Recently I introduced one of my friends to One Piece. He watched about 60 episodes. The following was posted on his Facebook the week after.
He is one of the most open-minded guys I know and I also know that if I convince him otherwise he'll give the show another shot. Now I'm not saying everyone should automatically love this show but I do believe there's some moments in One Piece that shouldn't be missed dramatic or comedic etc etc.
He wrote:
I'm just going to come right out and say it. I don't like One Piece. I know, I know, it's one of the most popular anime series in the world, and I know it's akin to sacrilege to say otherwise, but please give me a minute to defend my position.
First, the show is morally ambiguous. The main character's dream is to become 'King of the Pirates', doing whatever it takes to find the ultimate pirate treasure, the titular 'One Piece'. You see several of the main characters steal, cheat, and lie to get what they want. Of course, the show puts a positive spin on this moral degradation; it preaches friendship above all else and uses the ongoing adventure as a metaphor for the characters' continual inner struggles. This veil of morality is nauseatingly thin, and makes for some truly hilarious situations. Killing several members of the navy because they treat an imprisoned criminal badly? Well… the murderer was nice to kids... So, yeah.
Second, the characters have no motivation or reason for doing things; they just do whatever is convenient for the plot. The main character, Luffy, is a perfect example of this. His nonsensical actions always yield positive results. In one episode, he befriended a whale by stabbing it in the forehead with the mast of his pirate ship. It's almost as if the show is saying, "Screw logic, look at how funny I am. Look at me! LOOK AT ME!" like a spoiled child. All negative character traits are somehow portrayed in a positive light. Luffy's impulsive, off-the-wall, batshit-insanity always saves the day. While it may be entertaining to watch, it's only entertaining in the fashion of a drunk, dancing bear. In other words, it's amusing in the literal sense: Muse = 'to think', 'a-muse' = 'to not think'.
Also, the characters have no chemistry. None. They're all just plot hooks that kind of stuck around; they never form any meaningful bonds with each other, share personal struggles, or even have any common interests besides sailing and 'being friends'. This is especially strange because each of the characters has a really interesting backstory, but for some reason their backstories never come in to play.
Third, and this is drifting into the realm of purely personal preference, the mechanics of sailings aren't explored nearly as much as they should be. This entire show is based on a small crew sailing the world. Where do their supplies come from? How do they handle medical emergencies? Do they get homesick (or just miss the land?) What do they do for fun? These questions are explored every once in a while, but they're explored in either too technical a fashion or in too little detail. I think the problem here is just bad writing.
I'll end by listing a few things I do like about the show. It has great art, great animation (for its time,) and perfect comedic timing; the show is laugh-out-loud hilarious. Don't hate me.
What do you think guys?
Opinions?
Anything to say that might change his mind? (Spoilers are an option)