Looks kinda interesting. Gives me hope that maybe OP doesn't suck so much once I get a little further. I've watched 53 episodes, I was able to do that because someone told me it'll get a helluva lot better, and because it does generally improve with each new arc. Occasionally it also has some brilliant scenes, though unfortunately always out of battle, the battles are so goddamn horrible I've never seen anything like it, not even in Yu Yu Hakusho. Except for one, the Zoro vs. Hawk Eye battle, that was pretty decent. It was hilariously anti-climatic to watch a brilliant build-up in that Nami-centered arc, only to have it conclude with a series of dragged out battles that effectively embody everything that's bad about shounen battles. When I continue watching some day, I'll probably skip most of the battles, unless and until they get decent.
It gets way better when you get further into it... the first half (or til the Water Seven arch - i don't remember the exact episode number), the arch with all those "Animal" fruiteaters, you've watched in the AMV, untill that arch, it seems pretty unserious, afterwards it gets more and more serious, it still has those serious moments, (the fight with arlong in the nami arch is an example, or overall the way Luffy wants to help Nami and the village)
Many things happens afterwards, which you also got a little taste of in the AMV:
Fights against several of the 7 Warlords
More people joins the strawhats (8 people so far @ ep 509).
Huge bounties on the strawhat (Especially Zoro and Luffy).
A War against the Marine, in Marineford, their base, where Luffy + alot of other pirates (The whitebeard pirates + allies), fights against the 3 Admirals, nearly all of the warlords and many thousand marines.
Luffy breaks into the worlds most secure prison, impel down, to save his brother.
my favorite fight from OP is: Ace VS. Blackbeard, awesome one, you'll be able to find many videos on youtube with it.
and yeah, especially in the start, there are some boring battles (ehmmm the usopp arch)
it gets better, but there are some very long fights later on too (especially Water 7 Fights)
Next up - made ten years later - my favorite Clannad AMV: Kireblue's Tears are from the heart (Clannad = Rob Thomas - Her Diamonds)
Easily, without a shadow of a doubt one of my favorite amvs of all time. ohey and I actually have the top comment on the video from over 2years ago...4thumbs up hecks yea! Kireblue did such an amazing job on that video =3
But lets see...as for my favorites....I have a bunch but its usually just music I like that is added to shows I like so nothing really groundbreaking. But 2 that stand out are by the user Chiikaboom (Actually all her videos are really awesome and I suggest you check her out on youtube channel)
The first is called Static. Spoiler Warning, If you havent watched The Disappearance Of Suzumiya Haruhi but are planning to, you might wanna pass.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZB837erQaq4
The 2nd is Fluffy kittens & Rainbows...How does that saying go...Dont judge an amv by its title? or something like that...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ul3SPNJt6tI
I've accumulated a number of AMVs over the last year or so. Here are my favorites:
Ileia returns with another wonderfully synched action video of the new Evangelion movies. The outro is hilarious!
RadioAkshun (Evangelion rebuilds) = Imagine Dragons - Radioactive
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rMcBwbZbKM
A very cute recap of the Usagi Drop anime with great editing.
Ivy Bridge (Usagi Drop) = Rob Thomas - Little Wonders
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FJn9YqeXzI
This one focuses on the Hiro, Miyako and Kei triangle in Ef. I always laugh to the lyric synch at 0:25.
Slave (Ef-A Tale of Memories) = Elize - Automatic
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQbKz6-T0Mc
Using video from The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, Genius Party Beyond and original animation, this is an amazing wordless tale.
Paper Heart (Various) = James Newton Howard - Baby Monitor, Hand of Fate
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSj772j4Vd0
An original bittersweet story crossing Houtarou and Mio. It beautifully blends clips from dozens of shows, edited so smoothly that it could all be from one show.
Our Tapes (Hyouka x K-ON!) = Hurts - Devotion
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qn3Ctatwh78
A shiny and explosive action video with lots of video sources.
Demigods (Various) = Blue Stahli - ULTRAnumb
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RoOadj1m4sg
Finally, a sweet little Ano Hana AMV.
Hallucination (Ano Hana) = Trading Yesterday - Love Song Requiem
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uclq3gvXilo
Ooh! That reminds me, the AkrossCon2012 videos should all be available now. :D ... *starts downloading*
*edits* Two more for you now.
First place with six total awards went to the editor Umika, one of the co-creators of Our Tapes (Hyouka x K-ON!) above. Here's her award-winning AMV where she takes Houtarou and Chitanda in a very different direction.
Sincerity (Hyouka and others) = Halou - Today
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uw-20aNpxDM
The AMV that got the AKROSS award was inspired by Our Tapes, but this one is Houtarou x Erio.
Petal (Hyouka x Denpa Onna) = Ludovico Einaudi - Primavera
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CbDV8Rrm6o
Both of these have amazing bittersweet original stories.
OK, I'll stop now. :D