All'arrembaggio! - One Piece

One Piece has become something of a colossal cult-phenomenon around the world, though it's a household name in Japan thanks to Toei Animation's seemingly undying commitment to Shonen Jump adaptations, such as Dragon Ball, Dr. Slump, Saint Seiya and Slam Dunk.

At over 900 episodes this show has become probably the longest running digitally-painted anime in history: thanks to Toei's transition to digital cel-animation in the late 1990s. This show's got great characters, a fun world and the action gets just enough punch to not be too boring or derivative of Toei's other Shonen-derived shows.

This is an anime household name and anyone into Japanese animation should give this one a shot. P.S. You DON'T need to have seen all of this show's episodes because... y'know: it's ridiculous catch-up time in one sitting.

I've followed this series for going on 15 years and it never fails to amaze me. From the characters to the world building, the details are everything here. Until almost 500 episodes in, I honestly forgot about the One Piece, because there is so much more going on. The emotional impact of each saga, and the naturally feel good vibe of this series can probably cure depression (I know it cured mine).

At first glance, I like many others, skipped over this series because of the animation and overall goofiness that seemed to engulf it. I couldn't have made a bigger mistake. Don't be fooled, just like the real world, this world shows a coloful fun facade, but there is a much darker reality that lies underneath. The world is a very cruel and unfair place, but that can't deter you from achieving your dream and exploring all it has to offer.

The main protagonist Monkey D. Luffy, embodies the human spirit as much as any character in fiction, and just like his rubber ability, he always bends but never breaks. His fiery passion and indomitable spirit to become "King of the Pirates" inspires those around him, and his fun loving, free spirited personality and compassion for his crew make him an excellent leader.

The crew itself are full of different personalities and I almost guarantee that you'll relate to at least one of them. Each bringing their own strengths to the crew. As a fan of the original Dragon Ball, I loved the teamwork aspect and sadly, it's something that didn't carry over as well to DBZ, but was somewhat redeemed in Super. By which I mean, there was a point where Goku and Vegeta vastly surpassed everyone else. Whereas in One Piece, Luffy is the Goku of this series, but no one survives in this world alone and strength comes in all different forms, not just raw power. The strongest crew will find the One Piece, not the strongest person.

Eiichiro Oda and his team have been producing chapter after chapter almost every week for over 22 years. The love and detail he puts into everything is noteworthy, and the anime should receive recognition for the voice acting and excellent score, despite how some people feel about the animation and pacing. It's still better than most.

Whether you decide to read the manga, watch the anime or both, take your time and enjoy one of the greatest adventure series ever made.

I don't know what to say...I'm totally in love with One Piece. Years ago, my friend once told me that the top three best anime in the world were Bleach, Naruto and One Piece. Since I have watched Bleach and Naruto, I totally agreed that Bleach and Naruto were the best. But One Piece??? I was very doubtful at that time. Why? Because there's no way an anime that is childishly drawn could be at the same level as Bleach and Naruto. But my friend keep persuading me to watch One Piece and one fateful day, I tried to watch it continuously for one whole day. Oh my God!!! I was completely stunt! This anime is beyond my expectation. What an epic. For me, it was better than Bleach and Naruto. Luffy and the Strawhat Crews have their own unique characters that can be related to most of us in our daily life. The supporting characters and villains also have characteristics that will stuck in you mind for ages. I think that's why One Piece is the best. Most of us 'feel' for each of the characters in many ways...may it be in laughter, agony, suffering and so much more. Kudos to the One Piece's production team especially the amazing creator, Eiichiro Oda; for creating a world that is beyond ordinary but still can amuse ordinary people like me and you.

A must see anime before you die...

It is difficult to sum up the story of a series with hundreds of episodes, TV specials and movies, so I'd rather just try to tell you what it is about and why it is so incredibly good.

The series starts off with a guy named Luffy whose ultimate goal it is to become the one and only "King of all Pirates" and to find the greatest treasure in the world. The first episodes introduce him and some characters and make a lovely start that is entertaining and makes one want more. On his way Luffy meets a lot of very interesting characters who become his crew members and friends - each of them with an intense and captivating background story. Every character in this series - be it friend or foe - is either adorable, tragic, despicable or interesting at the least... no boring characters anywhere. Later on in the series, important events and story twists are often visualized or supported by huge appearances in the fabulous and unreal environments that our crew travels. This is perfectly done and helps the already epic feel of the story. I have seen 150 episodes, four movies and two specials so far and there were moments that made me cry, laugh, think and re-watch some episodes (especially 85-90) at least 30 times. You might come to the false conclusion of having a kids show here due to the presentation, but that is definitely wrong. People sometimes say about a movie or series that it is "not a life changer, but entertaining". That is definitely not the case here! I know it sounds nerdy, but this series has broadened my horizon in many ways and I recommend anyone to take the admittedly long time to get into this epic adventure. The best way to do so will be to watch the fan-subs which are as close to the original as a non Japanese will get (explanations of puns and traditions). There are of course some filler episodes in a huge project like this which won't blow you away, but that is only natural with hundreds of episodes and helps developing the characters. This show is an easy 10/10

I watch a lot of fan subbed anime and occasionally watch some dubbed anime if there is nothing else good on TV. Well one day while watching Toonami in the UK i stumbled across show called one piece. It wasn't amazingly good, there were obvious problems with the dub, but it was enjoyable none the less. After i'd watched few episodes i started to become curious about the characters and the origins of the story. I did a little bit of research on the web and found out that the version of One Piece i was watching had been butchered from its original format. There were A lot of sources that all said the same thing, that the original One Piece was brilliant and that the dub was nothing in comparison. I liked the show and wanted to see what Uncut One Piece was like. After a little more searching i found some fantastic fansubs and my real One Piece experience started. What can i say, Japanese One Piece is one of the best stories ever told and is by far my favourite show to watch. I look forward everyweek to watching the next episode when the fansub is released. 280 episodes into the series and its still as great as it was when it first started.

A poor dub led me to discover my favourite show, and so if nothing else, the dub will let new fans like me discover One Piece.

Lets all hope this adventure continues for a long time.