It is March of 2020, most of us remember this year like yesterday, but in case this was forgotten this was the year when we lived through a pandemic. Everyone has to stay in their homes and social gatherings were a rare occurrence. Everyone had to find something to do in the great indoors, but there was not much to do other than watch YouTube videos and play video games. There comes a time when Fortnite wins are not enough to entertain a young energetic boy like me. While in an online class, I got a private message on Discord from one of my classmates, he asked me “Do you watch one piece?”. I had watched anime before, Japanese cartoons that with time became popular in the West. However, this was one that, even though I knew it existed, never caught my interest. I replied with a “No” and asked if he recommended it; any show I watched during the pandemic never managed to hook me. He texted me back “YOU HAVE TO WATCH IT!!” I had nothing but doubt, even though I had no idea what the anime was about, the artistic style and the way it was animated did not capture my interest. Nevertheless, with a recommendation from a trusted friend and nothing but time on my hands, I embarked on a journey that would eventually change my life.
The original story of the One-Piece anime comes from the Manga One-piece written by Eiichiro Oda. When a manga series becomes very popular, it usually gets an anime adaptation and One-Piece was a popular Manga with over 500 million copies in 2022, breaking its own world record from 2017. Watching the first few episodes of One-Piece we are introduced to the main character Luffy, a boy made of rubber who cannot swim and wants to become the “King of The Pirates” and we see Oda use the rhetorical strategy of repetition throughout the entire anime to remind us of the main goal. As Luffy moves around he meets a few people who become his friend and join his pirate crew, a pirate hunter named Zoro, a burglar who is only interested in stealing from pirates named Nami, a coward who promises to become a great warrior of the sea named Usopp, and a cook who’s lustful for women. The use of irony is very intentional in the first few episodes of the anime, creating many unexpected turns of events when watching every arc. This is when the show hooked me like a fish, to never know what comes next, to somehow feel what these fictional characters are feeling was something that had never happened in the past and it was a new experience for me. Now I was able to understand how some people would be obsessed with shows and characters; they provide the audience with hope and relatability. Later, many other characters join the crew, a reindeer named Chopper becomes the crew’s medic, a cyborg Shipwright who is also a nudist, a skeleton who becomes the crew’s musician, and a fishman. All of these crewmembers not only want their captain, Luffy, to become the “King of The Pirates”, but they have goals of their own and we see them working towards them as the episodes go by. One-Piece has a large and diverse set of characters that we meet through its 1096 episodes that anyone can relate to, some with some backstories and motivations that can make a grown man cry.
Usually shows have 12 episodes, some 20, or 30, but One-Piece story is so immersive and complicated that it takes more than one thousand episodes for it to conclude. It has been aired since 1999 and it is still going strong in 2024, meaning that some people grew up watching Luffy and his crew trying to achieve their goals. Being aired for more than two decades, the author has been able to show incredible foreshadowing, connecting plots from even the first episode to the story 500 episodes later. Eiichiro Oda has been named the king of foreshadowing by many on the internet because of his massive success and patience when working on One-Piece.
One-Piece taught me many lessons as I watched, lessons that changed my perspective on life and how it should be lived. Luffy taught me to live in the present; he never thinks to himself whether or not he can do something or wonders about the uncertain future. He lives in the moment and deals with his problems as they come, with confidence and a fire in his heart that will not allow him to give up. To enjoy life, but to never give up on your dreams. Remember that even when you are faced with situations that seem impossible, there is always a way out or solution.
Zoro taught me that to be the best you need to dedicate yourself. To be disciplined and work hard every day. When failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail; believing in yourself is important, but you need to make sure you are ready for the challenge physically and mentally or you may bite more than what you can chew. Once you have achieved the strength you desired, keep working hard and help others grow with you as well.
Nami taught me to help others even if there will not be recognition or reward afterwards. To achieve your goals, there needs to be sacrifices and patience. Even when the journey gets hard, remember your purpose and do not be afraid to ask for help when it is needed.
Usopp taught me to aspire to be something bigger than myself. Even when you are at the bottom of the latter, do not be afraid to climb it, when fear takes over is when you need to overcome it and grow. If your goal is not to be something much greater than what you are now, then you are not aiming high enough.
Sanji taught me that your past does not define who you are today. When haunted by your past self and the life you lived, remember that you are a new person and wherever you come from or what people believe that you need to be is irrelevant, follow your dream no matter how delusional or impossible it may seem.
One-Piece was the first content that has impacted me this much. The first show to make me laugh, cry, and feel inspired. Being one of the longest-running shows, it may be scary to start watching knowing it will take a long time to be caught up, but instead of thinking about it as a chore, to have to catch up to the latest chapter or episode, it is more like an adventure and a great story with mysteries to solve and tragedies to overcome.
