Many people consider One Piece a miracle. And miracles are weird. I if would have to describe what type of manga One Piece is, I will say that it is an adventure-driven manga with character –driven tendencies.
The story follows a young man named Monkey D. Luffy: a cheerful, friendly, simple yet impulsive boy who dreams about becoming the Pirate King by finding the titular treasure. The plot is quite typical nowadays, but as far as I know, One Piece was the first one who used the “to be king” premise. After the first arc (East Blue), is easy to notice that Oda is not looking to tell us a great story ( something that still he does), but he is looking to draw us into a fantastic journey. In fact, the whole looking for the treasure is just an excuse for adventure. But, if you got sucked up into that adventure, you would definitively love it.

A common complaint about One Piece is that the concept of pirates isn’t faithful to the one in our world. But every other shonen does that. The initial concept, in this case “pirates”, is just the substance for the story. Oda isn’t looking to show us a crew of evildoers ruining everything they come into. Instead, he emphasizes the latter said with themes like dreams, freedom, friendship and what a true treasure is.

The tone of One Piece is what makes it so weird, great and unique. One Piece is pretty silly. But this silliness is what allows One Piece to incorporate various genres. It goes from drama to comedy, and vice-versa. And it goes from situations that move you to the point of tears or make laugh until you can’t breathe, and vice-versa.

The last paragraph also applies to the characters. Many of the characters designs and personalities are weird. In fact, it is common for EVERY character to have a quirk. But that what make them distinguished and creative. A bonus that One Piece has is that every secondary o tertiary characters could make a comeback in future chapters. And they are usually re-used in sudden and creative ways. Now, let’s proceed with the main characters. It is interesting to note that Luffy is the most archetypical from the crew, given that the other members hardly fall into common anime/manga character archetypes. From the beginning a varied cast is given: a badass swordsman, a greedy navigator, a coward and liar sniper and a perverted cook.

The most notable flaw of One Piece is the pacing. Sometimes the plot develops too fast, and suddenly this development begins to drag out. Many people are complaining right now about this problem in present arcs, but it seems that they forgot this pacing issue was always there. Other “problem” is that most arcs have the same structure: the crew arrives, someone is trouble, they kick some butts, etc. Yet, each arc manages to differentiate from each other so well, despite the last thing said.

Other potential "problem" is that some arcs, at first sight, don’t SEEM to be related to the plot. But Oda show us things for future purposes. In other words, some arcs exist solely to introduce characters or concepts that will later be developed in the story. This is another point that people seems to have forgotten.

The reason I give One Piece a 10, even though I acknowledge its flaws, is due to Oda who has stated he purposely dragged out his work because he liked it so much. And this passion is something that can be perceived by the way he has handled things along these 15 years. I'm still surprised how he has able to keep things fresh and have kept a very good level of quality in writing. Perhaps not a masterpiece, but definitely above the common shonen standard.

I would really like to recommend this to anyone. But I know many people wouldn’t handle it because of the length. So, if you have a lot of spare time and want some adventure, go on. If you are passing through a difficult situation and you feel exhausted from everything around you, I implore you to read One Piece. Is good for the mood.

I am a fantasy person, i have seen tons of shounen manga, and i have to say this is the best i've seen.

if your a fan of Naruto or Fairy tale, i truly recommend this
Knowing me, i never really like slow plots but this and naruto has me hook almost every chapter and episode.
the art can be annoying in the begining but now the art has improve so much and is really great, especially the fighting scenes.
next, the characters are very extraordinary, i believe it is like a pot of different people part of the same soup. the story also has many funny scenes and characters that will have you laughing so hard you"ll cry. the story also has one sad scene that left in tears for about 20 episodes every time it mentions his death i'll cry, and im pretty tough hearted for me to cry.
also, i believe the plot is well developed, it shows the tragedies the world can be made of but the good things apart of it. it also show that nothing is pure good and every thing has a dark air around it(hint; marines believe they are doing what right but we then see they also do things wrong)
last, the beginning of arcs are verrrrrrrry slow, but don't skip any of them, they are also well developed. the plot will also have you hook with a little mystery and excitement of an OMG scene or " i wonder what will happen when.......", which makes you want to read non stop

-a child bears no sin
- gold roger

... Last updated on September 14th, 2014, 9:32pm

Even though its not very strong in terms of plot, the imagination, colourful characters, intense action, likable protagonist and amazing sense of adventure more than make up for it. Easily the best ongoing shounen manga.

