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One Piece
So for the third time I decided to take an attempt to read 'One Piece' (mainly because I figure since so many people like it, it has to be good... right?). I'm not finished yet since it has five billion 500+ chapters, but I've read roughly 250 chapters so far so I figured I'd give my opinion of the first half of the series.
First, I want to say that One Piece is a weird manga for me since normally with manga/anime I'd either love it or hate it. With OP though there's nothing completely horrible about it that would make me want to quit it (the first two times I just didn't feel like reading it) but it's definitely not ZOMG I CAN'T PUT THIS DOWN SINCE IT'S SO AWESOME!!!
Good:
-Some characters are pretty awesome in it. Especially the side/minor characters (like Princess Vivi and that witch who Chopper lived with). Some of the main cast makes me roll my eyes now and then but they're not completely bad.
-I love the fact that some characters are introduced in the story before you realize their importance. Of course this makes me want to re-read when they original showed up but it also now keeps me on my toes watching out for more instances like that. It's not the first series that has done it but I don't get tired of it.
-Pirates. I love pirates. This isn't the best story I've seen with the whole comedic pirates plot but it's still enjoyable.
Bad:
-A lot of the arcs in this are repetitive. Now I realize in shounen series that can be expected (as much as I love it DBZ is a perfect example of repetitiveness) but I find that OP goes overboard with it. I swear until you get further into the Grand Line all the arcs are like this:
-Luffy himself is a problem. I don't mean his personality but the fact from the very beginning he's the strongest character (Hell, even Goku spends a ridiculous amount of time training). Therefore whenever he's fighting the VotM there's no threat. The first time Luffy has trouble in a fight is in that awesome arc that I previous mentioned against an enemy called Crocodile. The rest of the fights are way too easy for Luffy.
-Lack of a main villain. 250 chapters in and I've yet to see a main villain. Even Crocodile isn't around long enough to be considered a main secondary villain. Now lets look at some other series currently running in JUMP.
-The lack of female characters. Now OP does indeed have some awesome females, there's just not enough of them. At the part where I'm at, there are 7 crew members of the Straw Hat Pirates, only 2 are female. I also know that the next two members to join are also male. Therefore out of a crew of 9, only 2 are female. Even in other pirate crews there's a noticeable lack of females. It would be one thing if OP was was based off our world where male pirates did greatly out number female ones but it isn't. Therefore there's no reason not to have more female pirates. I'm not saying there needs to be a crew entirely made of females (it would probably bug me if there was a crew like that) but I don't see why more females can't join the Straw Hat Pirates or we see a female member of Shanks crew or something. It's a fantasy world, give woman the same treatment as men.
Despite the faults I have with the series, I'm still going to continue reading it. It's not a bad series but I'm still not sure why some people consider it the best manga ever.
First, I want to say that One Piece is a weird manga for me since normally with manga/anime I'd either love it or hate it. With OP though there's nothing completely horrible about it that would make me want to quit it (the first two times I just didn't feel like reading it) but it's definitely not ZOMG I CAN'T PUT THIS DOWN SINCE IT'S SO AWESOME!!!
Good:
-Some characters are pretty awesome in it. Especially the side/minor characters (like Princess Vivi and that witch who Chopper lived with). Some of the main cast makes me roll my eyes now and then but they're not completely bad.
-I love the fact that some characters are introduced in the story before you realize their importance. Of course this makes me want to re-read when they original showed up but it also now keeps me on my toes watching out for more instances like that. It's not the first series that has done it but I don't get tired of it.
-Pirates. I love pirates. This isn't the best story I've seen with the whole comedic pirates plot but it's still enjoyable.
Bad:
-A lot of the arcs in this are repetitive. Now I realize in shounen series that can be expected (as much as I love it DBZ is a perfect example of repetitiveness) but I find that OP goes overboard with it. I swear until you get further into the Grand Line all the arcs are like this:
Luffy decides he wants a new crew member. Luffy finds the perfect person but they refuse. Villain of the Moment arrives to cause trouble. Something happens to Luffy so he can't fight. Potential Crew Member fights members of VotM's crew but can't beat VotM. Luffy arrives and takes care of VotM in a few moves. PCM joins Luffy's crew. The end.The first time there's a break from that format is about the 4th arc into the Grand Line where they land on this sand island and get caught up in a rebellion (that was a really good arc), but it took way too long to get to that arc.
