When I first started reading the manga, I did not rate it that highly. But as time went by, I started getting really into it. The story became really engaging during the Arlong arc. It is this arc that started to set this manga apart, showing me the best that it can be. After this arc, One Piece never looked back, occasionally dragging in some instances, but always picking up after a couple of issues.

I've grown to love the characters, the art, and the stories of this series, and I don't say that lightly - One Piece has made me laugh my ass off at its lightest moments, it has made me cry during its most tragic times, and in between the laughter and the tears, it has never failed to delight me to no end.

I highly recommend this manga. The best way to enjoy this manga is to pick up the tankōbons, because the piecemeal issues from WSJ can leave the reader hanging on a regular basis.

One Piece is a likable series for many reasons, enjoyable characters, thrilling bad guys, pirates in general have always been kind of cool.
Now in the Western world One Piece, Naruto, and Bleach are called "the big three" and it's easy to see why since they're the three most popular series all published in the same weekly magazine. One Piece is easily the most liked of the three in Japan, and it's clear to see why that is...
One of the most redeeming quality of One Piece is that the quality hasn't change. Even after 600 chapters the art is still good! The mangaka doesn't waste pages and he actually fills panels and even every double spread page is a masterpiece. The best part of One Piece I think was And the brilliant thing is that even though we were over 500 chapters in, at the end of that arc was a promise for better things to come. It was a promise of characters growing stronger, the adventures getting bolder, and the action getting more... actiony?
The only problem I have is how similar every arc tends to be... I know One Piece fans, you might hate me for this, but I'm quite sure you know what I'm talking about... the buildup to the outcome is usually quite the same. But to be honest this is only the beginning of another epic adventure and there's a lot of interesting and fun things popping up chapter after chapter so I'm eagerly waiting around to see how much this series will change that.
No, this does not mean I hate the other two of the big three, I'm just saying I think in my opinion One Piece is better and it's been the only series of the three that I haven't dropped yet.
Young or old, I recommend this series, go check it out and have fun.

I have to admit, the artwork turned me off. I couldn't get past after reading over 50 chapters. Time goes by and this series got dropped while I was concentrating on Naruto and Bleach. Then my friend got into this series and tried to pull me back into the series. I tried again. Since time had past for a long time, I was reading volumes after volumes. I got hooked onto the story when a color spread seemed to popped up at me and I was like, "Wow, his rendering skills is awesome! And after that, the storyline also pulled me in.

If you compare his beginning artwork and the present artwork, it is a big improvement. Also, his ideas are like bottomless. While Oda-sensei introduces many characters at the same time, he doesn't desert them after a short-time usage. Instead, there's back reference to them like in the chapter cover stories and their returning into the future manga plot. At first, I was annoyed that NO ONE (the villains) dies in this manga. Well, the major villains. But then I started to like it because it seems that Oda-sensei does have a role for them to play out. I think his story and characters have their uniqueness that seems to capture his fans. I feel that beside the StrawHat crew, the introducing of new characters and new adventures on each island helps fuel the storyline. While usually introducing too many characters piss me off, One Piece does it in a way where it seems to do it slowly without forcefully shove it to your face.

Another main reason is that usually pirates are associated with evil. The StrawHat crew doesn't do anything that is deemed evil, beside fighting the Navy people (the good guys). So it's your twist of good and evil.

While Naruto and Bleach fans hate One Piece, I think most of them have yet to appreciate Oda-sensei's creative ideas. Bleach is starting to piss me off ever since the FullBringer Arc (just end already!) despite its awesome choreography fights and Naruto is starting to get back on its feet during the War arc

So if the main reason is not reading One Piece is because of the artwork, don't let that turn you off. I once didn't really read it because of the artwork, but I guantee you that the artwork does improve and you'll end up not regretting picking this one up.

... Last updated on January 12th, 2012, 4:49pm

This manga is an absolute masterpiece. When I fitst saw it, I was in my local library looking for some thing to do because I had just moved, the Internet was not hooked up yet, and my mom had things to do. While I was browsing through the manga, I picked out a random volume of One Piece. I took one look at the cover art and put it back. I thought it was the most rediculous thing I had ever seen. I said to myself that I would never read that manga... Ever. About a year later, I borrowed one of my friend's Shounen Jump magazines. I read through all of the manga it contained and I was completely alien to all of them. I read one called Naruto, it seemed kinda strange with this weird puppet thing that looked like some sort of scorpion. I read it and passed it off as boring. I read this other one about some board game and it bored me to death (I can't remember the name of it and I'm too lazy to search.) I just skipped right over bonobo Bo something like that. I got to One Piece and read it. I had no idea what was going on, but I enjoyed it! There were these weird fish people and some weird guy shooting rubber bands from a hole in a wall. Right in the middle of all the action, some black haired guy who was apparantly stuck underwater shot up screaming "I'M BACK!!!". I was hooked.

About a year after that, I had read no more One Piece other than that chapter. I vaguely remembered enjoying it. I saw that my friend had another magazing and I borrowed it, skipping straight to One Piece. Once again, I had no idea what was going on, but it was all snowy. It looked like the black haired guy wanted a raindeer... Weird. Some funny scnes later, thy are running away from a castle and jumping off a weird mountain. Thier silouette in the moonlight was so comical and so memorable, I swore that I would remember the name and read the manga.

A few months later, I was in eight grade, taking Algebra 1 online in school. I look at my friend's computer and I see she's reading manga. Omg! Manga online! Greatest thing ever! I hopped on the manga train, found a site I liked (mangafox) and started reading... D.N.Angel! Great manga! Then I read Black Cat (which I had read the pilot to in one of my friend's magazines) and then I remembered One Piece and went to it. I never thought I had to scroll so far to get to chapter one...

