One Piece

There are two responses I get, without fail, every time I try to get someone new to watch this show. "I don't like the art style," or "I've seen the dub - NO THANKS." I'm guilty of both of these myself. But if there's one thing I need to stress before even getting started on this review, it's that the 4Kids dub is NOT One Piece. For the love of god, PLEASE do not think it is. If you've suffered the misfortune of seeing some of the 4Kids episodes, just erase them from your mind and start fresh. They butchered it, there's really no other way to put it. They cut episodes, changed the dialogue to fit a MUCH younger and apparently far less intelligent audience (almost insultingly so), gave the characters RIDICULOUS voices, and pretty much watered down the entire series. FUNimation has done a much better job so far from what I've seen, but regardless, watching it in its original Japanese form with subtitles is really the way to go.

As for the art style, it's true, it's completely different from almost anything else I've seen. Much more "cartoonish" and maybe not what you'd expect from an anime. Despite that, you end up loving it. I wouldn't even say that you have to "get used to it" because it's not something that detracts from the rest of the series in any way. It didn't even take me two episodes before I was thoroughly enjoying it and seeing it as a fresh, new style, exciting almost and unlike anything I'd experienced before. Now, some 300+ episodes later, I can't remember ever NOT liking it, or even why I would have. Especially now with One Piece being aired in high definition, the art is crisp, clean, colorful - VERY sharp and wonderful to look at.

Now that we've got those two points out of the way...

One Piece is actually one of the best shows I've ever seen, anime or otherwise. The plot is pretty basic at first. Monkey D. Luffy has just set out on his own to find the legendary treasure 'one piece' and become Pirate King, and he's looking for a crew to sail with him. You'll find yourself falling in love with each and every new member as Luffy finds them. They're all extremely well developed, with interesting backgrounds and unique, fun personalities. They form one very quirky crew that's always discovering new adventures and somehow getting themselves into trouble as they strive to achieve their dreams. Each main story arc introduces new minor characters as well, and they're just as much fun and easy to fall in love with as the Straw Hat crew. Not one character is left out or feels like they're there for no reason. Everyone has a purpose and adds to the storyline, and one of the really cool things about One Piece is that these 'purposes' often resurface at later points in the series. No detail is left untouched, and you'll seriously be amazed by the way Oda threads together plots and characters and blends all their stories perfectly the more the series progresses.

The plot itself, though fairly straightforward at first like I said, quickly evolves into something HUGE. Much of the beginning of the series is dedicated to forming the crew and letting you get to know the characters, though it's definitely never lacking in action, but once they reach the Grand Line, you're swept up in adventure after adventure and following some of the most fantastic story arcs you'll ever watch. The battles and fights are well-paced, with the final boss fight almost always being completely EPIC. But even through the action, One Piece never quite loses it's lighthearted, humorous edge. The episodes are sprinkled with PLENTY of funny moments, never too many and never too few. There's always a wonderful balance of action and humor.

One Piece also has its fair share of heart-wrenching moments, which may take you by surprise! There are some EXTREMELY powerful scenes and episodes that kind of blindside you and leave you wondering when you became quite so emotionally attached to certain characters or other things. I've definitely found myself near tears or actually crying at more than one point. One Piece has it all - amazing characters, the never-ending yet never TOO over-the-top humor, exciting battles, fun adventures, heartbreaking moments with quick to follow touching moments. And underneath everything, there's always the theme of friendship and teamwork, of working to reach your dreams and helping those closest to you achieve theirs, of growing and maturing as a person and discovering the power within yourself to overcome obstacles of any sort, of just BEING THERE for the rest of your crew when they need you - of being NAKAMA.

In a word, One Piece is perfect. And perhaps I'm just biased, being an obviously OBSESSED fan at this point, haha, but what can I say? It's been running for 344 episodes so far and not ONCE have I wondered or hoped that it would start to reach an end. It is, simply put, amazing.

One Piece has become something of a colossal cult-phenomenon around the world, though it's a household name in Japan thanks to Toei Animation's seemingly undying commitment to Shonen Jump adaptations, such as Dragon Ball, Dr. Slump, Saint Seiya and Slam Dunk.

