One Piece was one of the Big Three anime at the time that I was just not excited about. Naruto was so extremely popular in the west that I felt I had to watch it. And Bleach drew me in because of how sleek it looked compared to other animes at the time. Seeing the length of the show intimidated me, so I opted to read it.

It was an overall great decision. I love the story and I love the characters.

I will say though that it took a long time to slog through the beginning. I can rate the story a 10 now because, in retrospect, it was brilliant to see how everything came together in this absolute beast of a tale, but it was difficult having to putter through villains and conflicts I didn't find compelling. I would say that certain parts of the beginning are a weak spot for me in the grand scheme of things.

Of course, the world-building is brilliant. The world of One Piece feels like it's breathing. It's full of diversity in design, culture, and people. There is so much care put into each destination they reach, full of people who have their own ambitions and desires separate from the main crew. There are things that are beyond Luffy and there are things that Luffy jumpstarts himself, as is life.

I love the characters as individuals. Some quirks are annoying, but each character is fleshed out and lovable. I care about these people achieving their dreams. Each and every one of them. I wish the Strawhats would interact with each other more though and with different crewmates. I understand that One Piece had a large world with a large cast in a plot-driven narrative, but I still have my desires to see the Strawhats just be together, at the forefront.

Overall, a solid 10.