I'm kind of sad I'm just now discovering it's awesomeness. I had started watching it a while ago, but I got to the part where Usopp is introduced with Captain Kuro, and that was where the batch of videos ended, and I just never downloaded more.

But through the joys of streaming media, the 300+ episodes of One Piece isn't such a daunting thing to watch. I'm finding myself watching it somewhat ridiculously, as well. I only began watching it seriously perhaps 3 weeks ago, and I'm already on episode 170 or so. That sounds kind of pathetic, but I'm enjoying it so much it's hard to stop watching. It's just such a perfect mix of everything. A well developed, exciting, mysterious universe where lots of strange things happen. Well developed (and often unsual) characters with interesting/tragic pasts and compelling personal motives. An intense as hell plot. Lots of humour, lots of adventure. I find it hard to think I'd find this much complexity, texture, and awesome storytelling in a shonen series. I only wish this show was around when I was a kid. It would have totally changed my world.

So yeah, this thread is about discussing the awesomeness of One Piece. Favorite characters (Currently mine are Chopper, Luffy, and Robin), etc. Anything, really, about One Piece.

*Steps in as residential One Piece fanboy*

Welcome to my world, good sir.

First off, I would like to state I have watched the anime up to 325. I'm not particularly fond of the directing and the animation as it does no justice to the brilliance that is the manga which I do actively follow very closely.

If you're only on episode 170, then you have tons more of epicness before you! The Thriller Bark arc is just now hitting animation where as in the manga it's over with and they have acquired *seemingly* their final crew member bringing the total to 9 if memory serves correctly.

There's so much mystery and deep plot elements present in the story. It is one of the deepest series I've ever encountered and EASILY my favorite.

The characters are very well developed and unique to eachother. Their abilities are just as astounding as there is no power ups without reason as seen in previous works such as Naruto, DBZ, and D. Grayman.

It's also true to the adventure genre actually being a genuine adventure where they ravel and discover the world.

A lot of mystery remains:

**SPOILERS**







The Will of D.
Luffy's Father, Dragon
The Pirate Summit Meeting
Ace in Impel Down
Dr. Vegapunk
Blackbeard as Shichibukai now as darkness
Elbaf Island
Shanks and Whitebeard being 2 of the 4 Emperors
The Whole New World
Where the fuck does Devil Fruit come from anyways?
The abilities of their new ship
The 5 ruling marine commanders
How will Chopper manage his monster form after 3 rumble balls (this has to be one of the greatest chapters when he went on a rampage)
So much more, that info was just off the top of my head...







**END SPOILERS**



It is the greatest series and it's only now just hit the halfway point (statement made by Oda in recent interview).

The Water 7 arc will have you on edge.
The Skypiea arc, which is the one you're starting on will have you shitting your pants.

The cleverness of the series, the cleverness of the fight.

The absurd character designs that do nothing but grow on you.

I use to be like you. I thought One Piece was ok at best until I saw the Arlong Park arc. Then I realized this really is some top quality shit. When Luffy battles Arlong for the sake of Nami. Whooooo, goosebumps!

You have so much more ahead of you, I highly recommend you just read the manga first then watch the anime after. That way you skip the filler, know what the GENUINE story is, and be caught up with the current story.

The anime censors things here and there that was present in the manga.

EXAMPLES: In the anime, Zef cut his leg off to save Sanji under water. In the manga, he cut off his own leg and ate to survive while giving Sanji all the food.

In the anime, Nami's adopted mother Bellemere was shot through the chest by Arlong. In the manga, it was through the head.

Just little things like that but just make the series a whole lot more awesome.

The anime also changed the entire Davy Bacj fight arc. Read the manga to see how that one actually went down.

I can't get enough of One Piece. The spoilers for the weeks chapters are out usually every Tuesday night at www.arlongpark.net. The chapter is scanlated by Friday.

I keep up with both the moment they're released.

This series has not disappointed me yet. Every arc has been better than the last and it just keeps going that way.

I've read many interviews with Oda, he has stated that he originally planned One Piece for 200 chapters (thank God that didn't happen, second thoughts, I'm an atheist). But he was enjoying how his manga was turning out and the popularity of it so much that he fleshed it out and expanded it even more. Also mentioned, he still has the series ending planned as it was originally implying that the series was planned all the way to the end which explains why it only gets better and better.

I know some mangakas just go with the flow of their series and make the story up as they go which ends in shittiness. I know Toriyama was forced to go on with DBZ by his editors and look how that turned out.

Anyways, I know way more about One Piece than any other series and have been following it for years. If you have any questions please ask me.

EDIT: As for favorite characters? The whole crew fits so well together that I see them all as one character. They're easily the best. I love how every character in One Piece has some sort of dysfunctional personality. Such as Luffy's and Zoro's lack of direction, Chopper's anti-social behaviors (less present in recent). He would try to hide behind wall but he'd be in the open thinking he was hiding. Nami's greed, Sanji the womanizer, Usopp the lying coward (as of recent, not so much). It's all brilliant and works so well together.

I'm kind of sad I'm just now discovering it's awesomeness. I had started watching it a while ago, but I got to the part where Usopp is introduced with Captain Kuro, and that was where the batch of videos ended, and I just never downloaded more.

But through the joys of streaming media, the 300+ episodes of One Piece isn't such a daunting thing to watch. I'm finding myself watching it somewhat ridiculously, as well. I only began watching it seriously perhaps 3 weeks ago, and I'm already on episode 170 or so. That sounds kind of pathetic, but I'm enjoying it so much it's hard to stop watching. It's just such a perfect mix of everything. A well developed, exciting, mysterious universe where lots of strange things happen. Well developed (and often unsual) characters with interesting/tragic pasts and compelling personal motives. An intense as hell plot. Lots of humour, lots of adventure. I find it hard to think I'd find this much complexity, texture, and awesome storytelling in a shonen series. I only wish this show was around when I was a kid. It would have totally changed my world.

So yeah, this thread is about discussing the awesomeness of One Piece. Favorite characters (Currently mine are Chopper, Luffy, and Robin), etc. Anything, really, about One Piece.

I would have to agree with everything that you said. One Piece's whole appeal to me was the care free nature of Luffy. Plus the irrefutable evidence that pirates are cool as all fucking hell! Also the resounding morals about friendship are always nice when they are done well. I swear when I first started watching One Piece I ate those episodes UP! I knocked Bleach and One Piece out fast and was then quickly disappointed that I had to wait on releases :( So I ended up reading through the Naruto, One Piece, and Bleach mangas.

As for favorite characters? I have to disagree with you on Chopper, although he does have some good spots, for the most part he annoys me and seems useless. On further inspection I must agree with Soap that his monster form was FUCKING INSANE! If he could control that....OUCH!

Zoro of course is one of my favorites, dude is just a badass. Luffy of course for also being extremely resilient, and I'll say that Usopp has some of the best fucking lines! Has me rolling :P

Chopper manhandled the CP9 with that form... MANHANDLED!