Is One Piece A Modern Epic?

A contemporary ‘Odyssey’ or just a manga?

The other day, I was reading the latest chapter of Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece and I suddenly started tearing up when I read about a super tragic backstory of a mysterious villain. After five minutes of ugly crying for a fictional character I thought I was supposed to hate, I realized something. One Piece is a modern-day Epic.

While many may dismiss One Piece as a mere manga and anime series that has gone on for too long, they cannot deny how the series captured the hearts of millions worldwide due to its storytelling, foreshadowing, and emotionally charged backstories. Upon closer examination of this long-running series, it is completely plausible that One Piece meets all of the requirements of a modern-day epic. So in this article, let’s explore how One Piece is a modern epic while drawing parallels to both classic and modern epics.

*Spoiler Warning* There will be spoilers for One Piece!

Defining An Epic

Before we get right into it, let’s define what an epic is. An “Epic” is a literary genre that tells grand heroic narratives, usually about a story of a hero going on an adventurous journey. These stories are typically based on mythology, however, authors tend to write them in a unique style that captivates their…