've watched has been Enies Lobby which twists and turns into an epic battle that may just be the best example of friendship over all other things in anime. Still, I know I have a long way to go with the anime to encounter some of its best moments in a world that only seems to expand more by the episode.
This is a world dominated by the idea that it is living and breathing, and shonen anime is always better for that. Luffy's constant search for One Piece as well as his clear conflict with the Seven Warlords of the Sea are driving and growing conflicts that make this small happy adventure more and more exciting with time.
While it is hurt by a story that seems to be going on forever without an ending, it is clear there is an end goal. It just happens to be at the end of what could be 1500-episode series. On the bright side, this makes certain that fans can jump in at the beginning at any time and never be worried about running out of material too quickly.
However, it can also be called the definitive series of the genre. While its staggering length does lead to some stalling, One Piece rarely is plagued by the fundamental flaw of the genre: filler, and it often makes the filler feel important and entertaining even when it does not directly link to the lead stories.
This hyper-fantastical pirate series is vibrant and varied with each island the group visit a new adventure all its own. While there is an overriding narrative at its core, One Piece is about the journey, and it constantly gives the viewer more worlds and characters to discover along the way.
There are strong and weak arcs along the way which has occasionally led me to stall out during particular storylines, but the best parts of One Piece are emotional rollercoasters that are nearly unmatched by any other show. I have said similar things about Naruto, but One Piece is much stronger from an arc to arc standpoint.
***Spoilers for a reveal in episode 31.***
A few examples of arcs early on the series include Arlong Park, a battle with a group of Fishmen that Nami it turns out has been working for the whole time, and Alabasta, the battle to reclaim the Kindgom of Alabasta for Princess Vivi from one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, Crocodile.
***Okay, spoilers over.***
To date, the best part of the series I've watched has been Enies Lobby which twists and turns into an epic battle that may just be the best example of friendship over all other things in anime. Still, I know I have a long way to go with the anime to encounter some of its best moments in a world that only seems to expand more by the episode.
This is a world dominated by the idea that it is living and breathing, and shonen anime is always better for that. Luffy's constant search for One Piece as well as his clear conflict with the Seven Warlords of the Sea are driving and growing conflicts that make this small happy adventure more and more exciting with time.
While it is hurt by a story that seems to be going on forever without an ending, it is clear there is an end goal. It just happens to be at the end of what could be 1500-episode series. On the bright side, this makes certain that fans can jump in at the beginning at any time and never be worried about running out of material too quickly.
No two villains are the same though it would be nice expect that they're absolutely insane. (Image Courtesy of: alphacoders.com)
Art Style and Sub vs. Dub
The art of Eiichiro Oda is unique and cartoonish which can be a turnoff for some people. It takes some time to settle in but does a good job setting the tone of the serious. Everything feels a bit off and fantastical and lends itself to the wild sense of otherworldliness.
I personally find some of the character designs a bit off-putting, but I often don't find that to be a deterrent from watching the show. Nobody looks real, and sometimes they just come off as ugly and that's not a total bad thing. Not everything in animation needs to look pristine and beautiful. Different people will have different reactions to it.
Avoid the 4Kids dub like the plague, but I do enjoy Funimation's dub of the series. I have grown so attached to the dub over so long that it sounds almost off to me to listen to the sub. Still, I can say the Japanese sub is objectively better even if the dub has great voice actors in Chris Sabat as Zoro and Colleen Clinkbeard as Luffy.
Plus the English dub has only gotten through about half the series that has aired in Japan, so you'll have to wait a long while if you are hoping to watch everything dubbed.
Recommendation: Sub
I personally find some of the character designs a bit off-putting, but I often don't find that to be a deterrent from watching the show. Nobody looks real, and sometimes they just come off as ugly and that's not a total bad thing. Not everything in animation needs to look pristine and beautiful. Different people will have different reactions to it.
Avoid the 4Kids dub like the plague, but I do enjoy Funimation's dub of the series. I have grown so attached to the dub over so long that it sounds almost off to me to listen to the sub. Still, I can say the Japanese sub is objectively better even if the dub has great voice actors in Chris Sabat as Zoro and Colleen Clinkbeard as Luffy.
Plus the English dub has only gotten through about half the series that has aired in Japan, so you'll have to wait a long while if you are hoping to watch everything dubbed.
Recommendation: Sub
Final Thoughts and Recommendation
I cannot recommend One Piece to everyone because it simply is too expansive, but it is the best example of pure shonen anime I have seen so far that does not rely on being subversive. It simply takes the tropes of the genre and drives them home in a way that never comes off as corny or unearned.
I also cannot review it just yet even based on the episodes already released because I am about 450 episodes behind on that front. However, I can say with certainty that this is an anime worth your time if you want to explore a new fantastical world or encounter characters that develop consistently as you get to know them more.
From cities dominated by fish people to cities way up in the sky to giant military compounds that are surrounded by giant waterfalls, each landscape feels unique and creates new environments for exploration. Even if it takes years to get through, it is worth the time invested.
One Piece could never end, and that would be just fine. While the flaws of the shonen anime seem to be what it primarily in vogue at the moment, the classics still have merit. Achieving dreams, finding friends, becoming better people, and never letting up: One Piece has all the happy themes you could possibly imagine.
I also cannot review it just yet even based on the episodes already released because I am about 450 episodes behind on that front. However, I can say with certainty that this is an anime worth your time if you want to explore a new fantastical world or encounter characters that develop consistently as you get to know them more.
From cities dominated by fish people to cities way up in the sky to giant military compounds that are surrounded by giant waterfalls, each landscape feels unique and creates new environments for exploration. Even if it takes years to get through, it is worth the time invested.
One Piece could never end, and that would be just fine. While the flaws of the shonen anime seem to be what it primarily in vogue at the moment, the classics still have merit. Achieving dreams, finding friends, becoming better people, and never letting up: One Piece has all the happy themes you could possibly imagine.