One Piece Is Worth The Time

“One Piece” is a manga that started in July, 1997 by mangaka Eiichiro Oda and a question I’ve frequently been asked is, “what makes ‘One Piece’ so great” I ask myself this very question. I simply could not understand what made it so special. That was until last year, in which I made a bet with my brother that would change my whole perspective of it.

Last year during the summer, my older brother, Daniel, said to me, “ka if you watch 40 episodes of ‘One Piece’ and still don’t like it, I’ll watch all of a show that you like.” So, I agreed to it. I was very much convinced that I would hate this show until the end of time. Later that day, I started to watch the show. It was rather bland, which further convinced me that I would win. After a while, I got to Arlong Park, which starts on Episode 30. For me, and many others, this is what sold “One Piece”. The amount of detail and attention put into this episode is magnificent. 

The arc is mainly centered around Nami, one of the main characters. Before this arc, Nami was just some traitorous thief with no redeeming qualities. Then suddenly, you’re hit with the realization that she is not what she seemed. That underneath all of her scheming and thievery she was forced into doing those things. In a shocking array of flashbacks, where you uncover the full truth of who Nami is, your heart aches. Aching for the poor girl whose mother was murdered and aching for the poor girl who was forced to be a slave to protect the people for whom she cared.

What makes this arc in particular so show stopping, is the emotion it forces out of you: from fierce hatred to borderline worshipping Nami for her bravery and strength. The highlight of this arc though is when Nami breaks down, stabbing her arm and screaming out ‘’Arlong’’ with fury unseen before. Sobbing on the ground, she finally asks for help and it is this moment where the audience is truly captivated. The pure emotion that her tearful cry for help brings out is truly outstanding.

This arc is truly a masterpiece and the one that turned many haters into fans because of how emotional it is and the development of characters that happens during the episode. 

This is why One Piece is so great; it’s not the action, but the storytelling and emotion.