One Piece

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

So far I would give Dressrosa a 6/10, myself. I am just tired of Oda moving the story along at a snails pace and padding things out. For example, we have spent several chapters on the tournament so far, and we have had a ton of characters introduced at once who have already been eliminated except Luffy and the old guy. I know that if Oda introduces these characters, they will probably play a part in the story later on, but the weakness in his writing style for me is that its not interesting to see these characters fight and put more focus on them than Luffy himself, since I currently have been given no reason to even care about any of these characters, yet. Meanwhile whenever he jumps back to the plot involving the members of Luffy's crew, we get to see the bad-habit Oda has developed throughout the course of the series in having too much time spent on each character's running gags. The reason those running gags used to be funny for me is because they came up once in a while under the right circumstances. However, there are only so many times that I can see a Sanji is a pervert Joke or that Brook making puns about bones before I get completely sick of it, and if you really look at it, we see them doing this EVERY single time we switch back to these characters, which really gets on my nerves, personally.

On the whole, though, while this arc has interesting prospects to it, the pacing hasn't been moving to my liking. I know that One Piece is supposed to be fun, comedic, and adventurous, but so far the comedy has been stale, and the adventure is moving at a snail's pace, hence I'm not having much "fun" with it as it is. I think that Oda needs to learn to actually tone down the humor just a little bit. The comedy works better (and is actually funny) when it comes in smaller and somewhat less frequent doses, rather than all of the time. Move the plot along and develop the characters some more already.

[LumRanmaYasha]

While I agree that the humor is getting a bit repetitive, I just don't have much of a problem with everything else so far. I don't know, I'm enjoying reading the chapters, and there are still plenty of good moments. Is it at it's best right now? Nah. It still feels like Oda has yet to find a way to balance the focus on the crew and their interactions with each other to the level he's done before the Whitebeard War Saga. But I'm not having a problem with the pacing or the characters too much, and am enjoying the ride so far and interested to see where it will lead. I'm far from the point where I dropped the series during Fishman Island and didn't return to it until around the middle of Punk Hazard; I'm enjoying reading it again. Between the three manga I'm currently keeping up with, it's the one I look the most forward to reading, and I'm happy to say that again (although, to be perfectly honest, in terms of balance, characters, fights, and pacing etc. the current arc of Toriko's become really, really good, and probably surpasses One Piece week by week right now in terms of objective quality). 

[Grave]

I really need to get back into reading One Piece (because, no doubt it's the better of the big 3). But if I were to do so I'd probably have to start from the very beginning since the last time I actually read and enjoyed OP was Impel Down. Whitebeard war had some epic moments, but I felt that the war was a waste, but then again I'm still very salty about Ace (favorite character of course lol). But even then, reading the chapters where everyone got back together I just couldn't get back into the series. It's like ever since the war with Whitebeard ended Oda's lost his steam.

As far as ratings go

Captain Morgan 2/5
Buggy The Clown 3/5
Syrup Village 2/5
Baratie 3/5
Arlong Park 4.5/5
Lougetown 4/5

It took a while for One Piece to really click with me. Not to mention I also hated the artwork as well. Syrup village, I'll admit, I'm bias against Usopp. Much like Kuwabara, I'm not a fan of his character.


Reverse Mountain 3/5
Whiskey Peak 5/5
Little Garden 5/5
Drum Island 4/5
Alabasta 4.5/5

Drum Island, this is where Chopper was introduced right? Much like Usopp, not of fan of his character, but it was a great arc. Alabasta was a masterpiece. Crocodile is what I'd call Aizen done right. The only problem I had with the Alabasta arc, and this is the point I started realizing this about all of One Piece arcs is that it went on entirely far too long almost to the point of feeling tired of reading.


Jaya 4/5
Skypeia 4/5

I'm also in that rare bunch that likes this arc a lot despite the arc feeling longer than Alabasta.

Long Ring Long Land 2/5
Water 7 5/5
Enies Lobby 5/5

I straight up hated the whole ordeal with Foxy. Water 7 and Enes Lobby made up for it though, and I found these arcs the be the highest peak of Oda's potential. He won me over at this point, and characters like Usopp and Chopper also won me over at this point as well. This is where everything just felt natural. Characters actually seemed like they were great friends, and for the first time I actually didn't mind the whole "nakama" thing. In Bleach, or Naruto, or any other series that kept on going on and on about friendship didn't feel anywhere near as natural as One Piece, at least at this point.


