Ready to finally get into One Piece? Here’s everything to know before watching the long running anime/manga.
One would be hard-pressed to find someone who hasn’t, at least once, tried to get into One Piece. Airing for nearly 25 years, the King of Shonen has more than 1,050 episodes and counting — a daunting task for even the most committed binge-watcher. Unfortunately, many would-be One Piece fans are lost due to the immensity of the series, missing out on one of the most popular and enduring anime of all time.
With One Piece currently in one of its best arcs to date, there’s never been a better time to catch up with the series. Viewers don’t have to watch every single episode, or even start with the anime. Here is the best way to finally jump into One Piece.
Everything to Know About One Piece
One Piece is adapted from Eiichiro Oda’s award-winning manga, serialized in Weekly Shounen Jump since 1997. It’s a shonen manga, meaning it’s aimed at a young male audience, and it champions everything readers have come to expect from the genre: action-packed stories, exciting fight scenes, wholesome messages, fanservice, etc. That said, even viewers who tend to avoid shonen shouldn’t completely discount the series. There’s a reason, after all, that One Piece has remained at the top of the anime food chain for so long, often receiving higher praise than other classics such as Naruto and Bleach.
One Piece follows the story of Monkey D. Luffy. This iconic anime protagonist sets out with a bold dream of becoming the Pirate King, set against a sprawling, colorful world full of pirates and anything else Oda can dream up. The story has a long, ever-expanding list of characters (readers might recognise the names of Zoro, Sanji, Nami, etc.), which filter into a story that is many things, though never dull. The One Piece anime portrays the manga somewhat inconsistently, sprinkling in some unnecessary filler, frustrating pacing and a few periods of subpar animation, but it is, on the whole, a decent adaptation.
Who Should Watch One Piece?
There’s a comprehensive list of reasons why someone should get into One Piece, but we’ll set the main ones out here. One Piece is a hugely influential series, not even restricted to the medium of anime. It will remain relevant for a long time to come. The series’ popularity speaks to its ability to appeal to a lot of people, certainly not restricted to the young male demographic. Despite their length, the anime and manga’s more recent arcs contains some of the most engrossing work One Piece has ever provided.
Which brings us to another reason: One Piece’s plothas not dropped in quality. It’s remarkable how a work of such longevity has not withered over its lifespan. Titans like Naruto and Bleach, which have mostly concluded (save for Bleach’s unexpected “Thousand Year Blood War” adaptation), are generally criticized by fans as losing some of their narrative brilliance over time. That’s not to say they remain respected and enduring series, but One Piece’s ability to be consistently great over a 20-year period is not something seen every day… or, well, ever.
Where to Start With One Piece
It might not be the best idea to start from episode one and watch the anime in its entirety. Many have tried, many have failed. Many people find One Piece difficult to get into, so here are some practical viewing tips.
The first doesn’t involve viewing at all. In fact, reading the manga is the most practical gateway into One Piece. Eiichiro Oda’s writing is fast-paced and full of action, and while it may lack the animation and soundtrack, it’s a far more fluid beginning to scaling to the One Piece summit. As mentioned, the anime is plagued with unnecessary filler, poor animation and unfortunate pacing, but it’s still worth a watch.
There are some essential arcs one shouldn’t miss on screen. The “Arlong Park” arc (episodes 31-44), is thought by many as the part where One Piece picks up properly, hitting some early emotional highs not often seen in the series. It’s a good jumping-on point after starting on the manga and becoming acquainted with the characters. The next hundred or so episodes (excluding filler) are all very watchable, but they can get tedious, so they might not be for everyone.
The “Enies Lobby” (episodes 263-312) and “Marineford” (episodes 457-489) arcs are considered the best in all of One Piece, so they are definitely worth a watch. It’s in the more recent episodes that One Piece hasn’t been too hot, though the “Wano Country Saga” (the current anime arc) has introduced some of the best animation to date. There is also one filler arc worth viewing, the “G-8” arc, spanning episodes 196-206. Manga loyalists should definitely make an exception for these ten beloved episodes.
Where to Read and Watch One Piece
Viewers will be pleased to know that One Piece is available to stream on Crunchyroll, so this is a no-brainer for anime fans. Seasons 1-13 are available to stream on Netflix with a paid subscription to the streaming service. Seasons 1-5 only are currently streaming on Hulu, and PlutoTV has a live-streaming One Piece channel, as well as seasons 1-4 on demand. For the manga, Viz is the best bet for reading legally online. Their manga scans are high quality, and new chapters are free!
