Poorly Written?

joekido the Second

Woah! Wait! Before you guys bite my head off, let me say this frist; I myself don't think One Piece itself is always poorly written however I have some survey to pick here. I notice some people say that One Piece is poorly written in some areas, I remember how in some chapters people would complain how Oda pulls something in a lame way.

Compare to 4 years ago, I remember how people wildly praises One Piece for having a strong storyline but now I notice people would say in some areas of the story that is ethier weak or poor.

For example: do you think how Oda wrote about the whole Usopp reuniting back with the SHP at chapter 439 was poorly written? Is there any areas in the story you think is poorly written?

Sandai Mera

I did hear some people complaining how Gear was too similar to Super Saiyan
and Sanji pulling out Diable Jambe during the fight with Jyabura.

Greg

Is there any areas in the story you think is poorly written?

Yeah. And everytime I bring it up a certain someone bites my head off as if I was insulting their mother.

Kibagami

Of course there are things we (I) don't like about One Piece, but I wouldn't go so far to call it 'badly written'. For example, I don't like the fact that Sanji's fire attack is puuuurely Deux Ex Machina with no explaination, but that I don't think that denotes bad writing. Usopp's re-joining was silly, or I should say, just as silly as that chapter (with an impossibly large iron ball). It was meant to be a light-hearted way of putting Usopp back in his place.

My biggest criticism is about his use of massive flashbacks in the middle of arcs. However everyone of his flashbacks are sooo emotional, and always serves to fill a character with depth, which is one of the reasons behind his excellent cast of characters. I think his use of character depth is also one of reasons One Piece is so good. The other mangas just don't have that; they're filled with type-casted boring characters that only stupid kids can digest happily (think Orihime from Bleach).

Lobster Pot-Sticker

Well, I think that same:

-"Luffy gets trapped"
-EVERYONE WINS THEIR FIGHT
-"Luffy gets free"
-Luffy Wins
-"Villian has a coverstory about his failures and does something different"
-Toei animates nothing

gets old

And alot of the fights seem staged. With no interruptions all the way through (which I dislike)

Yep, it's the truth. But I still love One Piece, so don't eat me or anything.

KizoFieva

Lucci's flashback.

The concept of douriki. (With the exception of Spandam's 9, which was funny.)

The whole Syrup Island arc.

Mr. Luffy

@Kibagami:

Of course there are things we (I) don't like about One Piece, but I wouldn't go so far to call it 'badly written'.

Yeah, that's the same with me, I don't recall really questioning the writing of the series very much. Even when I did, it never really affected how much I enjoyed the series. I personally attribute it to the likability of characters and the charm of the overall series.

Gorlom

which one is syrup island again?

Mr. Luffy

Kuro the pirate arc

Lobster Pot-Sticker

Ohh, and I hate how pirate battles are only decided by the two or three Pirate Bosses, while the HUNDREDS of lower ranks just STAND THERE

They should attack all at once. The strong and weak.

Immagine if Arlong and his crew mates fought the Straw Hats TOGETHER. And the same with Don Kriege and any other villain. Their strategies are seriously flawed.

regasatanum

There's many ways to answer 'How to escape Kuma from thriller park' but ended up with a ending where a shicibukai doing a crew apprasial on behalf of luffy, and everyone seems so impressed with this creativity - just because no one can see it coming, its creative.

Rockschmock

@Lobster:

Ohh, and I hate how pirate battles are only decided by the two or three Pirate Bosses, while the HUNDREDS of lower ranks just STAND THERE

Not true! They get punched all at the same time by Gum-Gum-Gatling. Standing there and being punched. THAT'S their job.

Kaze no Barako

@Lobster:

Ohh, and I hate how pirate battles are only decided by the two or three Pirate Bosses, while the HUNDREDS of lower ranks just STAND THERE

They should attack all at once. The strong and weak.

Oh god, I know; the villains' strategy is terrible.

However, in a series with a strong theme of constantly challenging yourself and proving your own worth, I don't really see this happening…

It's stupid, really. Everyone in One Piece has a simply ENORMOUS ego, which does make it fun, but sometimes it makes the fights a bit boring and predictable...

I also thought the Usopp returning scene was rather forced, but... this is a shounen manga, and I don't think I can fairly expect shoujo-esque levels of depth in character interaction from it.

I really do love One Piece, though, at most times for me (with the one big exception of that Usopp scene), the story's enormous strengths have brilliantly outshone its shortcomings.

regasatanum

and sorry, i dont like the idea of 2 swordmans in the crew, i have no problem with brooke but he can have some other fighting style, there goes the uniqueness of zoro, Be honest, will u like it if the next crewmate is a sharpshooter?

freedom

I believe Syrup Island is where Usopp is from.

