One Piece is an action and adventure-based Japanese manga and anime television series written by Eiichiro Oda. It was originally produced as One Piece manga in July 1999, which became the best-selling manga series ever with a book volume of more than 490 million copies.
It was later adapted into an anime series in October 1999, which gained as much popularity as the One Piece manga.
Eiichiro Oda based this show on the story of Monkey D. Luffy, who aspires to be a pirate king. He promises Shanks, his childhood hero and captain of the Red Haired Pirates, that he will devote his life to exploring the great treasure of One Piece, the name given to all of the treasure owned by the Pirate King Gol D. Roger.
In this article, we’ll discuss the major differences and delve deeper into the One Piece manga vs anime debate to find out which one rules the hearts of fans.
One Piece is a highly recommended show for manga and anime fans. Eiichiro Oda proved that no matter how long-running a series is, it can shake the world if it is backed by a great storyline.
Both the manga and anime for One Piece have proven to be major hits. However, there are differences between the two that influence fans’ preferences.
What Anime Does Better Than Manga
Regardless of how One Piece started, there are some reasons why the anime is better and vice-versa. Let’s learn about five things that make the anime superior to the manga.
Amazing Anime Films
One Piece has produced some great anime films in the last ten years. Most of them have excellent plots and new characters that promise engaging screen time for the audience. The latest movie release was One Piece: Stampede by Toei Animation, which was well-received by the audience internationally.
Longer Action Time
Eiichiro Oda has done absolute wonders when it comes to the storytelling of the manga chapters while avoiding plot holes as much as possible. There are so many different types of characters and themes in the story, but Oda has ensured that his readers will understand.
However, due to more focus on the storyline and character development, there is not as much action in this manga as in others like Naruto, Dragon Ball Z, and more, which disappointed many action-loving fans.
The anime adaptation, however, covered them with extended fighting scenes that mostly occurred in the Wano Country Arc between Kaido and Oden, Roger and Whitebeard pirates. The animations in the action scenes only look better as the years have passed and still satisfy the desire for incredible action to this day.
Easier to Understand
Eiichiro Oda’s efforts to keep the readers engaged during all chapters are remarkable. However, readers might miss out on things or forget important details, considering how long the One Piece manga is. The anime clears all readers’ confusion and helps them understand complex concepts using effects and illustrations.
Voice Acting and Sound Effects
Some people find reading manga monotonous over time and require more than just art to make them continue. There are no sound effects or clear emotional signs when reading a manga. But the anime has talented voice artists, soundtracks, and other sound effects that breathe life into it and score it points in the One Piece manga vs anime debate.
Engaging Screen Time
Although the One Piece manga has always left the reader in awe due to the compelling storyline, several factors in the anime series give it an extra edge over the manga.
One of them is the power of the animations that stir viewers’ emotions better than the manga. Toei Animation of Universal Studios Japan has devoted years to producing 1000 anime series episodes, each more appealing than the next.
Another positive factor that comes with the One Piece anime is the emotional engagement with the audience. Many of the characters have traumatic pasts and heart-wrenching backstories, which the audience can understand better with voice and visual representation.
What Manga Does Better Than Anime
Despite the huge popularity of the One Piece anime series, it is subject to some adaptation flaws where some aspects of the plot, character development, and world-building are compromised.
Here are five areas in which the top-selling manga excels in the One Piece manga vs anime debate:
The Art of Writing
The One Piece anime used the manga chapters as source material and added filters, themes, and color vibrancy to make the characters look attractive. However, none of it can beat Eiichiro Oda’s talent for writing and illustrations. He wrote the manga with great attention to detail, making the manga triumph over the anime in the One Piece manga vs anime debate.
Character Development
The One Piece anime tries to bring out the absolute best in its characters. However, it can get too caught up in the animations most of the time. On the other hand, the manga gives an in-depth understanding of the personalities of all characters and the overall plot.
It depicts the story of every member of Luffy’s crew, the Straw Hat Pirates, uniquely with their highs and lows. Plus, the exceptional artwork of Eiichiro Oda makes the characters so expressive that readers can feel what a character is going through.
Consistent Storytelling
Since producing the anime involves changing certain characters and storylines, it can result in issues with consistency and plot holes. Fortunately, the fans can reach for the best-selling manga series if they want quality and consistency throughout the plot.
Although the anime series has done a wonderful job in portraying the Wano Arc, all other arcs are depicted much better in the One Piece manga.
Pacing
The pacing of the One Piecemanga is incomparable. There isn’t one chapter that doesn’t give the readers goosebumps. In contrast, there are many anime episodes with horrible pacing due to huge recaps and showing the reactions of every Straw Hat crew member. Therefore, many fans would prefer reading the manga.
World-Building
One great thing about One Piece is its world-building. Each location is different in The Straw Hat Pirates’ journey with a unique style and culture. The anime television series adds colors to the locations, but it sacrifices information for high animation. The best-selling manga series makes up for this with great attention to detail.
How Many Chapters of the One Piece Anime Series Are There?
Both the One Piece manga and anime series are still continuing today. This all-time favorite series is one of the longest-running and most popular shows in anime and manga. Although it’s very unlikely for a long-running series to keep the audience hooked as it progresses, the One Piece fandom believes that the series is doing just as well as it was a decade ago.
The anime adaptation successfully celebrated its 1000th episode and has a long way to go before it bids farewell to anime fans and studios in Japan. On the manga side, the One Piece manga has released 1025 episodes worldwide, and fans are looking forward to the next episode, as Eiichiro Oda left them quite a cliffhanger in the last one.
One Piece surprises the fandom with every coming chapter, thanks to the mysteries in its Wano Arc. Recently, the Wano Arc has welcomed a new character, Rob Lucci, creating excitement among One Piece fans. This event can also lead to an unexpected ending for the Wano Arc, with many more mysteries getting revealed before its end.
Currently in the One Piece world, Kaido’s (the Governor-General of the Beasts Pirates) position is quite uncertain, as the Straw Hats are all prepared to take him down – but it’s hard to predict what will become of the Wano Arc at this point. Monkey D. Luffy is sure to have a tough time taking down Kaido on his own.
Not everyone can defeat Kaido like the great Oden, the only person who was able to injure him. Although fans are eagerly waiting to find out the outcome of the Wano Country Arc, all that we can do for now is to wait until the next chapter reveals the carryover plot.
The Story Continues
The One Piece manga vs anime debate might go on forever, but it doesn’t take away the fact that the best-selling manga series and anime television series have both been huge successes throughout the world.
Eiichiro Oda once admitted to Universal Studios Japan that the series was supposed to only last five years with a pre-planned ending. However, due to the crazy response from the viewers, Eiichiro Oda extended the plotline.
In January 2019, he revealed that One Piece is about to reach its final saga, but it could still cross the 100th volume. Seven months later, Eiichiro Oda predicted that the manga would possibly conclude between 2024 and 2025.
