This is the quote, that sets the main plotline for the series. Along with the name of the title itself. Hearing this and glimpsing at the synopsis, I build up expectations of an amazing journey, coupled with an engaging story driven narrative and good sense of mystery. Unfortunately those expectations were not met with great content to satisfy them. My main motivations for starting this was my desire to understand why is this series so successful in Japan. And I'm afraid to say after I gave the show a shot, I wasn't able to get it, or even see the appeal like I would for others shows that I didn't like.
Let's start with the Characters [3/10]. They might be one of my biggest gripe of the show. I could forgive the semi-episodic narrative of the show and the repetition found in the format of the arcs if the characters kept my interest and made me want to keep watching. It's not that I simply didn't like them, because Luffy the protagonist himself is pretty likeable, and I like Zoro and Robin. But characterization, progression and just the general writing of the characters fails to deliver. Luffy is two dimensional at best. Everything about him feels borrowed from Goku, and not much is exclusive to him. He doesn't have any significant character development for more than 100+ episodes. He has the same track mind, same point of view. Never changing or maturing. Not feeling any more sense of responsibility and not gasping a bigger sense of the world, emphasizing his naivety and immature personality. So he is a static character for a big portion of the show. While static doesn't mean a bad character by default, in the case of Luffy it makes him a bad character. It makes him super predictable in how he reacts to things, his interactions with others and his decisions in general. There is hardly any fleshing out of his character outside of simple dialogue and simple motives ''I want to be the pirate king'' '' I Will Protect my Nakama'' ''I love meat''. His characterization is very simple and while that could be considered likeable, it's yet not charming as Goku. Since it's just a copy. I just find him dull and non-simulating, the shouting and care free personality with the serious personality in fights doesn't make him interesting to me. There is just no particular depth in his characterization or the execution of his character. He is faced with a major life changing events later on in the series, but he is still the same character after it passes. When speaking of development, it's not meant to be a complete change of personality (180 personality change) but it means a significant change in characterization, while his fundamental character is still intact. A dynamic character most often than not is more interesting with more room to show more layers of the character.
The other main characters more or less are the same as Luffy just slightly better. I found Nami's character to be good due to her conflict with pirates and her character development and back story in Arlong park. I thought that was a not so average aspect like most other things, and I even started liking her. But as soon as that arc finished she remains static with nothing to offer, making her interactions with the crew members predictable, annoying and hardly funny. I expected to see more to her than simple gags. They don't get development past their introductory arcs. Which makes them less believable and interesting, considering they are on a big journey that should alter their lives forever. Repeating of their dreams and motives every other time kinda makes them shallow, because they offer nothing else in conflicts, internal struggles or different dimensions or something subtle to make me wonder and try to think and understand something deeper or anything interesting really. They remain in a status quo for a very long time. The author just doesn't try and bring fourth interesting conflicts for them to develop alongside the story. It's like after he is done with their basic and initial characterization he just stops there. So they feel like very incomplete characters that have unharvested potential despite the length of the series.
I really dislike Sanji. He is the worst crew member. No. He is the worst character in the entire show. No. He is the worst character I've ever seen in any shounen anime. There is bad, and there is offensively bad. Sanji belongs to the latter. His characterization, I don't exactly get what the author wanted here. Did he really want him to be a celebration of sexism? it's supposed to be chivalry but it goes beyond that, and enters the realm of sexism with Sanji. When he refuses to fights female characters even if the lives of his crew members depends on it. He is not supposed to be a comic relief character, so this isn't an excuse to how his character is written and presented. I don't see him as a classy womanizer, I see him as an offensive character who's love for women shouldn't be more than a comedic side to him. It shouldn't be a big part of his characterization. It came to the point where his comedic nose bleed became an actual plot point, I shit you not. It's like everything about him aside form his initial dream (that is never brought up as an actual point of relevance after his arc) is about women. And that's why he is that much worse than the other characters in the show. There is nothing redeeming about him (even his style of fighting is bleh)
The story [5/10]. I didn't see something particular impressive about it. There are certain problems that is apparent in almost every arc. They are formulaic for the most part. The crew goes from an island to an island helping the inhabitants of said islands, and go on about their way. It feels like every arc is episodic and discontinued, with little things barely connecting them together to an overarching story. I didn't like that since I like continuity and for a premise such as this, I was more in favor of non-episodic storytelling. As it feels like padding, since you get introduced to a lot of characters that are in the end not important or even relevant outside of their perspective arc for the story or the main characters. Once in a while one of those characters make a surprise appearance and the fans get excited, feels a bit like tricking them from my point of view, especially with the characters that are supposed to be dead but are never shown exactly their death.
