The King of Anime & Manga – One Piece Reviewed

One Piece (Wan Pīsu) is a Japanese anime television series adapted from the manga written by Eiichiro Oda.

The story follows the life of a boy named Monkey D. Luffy. After mistakenly eating a Devil Fruit, his body suddenly possesses the characteristic of rubber.

In the Grand Age of Piracy, Luffy along with his group of pirates who call themselves the Straw Hat Pirates (named after his iconic Straw Hat), are in search of the world’s greatest treasure known as “One Piece.” The one who claims it will be the Pirate King!

In Japan, One Piece has consistently been among the top five animated shows in television viewer ratings, as of 2020.

Produced by Toei Animation, One Piece has over 900 episodes which had started airing in October 1999 and is currently ongoing.

1. Quick Review

In the current timeline where the series takes place, Gol D. Roger is the “Pirate King” for being the legendary pirate who has sailed to the end of the Grand Line.

The story begins to take form after the capture and execution of the current Pirate King by the World Government.

As a devout pirate, Roger’s final words were about the greatest treasure in the world, One Piece.

These final words gave rise to what can only be called the Grand Age of Piracy. Men from all over the world now had one goal – to find One Piece.

Successfully obtaining this treasure would mean gaining wealth, fame, and the notable title of being the next “Pirate King”.

The protagonist of the story is a 17-years-old boy, Monkey D. Luffy. Most people lead the life of a pirate for the violence and to carry on with their thieving lifestyles.

Luffy, however, became a pirate for the sense of adventure and exploration. Going on exciting journeys where he gets to meet interesting people and of course, find the ultimate treasure.

2. Info Card

3. Is it worth watching?

One Piece starts with a basic and straightforward plot. This simple plot then grows into a spectacle beyond your wildest imagination.

With over 900 episodes, One Piece succeeds in introducing a beautiful story arc one after the other.

"ONE PIECE STAMPEDE" | Official Trailer

After going on for 20 years, the animation of the show sees drastic changes but doesn’t detract much from the interesting storyline.

Every character in the Straw Hat crew comes from interesting backgrounds and has an amazing character growth across the show.

The series is an emotional rollercoaster of heartbreaking moments, funny situations, and the never-ending excitement of adventure.

I. Plot

The series is based on a young pirate Monkey D. Luffy, who was inspired by his childhood idol, the famous pirate “Red-Haired” Shanks.

The story sets off on Luffy’s journey to find One Piece, the greatest treasure in the world, and gain the title of the Pirate King.

The plot twists and world-building in the series are well-executed that thoroughly captures your attention.

One Piece will keep you on your feet with new adventures and the troubles the characters face along the way.

II. Characters

Monkey D. Luffy

Monkey D. Luffy, commonly as “Straw Hat”, is the main protagonist of the manga and anime, One Piece.

He is a 17-year-old boy who aspired to become a pirate after idolizing the pirate “Red-Haired” Shanks during his childhood days.

Luffy is the captain of the increasingly popular “Straw Hat Pirates”. His main goal in life is to become “The Pirate King” by procuring the most sought-after treasure, One Piece.

Zoro Roronoa

Zoro was the first crew member recruited by Luffy to form the Straw Hat Pirates.

His character is described as someone stern, serious, and impatient. He is a skilled swordsman with his unique sword style known as “Santoryu”.

This style requires using one katana in each hand and another in his mouth. When he’s heading into a serious fight his signature move is to tie his bandana on his head.

Sanji

Sanji is the chef of the Straw Hat Pirate Crew with a habit of chain-smoking.

His character displays incredible fighting skills using only his legs. Sanji’s character is often seen engaging in trash-talking and comes off as a serious guy around other men.

The situation, however, is the complete opposite when he is around women as he turns into someone who is completely devoted to the opposite gender.

He is seen losing his cool and acts a sense of comic relief on his attempts to win these women over.

III. Setting

One Piece is set in “The World”. The series focuses on the Grand Line which most pirates aim to travel across to gain unimaginable treasures.

The World is set in the era of pirates and the law-governing body is known as “The World Government” which captures and executes law-breaking pirates.

IV. Theme Songs

The opening theme songs for One Piece are :

S.No	Title	Artist	Episodes
1	“We Are!”	Hiroshi Kitadani	1-47
2	“Believe”	Folder 5	48-115
3	“Hikari e”	The Babystars	116-168
4	“BON VOYAGE!”	Bon-Bon Blanco	169-206
5	“Kokoro no Chizu”	Boystyle	207-263
6	“Brand New World”	D-51	264-278
7	“We Are! (Straw Hat Pirates Version)”	The cast of the Straw Hat Pirates	279-283
8	“Crazy Rainbow”	Tackey and Tsubasa	284-325
9	“Jungle P”	5050	326-372
10	“We Are! (Remix)”	TVXQ	373-394
11	“Share the World!”	395-425
12	“Kaze o Sagashite”	Yaguchi Mari, Straw Hats cast	426-458
13	“One day”	The Rootless	459-492
14	“Fight Together”	Namie Amuro	493-516
15	“We Go!”	Hiroshi Kitadani	517-590
16	“Hands Up!”	Kota Shinzato	591-628
17	“Wake up!”	AAA	629-686
18	“Hard Knock Days”	Generations from Exile Tribe	687-746
19	“We Can!”	Hiroshi Kitadani and Kishidan	747-806
20	“Hope”	Namie Amuro	807-855
21	“Super Powers”	V6	856-891
22	“Over The Top”	Hiroshi Kitadani	892-Present

The ending theme songs for One Piece are :

S.No	Title	Artist	Episodes
1	“Memories”	Maki Otsuki	1-30
2	“Run! Run! Run!”	31-63
3	“Watashi ga Iru Yo”	Tomato Cube	64-73
4	“Shōchi no suke”	Suitei Shojo	74-81
5	“Before Dawn”	Ai-Sachi	82-94
6	“Fish”	The Kaleidoscope	95-106
7	“GLORY -Kimi ga Iru Kara-”	Takako Uehara	107-118
8	“Shining ray”	Janne da Arc	119-132
9	“Free will”	Ruppina	133-155
10	“FAITH”	156-168
11	“A to Z”	ZZ	169-181
12	“Tsuki to Taiyō”	Shela	182-195
13	“Dreamship”	Aiko Ikuta	196-206
14	“Mirai Kōkai”	Tackey & Tsubasa	207-230
15	“Eternal Pose”	Asia Engineer	231-245
16	“Dear friends”	TRIPLANE	246-255
17	“Asu wa Kuru Kara”	TVXQ	256-263
18	“Adventure World”	Delicatessen	264-278

The music used in the series stays true to the genre of adventure, friendship, and fantasy with songs that relate to the main characters and their relationship with each other.

A lot of significance is given to the thrill of adventure that the pirates seek as they travel across oceans to seek what their hearts truly desire.

This can be seen in the motivational and upbeat theme music we come across in the series.

V. Action Sequences

One Piece has some intriguing fight scenes that are sure to capture your attention.

The fights that take place in the series mostly revolve around the character’s reputation as a pirate, their fight to defend their families and there’s even the concept of philosophy that makes its way into the action.

4. Grade:

5. Final Thoughts

To put it simply, One Piece takes you down an unwavering path of exciting adventures.

It has a wonderful set of characters that grow on you as you dive deeper into the series and learn about their past, backgrounds, and personalities.

One Piece is a phenomenal story with impressive action, interesting characters, beautiful artwork, and outstanding music.