When I am asked what my favorite manga is I can't answer with just one manga, but I try to limit the list to 5 mangas in no particular order. One Piece was the first manga to ever make it on the list and will probably have a place on the list until it's finished. BTW the other mangas/manhwas on my favorite list are Noblesse, Tower of God, Saint Oniisan, and Beelzebub.

Before becoming a part of the manga fandom, as a resident of the U.S, I saw One Piece as a cartoon that was more suited for kids. The fact that Naruto and Bleach is more popular than One Piece here among the "Big Three" is mostly the fault of the American cartoon company, 4Kids, who licensed One Piece and heavily censored and edited the anime. (please, it's not even close to what's it's supposed to be) When I learned that One Piece is the best selling manga in history (the series sold over 280 million volumes sold as of the end of 2012, with the initial release of volume 61 breaking the record for the first print publishing record of all books in Japan "Harry Potter and Order of the Phoenix") as well that 88% of its readers in Japan are adults, it gave me the motivation to seriously start reading it. The experience was a pure joy and it's been stuck in my head ever since. Each arc gets more and more exciting as you read on and everything from epic battles to comedy relief brings the characters to life. As one of the comments said, it's all about the journey and not the destination. And it's a very epic journey. (in fact, at one point in the manga, Luffy says he doesn't want to know where One Piece is right away or it'll make the adventure boring) That's why you have to experience the adventure thoroughly to properly understand how good the series actually is. I myself didn't really get why it was considered one of the best after reading several volumes. Continue on without question and you won't regret it. Personally I found the Enies Lobby Arc the climax of the series; after that I considered One Piece to be one of my top favorites and certainly the best mainstream shonen manga.

A lot of ideas for manga are based on real life examples with a fictional twist. One Piece brings together pirates vs. marines with mythical beasts and devil fruit powers. This allows for a lot of leverage for the design of many interesting characters. We have our protagonist, Luffy, a rubber man who's ability to stretch combines close combat with long ranged attacks (I mean seriously, who else but Oda would think of this) and his crew who goes up against a multitude of villians with their own unique devil fruit powers and developed abilities. The fights in this story become more and more epic as the challenge becomes tougher and tougher with the result of the characters becoming stronger each time as well. Not only do each individual's abilities evolve, their teamwork becomes phenomenal. The creativity put into this series is simply a blend of genius, meaning no one else could've written anything like it.

Oda Eiichiro-sensei was fully aware that his art style might put off some people (that's where some of the bias comes from in America) but as One Piece's popularity grew, his unusual art was shown to be be one of One Piece's selling points. It allowed him the freedom to draw interesting battles, funny scenarios, and bizarre characters. Rather than getting "used to the art," you'll find yourself immersed in it.

Another selling point of the manga is that although there is always the comical annoyance between the crew members, all the members loves and values their crew dearly as all of them have joined Luffy's crew because of some sort of dream; dreams that were inspired by some sort of tragedy they experienced or by some person they have met. You'll find yourself touched by the characters interactions as you see them go through hardships as well as joyful moments, with their dreams becoming the drive force that makes each individual powerful. You'll have fun with the characters as they all have their own role in entertaining the reader; comedy and seriousness is blended together perfectly in series as each one of them has their own very unique personality. This allows for a plenty of hilarious gags intricately put in each chapter. As you observe their adventures, jumping from one island to the next, you'll see the crew always getting into some wacky situation as troublemakers and how they're always ready to be heroes and save anything from a small village to an entire nation. Because of how they always meddle into the affairs of others, the tiny crew starts off as nobodies only to become infamous worldwide as the plot progresses into something enormous.

The idea of many people is that many shonen manga reach its peak at some point and only get worse if the author attempts to keep the series going on for too long instead of ending it, but One Piece has been going on for 600+ chapters and has only gotten more interesting. Oda always knows how to take the series into the right direction. (he says at chapter 597 that the series reached its half point then)

... Last updated on January 3rd, 2013, 1:21pm

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.

I used to be obsessed with this manga. It was fun, exciting, and very well done, but after that AMAZING rescue arc, I've been loosing interest. It's starting to drag on. It's still a fun read, and the consistent updates are nice, but it's become more of a filler read. I'm worried it's going to end up like Detective Conan since the series is still going strong.
Once again, still a fun, worthwhile read for those of you with some extra time on your hands.

A really good series, The adventure and fighting aspect of this series is top notch, if not the best ive seen. And the comedy is gold, Cant get enough of luffy and his crew. The thing that really keeps me interested in this series, is that this series will have a strong ending, which will be {suprise} luffy becoming the Pirate King. Expect this series not to end with a whimper but a bang, Ive give it a 10 for its interesting settings and characters, not to mention the animals.

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 =)

There are some excellent, shinning parts (prison breakout, sky-pea, and many others) but the last couple of arcs have been really boring (mermaids, and now the hot-cold island).
=> this is over 50 chapters of bleh!

The author seems to have lost the knack he had for finding fun and imaginative reasons for splitting up the crew and giving them thrilling challenges...

One Piece, if I could describe it, it's a manga that basically makes you happy. It's a manga that makes you wanna go forth and seize your dreams, while making great friends along the way. There are so many wonderful adventures and it manages to teach you lessons too. People may disagree and say that it doesn't deserve the hype or whatever but I don't think so. I completely understand the hype and attention it's gotten. It really does deserve its spot among the big 3. Truthfully I like it much better than the other 2. But since this has been discussed, debated and fought about many times I'm not going to bother. One Piece is epic, 'nuff said.

Also, I'm really happy that there isn't a trace of romance in it except maybe for a few attractions. The manga is beautiful as it is. Romance would ruin it. The friendship and the amazing bonds between the crewmates beats any romance I've ever come across. There have been so many times when I wish I could just get into the story and join the crew! The action and fight scenes are amazing too. Luffys gomu gomu no ability is extremely original and I haven't seen it been done before. I LOVE the world of One Piece, the seas, the places, Islands and the atmosphere in general. It really makes the tale of pirates seem like something we wish we could be a part of.

The characters are AWESOME. They're hilarious, bizarre and totally lovable. I love every member of the straw hat crew and can't help but root for their dreams. There have been intense sequences when their relationship has been questioned but they always stick together in the end. Even the characters outside the crew are totally original. Luffy is so friggin hilarious!

One Piece is without a doubt, one of my favourite mangas ever. The anime is awesome as well. It reminds of dbz a bit. It's a manga that will make you laugh so much. Don't miss out on it!

... Last updated on March 26th, 2012, 6:35am

there is a good reason why its famous and y many pple love it ..
The crew members are all jewels and r kick ass character in ther own ways...
Adventure at its best ... It might look childish or stupid in the starting but its will grow on u n u will come to love them more and more as the story goes on ...
The best arc would be ennies lobby arc ..
Now its getting bit dragged but i m sure it will get more interesting again :-)