Yup. It’s that weird. To avoid being completely blown away by strange sights such as this, go to OnePieceOfficial.com and save what’s left of your sanity.
First Thoughts
Sora here; I will be doing this week’s episode because Mikey and I are trying to set up some sort of rotation here with who will be doing the anime, and so my time landed on this week. Enjoy.
I was hopeful that this episode would be good, to make up for half of last week’s episode. Yes, it is of course Sanji’s fateful and terrifying encounter. But enough ranting about that already, everyone has heard far more of that then could be possibly said in a thousand years by now.
Well, I was worried about this episode, for a couple of reasons. First off, because Usopp’s part doesn’t look all that great to me. That Heracles dude freaks me out and is irritating, and I wasn’t looking forward to Usopp getting comically fat. The main reason for my hesitation with this episode was, of course, my issue with this style of animation. It is so cheap, it is disgraceful towards the good name of One Piece.
I was looking forward to seeing Robin’s part though, that looked very interesting and useful to me. Even with the bad animation, it still was high on my list of things to see. Of course, that is because Robin is my favorite character, for obvious reasons related to her vast collection of knowledge and how strong of a character she is.
Summary
In the East Blue, Robin’s imprisonment on the prison island of Tequila Wolf continues, and she is being beaten and tortured to disclose information on the Strawhats. The warden, not wanting the knowledge that the “Demon of Ohara” is at his island, tries to keep her being at the prison island a secret. Soren, the little girl whom Robin tried to protect, tries to see Robin in her cell and thank her. The Revolutionary Army breaks into Robin’s cell and is about to be shot at by the guards, but Robin saves them with her powers in record time, shocking everyone with her identity. Soren thanks Robin and comments that she likes her name.
On the Bowin Islands, Usopp attempts to evade all sorts of giant plants which try to eat him because he is currently the weakest thing on the island, being even weaker than ants and worms (which are giants). Heracles tells him to build up stamina, which Usopp takes too literally by eating until comically fat and not exercising to build muscle. The island suddenly begins quaking and it turns out that the whole thing is a plant/animal which uses its leaves/arms to push the giant or fat animals and food growing on it into its mouth, the center of the “island”. Usopp saves himself, after Heracles refuses to help him, by eating a giant ramen trail up, and ends up becoming even fatter. Heracles reveals that the Isles of Gluttony are impossible to escape from due to this fact.
Thoughts
Well, for the first part of this episode, they showed more torturous images of Sanji, much to my distain. And yes, I ranted about that again. It just goes to show how horrible that will be to One Piece fans around the world for all time. No Luffy however, but I bet that he will turn up somewhere in the episode; they wouldn’t just leave him out. Probably in the center between each segment with the crewmembers.
The animation, as I feared, is the cheap junk that I have a great pet peeve about. It is really irritating, but I suppose that they have to keep it like that, considering that Robin and Usopp’s parts have already been shown with it and it would be strange to change it now. Too bad; their parts could have been made a lot better with the proper drawings.
Hm…no one probably thought of this yet, but Tequila Wolf is in the East Blue, right? So that means that it most likely has normal weather patterns, unlike the Grand Line. When I first saw this place, I thought to myself “ooh, what a horrid thing to have to do your whole life on a winter island, what a waste”, but now that I think about it…yeah, it’s not really that important.
I actually like this island. Not because of the prison or anything, but because of the snow right now. That is what made me think about the winter island and everything. I just have a natural love of lots of snow, that is all. Ha, the only reason I probably could tolerate this episode was because the horrible animation was balanced out with Robin’s cool part and the snow, because I absolutely hate tropical rainforest climates. That is so weird, huh?
I also really liked the music throughout Robin’s part; it was the serious stuff, and really more quiet as well. It was really sad, but sort of peaceful.
This is such a horrible place to be. First of all, you are taken there even if you are totally innocent because your country just decided to do something other than what the World Government said. Second, they treat everyone the same and do not have sympathies for anyone. Then, there is relatively no chance of ever getting off of the place because there is no need to leave. Heck, if there wasn’t anyone coming to the bridge giving prisoners they could probably just grow their own food or whatever and be an even better prison. It is horrible, and it is the type of place which is monotonous in the way that it sucks the hope from you. Not kills: sucks, slowly and sadly. It is horrible, the worst place. Not really as bad as Impel Down, but it is the type of imprisonment which would kill me faster probably. Constant labor I cannot do.
