What The One Piece Manga Does Better Than The Anime

This list contains minor spoilers

Summary

No filler in the manga means better pacing.
Catching up is easier with the manga.
More gore is included in the manga for intense battles.

To fully immerse oneself in the world of One Piece, an essential choice lies ahead: whether to explore it via the anime or manga. Both options offer legitimate paths for enjoying One Piece at its finest, but they do differ markedly in experience and come with distinct advantages. It’s worth considering these differences when making your decision.

Even though “One Piece” manga has been published for over two decades, its creator, Eiichiro Oda, remains one of the most acclaimed mangaka in the industry. The series is more popular than ever, with “One Piece” continuing to captivate audiences. Although the anime adaptation is visually stunning, there are certain elements that are better suited for the medium of manga. For those who are debating between watching the anime or reading the manga, here are some key advantages of opting for the “One Piece” manga as a means to immerse oneself in the story.

No Filler Equals Better Pacing

Catching Up Is Much Easier In The Manga

In many shonen anime adaptations, including One Piece, you’ll find a number of episodes that aren’t part of the main storyline, known as fillers. These episodes have no bearing on the overall narrative and can sometimes feel unnecessary due to the extensive length of the series already. For One Piece in particular, this is an issue because the series is so long to begin with, making these filler arcs a potential time waster. Furthermore, identifying each filler arc requires some research as there are numerous ones throughout the series.

Directly from Oda’s pen, the manga skips any unnecessary content, ensuring a swifter storyline progression that swiftly leads into thrilling scenes. While some fans may choose to watch filler episodes for additional bonding time with the Straw Hats, those seeking a smooth and relaxed journey through the main narrative will find it more suitable in the manga format.

Cover Stories

Small Side Stories That Follow Many Fan-Favorite Characters’ Off-Screen Adventures

In the vast and intricate universe of “One Piece”, fans are often thrilled to uncover even minor details about current events. These updates can best be tracked through the cover stories, which are single-page illustrations regularly added at the start of a new chapter by Oda. The purpose of these cover stories is to shed light on what a particular character is doing during a specific part of the main storyline.

Various tales depict Enel’s journey post-Skypeia, detailing his ascent to the moon and establishment of a personal military force. These narratives span a wide range of characters such as Hachi, Yamato, and Pudding. Since these stories are part of the official series, they frequently hint at upcoming events within the storyline, making them crucial for fans keen on staying updated about each character’s exploits.

Easier To Re-Read Arcs

Binging A Story Arc Is Much More Manageable With The Manga

Reflecting on the multitude of storylines in the saga of One Piece, it’s no surprise that fans would yearn to revisit their favorite tales. However, the pacing of episodes in the anime often leans towards a slower tempo, making a complete rewatch quite an extensive endeavor-particularly for more extensive arcs like Dressrosa and Wano, which demand considerable time investment.

Manga enthusiasts have the luxury of controlling their reading speed, allowing them to swiftly bypass humorous scenes or dialogue they’ve already encountered, heading straight to parts of the story that pique their interest most. In contrast, anime tends to stretch out minor moments to fill episode duration, but manga can seem more compact and precise, making it perfect for marathon reading sessions and revisiting past story arcs.

All Official Content

The Anime Can Take Some Creative Liberties Which Don’t Always Reflect The Manga

In the anime adaptation, it occasionally deviates slightly from the original manga storyline as creators sometimes take artistic liberties, potentially diverging from what the author might have envisioned. For instance, Sanji’s behavior in the Egghead arc and in the animated version has shown some differences compared to his portrayal in the manga, even being absent from certain scenes without a clear justification.

It’s clear that readers who want to fully immerse themselves in Eiichiro Oda’s original vision for “One Piece” should opt for the manga. While the anime is a superb adaptation that strives to capture the essence of the story, there are some differences between the two versions that make the manga a more authentic representation of the series.

Gore

One Piece’s Manga Includes All The Grizzly Details

In the realm of One Piece, it appears cheerful and colorful from afar, yet those who follow the series are aware that beneath its lively exterior lies potential peril and violence. To underscore the intense nature of certain battles, Oda incorporates more graphic elements in the manga. However, the animation tends to soften this somewhat, while still retaining the element of bloodshed and brutality.

Each reader might have their personal preference regarding the level of graphic violence they wish to witness, but it’s undeniable that including such elements significantly amplifies the manga’s impact, particularly when depicting the extent of injuries sustained during intense battles. A striking illustration of this is the portrayal of Whitebeard in the Manga during the Marineford War, where half his face has been blasted away, as opposed to the Anime where he only shows a few bloodshot eyes and stab wounds to convey the intensity of his suffering.

Connecting With The Author

Oda Is Always Talking Directly With His Fans

Eiichiro Oda, known for being quite enigmatic among manga authors, is not shy when it comes to engaging with his fans. Prior to the timeskip, he frequently answered fan questions in his chapters, regardless of how peculiar or unusual they were. This interaction played a significant role in helping readers feel more connected to the man behind their weekly dose of fun and entertaining content.

Over the course of time, Oda has additionally begun publishing SBS (Shonen Jump’s Big Comic Spirits) volumes. These are essentially comprehensive guides containing a wealth of information about key characters and significant story events. The covers often feature expansive spreads showcasing the Straw Hats relaxing in various settings or small sketches of beloved characters. This additional content offers fans a glimpse into Oda’s personality, something that the animated series cannot replicate.

Respects The Reader’s Time

The Anime Stretches Some Moments On For Just A Little Too Long Sometimes

The anime adaptation might stretch certain scenes to evoke maximum emotional impact from viewers, which can be beneficial in making key moments more impactful, yet sometimes it may feel repetitive or drawn-out. For instance, during the Wano arc, the anime tended to repeatedly show Luffy’s flashback with Tama, even though fans had already witnessed their interaction just a few episodes prior, leading to some redundancy.

In contrast to the anime, the manga tends to present key scenes in just one or two panels, ensuring the reader’s time isn’t wasted while reading the story. Essentially, some scenes in the anime might seem overly lengthy, but the manga typically avoids this issue as it progresses swiftly.

2025-08-10 14:36