-Luffy himself is a problem. I don't mean his personality but the fact from the very beginning he's the strongest character (Hell, even Goku spends a ridiculous amount of time training). Therefore whenever he's fighting the VotM there's no threat. The first time Luffy has trouble in a fight is in that awesome arc that I previous mentioned against an enemy called Crocodile. The rest of the fights are way too easy for Luffy.
-Lack of a main villain. 250 chapters in and I've yet to see a main villain. Even Crocodile isn't around long enough to be considered a main secondary villain. Now lets look at some other series currently running in JUMP.
Naruto - Orochimaru gets introduced early on during the Chunin Exam arc. Yeah, he was eventually replaced by Akatsuki and Sasuke but he was your main villain throughout the first half of the series and first half after the time skip.So yeah, OP seriously lacks in the villain department especially when you compare it to other series. Part of what makes a series so awesome is having a cool villain. The main villain is just as important as the main character but in OP there is none.
Bleach - Aizen gets introduced in the Soul Society arc which is the first major arc in Bleach. Yes, it's not known he's the main villain until the end of the arc but he's still around.
D.Gray-man - The Millennium Earl is the second character introduced. Out of the main cast, only Allen is around before him. He shows up before Lenalee, Lavi, Kanda, etc.
Majin Tantei Nougami Neuro - X is around fairly early on. Like Orochimaru he eventually gets replaced but even his replacement (Sicks) shows up at something like chapter 100, which is still really early for a shounen series.
-The lack of female characters. Now OP does indeed have some awesome females, there's just not enough of them. At the part where I'm at, there are 7 crew members of the Straw Hat Pirates, only 2 are female. I also know that the next two members to join are also male. Therefore out of a crew of 9, only 2 are female. Even in other pirate crews there's a noticeable lack of females. It would be one thing if OP was was based off our world where male pirates did greatly out number female ones but it isn't. Therefore there's no reason not to have more female pirates. I'm not saying there needs to be a crew entirely made of females (it would probably bug me if there was a crew like that) but I don't see why more females can't join the Straw Hat Pirates or we see a female member of Shanks crew or something. It's a fantasy world, give woman the same treatment as men.
Despite the faults I have with the series, I'm still going to continue reading it. It's not a bad series but I'm still not sure why some people consider it the best manga ever.
no subject
I completely agree about Luffy. Even with Zoro, it was awesome when Mihawk kicked his ass and it pulled the rug out from under his feet when he LOST and renewed his determination to fight. But then now, since he's made that vow, you know Zoro will never lose again. So. It's the same with Luffy, there's no threat. And he doesn't CHANGE as a character much. In fact, after their initial arcs, none of the characters really do that much. Which... for me, is a problem, because OP is a hellishly long manga and I'd expect more character development than what we've been given. IDK, maybe I'm expecting too much of a shounen manga, though XD
I like it, I think it's creative and wacky and funny, but it does have lots of faults people like to ignore, I think. ALSO I'm biased but I tend to like it much better when they're doing plot stuff or silly bonding as opposed to the epically long battles that seem to go on forever. BUT IT'S SHOUNEN so I can't complain, it's practically a pre-req. XD
no subject
You're definitely right about Zoro. I loved it when Mihawk kicked his ass but then it bugged me a few chapters later when Zoro is back to his old self taking on those mermaid-pirates even though he just suffered a major injury. I just kind of sighed at that. I mean I know it's a shounen manga where injuries are always not that big of deal but I would have thought that Zoro would have at least been knocked out a little longer.
Ah, yes those endless long battles. Long battles are common in shounen series but, I don't know, it just seems like the OP ones are even longer than normal (even Bleach which can get pretty bad at times). I end up speed-reading most of the OP battles since they're so long because yeah, the plot stuff and silly bonding is way more interesting.
no subject
Luffy is hilarious, but I like Zoro better.
no subject
Chapter 96 is probably the best place to start for anyone who does want to read it since that happens right before they go into the Grand Line and there's important information given in those chapters that come back later. The first 95 chapters though? Ugh, those are definitely skip worthy.