Eiichiro Oda’s magnum opus “One Piece” is regarded as one of the greatest animes ever built and offers its viewers a huge universe and amazing cast of characters. One Piece has the reputation of being a journey that is never ending, in that new islands and power are introduced in the course of the story. This works well in adventure, but may result in “pacing overload”, where things will take a long time to occur, or power creep, where characters will abruptly acquire new powers in order to defeat a fight. A better writing doesn’t just mean a better series, but is often defined by the way a narrative is held together. This list of shows is said to be better written because it is more economical—a dialogue and a scene are put in their appropriate places to create a perfect, rational story that does not waste the time of the viewer.
The following eight series can be considered masterclasses of storytelling as they put thematic consistency and narrative discipline at the core. Rather than engaging in endless expansion, these authors are preoccupied with ensuring the rules of their world never get broken, and their characters evolve in ways that are realistic, sometimes painful. It might be a backwards-planned mystery or a psychological drama that doesn’t consider its villain a mere final boss: either way, these series provide a degree of structural perfection that even a 1,000-episode series can never sustain.
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7
Steins;Gate
Steins;Gate is generally regarded as the gold standard for time-travel narratives since it does not bend its own rules, but has a strict adherence to them. One Piece can be seen as slightly favorable towards the protagonists at times, yet the writing by Shikura is impervious. The initial half of the show is slow since it is dropping “dominoes” — small details which may initially appear to be meaningless but which are actually crucial hints. The moment when the story turns the tipping point on the second half and sends the dominoes falling, the reward is immeasurably satisfying as it dawns on the reader that the author had the whole puzzle figured out in the first minute.
Time travel is a perilous element to a writer since it tends to introduce many complications into the plot. However, in Steins;Gate the author utilizes scientific fact-based theories to construct a hard logic framework which cannot fall apart. Whereas One Piece is driven by the so-called Spirit of Adventure to advance the story, the given series is influenced by the intricate network of cause and effect. It builds a sense of genuine tension because the main character is not allowed to simply switch on and undo a mistake, he is forced to be wiser than the timeline itself, and every win must be earned by reason instead of mere strength of will.
6
Vinland Saga
Vinland Saga writing is known to have a profound and realistic perspective on human development and the repetitive nature of violence. In most adventure series such as One Piece, the character of the protagonist remains largely unchanged as the world surrounding the character does. Yukimura chooses another way by following a deconstruction of his hero, Thorfinn. The narrative starts as an ordinary revenge narrative, but it proceeds to do something courageous and that is to rob the hero of his ambition and make him re-create his whole soul anew. It is the process of becoming a thoughtful soldier instead of a murderous man that is deserved after a long journey of battles and remorse.
It is also frequently rated more highly in terms of writing quality, as it addresses adult philosophy with the kind of subtlety that shonen is rarely able to achieve. Although One Piece refers to the concept of freedom as being free to go wherever you please, the notion of freedom in Vinland Saga is the internal conflict of being a good warrior who does not have to use a sword. The conversation is historical and poetic without the loud melodramatic speeches that are prevalent in battle anime. It is a silent, intense examination of what it really means to be a good person in an uncivilized world, and this makes the character arcs more human.
5
Mob Psycho 100
Mob Psycho 100 is a brilliant twist on the chosen one trope utilized in shows such as One Piece. The possession of a strong “Devil Fruit” or “Haki” is a status symbol in the world of Luffy that aids you in realizing your dreams. However, ONE characterizes his character, Mob, to perceive his psychic powers that are god-like, as a liability or even as a social disability. The theme of the writing is that it is not necessary to be special in order to be a better person. It is the tale of a child who is capable of flattening cities, but simply wishes to know how to read the room and get fit, which is a far more down-to-earth and also realistically achievable goal than being a King.
The writing itself is brilliant in that it deals with emotional intelligence in a much better way than nearly any other series of this genre. Rather than the discussion of who is the most powerful, the narrative is about the unhealthy methods human beings employ to conceal their lack of confidence. Whereas the villains in One Piece will tend to be evil due to their desire to control a kingdom, the villains of the Mob Psycho 100 series will usually be mysterious, confused individuals. Such a change of focus renders the fights more of a therapy session with stakes so high that the outcome of the story becomes a lot more emotionally enclosed and considerate.
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4
Frieren: Beyond Journey End
Frieren’s writing is as unique as it gets for a shōnen anime, as it tells the story of a thousand-year-old elf that sees the long-term perspective of living. One Piece is a story about the thrill of the moment and a rush towards the finish line, whereas Frieren is a story about the events when the hero has already won. It is a tale of memories and the silent movement of time. Yamada’s writing is so subtle and reveals that it is the small moments of a journey that are the most important moments after all the others have vanished. It also tackles the typical fantasy adventure by transforming it into a narrative and journey of loss.