I read the manga, and loved it! Several years later and several hundred manga later, it it still at the top of my list!!! Sadly enough, for some reason, I can't bring myself to enjoy and One Piece fanfics... Why is that?

Ok, now time for the actual review.

One Piece is rich in plot, charachters, comedy, tragedy, action, everything anyone ever wants. There is no such thing as impossible in this manga. It has everything, EVERYTHING name it, One Piece has it. (even living skeletons with afros... What kind of mind thinks up that kind of stuff? ) everyone has read a manga where something is mentioned, but gets forgotten. Maybe has an arc where the charachters just dissappear after and are never mentioned again. In One Piece, that had never happened. Everything is part of the entire (genious) plot. Everything is intertwined, verything is a mystery, everything has you wondering what happens next. Sometime that plot may be a little predictable, but it is always fun! It is true that One Piece has a bit of a formula worked out where everything happens a certain way. However, sometimes that formula is shatterea and it throws ou for a loop and when you expect it to resolve like all the others, it stabs you. This manga makes me cry more than any other; not just because it is a sad moment, but because you have grown attached to whatever happened in the manga. The charachters have so much depth to them, and we feel as if they are real. The main character, Luffy, is strange in this way. When reading the manga, you smile at what he does, and expect him to do certain things, and feel as we really know him. Yet, he is the most enigmatic. Only recently Oda given insight into Luffy's past. It's strange how much we really don't know.

One Piece has a profound amount of depth in everything it has to give. It has taught me many things that I will never forget as well.

Read if you have yet to do so.

Best. Manga. Ever. Been reading this for ages (since ~2005), and it never ceases to surprise and amaze me. I've re-read it soo many times and it still puts me to tears, and makes me laugh my head off regardless of how often I read it. This is by far the greatest shounen I ever read. And how far back this story was thought out is just amazing. If you haven't already, READ IT! And stick with it, it only gets better!

... Last updated on March 11th, 2014, 12:40am

For me OP is the epitome of a shonen manga. It is not short (with almost 600 chapters under its belt it's reaching epic proportions), nor is the artwork outstanding - although in my opinion Oda's ability to do background and color spreads is most definitely outstanding! - and most people would say it is just a fluff piece of shonen, without any depth and consequence.
Before the most recent arc ended I would have nodded slightly and said I understood those viewpoints, even if I didn't necessarily agree with them, since in my opinion One Piece always had more depth than it was credited with, especially concerning the characters, their backgrounds and their relationships.
But with the closing of the most recent arc those arguments are invalid and One Piece has shown just how much emotional depth it can deliver. The problem was, I think, that the plot was so subtle in developing, for Oda always throws in little things in chapters that sometimes won't reappear until 500 chapters later.
That might not be to the taste of some people, and since One Piece is far from finished the actual ending isn't even clear yet, but in my opinion it gives OP an edge over most mangas, since it has actual re-reading value and it shows how good and how faithful Oda is to his plot. He answers questions (not just in the hilarious SBS - which are sadly lost in many fan translations), new questions arise and those are answered to, or will be.

In my opinion now is the perfect time to pick it up if you're hesitant, for you can get the newest chapters easily and the old ones you can buy or get from Null who are imho the best OP translation group out there. One Piece has just finished it's most emotional arc yet, an arc that might be far off when you're starting, but as many ppl have said, reading OP time just flies.

For those of the tl;dr crowd: Read it! Especially now! Give it a chance and you won't regret it!

people who are just reading this manga should be considerate. first of all. the mangaka of this Eiichiro Oda was been confined in hospital due to his illness but he still continue to draw even though he is in the hospital. 2nd of all he is enjoying what his doing right now of course I am a fan I also enjoying reading. if you have a spare time try to know why the mangaka and those who provide manga. what are they doing. sorry for my wrong grammar. thank you for reading

what's so good about naruto, bleach or fairy tail? i honestly and seriously think one piece is the best of them all--coming from a girl like myself. i mean, i had been watching and reading all the aforementioned manga/anime but had to give them all up because my benchmark, one piece, was just too high. incomparable, nonetheless. the drama and comedy are just right. the development is suave. i cant stand too many irrelevant killings and petty dramatic insertions.

p.s. one piece is not overrated. it is simply a masterpiece. ratings and sales are the proof.

This is, imo, undeniably one of the best mangas ever. And if it keeps up this quality till the end, I really believe that it will be the best manga ever.
One piece has something for everyone. On the surface it may not appear that special, but a book cannot be judged by its cover, and one piece proves it the best.
The story appears simple at first, but later on it shows the true depth of this manga when things like racism,oppresion, etc. are dealth wonderfully by it. The characters are great. They are deep characters, very well fleshed out, and you can't help but love them. The sense of adventure is always there, and everything is done really well. A manga that can be enjoyed by anyone and everyone.
Well, I can go on and on, but this really is the best manga imo.

Oh my god! this is the best manga i've read so far!! at the beginning, the artwork is childish but it gets better and better
What i like, is that it is not the 'Typical Shounen Type', i mean, they don't fight here and there with no sense of mind. In this manga, they all have a goal and they are doing their best to fulfill it.
i really like the characters, especially Luffy and Zoro :3
I know this manga is dragging on and on... i mean, 660 chapters are way too much but it is worth reading! people might think it gets boring but if you really like this manga, then it would not be boring at all!!!!

It's so rare to find these kind of mangas nowadays because of all the romance-shoujo :/ Up to now, i found no other 'pirate' mangas but the shoujos in which there are only blushies!
One Piece is Unique in its own way! So read this manga and be sure to get into the story to like it!
it deserves a 10/10 =)