Giving One Piece a Chance

Up until a couple months ago, I was a One Piece hater. I had many reasons--the fanbase was obnoxious and pushy, the anime was way too long, and the artwork and story didn't look interesting me. These could be casual reasons for not watching, but they turned into hate because of how ubiquitous the show is on social media (and how loud their fans are).

But I realized that I couldn't hate a show I hadn't ever watched.

Friends and internet strangers told me it would take 50, 100, 200, even 500 episodes to "get good". Initially I assured them I wasn't going to watch something that took that long to be interesting.

Rather than take their word for it, I had to see for myself. If the early episodes truly were bad or boring or whatever definition of "not good", I'd drop the show and go back to hating it.

I'm currently 70-ish episodes in, the crew is on the way to Alabasta Island. It's safe to say that I like the anime, even at this p9oint.

I really enjoyed the Arlong Park arc--it featured some episodes that made me realize I was falling in love with the characters. 

There has been no shortage of story, character building, fun, or action. Will the early arcs hold up to the later ones that are apparently so good? Probably not. But it's not because the early ones are bad. 

They build the foundation. I like a good slow burn. Getting to know the characters and their motivations, going in search of the things they need (crew and supplies), defeating these colorful bad guys along the way. It's probably a different show than what will come later, but it's still entertaining.

Oda's story-telling and world-building from the manga are evident early on and honestly, maybe that's not for everyone. Paired with the late 90s animation, the length, style, and stories of the early arcs could easily be a deterrent for many. I don't fault them for that. 

But as for me? I'm excited to keep following this journey.