One Piece has become the most sold manga of all time. It has over 1100 episodes of anime that are still ongoing, as well as a second season of the Netflix live action series is in the works. On top of this, there’s a remake of the anime being made.

This series is so prominent that it’s being remade while the original show still airs. Why? Well, I’ve recently caught up on the anime and decided to read through the manga from the very beginning, because I hate myself-or maybe not, because even after spending 360 hours watching through this series, reading it from the very beginning is still enjoyable.

First, though, let’s talk about what makes One Piece even worthwhile. One Piece follows the pirate Monkey D. Luffy as he gathers a crew and journeys through the treacherous seas of his world to find the One Piece: a legendary treasure that was left by the King of the Pirates, Gol D. Roger. On the surface, it’s just a fantasy story full of goofy characters and locations that has been going on for a whopping 22 years.

When we dive deeper, however, we find that Eiichiro Oda, the creator and writer of the series, is a madman. Locations in this series feel real, every detail is explained and every question is answered. Oda foreshadows events hundreds of episodes-and multiple literal decades-in advance. Nothing in this show is done for no reason; which is what makes reading this manga, even after watching the entire show, so special. If you want to experience Luffy’s journey for yourself, however, what should you do? Watch the show or read the manga?
Let’s address the elephant in the room. Over 1000 episodes is a lot. 1000 chapters is a lot too, but the pace in which you read through the manga is exponentially faster than watching the anime. If your goal is to get through the entire series as fast as possible, you should read it. I don’t find that method particularly joyful, however. This is an adventure, and you should enjoy it. The highs and lows are part of the journey, and if you’re rushing through it then none of the payoff of spending this much time on a series will matter as much to you.

So why would you watch the show? Well the most meaningful part of the show to me is the sound. Obviously sound plays a role that it can’t in the manga, but the music of One Piece fits it perfectly and every voice actor melts into their role. I can’t imagine Luffy or his crew sounding any other way, and after spending this much time with them, it’s impossible to think that some people who read the manga have never even heard their voices. The animation overall isn’t the best, the show started in 1999 after all, but watching through the series you get to see the animation evolve over time.

I’m only a few volumes into the manga, but I can already say that the panels in this series are amazing. Moments in the anime with full color in animation can sometimes pale in comparison to the hand-drawn, full-page, black and white panels that express a specific moment in the story. There truly is more soul in some of the panels in this manga that are impossible to translate over to the show. On top of this, the manga continues to evolve over the years just like the anime. I’m thoroughly excited to see some of the panels that come up in the later portions of the series, as I’m positive they’ll blow me away.

Another thing the manga has going for it, and also my personal favorite part of reading-, is all the extra content. Every chapter there’s a mini-section where Oda himself answers questions from fans, or shows diagrams of locations and early character designs. This kind of thing is definitely more meaningful to me since I’ve already experienced the series, but nevertheless it’s exciting to get little pieces of information that add to the world of One Piece.

So, overall, what’s the best choice? The anime has color, animation, music, and voice acting; but the manga has breakneck pacing, incredible hand-drawn panels, and extra content not seen in the show. Genuinely, I can’t see this choice coming down to anything but personal choice. If the time investment scares you, or if you enjoy reading the original material, then the manga is for you. If you hate reading, or want to experience moments with a soundtrack backing them and a talented cast of actors, watch the show, or try both. You can swap between reading and watching at any point in the series to your convenience. Whatever may be the way, I hope you give this once in a lifetime journey a chance.