Diamond in the Rough - Chapter 3

This is an amazing illustration of why it’s hard to make something very creative that can still be taken seriously. Things that don’t fit into an existing logical framework tend to come off as silly or even ridiculous, like a road runner cartoon.

I like this story, but it’s going to be a while until the world is built sufficiently for me to get lost in it. That, more than anything, is what makes stories like Mushoku Tensei or Frieren or even Star Wars stand out; they introduce fantasy elements a little at a time and provide context for new things. You know how things are supposed to go, and have an idea what can happen next. In contrast, One Piece is a good story, but it’s silly. There’s a point, around chapter 800 maybe, where the rules and parameters of the world become familiar, and suddenly the story feels far more involving. Before that, and (unfortunately) again after chapter 1000, it’s too random to get invested in story lines. If one of you favorite characters dies, you shrug it off, because it’s not like you can count on anything, and they’re probably going to come back, anyway. It’s like watching Wile E. Coyote blow himself up. There’s no dramatic tension in a world without rules.