The type of stories in each of these arc is more or less fundamentally the same. An evil oppressor (Arlong, Crocodile) does his evil ways in the island and controls it for his own objectives. The heroes (strawhat crews) became friendly and bond with the villagers, so they are asked to help them. Luffy takes on the big bad and the others take care of the henchmen. This type of scenario gets boring pretty fast. Especially when it in itself, without the repetition is dreadful and the bare bones of a hero vs villain narrative. In Alabasta, it almost feels like a Disney story, with the person asking for help being a princess. Villains in the series in general are evilly cartoon-ish. Another issue is the plot armor, and how almost nobody dies. 700 episodes and the death of important characters can be counted in one hand. Nothing wrong with keeping it light, but if that's the the intention then the characters shouldn't be facing that many near death experience and surviving through cartoon logic. It will really test your suspension of disbelief. Luffy for whatever reason almost always has to take the big bad of any arc, which adds to the formulaic nature of the arcs. There no logic behind it aside from Luffy being the protagonist. This negates the potential for more interesting conflicts or the chance for other crew members to get a bigger spotlight. Zoro's spotlight in Thriller Part is a fine example of how Luffy not hogging the spotlight for once was incredibly refreshing and most importantly great on it's own.
The pacing [2/10]. This in particular is one of the biggest issues in the series. That overwhelming amount of episodes isn't like that just because of the great mass of content alone, but the almost snail pacing contributes to that greatly. Toei is the animation studio in charge of this adaption. It became infamous for this type of pacing and production. Intro in the beginning of each episode, recaps, a lot of paused shots, and overall just the mind numbing feeling that nothing of interest is happening for several minutes of an episode. This is definitely the biggest hindrance of enjoyment in the show, at least for me. But it's not all Toei's fault. The original source material also has a slow progression of events. Along with Toei's treatment, this makes for an unsatisfying watching experience. Which is one of the main reasons if not the biggest reason why I dropped the series above all else. Take in mind, that this isn't to say slow pacing is inherently bad, it actually can enhance the experience of certain works. But One Piece is definitely not one of those works. A balance would have been ideal, even if I have preferences for fast pacing in action shows. It's currently according to a lot of people unbearable, so it only gets worse.
The action component of the series is, in my opinion just awful [3/10]. I personally consider the fights in One Piece to be the worst I've seen in any action shounen I've watched. Be it in terms of creativity, strategy, abilities/powers, excitement or animation. The abilities/powers are silly, while that works with the general style of the show, its still lacks creativity, as they feel like they are created by a child. A rubber man. Someone that can make anything into a door. Feet that generate fire from the passion of the heart, etc. I will get to the animation in it's own paragraph. The fights are sometimes really dumb, and are mostly devoid of strategy. The best you can get in terms of strategy, is juvenile tricks by Ussopp, and the silly 'tactics' Luffy comes up with, that shouldn't work but they do because of Luck or/and the incompetence of the villains (the classic trite of you are beneath me so I didn't take you seriously and was careless) . Shouting and straight forward predictable fighting, is what you will get. The tension created by how is this character going to best this character is simply not there. When Zoro gets beaten up badly by someone made of steel, but suddenly has the resolve and wants to believe he can cut steel, and he just does with no good explanations, you will know that you shouldn't expected anything smart out of the fights. In fact some are offensively dumb, Bon clay vs Sanji comes to mind. There is also how the comedy is inserted in some fights or certain scenes. I realize that show has a lot of comedy, and it's a prominent genre, but that doesn't mean it should be inserted whatever. With disregard of the current tone and atmosphere of the scene, a particular scene in thriller park had that. It undermines the importance of the fights sometimes and the mood that is being set, and it in itself is rarely funny. The humor in general is not great. As it's very repetitive and most often dry. How many times until Nami, yelling at the crew and showing her greed becomes just plain unfunny. Though maybe if you really like any particular gag, you will still like seeing it again and again (Zoro's bad sense of direction for example). So it depends on the individual's sense of humor. It wasn't until Alabasta that I found an episode to have legitimately funny scenes, so I came across more misses than hits.
