When it comes to diving into a long-running series for the first time, some people will ask "What arc should I watch to try it out?" Now, it's pretty easy to reply with "Well, the first one, obviously, and just go from there," and I am definitely on Team First Episode, You Cowards. However, if I really want someone to like an anime that I like, I take three things into consideration if they ask me about jumping around to a high point:
1) What arc shows off the series' particular strengths?
2) What arc makes the anime feel comfortable and lived-in, yet isn't so bogged down in continuity that the viewer will just be confused?
3) What arc has emotional beats that don't require an extended acquaintance with the characters?
In the case of One Piece, there are a ton of great arcs that fit only two of these. Water 7 and Enies Lobby are known as a particular pinnacle of the series' storytelling and fit the first two, but if you don't know who Robin and Usopp are and already like them, it won't hold the same weight. Drum Island, with its heartbreaking Chopper introduction and backstory, fits 2 and 3, but the Straw Hats are mostly separated or indisposed during it, and one of the selling points of OP is how fun it is when the crew is together. Skypiea and Thriller Bark both fit 1 and 3, and even feel rather self-contained, but there are certain plot threads and recurring themes that you'll get nothing out of if you're not up to speed on the whole narrative.
So that's why, if you're not going to start from the beginning of One Piece, I recommend a filler arc—The G-8 arc. It has long been lauded for being one of the best examples of anime filler out there, but I find it to be particularly good because it checks off all three of these requirements.
First of all, the things that make One Piece feel like One Piece are all there—the humor, the adventure, the characters, etc. And while it does take a little bit to get them all together (all seven of them start out in different areas of the marine base that they've been unceremoniously dropped into), the important thing is that they're all given stuff to do. None of them seem like they're waiting around for someone else's plot to finish so that they can re-enter the story.
The character dynamics at play here are interesting for long-time fans, too. Usopp and Robin are the only Straw Hats to be together at the onset of the arc, and watching them hang out is a treat as they're both especially smart members of the crew, but only Robin is brave enough to get them going. Meanwhile, Luffy and Sanji meet up pretty fast, but rather than the "two men sharing one brain cell" relationship that Luffy and Zoro have, Sanji is constantly playing both friend and babysitter for his wild captain.
Secondly, this arc starts from the point-of-view of the Marines, which means the Straw Hats are the strangers, rather than the other way around. So you're being introduced to the Straw Hats as they are, first by way of tall tales and myths, then by the crew actually showing up in their lives. So you get an established part of the story (The Marines' basic power in the OP universe), but told from an angle that practically makes this a debut for the main characters. And with the lead villain, Vice Admiral Jonathan, being such a brilliant strategist that he can figure out the Straw Hats' past and motives just from looking at the contents of their ship, you get a ton of exposition out of the way.
So even though you're almost 200 episodes into the anime when this arc starts, it literally requires no prior knowledge of events and storylines to enjoy. The only part that doesn't really fit is why the Straw Hats would be falling out of the sky in the first place, but as soon as you get to know Luffy, you realize that the Straw Hats are lucky that they didn't get shot out of a cannon into the government base. Anything can happen when Luffy is your captain.
And by making Jonathan an antagonist that you don't get into a fist fight with, but rather have to out-maneuver if you want to beat him, you never have to dive into "power levels" or any questions about the strengh of the crewmates. This plays back into every character being given something fun to do. If Jonathan was a physical foe, inevitably, the story would likely funnel itself toward Luffy fighting him, with sub-plots shaved off until the climactic slobberknocker. But since he's tactical, he forces every Straw Hat to be at the top of their game.
Lastly, because it's a filler arc that leans more toward adventure, hijinks, and action rather than building to an overwhelming emotional moment, you don't need to have any sort of prior connection to the Straw Hats in order to process it effectively. The G-8 arc presents the Straw Hats simply as a fun collection of lovable weirdos that have to struggle to get their ship back. And while that might seem like a shallow interpretation of characters that have gone through so much and come so far, for an eleven episode introduction to the series, it's just enough to get a viewer hooked and hopefully make them want to go back and check out the crews' journey up to that point.
In short, the G-8 arc works not only as fun filler but as a solid introduction to One Piece as a whole, because it doesn't require any work from the audience. It's a fun story told in a fun way, and you won't have to text your One Piece expert friend stuff like, "Okay, so why is the long-nose boy sad about this thing?" while you watch it. But please, just text your One Piece friends anyway. I need it. I mean, umm, they need it.
What One Piece arc would you recommend for first-time viewers? Do you like the G-8 arc? Let me know in the comments!
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Daniel Dockery is a Senior Staff Writer for Crunchyroll. Follow him on Twitter!
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