Teens Review: One Piece by Eiichiro Oda

Where to begin with this series. One Piece, written by Eiichiro Oda is one of the longest-running and most popular Shonen manga ever conceived, and for a good reason. One Piece follows the tale of a boy named Monkey D. Luffy and his journey to becoming the king of pirates, through finding the legendary treasure known as the one piece. Along his journey, he gathers many crewmates to aid him, such as the navigator, Nami, the sniper, Usopp, or the cook, Sanji.

One Piece is an absolute masterclass in storytelling. The plot never ceases to be interesting, and every new island Luffy and his friends journey to is unique and fun in its own way. One of the manga’s greatest strengths is easily its incredible worldbuilding. Every part of the world is intricately designed and thought out by the author. Characters from as far back as the beginning of the series receive their own “cover stories” documenting their endeavours subsequent to meeting Luffy. It helps the world feel alive and shows the reader that the main characters are only a small part of the world they inhabit.

This is all going without mentioning the art and art style of Oda. Each manga has its own distinct style, but One Piece is easily one of the most recognizable and unique. It is drawn in a way that almost resembles a cartoon, but with enough realism and detail to remain grounded. All of Oda’s art is absolutely fantastic and adds to the experience of reading.

So would I recommend this series? Yes, absolutely. The length may be intimidating, being on its 997th chapter as of this review, but it is one hundred percent worth it for how good the manga is. One Piece is an incredible story filled to the brim with amazing characters, top-tier worldbuilding, and everything you could want out of a shonen manga. Give it a read if you ever get the chance.

Eythan A.