One Piece has everything you can look for in a fantasy: Interesting main cast, good supporting characters & an excellent world building. The artwork has improved with time & the action is well done.

Now the flaws: Too dragged out flashbacks which are honestly lame & do little even in terms of plot (see the recent Fishman Island arc as an example). Other thing being characters are either white or black (i.e. Saint like good guys or crazy villains respectively). Such characters are no fun & shows lack of creativity. (See The Fishman Princess & her mother ~_~ So annoying).

Many of the arcs in the "New World" are totally wasted without any development. The best arcs were Luffy rescuing Ace (Whitebeard Saga). Those arcs were well done as they were unpredictable & had goid battles along with many plot developments.

I've been reading Bleach and Naruto for a couple of years now, always reading the newest chapters online and would see One Piece with them in the updates section but I would just ignore it. I tried 2-3 times to read it but I quit around the Buggy arc. One day I decided to give it a try once more and I fell in love! It is rightfully considered the best shonen out there! Oda is simply a brilliant storyteller. Not only has he created a whole new world with its own laws, traditions and different kinds of people but also the characters (even the most minor ones and ESPECIALLY the strawhats) have so unique personalities (and flaws) that is is very hard not to be interested in their growth and actions.
What makes One Piece make a difference from the other big three is the way the story is being told, something that confirms my earlier statement about the author's storytelling ability. Its' structure is so well put together that it is as if the author has been planning years ahead and I have seen no plot holes as of now. Also I do love that old characters appear after years or other characters that you didn't really pay attention to have come to play huge roles in the development of the story and only then you do realize that Oda has been building them for hundreds of chapters .
Another thing that I like is that the story touches a lot of topics about society and its problems. In One Piece you will find themes such as slavery, racism, oppression, corruption and especially, peoples perspective of justice. All these themes are beautifully mixed inside the One Piece universe but also tend to remind you of the society you live in and the history of humanity.
If you find an arc boring, you will realize after some time that it actually was very important to the later events of the story. That is what I would call the One Piece "magic". You see something and you are like "meeeeh" and then you read further, connect and say "So that is how it is! WOW!"
I have heard that the author is working a lot of hours on each chapter of this brilliant piece of work for each chapter. More than the other manga artists normally do. But that actually becomes visible to the reader in the final result! You will notice small details in each panel that might not really be important, but really do add to the whole aesthetic of the story.
The jokes are also very funny, especially the way the strawhats interact with each other and the "What the f*** are they doing now?!?" effect they bring to the surrounding people (especially the marines haha!). Even in a fight, the author will blend something funny or ridiculous in, while maintaining the overall seriousness.
Last, I would like to comment about the art and the design. At first you might be put off by the art (I know, I did) but you will be soon captivated by the addictiveness of the story that you simply wont care anymore and actually, the art gets better and better as the story goes on. The character designs are also interesting and sometimes VERY weird. Don't be surprised if you see a goofball or a dude with a funny figure kicking ass! Also, I really do enjoy each island the Luffy goes to. It is something I look forward to each time an arc ends. They are all so unique! I swear the creator of One Piece must have limitless imagination.
The only thing that I do not enjoy that much is the excessive fanservice after the timeskip. Too many melon boobs and bikinis
So if you want a good laugh and tons of adventure look no more and start reading One Piece. You wont be putting it down.

... Last updated on March 22nd, 2014, 6:00am

I know this is one of those criticized mangas, but this is one I just can't wait for each week.

