One Piece discussion thread

[Katamori]

Okay, well, as someone who hasn't been active in this subforum for a veeeeeeeeery long time, I decided to start a new general discussion thread about a new interest that took me over during the last half-or-so year.

I know there are some manga-anime fans (Daimon and Memfis, at the very very least), so I'm interested in your opinion: have you read/seen One Piece? What do you think about it and why?

Or say and show anything related.

Anything.

[Stygian]

How many hundreds of episodes of One Piece are there? I remember binge-watching the entirety of Dragon Ball only a couple of years back, but I couldn't fathom to do anything like that these days. It seems that even having stopped playing videos games and watching anime basically altogether, there just isn't enough time in my day to get much work done. If I had unlimited time I would watch One Piece.

[Katamori]

820th is the current manga chapter, the anime is somewhere between 730 and 740 episodes.

Yeah, it's helluva long, and I doubt it's going to end within the following 5 years, but after that, I can safely assume we don't have to wait much. I know, people are mocking about that it's never going to end, but rumors say that Oda has already planned the end.

Personally, I don't mind that it's so long, because there are several things we had to wait a lot but at the end were proven to be extremely amazing. For example, Water 7 & Enies Lobby was aired around 2006-2007, when the show was already eight years old, but eventually, without any doubt, it was more epic than anything else before. Not even talking about later epic parts: Impel Down & Marineford, or the current arc in the anime (and the previous in the manga), Dressrosa.

One thing is sure: it is extremely slow-paces. It's quite painful during battles, but I could already find the way to speed up, by simply skipping second when nothing happens.

[Jaxxoon R]

I remember watching One Piece on 4Kids years ago, back when that was a thing. Something about a reindeer or a moose or something accidentally giving a guy a bad mushroom because he thought the skull and crossbones was a good symbol of good times and not death poison. Also a pirate hid his treasure or something I dunno.

[Katamori]

You're right, that was Chopper, the doctor of the team and his master, Hiruluk, somewhere in episode 8X - that was his background story, and as usual, a really, reeeeeaaaaaaly sad one. I think I even cried a bit.

[kuchitsu]

I've been watching it in big chunks since 2008: watch 75-150 episodes, take a break for a year or more, then have another marathon, then put it off again. Every time I return to it makes me happy. Last time I stopped after the underwater island arc.

At first I didn't quite get it: the style seemed unique but I felt like something important is missing. However, somewhere around the 45th episode Nami cried, Luffy put his hat on her head and promised to defend her, and that somehow was very moving. At that point I realized that I'm really into the characters and I've been a fan ever since then.

Last time I watched it I was a bit disappointed by the pace, which became slower I think (longer recaps, less events per episode). But on the other hand they got rid of the fillers this way, which is nice since usually I find it very hard to get excited about those. It's not even always the stories that suck in fillers (I liked the fortress arc after they fell down from the sky), it's just the feel that "ok, now this is not a part of the REAL plot".

Marineford also kinda disappointed me:

Spoiler

Such large-scale battles don't really work well in shounen series where most fights are just one-on-one. Balance of powers doesn't make much sense and all soldiers feel pointless. And it was slow as heck. The whole thing with Ace was shocking and impressive of course (even thought I knew about it in advance), but I don't like how they introduced Sabo completely out of nowhere. At first I thought he's a filler character, then I've read that the whole childhood arc is "legit". Didn't seem like that at all to me.

But the following reunion and the whole trip to the underwater island was great: exciting, with some good drama and imo they really nailed it with the portrayal of racism.

Spoiler

- Why do you hate humans so much, just what the hell did they do to you?!
- ...Nothing.

That is just awesome and so true.

[snapshot]

Stygian said:

How many hundreds of episodes of One Piece are there?

703

[Clonehunter]

All I know about One Piece is that the 4kids dub was retarded.

[Katamori]

Clonehunter: yes, the 4kids version was disgustingly horrible in every singe aspect.

kuchitsu said:

However, somewhere around the 45th episode Nami cried, Luffy put his hat on her head and promised to defend her, and that somehow was very moving. At that point I realized that I'm really into the characters and I've been a fan ever since then.

You nailed it! At the beginning I used to hate Nami but ever since that part (episode 37, btw, I got to memorize it somehow) something's changed and now she's my favourite character.

I think it's related to the fact that I used to think without the slightest doubt that she's just a cunt. So when the whole Arlong Island arc happened, I was quite shocked. It was so extremely sad that I'm often literally unable to look at that face she had.

