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⚠️⚠️⚠️(This is One Piece Manga, not Anime + this is just a mini-review I wrote for fun from memory so it won't be as in depth)⚠️⚠️⚠️

One of my favorite pieces of fiction that I’ve ever had the pleasure to experience is One Piece. To put it simply, One Piece is an anime about a crew of quirky, random pirates on a journey to pursue their dreams, with the ultimate goal of finding the treasure left behind by the previous Pirate King, the great “One Piece.”

The world of One Piece is often regarded as one of the greatest fictional worlds ever created. With over a thousand chapters, it’s a vast and complex world. There are devil fruits, rare fruits that grant consumers special abilities, ranging from transforming into a giraffe to controlling darkness. In return, devil fruit users lose their ability to swim, a significant drawback in a world dominated by pirates and seas. This brings a balance to the overall world and is used as a clever tool to help advancing the story, it’s created with intention in mind and not just some power fantasy stuff to entice viewers. The world itself is intricate, with the Grand Line, a sea route circumnavigating the world, and the Red Line, the only continent traversing from North to South. The first half of the Grand Line, which served as an introduction to the story, is calmer compared to the “New World,” where most major events occur.

One Piece features three major factions: The World Government, Pirates, and The Revolutionary Army. The World Government rules the world and is the main antagonist, with “The Marines” as its military force and “The Seven Warlords,” powerful pirates allied to the government. Pirates are the main enemies of the World Government, free from rules, and often form alliances. The strongest pirates are “The Emperors of the Sea,” who rule over the “New World.” The balance between “The Emperors of the Sea,” “The Marines,” and “The Seven Warlords” maintains world peace. The Revolutionary Army opposes the World Government and seeks to dismantle it.

On the surface, One Piece appears to be an outdated, long-running Shounen series with tropes that seem to be abused to oblivion. What people don’t understand is that tropes in fiction are like ingredients in cooking. Take the good old “power of friendship” that we all love and hate, for example. Saying the theme of friendship in One Piece is generic is like saying Wagyu beef is no different from a $2 steak from your local supermarket because they come from the same animal – that’s just pure ignorance. The thing that makes One Piece different from the likes of Fairy Tail is the proper chemistry and interactions among the cast. A small group of people living on the same boat for months and years will naturally look more like a family than a guild with hundreds of members who never interact one-on-one on screen. Hence, the theme of friendship in One Piece is more genuine compared to a thousand shows that use it as an excuse to teach kids about morals.

At its core, One Piece is a story about freedom and passion, complemented by heavy subthemes such as slavery, absolute justice, corruption, brotherhood, and family. Despite these seemingly conflicting subjects, they work harmoniously together thanks to Oda’s masterful planning and subtle writing. With such a vast world, extensive content, and thousands of characters, it’s genuinely impressive how Oda manages to blend everything together so elegantly. Whenever the story tackles a meaningful theme, there is always a well-developed character available to compensate, making the plot progression fluid and enhancing the overall message.

[Spoilers for the Alabasta arc ahead] Vivi is a prime example of this. She is a princess who becomes a temporary member of the Straw Hat crew. Throughout multiple arcs, we see the chemistry between her and the crew, learn about her ideals, and understand why she becomes a spy plotting against an evil organization. After all the buildup, the big fight of her arc occurs, and she becomes the most crucial character in the conflict. As the princess of a country on the brink of civil war, the events clash with her philosophy and actions, causing her to break down. This reminds us of the gravity of the situation, conveying the arc’s message through her perspective. [Spoilers end]

Most story arcs follow a simple structure: Crew arrives at a new island > Introduce new and crucial characters > Crew explores and discovers more about the island > Big bad guy/team introduced > Crew forms alliances > Big fight between crew and bad guy > Bad guy loses > End of arc > Crew moves to the next island. This formulaic approach is often criticized, but I find it to be a trivial complaint. One Piece is a story about a group of people enjoying their adventure. Complaining about its formulaic nature is like complaining about Cowboy Bebop being episodic. Cowboy Bebop is meant to be episodic, and One Piece is meant to be formulaic. Without this structure, One Piece would be just another barebones Shounen series.

One Piece is famous for its tearjerker and insanely powerful moments. These moments are possible due to the great characters that guide the direction of the story. One Piece excels at creating memorable characters, and while not every character is well-written, the unforgettable ones create magical moments that leave a lasting impression. Among them, Luffy, our main lead, is beloved by many but understood by few. People often criticize Luffy for being a generic MC, dense, and having plot armor. However, they fail to see what his character truly represents. Yes, he’s a good guy who saves people and values his nakama, but being a good person doesn’t mean a character is badly written. It all comes down to execution, and Luffy’s actions throughout the story consistently show his depth and motivations, making him a well-rounded character. He also delivers many of the series' most impactful moments.

However, One Piece is not without flaws. There are pacing issues, some arcs are subpar, many characters are forgettable, unnecessary fan service exists, and screen time among the main crew is inconsistent. Despite these issues, One Piece comes remarkably close to perfection.

One Piece is a masterpiece.