Overrated? Really? If One Piece is overrated, then Naruto and Bleach are so overrated that it transcends the boundaries of human comprehension and perception!
Yes. One Piece is just that good.
It's different from the other top shounen mangas--the quality is constent; good, unlike the drastically degenerating plots of other mangas (you know what I'm talking about). In fact, One Piece just keeps getting better and better.
The miniscule little plot hints dropped during each arc is gradually building up an amazing new world. It just keeps getting more and more exciting--it's like watching a totally new world with its own unique laws and dictations (governmentgovenmentgovenmentsecrets&conspiraciesomgthetension) unfurl right in front of your eyes. But you have to pay attention to some of the details and the foreshadowing going on to grasp the enormity of everything.
And everything DOES develop; mysteries are beginning to unravel and we're starting to see the whole picture and stuff. Character development? Yes. I see some... However the characters are already almost fully developed from the moment their backstories (which will make you cry) are revealed! Sort of like stock characters. Chracters do learn things, but it's subtle. You can't have characters suddenly changing personalities, right? I'm pretty sure in other mangas like Naruto and Fairy Tail the characters all still have their own rooted personalities and mannerisms. The character development is still there, but not as obvious.
Regarding the overused and repetitive plot aspects of One Piece--aren't all shounen fighting mangas repetitive? It depends on how you view it: shounen mangas pretty much ALL involve the main protagonist fighting and defeating an enemy, fighting and defeating another one, and another one: constantly one-upping and fighting new enemies...
One piece has fights, yes, but the fights are thoughtful and planned and there is a whole lot more going on than 'just a fight'. Mm. Revolts, subterfuge, religion, friendship, corruption, power, sacrifice-- all these intricate and interesting ideas are blended into each fight to create a delicious and enjoyable smoothie of awesome. Yummy.
Anyways. I love One Piece. But it might not be the one for all (...it is the one for me, though...), with inspirational & developed characters, action and adventure, an interesting art style (hey, the art is somewhat atypical in the sense that characters can look very different from each other 🙂 , provoking stories (some characters' backstories made me cry...) and an epic plot to boot.
Recommended for all (hmmm... 12+?)
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