Thriller Bark 5/5

Oda just kept it going at here.


Sabody Archipelago 5/5
Amazon 4/5
Impel Down 4.5/5
Marineford 4/5

Sabody Archipelago introduced some great characters and I really just about everything about that arc. Amazon kinda slipped off for me even though I do like Boa Hancock. Impel Down, despite being so great at this point I was beginning to get Luffy fatigued, but at the same time seeing Crocodile again won me over lol. Marineford, like I said, had some epic moments, and the saltiness of Ace still lingering lol, I'll just say it was a rollercoaster. There weren't as many questionable moments as epic moments, but the questionable moments really stood out.

I also gotta say, I don't read flashback chapters, especially One Piece's. I dread them because they go on for so long. I understand that they are important pieces of information, but I can't help it. I get so bored reading them so I skip them, and I do seem to recall there being a flashback chapter before the whole time leap, so yeah.

[Spark Of Spirit]

As someone who stopped reading at Skypeia (Oh man, I snoozed through that one) I would give them all 7's except for Baroque Works through Alabasta which I would give 9/10.

Skypeia I'm not even gonna rate. Lame.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

As someone who stopped reading at Skypeia (Oh man, I snoozed through that one) I would give them all 7's except for Baroque Works through Alabasta which I would give 9/10.

Personally I'd say that Arlong Park would be above a 7, as to me it was legitimately a step above everything before it, and a perfect conclusion to the East Blue saga. I agree about everything else being a 7, though.

Skypeia I'm not even gonna rate. Lame.

I still really liked Jaya. It was mainly just build-up for Skypiea, but it had a lot of great moments in it (many of which come back to play later in the series). Skypiea was a big disappointment, though. Oda just failed to get me invested in the characters with that one. I don't know if you actually read into Water Seven and then cut out of the series, but if you didn't, I still think that you should've continued on into there at least. Water Seven and Enies Lobby has some of Oda's best writing, as does Thriller Bark, Impel Down, and Marineford. Those are some of the best story arcs in modern shonen.

As for Skypiea, though, that's about Bleach level quality in how boring it is.

[Painted Outlaw]

As for Skypiea, though, that's about Bleach level quality in how boring it is.

I respectfully disagree since I loved Skypeia; Eneru, I felt, was a fun villain (though yes, he's lacking in comparison to Crocodile or Kuro) and just the sense of world-building the arc gave made it seem worthwhile. (The Norland storybook is one of my top favorite moments in One Piece).

Water 7 and Enes Lobby made up for it though, and I found these arcs the be the highest peak of Oda's potential. Amazon kinda slipped off for me even though I do like Boa Hancock.

Enies Lobby (not Water 7 'cause that was amazing) was eh to me. Califa wasn't nearly as threatening as she had first come off when she was with Iceburg, Jyabura was pointless and the arc just felt like a chore until the end with Robin's rescue.

Amazon Lily was only average to me and I really disliked Hancock; she needs more to her rather than just squee-ing over marrying Luffy in some AU-verse.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

I respectfully disagree since I loved Skypeia; Eneru, I felt, was a fun villain (though yes, he's lacking in comparison to Crocodile or Kuro) and just the sense of world-building the arc gave made it seem worthwhile. (The Norland storybook is one of my top favorite moments in One Piece).

Eh, Eneru didn't really do much for me, personally. He lacked the fun personality of most other One Piece villains, and wasn't as well-constructed as some of the other more serious One Piece villains (Rob Lucci was much better in this regard, IMO). The arc as a whole didn't really get me invested in the dilemma that the Straw Hats found themselves wrapped up in. I kind of liked the Norland stuff, but I wasn't incredibly invested in that, either. On the whole I didn't hate the arc or anything, but it was easily my 2nd least favorite One Piece arc. It's still miles better than Fishman Island, though.

Enies Lobby (not Water 7 'cause that was amazing) was eh to me. Califa wasn't nearly as threatening as she had first come off when she was with Iceburg, Jyabura was pointless and the arc just felt like a chore until the end with Robin's rescue.

Now, here is where I respectfully have to disagree. I didn't find the villains to be less threatening at all. The point was that they caught the Straw Hats completely off guard in Water 7, whereas in this arc the Straw Hats came prepared to kick-ass.  Just because Kalifa had gotten taken out by Nami didn't mean that she wasn't threatening, but rather that Nami had become a lot more formidable in fighting. And I don't really see how any of the other villains were pointless. Each member of CP9 served as opposition for the Straw Hats to overcome in some way or form. That's typical for EVERY One Piece arc. I mean, in that regard, you could then say that A LOT of OP villains in general are pointless if that were the case.