Anyways… I definitely have things I don't like about One Piece, but it's still one of the stories I enjoy most. overall, I love the story and the whackiness as well as depth of the whole crew.

i don't know if i'd say these things have been poorly written, but things i haven't liked or cared for during the series are the way pell's sacrifice was played off, until the luffy - usopp fight, the way usopp kept pretending to be captain, the way luffy and the shp never seem to get any respect from riff-raff, though this maybe changing with luffy's "spirit" growing/expanding. i'm very hopeful for this

Sandai Mera

@Lobster:

Well, I think that same:

-EVERYONE WINS THEIR FIGHT

No they don't.

@regasatanum:

and sorry, i dont like the idea of 2 swordmans in the crew, i have no problem with brooke but he can have some other fighting style, there goes the uniqueness of zoro, Be honest, will u like it if the next crewmate is a sharpshooter?

That's no different than having two pugilists like Luffy & Sanji and if you want to get technical Robin and Chopper.

tekko

@Greg:

Yeah. And everytime I bring it up a certain someone bites my head off as if I was insulting their mother.

HaHaha ,yeah quite right sometimes it feels like you're among fanatical Oda followers that worship him like a god and by every critical comment grab their torches and pitchforks and charge on u screaming: Blasphemy Kill the Infidel!!!

One of the few moments when i feel it was poor written was the End of Enias Lobby , I got the feeling that Oda said to his coworkers "I'm tired of this arc lets finish it quick!" Zoro losing Yubashiri is a good example since it only takes one panel !!!

Gorlom

THriller bark was obviously poorly written.

The four armed gunslinger was forgotten completly, and Robin should have been able to rip the legs off the spidermice with her ability.

not that serious

AlmostLegendary

@joekido:

Woah! Wait! Before you guys bite my head off, let me say this frist; I myself don't think One Piece itself is always poorly written however I have some survey to pick here. I notice some people say that One Piece is poorly written in some areas, I remember how in some chapters people would complain how Oda pulls something in a lame way.

Compare to 4 years ago, I remember how people wildly praises One Piece for having a strong storyline but now I notice people would say in some areas of the story that is ethier weak or poor.

For example: do you think how Oda wrote about the whole Usopp reuniting back with the SHP at chapter 439 was poorly written? Is there any areas in the story you think is poorly written?

OMFG a manga has been written for 10 years and there are some bad point omFG i should just hang myself…... get a life

joekido the Second

@MonkeyDMalcolm:

OMFG a manga has been written for 10 years and there are some bad point omFG i should just hang myself…... get a life

You don't need to be so rude.

tarrin4ever

Any time somebody returns from the dead.

Those moments where there is no chance in hell that that guy should have survived that attack/explosion, but a dozen episodes later they miraculously return relatively unharmed. Maybe slightly drowsy at first, but then running around like nothing happened.

eerie

@Gorlom:

THriller bark was obviously poorly written.

The four armed gunslinger was forgotten completly, and Robin should have been able to rip the legs off the spidermice with her ability.

not that serious

Robin as a whole pisses me the fuck off. Her and her fucking broken ass devil fruit. The fact that she could disable everyone in the crew at once without moving just pisses me off. She also takes forever to do anything when the crew is in trouble. I understand she DOES wear out easily, but seriously.

Gorlom

Well I can attribute alot of her nonactions to her personality and still think she is ok. but those spidermice should have been spinning around on the ground trying to move about without legs.

Mister_Anbu

I still grieve over Pell to this day.

Ruwyn

Yes, many of these posts are poorly written.

Thanks for pointing that out.

Carry on.

Lobster Pot-Sticker

@Sandai:

No they don't.

Pretty much

And with Enis Lobby

-Nami lost to Kumadori
-Sanji lost to Calipha
-Ussop lost to Jabura

But then they get up afterwards and win against someone else. I found that to be lame. And Oda just made it so the CP9 couldn't to the same.

It was staged..

Bust still, it was alot less staging then the last Arabasta Officer Agent fights tho'

Kaze no Barako

@Gorlom:

Well I can attribute alot of her nonactions to her personality and still think she is ok. but those spidermice should have been spinning around on the ground trying to move about without legs.

Hogback must have injected steel particles into their parts' dead flesh, and then welded them all together with a blowtorch or something.

…I think this is where that awful phrase "it's a shounen manga" comes into play. Though it would be nice to see some more logic where fantasy is concerned, this is a weekly shounen manga where deadlines constantly have to be met. Inconsistancies and rushed portions of story are bound to happen, thankfully there haven't been any enormous plotholes yet that we know of.

