Why one piece's 1000+ Episodes are a good reason to start the series!
One Piece is one of the best pieces of fiction I have ever consumed. I have watched the events unfold for years now. From the characters to the story, everything that takes place works fantastically well. But, whenever I tell someone to try One Piece, the common response I receive is "it's too long." And, you know what? That is a valid point to an extent, as it is over 1,000 episodes and is still currently ongoing. My opinion, though, is that One Piece is not long enough.
the misconception of One Piece
The series is wildly misunderstood to people who have not watched a single episode. People will look at the episode count and immediately be intimated by its impressive length. 1,000 episodes and counting is definitely a lot to watch. The main issue I have with people using this excuse to not at least try the series is there are other shows people love which are similar in length. Grey's Anatomy has 423 episodes throughout 20 seasons. The runtime of each episode is about 40 minutes, double the amount of time it would to take to watch a single One Piece episode with a runtime of 20 minutes. So comparing the two, Grey's Anatomy would have 846 episodes with the same 20 minute runtime. Suddenly, One Piece seems a lot less daunting.
the story of One Piece
The story is primarily about Monkey D. Luffy, a kid with a big dream to set to the sea and become King of the Pirates by finding the treasure, the One Piece. He goes island to island and recruits a crew to come join him on his journey. The one super intriguing difference in this story compared to other pirate stories is the addition of devil fruits. These are mysterious fruits that, when eaten, allow the user to utilize certain powers, but, in return, the user loses their ability to swim. For example, Luffy ate the Gum-Gum Fruit and became a rubber man, so he has rubber powers.
Luffy and his crew go all around the world to find the One Piece, but they encounter dictators, corrupted government officials, and more. This adds a level of complexity to the story by taking a fairly simple concept and transforming it into a story with underlying themes and serious moments. This makes the story so compelling. There have been times where I have been glued to the television, waiting for what happens next, literally on the edge of my seat.
the characters of One Piece
Credit: CBR
The characters in this world are some of the best and well-written characters I have ever seen. The characters in Luffy's pirate crew, The Straw Hat Pirates, are well deserving of such high praise. Each member of the crew has a personal backstory and a sense of relatability that can connect with the audience. They all have their own goals and dreams they hope to achieve along with Luffy. For example, Zoro, who was the first to join the Straw Hats, wants to be the World's Greatest Swordsman. These characters are built up in a way to make you want to root for them. They face defeat, anguish, and pain on a regular basis, and it makes you cheer for them when they stand back up. You are able to connect with these characters throughout their journey across the seas and see them develop into round characters that possess depth.
the emotion of One Piece
The characters experience grief and happiness alike, and the audience feels it alongside them. The emotion that is written within One Piece is what attracts me more than anything else. This series is super funny and knows not to take itself too seriously all the time. There are countless funny scenes that made me belly laugh just like Brook! Yohohoho!
But then, these characters also experience the flip side. The grief and serious moments hit like no other series. These instances are built throughout long stretches of the story, and when they occur, it brings a tear to my eye. No, it literally makes me cry. Multiple times. I do believe that is a serious positive though, because not just any show can make me so invested to the point where I cry over a pirate ship. The scene where the Straw Hats retire their first ship is one of the saddest in the whole series. But One Piece has to have time to build up these moments, and when they happen it makes all the better.
Why one piece is worth a try
Credit: Ranker
Seriously, give One Piece a try. Between the story, characters, and emotion, I truly believe there is nothing else like it out there. All the elements make it an experience that you should not miss because some state that it's too long. I'd argue it's not long enough. I want to see more episodes with the story unfolding, characters developing, and emotions weighing on me.