At over 900 episodes this show has become probably the longest running digitally-painted anime in history: thanks to Toei's transition to digital cel-animation in the late 1990s. This show's got great characters, a fun world and the action gets just enough punch to not be too boring or derivative of Toei's other Shonen-derived shows.

This is an anime household name and anyone into Japanese animation should give this one a shot. P.S. You DON'T need to have seen all of this show's episodes because... y'know: it's ridiculous catch-up time in one sitting.

I watch a lot of fan subbed anime and occasionally watch some dubbed anime if there is nothing else good on TV. Well one day while watching Toonami in the UK i stumbled across show called one piece. It wasn't amazingly good, there were obvious problems with the dub, but it was enjoyable none the less. After i'd watched few episodes i started to become curious about the characters and the origins of the story. I did a little bit of research on the web and found out that the version of One Piece i was watching had been butchered from its original format. There were A lot of sources that all said the same thing, that the original One Piece was brilliant and that the dub was nothing in comparison. I liked the show and wanted to see what Uncut One Piece was like. After a little more searching i found some fantastic fansubs and my real One Piece experience started. What can i say, Japanese One Piece is one of the best stories ever told and is by far my favourite show to watch. I look forward everyweek to watching the next episode when the fansub is released. 280 episodes into the series and its still as great as it was when it first started.

A poor dub led me to discover my favourite show, and so if nothing else, the dub will let new fans like me discover One Piece.

Lets all hope this adventure continues for a long time.

I've followed this series for going on 15 years and it never fails to amaze me. From the characters to the world building, the details are everything here. Until almost 500 episodes in, I honestly forgot about the One Piece, because there is so much more going on. The emotional impact of each saga, and the naturally feel good vibe of this series can probably cure depression (I know it cured mine).

At first glance, I like many others, skipped over this series because of the animation and overall goofiness that seemed to engulf it. I couldn't have made a bigger mistake. Don't be fooled, just like the real world, this world shows a coloful fun facade, but there is a much darker reality that lies underneath. The world is a very cruel and unfair place, but that can't deter you from achieving your dream and exploring all it has to offer.

The main protagonist Monkey D. Luffy, embodies the human spirit as much as any character in fiction, and just like his rubber ability, he always bends but never breaks. His fiery passion and indomitable spirit to become "King of the Pirates" inspires those around him, and his fun loving, free spirited personality and compassion for his crew make him an excellent leader.

The crew itself are full of different personalities and I almost guarantee that you'll relate to at least one of them. Each bringing their own strengths to the crew. As a fan of the original Dragon Ball, I loved the teamwork aspect and sadly, it's something that didn't carry over as well to DBZ, but was somewhat redeemed in Super. By which I mean, there was a point where Goku and Vegeta vastly surpassed everyone else. Whereas in One Piece, Luffy is the Goku of this series, but no one survives in this world alone and strength comes in all different forms, not just raw power. The strongest crew will find the One Piece, not the strongest person.

Eiichiro Oda and his team have been producing chapter after chapter almost every week for over 22 years. The love and detail he puts into everything is noteworthy, and the anime should receive recognition for the voice acting and excellent score, despite how some people feel about the animation and pacing. It's still better than most.

Whether you decide to read the manga, watch the anime or both, take your time and enjoy one of the greatest adventure series ever made.

On first glance, One Piece is not too different from other Anime series. It has hilarious, roll on the floor from laughing humor and so much action it makes you wonder if the crew ever gets tired.

But in its core, One Piece is about something else: it's about nakama. Nakama, a Japanese term generally referring to comrades, receives a completely new feeling in One Piece. Stand by your nakama, believe in them no matter what happens, no matter what anyone does or says about them. Help them in any situation, even if it means putting your own life on the line. With you nakama, you can do anything. And it is this extreme sense of comradry that makes you fall in love with the characters and wish you could be a part of the strange little group.

It also teaches how humans are allowed to have flaws; in fact, all people do: seemingly perfect Swordsman and first mate Roronoa Zoro has no sense of direction whatsoever and can easily get himself lost on any one way street, navigator Nami is absolutely crazy for money, cook Sanji loses his mind once he sees a lady.. and the list goes on and on. But despite these flaws, they continue fighting. For each other and with each other. If one crewmember can't do it, somebody else will be right there for support.

If you're looking for a funny, action-filled series whose main characters easily grow to your heart and feel like family: go for One Piece. You will not regret it!