As for feeling like a chore, I guess I could understand where you're coming from on that, but really almost every OP arc comes down to having the Straw Hats split into one-on-one fights (and occasionally team-based ones, which are usually more interesting) until the end of the arc, where Luffy then squares off against the big bad, gets his ass kicked, and then kicks that guy's ass in return to save the day. I just find that this arc did the formula better than most, as I actually felt a sense of weight to each battle, rather than just waiting to get to Luffy's final battle (which was basically my main issue with Skypiea).

I also don't get why Water 7 get's more love than Enies Lobby. I mean, I do really like Water 7, hence my high rating for it, but it's just a glorified set-up arc. It was cool to see that plot-twist half-way through the arc, but other than that it's just a whole lot of questions coming up without too many answers (which are all saved for Enies Lobby, of course). As a companion-piece to Enies Lobby, I find it to be terrific, but as a solo arc, I'd probably rate it a little bit lower just based on it's own merits alone. Like I said, though, I consider it to be a great arc, I just couldn't call it better than Enies Lobby, myself.

At any rate, Enies Lobby is personally my favorite arc in the series (well, it's a toss-up between that and Marineford for me, at least), but I suppose it's just another case of different strokes .

Amazon Lily was only average to me and I really disliked Hancock; she needs more to her rather than just squee-ing over marrying Luffy in some AU-verse.

I did actually like Amazon Lily more than average, but I do agree with you about Hancock.

And in terms of characters needing more to them, as far as the comic-relief aspect of these characters go, Oda REALLY needs to get away from overusing all of those character running gags almost all of the time. It has gotten to the point where it has really started to grate on me whenever he does it. Whatever used to be funny and work towards good jokes has just become a hindrance to my enjoyment of the series. Seeing these jokes when these characters are initially introduced can be funny, and having those recurring jokes pop up maybe once or twice per arc could also be very effective. However seeing it almost every time these characters appear is where I start to get annoyed, personally.

[Painted Outlaw]

Just because Kalifa had gotten taken out by Nami didn't mean that she wasn't threatening, but rather that Nami had become a lot more formidable in fighting.

True but, her going from how she was in Water 7 to "Zomg, is that giant thing{Monster Chopper} Nami? Doesn't look like her but, haha logic" or being a big fanservice joke just came off as a giant "wut?" to me.

And maybe pointless was the wrong word but, I really don't remember Jyabura for anything.

[Spark Of Spirit]

Oh yeah, Jaya was pretty good which made it even more disappointing that the build-up was for such a boring arc.

One Piece by numbers.

[Daxdiv]

And maybe pointless was the wrong word but, I really don't remember Jyabura for anything.

You don't even remember Jyabura for giving Sanji that pre-ass kicking one liner? I'm... the Hunter.

[Painted Outlaw]

You don't even remember Jyabura for giving Sanji that pre-ass kicking one liner? I'm... the Hunter.

Now that you mention that, I do.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

I actually really liked this wee's chapter of One Piece. It had this manga's very classic brand of humor without relying on old character gags for the umpteenth time. And it finally concluded Luffy's Block C fight.

[LumRanmaYasha]

To celebrate One Piece selling 345,000,000 copies worldwide, Viz has released a free digital "retrospective," containing an interview with Oda, color spreads and all the cover artwork, and Chapter 0: Strong World.

[Daxdiv]

I keep seeing on Twitter images of an ad for One Piece manga in New York Times. I don't know about you guys, but it's really making me want to buy today's issue just for that. Does look like it would make a decent poster.

[LumRanmaYasha]

Man, this arc is getting crazy. So much is going on here that I have no clue where this is all going and how Oda will tie this all together. I don't think this arc is even half-over yet even though Doflamingo has defeated Law already. I mean, the tournament isn't over, Burgess is involved so the Blackbeard pirates showing up may not be out of the question, the gnomes' rebellion has to happen, Violet is planing something, Big Mom's crew is after Ceaser, Fujitora's going after the crew...and I have a feeling that this arc is just going to get more and more complicated. Don't get me wrong, I'm enjoying it. I'm just worried that this arc will become a mess with so much happening. At the very least I'd like to see the tournament to end soon in the next few chapters, so that the characters involved can become a part of the other aspects of the arc.