Gorlom

Kaze: she didn't even try thats my greif. And if hogback did that… how would they be able to move?

Aceburner

@regasatanum:

and sorry, i dont like the idea of 2 swordmans in the crew, i have no problem with brooke but he can have some other fighting style, there goes the uniqueness of zoro, Be honest, will u like it if the next crewmate is a sharpshooter?

Zoro uses 3 swords in a traditional Japanese fashion (or at least as traditional as one can get with a sword in one's mouth.)

Brook is more of a fencer/European rapier fighter, due to the fact that he uses a cane sword.

One sword does not equal another sword. It's a totally different fighting style. Like comparing pro wrestling to karate.

tarrin4ever

Mister Anbu: Exactly, that's what I'm talking about.

Pell should have died. Out of all the miraculous survivals, that's the only one that really felt like he cheated us on. I could care less if Pagaya, Merri (the man, not the boat), Igaram (well, maybe Igaram) stayed dead, but Pell's death scene was just so wonderfully done.

[hide]Ahh great, now I got this horrible mental image of Merry-Go suddenly rising out of the water one day and saying "hooray, I'm back everyone!"[/hide]

Don Quichotte De Flamingo

i don`t like

-pell is alive
-that some guys are just ridiculously tall
-their are no pirate fights on the sea(TB doesnt count)…wtf hope now with sunny it will happen -arent their any bounty-hunters who are really a match for luffy around ??(hope for the NW)
-that zoro could lift up a freaking house:blink:

Sandai Mera

@tarrin4ever:

[hide]Ahh great, now I got this horrible mental image of Merry-Go suddenly rising out of the water one day and saying "hooray, I'm back everyone!"[/hide]

Would be better if it little bit more of a Bobby Ewing feel to it.

tarrin4ever

Don: Wasn't the most recent arc completely at sea?

Don Quichotte De Flamingo

@tarrin4ever:

Don: Wasn't the most recent arc completely at sea?

yeah but it was more the feeling that they`re on an island…i mean a big ship battle you know

tarrin4ever

I meant with the (manga spoilers)[hide]Flying Fish Riders.[/hide]

Don Quichotte De Flamingo

you think that was a real sea-battle….was joking around and nothing more in my eyes...
the SH have to face an other strong pirate crew for a real sea battle (against marines it would also be more run and hide)

Emperor Time

For me it only one thing, which is how can people lived on the moon when the moon has no atmosphere!

captainjustin

hmm… i've read a lot of manga, and One Piece almost NEVER lets me down like almost every other series. that's why it's my favorite series. while other series often go up and down, with months of bad arcs, i have enjoyed almost every single chapter of one piece. so to say it is "poorly written" just doesn't gel with me. sure, i've had minor disappointments. i wanted the fights on enies lobby to be a bit more dramatic and less silly, but the robin scene more than made up for it. i also thought when she saw luffy again after the fights the scene could have been better than just "thanks".

but its really just a matter of taste. a lot of people have mentioned the usopp rejoining scene as a bad one, but i had tears running down my face almost as bad as luffy when i read it... so that's completely subjective.

and sure it's a shonen manga, and oda completely idolizes toriyama, so it will always be silly and have references to dragonball. you can't expect it to be as dark as something like berserk or as seriously written as an alan moore or frank miller.
but that's what is charming about one piece, and why i (and a lot of us) are pretty much obsessed with it.

so yeah, i guess i'm saying i don't think it's poorly written at all.

Gorlom

@tarrin4ever:

Mister Anbu: Exactly, that's what I'm talking about.

Pell should have died. Out of all the miraculous survivals, that's the only one that really felt like he cheated us on. I could care less if Pagaya, Merri (the man, not the boat), Igaram (well, maybe Igaram) stayed dead, but Pell's death scene was just so wonderfully done.

[hide]Ahh great, now I got this horrible mental image of Merry-Go suddenly rising out of the water one day and saying "hooray, I'm back everyone!"[/hide]

Why is pagaya so much more beliveble then pell? Pell atleast needed time to heal iirc. Pagaya just showed up unharmed out of the blue…

Sandai Mera

@Emperor:

For me it only one thing, which is how can people lived on the moon when the moon has no atmosphere!

You got guy stretching body parts, turning into sand, fighting with three swords,concealing weapons with their hair and that doesn't click with you.

Sheep

The only thing that pissed me really off, was that Pell survived the direct hit of this fuckin' bomb. Sorry, but when he came back, his "sacrifice" was just worthless. Expect of that thing, I'm happy with One Piece.At all, It's just a typical shonen manga, sometimes I think people expect too much.

regasatanum

@Aceburner:

Zoro uses 3 swords in a traditional Japanese fashion (or at least as traditional as one can get with a sword in one's mouth.)

