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I feel like I'm back in the early 2000's watching this because it has the same vibes as every other middling anime at that time, makes me nostalgic.

The animation and art style is good I really dig that but the story and the characters are just ok I'd even go as far to say bland they feel like they think they are too cool to be in their own series half the time. I liked it enough to keep watching, there were a couple of moments that kept me invested, some of the mysteries for sure. Its better than most slop that's been coming ... out recently, and maybe the manga is going wild right now but this series is just a solid 6. Its fine.

DO NOT WATCH

What do I mean by that? More specifically, do not watch on your first time through one piece, this is clearly made for people on their second watch through as it just feels like it isn't just cutting filler content but actually speed running through the story, more specifically any character building moments such as Luffy reuniting with Franky at the Sunny for one of the funniest moments, or key dialogue that is straight up skipped, characters are just popping up and emotional scenes are glazed over. If you don't want to have to deal with the bad pacing you have options, ... you have the Manga, you have filler guides, and probably a great compromise is the fan project "One Pace" while not perfect itself I am on my 3rd watch through (second on One Pace) and its actually really good and useful. Outside of the actual watch throughs This is going to be my 4th time watching Fishman Island. This isn't everyone's favorite arc, and its not mine but I think all of us fans can agree there are moments where you should just have the space and time to digest a scene, some scenes need to be slow.
The remaster does look beautiful though, the animators did a great job.

TLDR: If by some magical way you see this, just watch this remaster on your second watch through.

I'd recommend Juuni Taisen. For a 12 episode series, it does what it should, the plot is simple, we don't need to dwell too much on why the characters are sucked into the tournament. I like how streamlined it was for its length. The art style was great, really enjoyed it, they did a great job hiding the CG for a lot of the show, even if it did still show here and there. The characters aren't deep nor do they have to be, even though they do try at key points to pull on heart strings. Its like a shadow thinking its tall just ... because the sun is low.

The designs were unique even if I didn't like them and we see how some of them look in literal battlefields wearing something completely different. I liked the idea of the fights more than the execution because once you finish you realize the ending was thought of before the entire series removing the weight of every moment, and I did not care for Tiger as a character, many interactions can be boiled down to "A character thinks highly of himself and is confronted by B character who because they were underestimated wins the fight". This isn't me spoiling a specific moment, this is a good few of the fight because the writer thinks that is the only way to subvert your expectations.

Watch it, its pretty fun just don't expect to come out of it a different person, put it a few down your watchlist.

One Piece is a modern Odyssey.

The overall story is amazing, servicing every level of interest—from a casual experience to those seeking deep, emotionally complex writing. Don't get me wrong—you’re getting a fun pirate adventure about the main character’s journey to becoming King of the Pirates. But every single accomplishment feels well-earned and addicting. At first, I was sure I would drop the series once I felt the sheer weight of the episode count, but now, I feel like there isn’t enough! I'm caught up to the manga and may or may not be reading the leaks as soon as they drop. This is a series ... I would recommend to anyone, regardless of where they are in their anime journey.

What I’m about to say, however, might sound contradictory. You know it, I know it—this show has a pacing issue. I’ve personally watched it three times up to its current episode, so I can speak from experience. On my first watch-through, I followed a filler guide (https://www.animefillerlist.com/shows/one-piece). On my second watch, I introduced the series to a friend and used a mix of the famous fan project One Pace, which edits the anime to be as close to the manga as possible. Is it perfect? No. But by the end of the journey, we had almost exclusively been using One Pace.

Now, on my third watch-through, I'm watching with another friend and using One Pace from the start. This has been the most streamlined experience, and I highly recommend it. I suggest using One Pace all the way up to "Roof Piece" in Wano, then proceeding as you please. Personally, I’ve found Egghead’s pacing in the main series to be fine.

All that said—if any other series had these pacing issues, it would be absolutely unbearable. But One Piece is just different. It’s worth the patience. It completely changed my perspective on watching anime. There was definitely a phase in my anime-watching journey where I would pick up series just to say I watched them, like adding notches on a belt. Now, I want to go back and rewatch as many series as possible just to enjoy them.

Have I been glazing this show? Absolutely. I get it—the sheer popularity might turn people away, and the episode count will almost certainly intimidate some. But it’s worth it.

TL;DR: Give the series a shot. Ignore the 1,100+ episodes—just start from episode 1 and watch up to 45. If you’re not hooked by then, One Piece probably isn’t for you, and that’s completely fine.