One Piece Fans Explain Why They Preferred the Pre-Timelapse Era

One Piece fans have always loved the pre-timeskip era, even after so many years, and they’re finally revealing why that’s the case.

The first half of One Piece is covered in the pre-Timeskip era, while the second half takes place two years after the original timeline. Ace’s tragic death during the War at the Summit was the main turning point in the story.

One Piece is one of the rare animes which, although it has lasted for many years now, manages to maintain public enthusiasm, even after several decades. However, fans are wondering why the pre-Timeskip period is better than the post-Timeskip period.

And although both halves of the famous Eiichiro Oda’s work are incredible, we can see that the intensity of the plot increases after the Timeskip, which is why some fans can’t help but compare the two. And it seems that a majority of them prefer the pre-timeskip era more. An Internet user therefore asked on Reddit why the pre-skip era was so appreciated by One Piece fans.

“For me, the pre-skip era was healthier and warmer. Also, the pace was much better before the timeskip,” one fan commented.

Another said: “The arcs were shorter. The anime was crazier. Things naturally get more serious when they face stronger enemies. One Piece is very serious these days.”

A user also explained: “It starts slow, finds a really solid rhythm, then after the timeskip, the arcs get longer and longer, partly because the anime is starting to catch up with the manga and partly because the studio just makes boss fights longer.”

“The pacing is off in most anime based on long-running manga. There’s either too much material to cover, or it’s catching up with the manga and needs to add a lot of filler, slow down the pace, or take a break.”

“One Piece, in general, has a slow start with the initial crew forming, but once they reach the Grand Line, it’s fantastic. Alabasta is longer than all of the above because it’s the first major arc.”

The problem of pacing in the anime has been pointed out by One Piece fans for a while now. The main reason is that the anime doesn’t have many fillers, and that’s why it will catch up with the manga in no time. Consequently, the anime now adapts the equivalent of a chapter, or even a chapter and a half per episode, in order to slow down the story.

An average episode of anime usually fits between 3 and 4 chapters instead. This problem with the pacing of the anime is therefore one of the reasons why fans prefer the episodes before the Timeskip, not to mention the fact that the tone of the story has become more serious since then.

For more information on the Straw Hat Pirates, you can also consult our previous article on the One Piece manga resumption date.