Brook is more of a fencer/European rapier fighter, due to the fact that he uses a cane sword.

One sword does not equal another sword. It's a totally different fighting style. Like comparing pro wrestling to karate.

@Sandai:

That's no different than having two pugilists like Luffy & Sanji and if you want to get technical Robin and Chopper.

I agree. its common for pirates to use swords or guns. In SH, everyone will excel in their own style of fighting, so which is stronger? the fencing of brooke or the swordmanship of zoro? or it doesnt matter because Zoro will be the strongest swordman and brooke can be the strongest fencer? One weak argument will to be saying Brooke is a lazy swordman who wont want improve as much as he can. or he will always slow down if hes improving too much so Zoro wont be jealous and start asking him for duel.

Brooke for the strongest swordman!

Toastboy

It's the best Shounen-Jump series and worthy follower to Dragonball. Though the plot is similar to the well known shonen concept ( Luffy defeating the boss, and so on ) it's just fun to read, but also exciting even though you know that the Strawhats will win. Also the flashbacks really touched me and Oda really knows how plot twists / surprises have to be made.
I mean, I'm glad that there is such a great series though it's cliched sometimes, when I see what a horrible crap series like Naruto or Bleach became.

Kibagami

Yes, of course there are plenty of things that really pissed us fans off, but carefully consider the capacities of shonen manga, and you'll see that OP delivers with exceeding expectations. A lot of the things you guys mentioned had to do with what shonen mangas pretty REQUIREs. Things like staged fights and miraculous (and perhaps inconsistent) recoveries are just part of what all shonen mangas entail.

In fact, I think Oda tries very hard to break these stigmas. For example, I loved the fact that none of the crew had any "power-ups" in the traditional sense until the EL arc. There's also almost NO chapters spent entirely on training (they train, but it's never the topic of a chapter).

One of the greatest things about Oda's writing is that EVERY CHAPTER has something new happen; something introduced; some significant event. I HAAAAAAAATE it when I read a chapter of Naruto, and barely anything happens. The most recent chapter for example (397), the whole chapter is a single conversation, where 1 or 2 things are revealed (Itachi wasn't all bad; he gave sasuke the amaterasu). Or how bout in D gray man and ESPECIALLY Bleach, when the whole chapter is a set up for a cliffhanger; no seriously, the chapter would begin with the hint that "XYZ" is going to happen, and then it's stalled by the charctr's THINKING about "XYZ" and then at the end of the chap, the reader finds out that "XYZ" MIGHT happen in the next chap. I don't know if you guys will know what I'm talking about, but if some idiot Bleach fan wants me to find some examples of poorly written chapters I'll find at least half a dozen.

Seriously, Oda RARELY makes mistakes like these

luffy_versus_lucci

The only thing about OP I thought was badly written was Skypea.

TheGentlemanSkeleton

@luffy_versus_lucci:

The only thing about OP I thought was badly written was Skypea.

Wow you're kidding me, what's so bad about that arc?

@Don:

you think that was a real sea-battle….was joking around and nothing more in my eyes...
the SH have to face an other strong pirate crew for a real sea battle (against marines it would also be more run and hide)

Well, against Foxy in the DBF, they fought on the sea. I suppose that counts.

Kuroneko

@Don:

i don`t like

-that some guys are just ridiculously tall

@Emperor:

For me it only one thing, which is how can people lived on the moon when the moon has no atmosphere!

Rashou

I personally don't feel comfortable deeming something poorly written in One Piece for one simple reason: I can't actually read the original. I know, the scanlators/subbers do a GREAT job of translating, but some things ARE lost in translation, and while I'm sure those of us who have to rely on scanlations and subs get the message over all, the specifics of a scene scanlated/subbed may not be done as well as Oda could've imagined. And, if you're asking about poorly written things, then you'd probably have to look at the dialogue between characters as it was originally.

Now for things I don't particularly like about the series… Character interaction between the crewmembers is great, but, after a crewmember joins and has their flashback... They kind of stop developing, if you ask me. After all the crew get happy and realize they've got nakama or show us about their dream, they don't have many major developments from there.

FireFistAce 0

@Don:

you think that was a real sea-battle….was joking around and nothing more in my eyes...
the SH have to face an other strong pirate crew for a real sea battle (against marines it would also be more run and hide)

They were about even against Krieg's crew. Sanji lost to Pearl because of the circumstances, but in a fair fight, Gin beat the holy living crap out of him. And Krieg was still persistent to the very end, actually having to be knocked out by Gin. And the whole Baratie fight was fought at sea.

King_Ty

I wouldnt say poorly written but when Pell survived that sorta pissed me off