No, it's not something perverse; "Gold Roger" was the greatest pirate to ever live, at least according to the narrator for One Piece.

Due to my saturated anime collection and the slow pace of fansub releases, I've taken to watching an incredibly long series to fill the void. Clocking in at over 250 episodes in Japan, and with 149 of those episodes available via fansubs, the series has been in production and broadcast for 6 years now. It also has a few of the obligatory movies and specials to go along with it all. Not surprising since it is a Shounen Jump featured manga after all.

I won't lie to you because One Piece isn't perfect. Compared to say, Naruto, the writing and direction isn't as tight and episodes can really drag. It would be fair to pair it up with DragonBall Z; both are from Toei and the way characters keep returning from near death, only to become more powerful are two obvious similiarities. The character designs also remind me of such manga as Peach Girl, Aishiteruze Baby, and Full Moon wo Sagashite, very big eyes and mouths and slender bodies.

Enough with negativity! The series' strongest point has to be its wide array of characters; you're guaranteed to find a few you like and few you loathe:

Luffy (pronounced "Loofy") is the star of the show, without him there would be no story. He possesses the power of one of the legendary Devil Fruits which he accidentally ate as a child; I won't tell you what his ability is but chances are, you've probably come across it anyway. He sets off on his journey to gather crew members to create the greatest group of pirates to ever set sail on the seven seas. Luffy's dream is to become the successor to Gold Roger by finding his stash of treasure, One Piece. It's been hidden in the deadliest part of the ocean named The Grand Line which has consumed numerous pirates also after the fabled bounty. If Luffy's voice sounds familiar, the voice actress also provided the voice of Pazu from Laputa - Castle in the Sky.

Roronoa Zoro is Luffy's first crew member which he acquires. An acomplished swordsman (he uses 3 katanas in battle), his mission in life is to become the greatest swordsman after a childhood promise he made which he will keep with him to the grave. A very likable character, he quickly became one of the guys I'd root for whilst watching. Voice actor also provided the voice for Yajirou from Genadier and Mugen from Samurai Champloo, both of which are also coincidentally swordsman too.

Nami is the second crew member of Luffy's gang, playing the role of navigator and cartographer. A cunning thief with a very tragic past which she hides behind a cheerful smile, she really shines through during the fantastic Arlong arc. Her weapon of choice is a bow staff which can split into 3 separate pieces for easy storage.

Usopp is the third member of the crew. His father, Yasopp, is a member of Luffy's hero's crew, and thus gains notoriety, some of which is unwanted. He's renowned to be a huge liar at his home, Syrup Village. Usopp also has a tragic past which explains the reason why he decides to tell such tall tales. Unfortunately, his introduction arc really drags and is far too predictable. When Usopp's not in the limelight, he's definitely more tolerable. He takes on the role of sniper on the crew, using a sling shot and his own concoctions of Tabasco bombs.

Sanji is the cook on Luffy's ship. A very cool character, he sports a sharp looking suit and is often seen chain smoking no matter what he's doing. His fighting style is similar to capparera, the Brazillian dance-fighting technique. Being a chef, he has to protect his hands which are his livelihood. Not much is known about his past other than that he owes the his life to the owner of the restaurant where he works at. He falls head over heels for Nami and quickly becomes her personal tool, ah amour... Zoro's friends hilariously call Sanji, "Cook-aniki" which cracked me up each time I heard it.

That's as far as I've gotten in the series so far but I do know 2 further members join the crew before it's finally complete.

One other thing I have to remark on is the soundtrack for the series. Some wonderful theme songs and background music, it really adds to One Piece's uplifting atmosphere.

Right, time to head out to the city; I'm in search of a treasure of my own now...