Yes, it is unrealistic,
Yes, It has hardly any character development, and
Yes, the plot progression isn't real "deep" if you will.
BUT I adore it because it is the way it is. There are lots of people who love the manga but the nay-sayers are more vocal (in my experience). Even I was put off at first, but I tried it anyways and fell in love (and I'm so glad I did!!). Personally, I like the novel of retaining my innocence through such mediums; I often enjoy media directed at the younger audiences more, they are not bogged by daily worries or interferences. It reminds me of when I believed I could do anything no matter how unrealistic or childish the idea seemed to everyone else.
1) It is called fiction for a reason. It wasn't meant to be sensible and it wasn't mass-directed toward adults in the first place. It is suppose to be fun and silly. It's suppose to hold the attention of a younger person, so the more complicated it is the less it will hold their attention. Nonetheless, it presents morals and values in an easy-to-understand and straightforward manner. And who cares if he's over-powered? It's fiction. There are still people who can overpower him and there are people with strengths where his weaknesses lie (i.e.: tact lol) so in retrospect you could just consider him a genius in hand-to-hand combat and get over it.
2) The character development is there… its just in more of a burst rather than being drawn out through the series. Not to mention if one was really reading with an open heart and an open mind (which is how you should approach anything new) you would love the characters; considering their back stories are pretty tragic but they choose to live on despite the terrible circumstances. And even though their antics are on the stupid side, (unless you're a total stick-in-the-mud) there is no way you would not let out even a small snicker. Even if its just from their melodramatic facial expressions.
3) Though the manga does follow guidelines (which is common for a frequently used theme, like battle) it is not repetitive which I really commend Oda for considering how long this has been published. He is great at keeping his readers on their toes. Even those obsessive fans don't always know what might cross Oda's mind and that keeps it fun and fresh. Plus, if you're reading closely, everything connects. Only now are we starting to see that all of the things Oda has written has a purpose in the conclusion.
700+ chapters is really long and there are some parts that are drawn out but since it's like that, it's fluid. Battles themselves feel less chopped up because Oda draws them step by step and stories are well flushed because he doesn't leave much out. Sometimes I feel like I am living in the story.

Now, I don't want to discredit anyone's feelings but the heated arguments between those who like the manga and those who don't are annoying. Let others have their opinion and don't try to stuff yours down other's throats. Speak your piece then be done with it, and don't rain all over other people's parade (it only makes you seem like a jerk).
I believe this manga had a sparkle all along but only now is it really starting to show it's radiance. You may not like it but it's worth giving a try. It is number one in sales for a reason.

For once I actually prefer the anime over manga. That is because the humour of the manga is more physical, therefore it carries over to the anime better. I know its supposed to be funny, but I can usually see the joke from miles away....So I crack a smile at most. The plots themselves are interesting, but I can't seem to take this manga seriously at all. Also, while everyone is praising the art in One Piece, I don't find it too attractive myself. I personally don't think it's as detailed as everyone claims it is and think it's only above average at best. Since it is so stretched out, I find myself bored out of my mind at certain parts of the manga. That being said, when the moments are heavier, the manga is really able to shine.

... Last updated on February 12th, 2014, 2:10pm

But I'm currently at chapter 450+ and I feel a little tired.

Maybe it's the art that I don't like very much, or the characters that didn't really interest me... Overall the story is great, but at the same time I'm kinda tired of all the nakama and belief stuffs... Also Luffy really need some character developements soon, I'm trying really hard to put up with his overpowered things and his lack of personality doesn't seem to help much.

This might sound like I'm bashing it but no, this is really a good series and I'll definitely pick it up soon. Those are just some flaws I found and ofc everyone is entittled to their own opinion.

Normally i get bored of long shounen series, but i surprisingly managed to get through 700+ chapters of one piece (quite eagerly as well).. which is probably the most chapters ive read from any series! The beginning however is very slow..... it takes a long time for all the the characters to be introduced, but seriously, once you get past the super long intro (which is like what, 200 chapters?) it just keeps getting better and better- soo worth it.

As I read this I lose myself and forget everything around me. I love it. I have fun while reading this. I'm not just reading it for the treasure one piece but for each and every adventure. What they go through, what happens/ed and also for the stories he gives us for the crew, islands, and other characters in this story. Everything is one big story. One thing connects to another and it continues to do so. He even brings back some old characters. Sure it tends to repeat itself with him winning almost every battle but I'd shrivel up and scream in agony if he were ever to lose. His creativity as everyone can see is beyond words. It leaves me facing the setting sun on my knees on a cliff by the sea in tears (in my mind) everytime I see his works of art. This is my number one favorite manga.

... Last updated on June 7th, 2015, 8:02pm