I'm only at Thriller Bark now, but can't wait to see Sabaody, Impel Down and Marineford.

[kuchitsu]

These enlightening moments when an unlikable character turns out to be really nice are often some of the most memorable in anime. Always a cool surprise and makes you feel kinda guilty, like "hmm, maybe I was too quick to judge them".

Picking a favorite character is very difficult for me... Maybe it's Zoro because he looks so cool no matter what he does, even if he's getting lost. :D And his interactions with Sanji are always hilarious. But really I love them all with the exception of Usopp perhaps. Sometimes I just can't stop thinking that he's a bit annoying. But he had a great role in Water 7 when he demonstrated his emotional attachment to their ship. And I love watching him goofing around together with Chopper and Luffy.

[Katamori]

Somehow, I haven't felt guilt. What I rather felt is "hmm, maybe there's more in her character", also noting that since Edward Elric, I can become really empathic about characters with such a past.

Among males, my favourite is without hesitation FRANKY!! He was the other one I misjudged: instead of the stereotypical giant, I got an emotional, extremely funny and SUUPEER one. The other is Sanji, because while Zoro represents the "dumb-but-supernaturally-strong" character, Sanji is the "average-strength-but-sharp-mind". A true "special agent" with distinctive eyebrow.

Usopp is cancer. Usopp needs to be in the team, and is sometimes badass, but I'd punch him in the face quite often. And speaking of which, I feel the same for Luffy, I don't care that he's the protagonist. He lives on luck, practically, as a pirate, and rarely on true strength or power.

[Walter confetti]

Seen some episodes, it's a good show.

[PsychoGoatee]

I love One Piece! It's crazy that I've been enjoying it since High School! (early 2000s)

Long live One Piece, here's to 1000 episodes. Actually that might not be enough!

[gaspe]

I love One Piece. Though it's from like 1 year that I took a break from it. I watched the anime until the Marineford battle, and I read on the manga just a bit of what there's after it. I really have to resume it, though is coming (it already is) really long I want to know what happens next. And the conclusion one day, but at least Oda isn't like Kentaro Miura......

Katamori said:

Yeah, it's helluva long, and I doubt it's going to end within the following 5 years, but after that, I can safely assume we don't have to wait much. I know, people are mocking about that it's never going to end, but rumors say that Oda has already planned the end.

In the manga between the chapters there were some mini-stories about secondary characters or other stuff, and even interviews with Oda sometimes. IIRC in one he said that yes he has already planned the end but with all the characters he added and all the other stuff about the story it will take time to conclude everything.

[kuchitsu]

I guess in such series it's important to have characters with very different personalities for diversity purposes and so that everyone can find someone to relate to, that's why characters like Usopp are needed. But yeah, that also means a higher chance that you'll dislike someone from the team, hehe.

You could say that Luffy's true strength is in how he brings people together. Sanji, Zoro and others are very strong and reliable, sure, but would they be able to gather a team and keep it going? Who knows. Luffy has a natural talent for such things. This is actually sort of discussed in the later episodes so keep an eye on that.

I also hope we'll get to see a conclusion one day, although with epic stories like this I think it's kinda hard to even imagine an ending that would feel truly satisfiying. There is so much stuff going on that it would take a genius to tie it all together nicely. Which Oda perhaps is. :) His world seems really well developed and thought-out, especially if you compare it to e.g. Bleach lol, which is so full of contrived plot devices. I still like Bleach though, it has a certain coolness\sexiness factor that's hard to match.

[Pencil of Doom]

Seen some episodes, had some really good laughs with how goofy Luffy can be and because of Sanji and Zoro, has some intense battles, kinda like DBZ, so it's a good anime, although i'm more into gory, bloody anime like Hellsing, Hokuto no Ken and Elfen Lied.
And damn, didn't know it had hundreds of episodes.

[Job]

I feel as if the Doflamingo arc has stretched on waaaaaaaay too long.

[Tosi]

Never watched or read it, shounen's not really my cup of tea but I'll make an exception for JoJo. Is the manga still going or did it end like Naruto? I haven't kept up with this kind of stuff in forever.

[PsychoGoatee]

Tosi said:

Never watched or read it, shounen's not really my cup of tea but I'll make an exception for JoJo. Is the manga still going or did it end like Naruto? I haven't kept up with this kind of stuff in forever.

Still going strong. If you dig Jojo I bet you'd dig some One Piece.

[snapshot]

Here's something related to One piece