"I watched up to episode 534, and I hated every minute of it."
Wow. You were really determined to not be slammed for criticizing a series before watching most of it.
I also wouldn't call the series "sickeningly light", but that's the only thing I can really argue against.
"What's out there? What's waiting for me?"
"the Straw Hats in general are so static in their characterization" For a guy who watched over 500 episodes, you don't seem to pay much attention to the Straw Hats then. The straw hats develop through the series, several change their views about the straw hats, Robin attempting to let herself get captured for the Straw Hats to be spared all come to my mind.
"everything is too easy for them" Yeah. Because trying to stop an organization that attempts to cause a war in a country, nearly drowning, having the entire crew separated, breaking in and escaping from Impel Down which has had a grand total of 1 prisoner escaping before Luffy came to Impel Down, are all totally easy.
"the protagonists furthermore only seem to care about their own goals and interests and not on the more important matters around them of morality" When they decided to stop Kuro from attacking an entire village? When they decided to help Vivi save Alabasta? When they decided to save Camie the mermaid from the Flying Fish Raiders?
You claim to have watched hundreds of episodes, but it looks like you haven't watched nearly as many as you say considering how all the stuff you say has been false. That or you've been lying throughout the review.
You know what? I could get all pissy, but I won't stoop that low. Instead, I'll just debunk some of the points you made.
1. The protagonist being too stupid to relate to. For a Shonen hero, already he's a step up, because he understands people and their problems.
2. The protagonists not suffering enough to be compelling. Oh, yeah, because Kuma clearly gave Zoro a massage and a free coupon to the nearest spa. Have you seen the Made of Iron page? I have, and that does NOT look like the effects of a spa, good sir. Or how about Enies Lobby, where the entire crew was at odds with each other due to Robin leaving, and then having to overcome the obstacle that is the World Government when they want to fix things? I think that this particular issue of yours here is not that they get light punishments, GOD NO, but rather that they push on through like the Determinators they are, and defy those odds, which would be a problem, if that wasn't what this series was about.
3. Ace and Whitebeard's deaths. First, WHY THE BLUE HELL DID YOU THINK YOU COULD SPEW SOMETHING LIKE THAT OUT WITHOUT SPOILER TAGS?!? Secondly, have you paid attention to how Oda did things up to that point? He seemingly kills off a character, only to have him live later. Okay, other authors did that, no whoop. But you have the audacity to say that those two deaths were predictable. If you were the long running viewer you said you are, regardless of whether or not you're a fan, you would know as well as anyone that it could only take a genius to do what Oda successfully mastered. So no, those deaths were NOT predictable from 200 episodes away.
4. "Static characters". The same crew that has a Rubber Man [[Idiot Hero Idiot]] Pirate, a three sworded Samurai, a greedy [[{{Jerk with a Heart of Gold harlot with a heart of gold,]] a lying, outgoing sniper with a slingshot, a kickboxing chef who loves women, a a reindeer man-boy who makes a fine doctor, a silent spine mutilating woman, a pervo-Cyborg who's manliness cannot bematched, and a skeleton man who loves women's [[Panty Shot panties and makes a damn fine musician, is the kind of crew you call static? Your standards are way too high.
5. Just complete victory or complete defeat? First off, that's life for you, not some fictional picking table of battle ideas. Secondly, have you even SEEN Enies Lobby? Luffy vs. Lucci was dead even right up until the climax, as would berealistic. And don't tell me you could face Oars with ease in Thriller Bark. So, no, not ALL fights are a Curbstomp Battle.
And finally, 6. Either black and white or grey and grey? Again, Real life. For as wacky as this show usually is (nothing wrong with that), this show is very realistic in terms of how the mood of the show could change on a whim (again, nothing wrong with that.)
I'm sorry if it seems that I've blown up. It's just that the interview went contradictory of what the show was trying to bring out.
Robin: Don't ever ask me to dock with you again. Serious...Leave a Comment:
Not that good
I watched up to episode 534, and I hated every minute of it.
The protagonist is too stupid to relate to, the Straw Hats in general are so static in their characterization that they become predictable as clockwork, the plot has been going on for longer than most anime and manga yet has accomplished less, the attempts at humor are dull and become predictable as well, all the characters in general just become annoying after a while, and the big two "shocking" twists we have so far- that Ace dies and that Blackbeard kills Whitebeard and takes his power- are things you can see coming literally 200 episodes in advance, as they are so obviously foreshadowed.
the protagonists in general do not suffer enough to be compelling. everything is too easy for them, except for the arbitrarily random moments that come out of nowhere where they completely suck and fail too easily, in an attempt to try to make be believe that they face challenges, but in truth these are just hasty patches that only make me believe that this anime as only two modes: completely victory or complete failure. furthermore One Piece does not seem to make it clear whether it is a light and happy show of black and white morality, or a not-so-happy show of grey and grey morality. the protagonists furthermore only seem to care about their own goals and interests and not on the more important matters around them of morality, which is even less relatable. the world around them makes no sense and is silly to a stupid degree
Overall, One Piece is slow, stupid, confusing, willfully ignorant of the moral issues around it, and the protagonists are people I'd rather have the villains kill so that I can watch something that isn't so sickeningly light and happy-and-go-lucky for no apparent reason, and its cliched shonen anime/manga at its stupidest- and this is coming from someone who likes shonen anime like Naruto, Fairy Tail and Dragonball Z.
1/10. Go watch something more awesome.