This is going to come off as less of a review and more of a gushing as to why this series is my favorite piece of fiction. Its hard to sum up in any short amount of time, and just like the show, I'm probably going to be long-winded about a lot of things discussed here. One Piece is a stunning adventure from the outset. I find the hook to be brilliant, I wanted to know right away what the most powerful man in the world possibly could've left behind at the end. The introduction to Luffy is wonderful, whether through the anime or the manga (they start in different places.) Every single character Luffy interacts with in the early days of the series serve to show the kind of person he is. HIs confidence and optimism are incredibly infective, and I find myself wishing I could see life through the surprisingly mature yet uncompromisingly fun main character. The first saga of the show mostly serves as a setup and establishment for the first crewmates Luffy meets. This is to be expected, but still really smart. Each character is ridiculously well designed, and the art accentuates their fighting style and personality. The trip to the Grand Line itself is already an incredible adventure, climaxing with the stunningly well-written Arlong Park arc. This is where the series really shows its emotional chops for the first time, and its very effective in doing so. After this point, the Loguetown arc gives some incredible world-building and (along with Zoro's confrontation with Mihawk) shows off just how insignificant everything we've seen so far is compared to what's to come. The islands that exist in the Grand Line are the gold standard of how to set up a fantasy world, and this is because everything, from the currency, to the allegiances, to the people's view of different factions, just makes sense. All are informed by the world around you, and if you don't understand how something works on an island, you can bet it will be shown to you in a fascinating way. This extends to the political struggles that come with a world dominated by pirates. All decisions made have ideologies informing them, there's disagreement and conflict among those political factions, and constant suspense as the powers that be make decisions that heavily effect our cast. Most of the series serves as a mission to grow stronger, help people around them, and most importantly, to enjoy living. It's through these separate arcs of the story that the cast gains new abilities, growing at a very satisfying pace. Though each major arc has a formula it follows, there is enough variation between each story and more than enough variation between each island to keep the story super fresh even after 1053 chapters. Lesser stories would not be able to keep your attention pointed at the world this far in, and yet here I am, stricken by the idea of what awaits the crew ahead of the current island. It also helps that every single crewmate is so lovable. I legitimately get a pit in my stomach trying to rank them, because it feels wrong to say that there are any that aren't absolutely amazing. I value what each one contributes to the story greatly. They all play off each other spectacularly well, and almost any combination of two characters would without a doubt lead to a very entertaining interaction because they just mesh so well. Although this series undoubtedly has problems (especially in the anime,) I can't act like I don't love almost every episode of this series. Its just special to me, and I love it for its flaws as well as its breathtaking successes. I love this story with all my heart, I can't even critically analyze it without just saying everyone and everything is amazing. I'm so incredibly lucky that I get to read it week to week before it ends, and I'm thankful it came to me when it did in life. My life changed a lot over the year I watched it, and the biggest thing I took away from it was that there's always more to see in the world. Approach it with optimism, and never forget to enjoy living.