Entertainment
Only 3 Manga Are Better Than ‘One Piece’
Anime‘s popularity is at an all-time high right now, thanks to the medium’s creative stories and phenomenal animation. While newer shows like Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End and Jujutsu Kaisen continue to push the bounds of storytelling in the medium, fans shouldn’t forget where these narratives stem from. Around 70% of all anime shows are adapted from manga comics, whether that be shounen, shoujo, seinen, or josei. The world of manga is much more vast than that of anime, consisting of series even better than their adaptations, since the artist can pour as much passion and detail into their art and story. One such case is One Piece, which is currently the biggest manga. Following Monkey D. Luffy on his quest to become King of the Pirates, he must first make a name for himself and establish a crew, which he does by picking fights with whoever he doesn’t like, from other pirates to the Marines and the world government. One Piece‘s popularity and acclaim are widespread, with many considering it the best manga of all time.
One Piece may be the most popular manga ever, and it is indeed one of the greatest. However, even though it has the best worldbuilding, eccentric characters, palpable emotion, and political intrigue, it is not the greatest manga of all time. Even if it isn’t the best, there aren’t many other series better than it, which is why this list will highlight the only three manga better than One Piece. Based on aspects such as writing, art, originality, staying power, characters, worldbuilding, popularity, fan opinion, critical acclaim, and overall quality, these three manga series can be considered the best of the best. Note that this list only includes shounen and seinen manga series because it is too hard to compare a long-running battle shounen to the best shoujo and josei manga. Viewers might be the biggest diehard One Piece fans or its greatest haters, but either way, they have to admit that these three manga sensations are some of the best of the best.
‘JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure’ (1986-present)
Starting in 1997 and still going today, there aren’t many manga series that run longer than One Piece, especially weekly shounen manga. It may have shifted from weekly to monthly and adopted the seinen demographic now, but JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure has been going on since 1986. Created by Hirohiko Araki, this manga series is split up into distinct parts, each one following a different protagonist of the Joestar lineage and placed in a new setting. From the very first part, Phantom Blood, fans are introduced to Jonathan Joestar and his adopted brother, Dio Brando. After a rocky start to their relationship, Dio discovers a mask that gives him the power of a vampire, which he uses to kill their father and attempt to steal his wealth. Thus started a never-ending battle between Dio and the Joestar family. Future parts take fans all over the globe, from trying to find a serial killer in a quaint Japanese town to going on a horse race across the United States of America to kill the president. No matter who the protagonist is or where they are, fans are sure to have a wild ride.
One Piece and JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure are two completely different stories. The former is a massive, interconnected web of worldbuilding, political drama, ancient lore, emotional storytelling, and expansive themes, whereas the latter is a chopped-up chronicle of a family and the bizarreness of their travels, filled with suspenseful action and overly dramatic moments. One common thread between these manga is the sense of adventure, for which they both excel. However, since JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure doesn’t stay in one place too long, unlike One Piece, it can evoke that feeling even better, taking fans to more distinct locations. Even modern JoJo manga are flawless, maintaining the series’ appeal while introducing new things to love. One Piece, on the other hand, has drawn out events that have lost their intrigue. JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure also has one of the best art styles in manga history, boasting an elegant and beautiful design that captivates viewers. This manga has kept engagement and viewership up because it chops up its story into parts, proving variety is the spice of life by introducing new characters, villains, plotlines, and weirdness. JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure also has one of the best anime series of all time, proving that better pacing, more consistent animation, and creativity are what fans want.
‘Vagabond’ (1998-2015)
Some manga never seem to end, like One Piece, and other manga, unfortunately, don’t ever get their ending, such as Vagabond. Takehiko Inoue, one of the most proficient manga authors, delivers this stunning dramatization of history’s most famous samurai, Miyamoto Musashi. Sadly, the author grew tired of the story before he finished it, meaning it ended right at the climax. However, fans can read the historical novel Musashi, which the manga was based on, for the actual ending. As kids, Takezo and Matahachi always dreamt of becoming respected warriors, but after choosing the losing side of the Battle of Sekigahara, their paths separated. Takezo takes up the name Musashi and embarks on a quest to become the strongest under the sun, challenging dojos and other warriors to test his strength. Matahachi, on the other hand, wandered aimlessly, seeking false fame.
A common trend with all of these manga is that they never end, whether that be because of an unfinished finale, a never-ending hiatus, or a sprawling story. But Vagabond is the closest out of these options to a finale just because it is based on a finished novel. Vagabond is on another level when it comes to visuals, boasting some of the greatest art ever seen in manga and blowing One Piece out of the water. Maybe that is an unfair comparison, but Vagabond also displays much more narrative consistency and developed characters. Instead of introducing new characters and their stories as well as more islands with political ties, Vagabond solely focuses on its handful of characters, using the events to develop them. The philosophical journey is both intriguing and compelling, having an enlightening plot that can be action-packed and entertaining at times. Vagabond transcends storytelling and art, becoming a life lesson that boasts motivational and self-reflective themes that helped it become one of the greatest seinen manga series ever.
‘Berserk’ (1989-present)
Many fans say there are countless manga better than One Piece, and others who say there aren’t, but if there is one thing they can agree on, it is that Berserk is the most critically acclaimed and influential manga series. Written by the late Kentaro Miura, this historic series has suffered many hiatuses and was taken over by Miura’s friend and acclaimed manga author Kouji Mori. In a dark fantasy world, Guts was born from a corpse and taken in by a band of mercenaries. However, his misfortune continued, with his group constantly abusing him to the point where he had to escape. Doing whatever it took to survive, Guts ended up with the Band of the Hawk, where he could truly say he belonged. That is, until a sudden betrayal destroyed the group, killing most of the members and leaving only him and a few others alive. Now fueled by revenge, Guts travels through the world killing apostles that will lead him to the man who took everything from him.
Simply put, Berserk is the greatest manga of all time, and almost every fan will agree, even if it isn’t their personal favorite. Just from the art alone, Berserk is a masterclass of visual storytelling that thrives with its detailed drawings of epic proportions, creating an almost painterly style aesthetic alongside its dark and gritty vibe. One Piece and Berserk don’t share many similarities, but in terms of art, pacing, consistency, characters, and narrative, the latter is far superior. The connection between Guts and Griffith is one of the best dynamics in manga history, each having unique goals and motivations that are influenced by the other, but also clash, changing their destinies forever. Berserk is a masterful study of trauma, grief, and revenge, and its story reflects it, delivering a much more concise narrative with fewer flaws than One Piece. Almost Shakespearean, this manga is a definitive dark fantasy that unravels a tragic bond between characters set in a fascinating and bleak world. One Piece is a shounen and more battle-focused, so it is only natural that the writing would be worse. Both manga are still ongoing, and with the Berserk manga recently returning, fans wonder which series will end first.
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