One Piece is an anime based on a manga by Eiichiro Oda. The manga was adapted into an OVA in 1998 by Production I.G. After the OVA, Toei Animation acquired the rights to produce a full anime series. The television series began airing on Fuji TV on October 20, 1999. As of this writing, One Piece has 381 episodes and nine feature films. FUNimation Entertainment currently holds the North American licensing rights for the One Piece anime.

The main character of One Piece is Monkey D. Luffy, a seventeen-year-old who is on a journey to find the legendary One Piece and become the new Pirate King. However, in order to do this, Luffy must reach the end of the Grand Line, the most dangerous ocean. Luffy ate some Devil Fruit, and gained the ability to stretch himself like rubber. He is also the captain of a crew of pirates calling themselves the Straw Hats.

The first member to join the Straw Hats is Roronoa Zoro, a nineteen-year-old skilled swordsman. Zoro can use three swords at once; he is able to use a third by clutching it in his mouth. His goal is to become the greatest swordsman in the world. Zoro ends up joining the Straw Hats because Luffy wouldn’t rescue him unless he agreed to join Luffy’s crew.

Nami, the eighteen-year-old navigator, is the second member to join the Straw Hats. She is a pickpocket, and also has an ability to recognize and analyze the slightest changes in the weather. Her dream is to draw a complete map of the world. The third member to join the crew is Usopp, the seventeen-year-old marksman. He is a compulsive liar, but is also a talented inventor and possesses artistic talent. Usopp’s dream is to become a brave warrior of the sea.

Sanji, the nineteen-year-old chef, is the next member to join the Straw Hats. He has a strong sense of chivalry, and will never harm a woman. Also, since he has firsthand knowledge of what it feels like to starve, Sanji never refuses to serve someone a meal. His dream is to find a legendary sea that contains every kind of fish in the world.

Tony Tony Chopper is the fifteen-year-old doctor of the crew. He is a blue-nosed reindeer who gained human powers by eating Devil Fruit, and is capable of conversing with animals and humans. He is very naïve, tends to believe anything told to him, and has a hard time hiding his feelings. His dream is to create a cure for all the world’s diseases.

Nico Robin is the crew’s archaeologist. She taught herself archeology and the Poneglyph language. She values ancient artifacts and buildings, and will risk her life to protect them. Her dream is to find and decipher the Rio Poneglyph. Franky, the crew’s shipwright, is a cola-powered cyborg. He is a skilled carpenter, and wishes to build a ship capable of sailing around the world. Brook is the crew’s musician. Brook is a living skeleton that was resurrected by means of a Devil Fruit. He has a combination of a gentlemanly persona and a perverted persona.

During their journeys, Luffy and his crew encounter a number of antagonists. Some of them include: Buggy the Clown, Kuro, Don Krieg, Arlong, Smoker, Tashigi, Wapol, Sir Crocodile, Blackbeard, Bartholomew Kuma, Enel, Foxy, Aokiji, Cipher Pol No. 9, and Gecko Moria. Luffy and the Straw Hats also have some allies that include: Silvers Rayleigh, Hatchan, Nefertari Vivi, Mr. 2 Bon Clay, and Boa Hancock.

The animation in One Piece relies heavily on exaggerated facial expressions and movement. The anime is a bit silly and “over the top,” but this quality helps to endear the show to a younger audience. Personally, I would recommend One Piece for anime viewers nine or ten years of age and older.