I really like her willpower here throughout the duration of this episode; she must have done this a lot growing up to be this good at surviving interrogation techniques. Still, this is truly and without a doubt the worst and most serious place that any of Luffy’s crew has been sent to. The feeling only heightens when you add in the fact about Robin’s past with her not being able to trust anyone, and everyone treating her in this manner. It really shows how much confidence in her nakama she has gained from traveling with Luffy to see her stand up to these bullies in such a manner. She still has hope, which is such a necessary thing to keep if she wants to make it out alive and alright.
Is it just me, or does that warden guy look a little nervous that Robin is here? Good; he should be. He is a freak, and needs some worry in his way too ordered life. Well, he is right on that note. That would be great, especially if the Revolutionaries show up.
You know, that jailer guy who is reporting to the warden is really weird, I mean, why would he care if the construction peoples are complaining? He even looks sympathetic. And what’s with not showing his eyes?...that is kinda suspicious. And is that a tattoo I see? Nice……….oh wow. No, it cannot be. I doubt that he is actually…? Could he…nah. But still…It would be very entertaining if he was a secret Revolutionary…
This next part with all of the laborers makes you realize just how horrible their lives are, and how much it has messed up Soren’s life as well. If this is all she has ever known, well, that makes it easier for her to handle living it but still…she has never known real happiness, or anything. It is really sad, man…
Does anyone else notice that there are absolutely no other little kids? She cannot possibly be the only child, in all of the nations that they have as laborers there, that has survived. Though, if there were other kids there, she may have learned a little bit about fun, and we can’t have that, can we? That soldier sticking his foot out was really mean, but the scene continued like it was a common occurrence, since nothing came of it. That is a really, really horrible way to live.
Oh great, of course they have the random collapsed old dude. But, I like how all of the workers show a bit of rebellion, if only for a moment. I wonder if Robin’s presence has anything to do with that. Too bad that the brutes with guns broke it up in time, but I was worried there for a second that Soren would get kicked or something.
Man, poor Robin. This is so sad…yet she is holding thru it all amazingly. Oh…
This weird, crazy tattle-tale lady is really uncool. I mean really, he randomly gives her chocolate? Really? I mean, I can see something interesting happening if maybe she was pretty or something but she is ugly as, well, I really shouldn’t say. Gosh, the whole powerlessness of this place is terrible. But still, in the only random thing here is her obsession with the chocolate bar. Jeez, she is absolutely sure that everyone wants to steal it from her. Weird.
I like how Soren thinks that Robin would forgive the woman, because she would, and then Soren is so nice and forgives her too. That lady only wanted to have a little bit of power, even for a second. I can understand what she is saying, but it doesn’t make it any more right.
I really don’t get how that little girl thinks that she can get the chocolate to Robin. Well, she is what, 8 years old or something? I guess that she just doesn’t understand yet about what everyone around her gets about the endless suffering and sadness, especially considering that she has never known happiness or fun really. It is sweet though that she wants to give the chocolate to Robin.
A potato, or a rock? Seriously, I can’t tell. Weird…
This whole segment is so sad, there are few things to have be fun at all. It must have taken all of Robin’s energy for that extensive performance of stamina, even sitting upright is torture. Oh…
How was she able to keep the Vivre card throughout that whole time? She really does have talent…
I like the obvious distraction that draws the guards away. It was really funny when I just went “oh, cool distraction.” And no one else realize that at the moment. I like the one dude’s giraffe hat. It is wicked…I wish I had a giraffe hat…
Oh, some dude caught Soren. Oh dear…wait. You cannot see his eyes. Suspicious much…oh wow. I just totally realized how stupid I have been. Really? The tattoo, eyes shaded, and telling everyone to leave…only now that I’ve seen the entire episode a third time have I realized this. Wow. A point for me being Miss Obvious.
Yup, and there you have it. A highly freaked warden and an old dude about to lead the Army against evil government peoples. Wicked. I also like how he just happens to decide to let Robin loose, then says “oh and girl, try to stay out of our way, you might slow us down.” Gosh, that was so funny. And the old man is so short! It is really funny, maybe a little Napoleon in there? Then the troops are only there for Robin, and he’s telling her to stay back. That is really great. Talk about lack of communication.
One man stand.
Really guy, really?
The warden deserves this so much. I’m glad that Soren didn’t freak out, but why should she? It’s not like she would have ever heard of Robin before, living on that prison her whole life. That was really sweet of her to say that to Robin as well. A bit unexpected, but hey, she got some points in my book for it. It looks like once Robin helps the Revolutionaries gain control of the bridge/island that she can begin making her way back to the Grand Line here soon.