It treats the notion of time in such a poetic manner that is uncommon in anime. Whereas in One Piece flashbacks are used to clarify the tragic past of a character, in Frieren it can be seen that the past is always intersecting with the present. It is an extremely high-level method of telling by which the audience is expected to be knowledgeable of the emotions, without the characters needing to scream them. It is a masterpiece of “show, don’t tell”, where the world is ancient, inhabited and really touching.
The writing of Hiromu Arakawa can also be referred to as perfect due to the fact that it is a closed-loop narrative. With such a large series as One Piece, the author must frequently introduce new dimensions to the world (such as the “Void Century” or “Haki” etc.) to continue the narrative. Arakawa, however, appears to have planned all the details of her 64-episode story from the very beginning. All the minor characters brought out at the beginning play a significant role at the end. There is no filler, no idle conversation, no hanging threads of the plot. It is a masterpiece of how to create such a complex political and magic thriller without losing track of the proportions.
It is also commended for the way the series treats its moral and scientific subjects. The Law of Equivalent Exchange is not merely an appealing rule in magic, but a philosophical dilemma with which the characters must grapple in each arc. As One Piece is a tale of infinity development, Fullmetal Alchemist is a tale of boundaries and human ambition cost. The writing is so tight, it combines comedy, horror and political intrigue into one, unified story, never feeling like it is dragging its heels or making things up as it goes.
2
Monster
Naoki Urasawa is a master of psychological thrillers and Monster is his best product. The struggle is mostly external in One Piece. Luffy is forced to punch a bad guy to save an island. The war in Monster is nearly one of internal and intellectual nature. The antagonist, Johan Liebert, is not described as a person, but rather as a ghost or natural calamity. He is not a superman; he has just known how to play with the darkness of the human soul. This makes the writing seem a lot more grounded and frightening, since the monsters are not fictional beings, but ordinary people with more realistic motives.
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Urasawa takes dozens of various character perspectives and brings them together in a way that seems natural and crashes against each other. It is a gradual, procedural mystery that delves into profound questions of whether all lives are actually equal and whether evil is something you are born with or is something made. Where One Piece is establishing its stakes based on physical magnitude, Monster is establishing its stakes based on psychological fear, such that it develops a story that makes it feel like a high-level literary novel.
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1
Attack on Titan
Hajime Isayama is a masterclass in foreshadowing and Attack on Titan is actually very famous for that specific reason. It is the art of leaving a secret in full view in episode one, and only in episode 70 will it have a meaning. Whereas One Piece is excellent at seed planting, which could be developed in the future, Attack on Titan is written with a complete story in mind, starting with the final page. When the big reveals come about, they do not just augment the story, but turn the meaning of everything you have previously watched totally upside down. It compels the viewer to see the whole series in a completely different way.
It begins as a mere action show with humans against titans but gradually transforms into a political play and a rather dark exploration of the cycle of hatred. The writing is so flawless, and in many cases, the audience is left wondering who the good guys are anyway. Contrary to One Piece, which tends to maintain a distinct boundary between the heroes and the villains, Isayama’s writing fades the boundaries until there are no more. And to this day, fans cannot agree whether Eren’s actions were justified or not. That can speak volumes for how thoughtfully AOT’s story was written.
One Piece
- Release Date
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October 20, 1999
- Network
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Fuji TV
- Directors
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Hiroaki Miyamoto, Konosuke Uda, Junji Shimizu, Satoshi Itō, Munehisa Sakai, Katsumi Tokoro, Yutaka Nakajima, Yoshihiro Ueda, Kenichi Takeshita, Yoko Ikeda, Ryota Nakamura, Hiroyuki Kakudou, Takahiro Imamura, Toshihiro Maeya, Yûji Endô, Nozomu Shishido, Hidehiko Kadota, Sumio Watanabe, Harume Kosaka, Yasuhiro Tanabe, Yukihiko Nakao, Keisuke Onishi, Junichi Fujise, Hiroyuki Satou
- Writers
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Jin Tanaka, Akiko Inoue, Junki Takegami, Shinzo Fujita, Shouji Yonemura, Yoshiyuki Suga, Atsuhiro Tomioka, Hirohiko Uesaka, Michiru Shimada, Isao Murayama, Takuya Masumoto, Yoichi Takahashi, Momoka Toyoda
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Mayumi Tanaka
Monkey D. Luffy (voice)
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Kazuya Nakai
Roronoa Zoro (voice)