The Art and Animation, and OST [5/10]. I will be frank, I didn't really take much notice to the soundtrack so I can't comment on it. The artstyle of the series is often described as ''ugly'' by those who refuse or avoid to watch it. And I can't say that I blame them. Is the art different compared to similar shows? Yes. Does that automatically makes it better or good? not necessarily. The art is influenced by western cartoons and Disney. And it's fair point for those that think it's works well with the series, and I agree to a certain extent. But that still doesn't mean me or others will like it, as it's still very unappealing. It also has an apparent effect on the emotional scenes in the show. The facial expressions are so exaggerated that it disengaged me from whatever emotional scene I was watching. With big rainy eyes, and noses full of snot. It completely lacks subtlety. Bigger doesn't always mean better. It comes off as the show trying hard to emphasize just how sad what you are watching is. It can be ineffective and worse, counterproductive, when instead of feeling sorry and emotionally involved you feel like laughing because of the ridiculous faces.
While I understand this is a long running anime therefore expecting fluid animation is unfair. It still should mean that at least once in a while you will be presented with good to great animation in important scenes and fights. Like with other long running battle anime. This unfortunately is not the case here. At times it feels like a slideshow. Barely any nice visual effects. Lot of pauses and staring. Still shots. No good Sakuga. And it only gets worse currently according to the fans.
The Worldbuilding [5/10]. I left this at the last, because from my general understanding this is the most praised thing about the show. But why? from my point of view, there is nothing impressive about a city in the dessert or an island in the clouds/sky. Once again the creativity of the author seems child like. But maybe that's the appeal. The feeling of freedom, and childish imaginative without the shackles of reality. But it still doesn't necessarily make it great. It feels like it's praised because he created a vast world that is still expanding because why wouldn't he expand it, when the estimation for the number of chapters is beyond 1000. But then again, worldbuilding wasn't something that I cared for in general, in my favorite shows, or any work of fiction for that matter. I could appreciate well done aesthetics of a beautiful world, that you like to take a mental picture of. That's not the case here, so I can't really credit it.
Ultimately, I truly and honestly wanted to like this. So the gigantic amount of episodes/chapters would become an advantage. I wanted to be immersed in a story and keep following it for years. But the series failed me, after giving it a fair enough chance. I stomached through the beginning since they said Arlong park where it will get good. I endured after that, when they said Skypiea is fun and worth it. I couldn't keep on hoping, when they said it's Water 7 this time, more than 200 episodes. I just gave up. There wasn't any pay off. Everything was standard average to below average, with few exceptions. Not special or distinctive to dislike or for this to become more than a disappointment. My enjoyment being hindered with the pacing, and lack of stimulating characters, I made the natural choice of dropping it. I just couldn't take another minute felt like I will just die from boredom.
TL:DR- If you are hesitant whether or not to make this big time commitment, you should keep in mind that it's generally agreed upon by fans and haters alike that it doesn't get better until Arlong park, which more than 30 episodes into the anime. I would recommend this, if you are looking for a happy go lucky battle shounen, that has a lot of focus on the adventure. I don't recommend this, if you are looking for a continuous narrative of a complex story about finding a treasure, with interesting unique characters. Nothing of value is lost, or something worth the commitment if you are avoiding this.
