I was scared of One Piece for years.
Not because of spoilers.
Not because I thought it would be bad.
But because it was too long.
Every time I looked it up, I saw that episode number. It kept growing. 500. 800. 1000+. It felt less like starting an anime and more like signing a life contract. I’d tell myself, “I’ll watch it someday.” Someday never came.
Until one random night, when I had nothing else to start.
I pressed episode one almost as a joke.
I didn’t know that small decision would turn into one of the best viewing experiences of my life.

The Fear Before Starting

Long anime can feel intimidating. There’s this pressure: What if I waste my time? What if I invest months into something and it doesn’t live up to the hype?
With short series, the risk feels smaller. But One Piece felt like climbing a mountain without seeing the top.
And honestly? The first few episodes didn’t instantly blow my mind. The animation looked old. The pacing was slower than modern anime. The art style was different from what I was used to.
Part of me thought, See? This is why you avoided it.
But another part of me was curious.
There was something warm about it.
Meeting Luffy
Then I really started paying attention to Monkey D. Luffy.
He’s not the typical cool, calm anime protagonist. He’s loud. He’s simple. He laughs at the wrong times. He charges into fights without plans.
But what makes him special is how clear he is about his dream.
He wants to be King of the Pirates.
Not for power. Not to rule people. But because to him, that means being the freest person in the world.
That idea hit me harder than I expected.
Luffy doesn’t overcomplicate things. If someone hurts his friend, he fights. If someone laughs at a dream, he gets angry. If someone is hungry, he shares food.
There’s no hidden agenda. No moral speeches.
Just action.
And slowly, I realized something: the length didn’t feel scary when I was enjoying the journey.

The Crew That Made Me Stay

I didn’t fall in love with One Piece because of big fights.
I fell in love because of the crew.
Roronoa Zoro was the first real moment I thought, “Okay, this is serious.” His loyalty is quiet but powerful. When he makes a promise, he means it.
Then there’s Nami. I didn’t expect her story to affect me the way it did. What started as a greedy navigator turned into one of the most emotional arcs I’ve seen. When she finally asked for help, it didn’t feel dramatic — it felt real.
Sanji hides kindness behind confidence. His respect for food and hunger says so much about his past without constant explanation.
Each Straw Hat has a dream. And what I love most is that Luffy doesn’t overshadow them. He supports their dreams like they matter just as much as his own.
That’s when the episode count stopped looking like a number.
It started looking like more time with them.

When It Got Bigger

As the story moved forward, the world kept expanding.
New islands. New cultures. New enemies. New politics.
The world of One Piece feels alive. The Marines aren’t just background villains. The pirates aren’t all evil. There are revolutions happening. Corrupt systems. Secret histories.
And the crazy part?
Things mentioned hundreds of episodes ago come back later. Small details matter. Side characters return.
It made the long runtime feel intentional instead of excessive.
This wasn’t long just to be long.
It was long because it had that much to say.

The Emotional Moments I Didn’t Expect

I thought I’d just get adventure and action.
I didn’t expect to sit quietly after certain episodes, just staring at the screen.
There are moments in One Piece that don’t rely on shock. They rely on connection. You spend so much time with these characters that when something big happens, it hits differently.
And because the journey is long, the emotions feel earned.
That’s something short series sometimes struggle with — building attachment fast enough.
One Piece doesn’t rush that.
It lets you live with these characters.
The Pacing — Being Honest
Yes, it can be slow sometimes.
There are episodes that stretch moments longer than necessary. Recaps can test your patience. Some arcs feel tighter than others.
But I realized something: when I stopped focusing on “catching up” and just focused on enjoying each arc, the pacing bothered me less.
The pressure to reach episode 1000 disappears when you’re enjoying episode 150.
It stopped being about finishing.
It became about experiencing.

How My Fear Disappeared

At some point, I stopped checking how many episodes were left.
That fear I had at the beginning? It faded.
Instead of thinking, “This is too long,” I started thinking, “I’m glad there’s more.”
It felt like being on a long trip with friends. You don’t complain that the trip is long if you’re having fun.
You’re just glad it isn’t over yet.
What It Means to Me Now
Looking back, I almost feel silly for avoiding it because of the length.
Yes, it’s long. Yes, it requires commitment.
But the length is part of what makes it special.
You watch characters grow over years. You see relationships deepen. You witness a world evolve. You feel the weight of time inside the story.
Few series get the chance to do that.
And honestly?
I’m glad I was scared at first.
Because that made finally starting it feel like a leap of faith.
And it paid off.

Final Thoughts

If you’re scared of starting One Piece because it’s too long, I understand. I was the same.
But here’s what I learned:
Don’t think about episode 1000.
Think about episode 1.
If you like it, watch episode 2.
And just keep going.
You don’t have to finish it quickly. You don’t have to catch up with anyone. You don’t have to treat it like a task.
Just enjoy the ride.
For me, One Piece went from being the anime I avoided…
…to the anime I never wanted to end.