One Piece

It would be hard to avoid this anime, it is pretty much the oldest and one of the best manga/anime out. There is really so much packed in this anime it would just take months to reach the current episode. Unless you don't sleep at all. The main plot of the story is a boy who wants to be Pirate King. That's it. But he ate a Devil Fruit and turn into a rubber man...

Now to reach his goal he assembles a crew:

First is the captain: Monkey D. Luffy. I don't believe you will meet a main character like this person. Most of the time the main characters are buff, but Luffy is just a scrawny guy that really looks more like a kid than any other main character. However, his capability are nothing to laugh about. He is a rubber man that surprisingly kick a**. A likeable character that has a abyss-like stomach and child-like mind. His ultimate goal is to become the Pirate King.

The swordsmen: Zoro. He is the strong and silent type but he can also make us laugh. There is a running gag about his bad sense of direction and his continuous fights with Sanji. He sleeps pretty much all the time and trains like a beast. His unique style of fighting is 3 swords. It is really peculiar, especially since he holds the sword in his mouth. His goal is to be the best swordsmen which means he has to defeat Mihawk.

The cook: Sanji. The womanizer cook, he never treats a lady badly, even with his life on the line. But he seems to have a preference to Nami. Unable to use his hands when fighting, due to the policy of a cook, he instead uses his feet. During the series, he always seems to be the lucky one, mostly seen in the Alabasta Arc. . Running gags with him are his fights with Zoro and love towards all women. His goal is to find All-Blue where all the sea creatures gather. 

The navigator: Nami. She is the beautiful and spunky crew member that hardly tolerates the crew antics. She has a strong obsession with money and continues to be impossible if there is anything to deal with money. But she has her reasons. Part of the scare trio, she is easily scared and cling on the others to protect her. However, she is able to fight using a Clima-Tact that utilizes heat and cool air to create climate change. Her goal is to map the whole world. 

The Sniper: Usopp. The big liar and the clever inventor of the crew. Also part of the scare trio, he is a big coward that is pessimistic and worries more than any other crew member. Nothing wrong with that, because of his personality it helps the crew when they are in a pinch. This is especially true in the Thriller Bark Arc. His goal is to be a strong warrior like his father who is now in the Shanks pirate crew. 

The doctor: Chopper. The cute one, also the only animal in the crew for right now. Unlike the other characters, he is bilingual, speak to animals. There is also a running gag with him, what he says and feels are opposite. He is the person who says he hates praises but actually loves it. Also part of the scare trio, he is mostly scared due to his confidence. However, he fights pretty decently since he ate a Human Devil Fruit-able to turn into a human. His goal is to be a doctor that can cure any illness.

The archaeologist: Robin. The most quiet and smartest member of the crew. She is far by the darkest crew member in both her past and present. Surprisingly her personality is a running gag, she mentions dark outcomes which frightens her crew members, especially the scare trio. She ate the Flower Devil Fruit-able to sprout her body parts like a flower.  Her dream is to find out what happen in the Void Century. 

The shipwright: Franky. The cyborg, who is from pirate descent. A weapon himself, he can also create weapons or anything. He even created a bridge with without ignoring the details. He is the loudest and most bulky one of the crew. He is also one of the few characters that has become foe to friend, the other is Robin. There is a running gag that he is a pervert, which he does not deny. His goal is for his ship to travel around the world, in a way a ship for the pirate king.

The musician: Brooke. The oldest member and it shows. Not only does he play music but he can fight, another swordsmen. A running gag is he continues to joke about not having body parts like a normal human being. Also, he is openly disgusting, which means farting and burping with little consideration to the people around him. Interestingly, he is easily scared, similar to the scare trio. His goal is to meet with Laboon, a whale that is still waiting for him.

Personally I like how the characters never really wear an outfit for too long. Sometimes they change their look with a new arc. Yeah! Regarding their look after the time skip, I am not a big fan of their change in appearance. But as you watch the show, it starts to grow on you. 

The anime is really intricate. Even some of the minor characters show up have an important role. Really nothing is wasted and shows that every action you take does influence the future. It is interesting to see majority of the past characters do meet Luffy and get into unlikely scenario. This really happens in the Whitebeard Arc. Wow, now that was a big turnabout. This is probably the few anime where the past villains come up throughout the show. Not like a big finale, they are sprinkled throughout the story.

Compare to the manga, the anime does a descent job of following. There are some differences, but the overall story is there. Also the anime try to make the show PG where the manga is more in depth. The main difference is with the crew separation. In the manga, the author shows the member situation in a single page. But the anime goes into details about the crew's whereabouts which is pretty nice. Again the fillers are not that awesome but bearable. Luckily the anime does not go too much into fillers compare to others. And there is always a episode or two that connect with the movie.

The voice actors in this anime really match the character, there is really no flaw. However, they had to replace Chopper during the Water 7 arc, but only for a short time. The one who does Luffy, does an amazing job, especially during those emotional moments. However, the English dub fails to deliver the same quality. Due to the change of management, from 4Kids to Funimation, the voice actors are just bearable. If you want to watch the show in English dub, take the Funimation, the others are just so sad. But if you must watch this show, Japanese, you will enjoy the show much more.

The music...Yes, this anime does deliver the music to the point you just get the goosebumps. The music plays perfectly with the plot and scenario. There is really no random music that plays at an inappropriate time. Also the openings and closings are not too bad. But you will find out that there are no more ending songs for the recent episodes. Why? Because the anime is so awesome that they needed to add more air time to the episode. I believe this is the only anime that does that.

The animation is a vast improvement from the beginning. In the start of the series, the characters are more child-like and round. Not much into details. However, as the series progress, it seems the animation is more into refined. Especially with the characters being more defined than a bit goofy. Also the background seems to got brighter...or is that just me. 

This is one of the best anime and manga for this era, the characters are all interesting and the plot is not too redundant. But it is long, and I don't see a future of this manga ending anytime soon. Which means this may be a anime with 1000+ episodes. Also there are some arcs that can bore you. I don't approve of skipping, each arc is involve with another or future arc. It is definitely an anime that is suitable for both female and male. A comedic adventure story that is filled with to suit those looking for a good watch. However, older people may not enjoy bandits influencing their kids.

So who will be the next Straw Hat crew? Luffy did say he wanted 10 people so far it is 8, not including the ships. What episode the series end at?

The anime has a heavy emphasis on friends/family. Never disregard them, they are so important and valuable. It is worse to be alone than to die. In a way, this show tells us the friends can be different from us, regarding appearance, personality, goals, etc. What matters is the relationship you form that is unbreakable.