Wow, Luffy shows up. Good, I was hopeful. Too bad about the animation. Still not looking forward to Usopp’s part. Is it just me, or is this picture really pretty? It is so strange, the animation may be terrible, but the imagery is still breathtaking. I mean the scenes in the snow were gorgeous, and now this shot are both amazing. Lovely, really.
Time’s running out…
And here is Usopp’s unfortunate run in with the Bowin Islands. You know, they really look like a plant or a monster which would just close up like plant, eating everything on it right? But enough with me and my silly ideas. It probably doesn’t do that. That would be so weird though…actually, that might happen…I hope not for Usopp’s sake.
Ok, is it just me, or did the animation drop even further down than before? This is just sad, really. And, that Heracles guy is infuriating. This episode may actually come close to how much I dislike where Sanji is, amazingly enough. I mean come on, what is with this wacked-out island and it’s freakish “hero”? Poor Usopp…
He punched him. Really? Really?!?...Wow. This is so uncool. Usopp may not be my fav character, but I still like him, and any points of coolness that he may have been able to save up after all of these years in his own fanbase are very quickly leaving him. Poor him.
Here is Flat Stanley’s brother: Flat Usopp.
How…? Why…?! So they both just go flat now? Sigh…this is just too strange…and this is way too much slap-stick. Wow. Still, really, ants and worms? Well, see for yourself:
Ants and Worms…Ants and Worms…
This scene is amazing.
First thing: Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory ring any bells?
Second: Hanzel and Gretel anyone?
Third: Ever heard of the Hiyao Miyazaki movie Spirited Away? Well, in it there is a scene at the beginning where her parents eat food of the spirits and it is so delicious that they cannot stop, then they turn into pigs because of the magic.
I must admit, the further this scene went, the more I got weirded out. I mean come on, why in heck would all of this random food just be here? I mean sure, this IS One Piece, but still…
This…was…well, Comic for sure. I’m not totally sure where the Relief part starts however…
Wow. This is wrong on so many different levels.
…Honto ka? For those of you who do not speak Japanese, I just said ‘Really?’. Wow. I cannot believe that the plants actually eat the things living on it. Heck, I cannot believe that the islands actually are what I randomly guessed them to be! Gosh…That explains the suspicious food that makes everything get fat really fast and that you cannot stop eating the food. I mean, Usopp’s never had THAT big of an appetite…
Wow. Again. So…Heracles decides not to save Usopp randomly, then Usopp’s sudden eating disorder saves him by slurping himself up (literally) a ton of ramen? …I really don’t think that I can comment on this rationally anymore.
Somehow, this scene is just made all that more terrible by the animation…
This…this is just obscene.
And so concludes Usopp’s part and the entire episode (thank goodness)…unfortunately with an aerial view of the creature-islands themselves.
I tried to count how many times Heracles said his little opening thing, and I believe that I counted a total of 5 full times and one interrupted, but I could be mistaken. It just goes to show you how far animators will go now-a-days to make someone as irritating as possible.
Poor Usopp.
I really had little respect for this episode, other than the beginning, and that was only because of Robin’s determination. I was so disappointed…still, it let me think about an interesting topic. About half of the Strawhats got sent to the perfect place, and the other half got sent to the worst spots. Like, here:
Brooke--> Nakamura Island: Perfect; in the middle of a ritual summoning of Satan, and of course, a ton of girls (and unfortunately dudes as well) who willingly offer him panties at his demand? Weird, but good for him, I guess.
Franky--> Karakuri Island: Vegapunk’s birthplace and old lab? Epic; My hope is for him to uncover valuable info on Vegapunk for me…I mean us. Totally us.
Robin --> Tequila Wolf : Excellent; these people needed hope, plus she can learn valuable info from the revolutionary army.
Chopper--> Birdie Kingdom: Good; honestly, it is a decent island for him to have landed on, with the random animals and human conflict and all. He could also have done well on Barjimoa instead of Franky, but Franky is much more suited to be there.
Sanji--> Kamabakka Kingdom: Horrible(for him); he had it coming, I know, but still. This island…well…I don’t think that ANYONE could have survived here out of the whole crew. This was just coming for Sanji, it was inevitable. As much as he would have loved and later died (probably literally) for Amazon Lily, this was so…well, had-to-be.
Usopp--> Islands of Gluttony: Ironic; there isn’t much to say about this place other than how it is mainly slapstick, like Sanji’s adventure. About half of the crew are on comic relief (sort of) islands, and this is a good example of one.
Zoro--> Kuraigana Island: Interesting; this is very interesting…good that Usopp isn’t here, but not really needed I don’t think. My prediction here is that Perdona will have a little change of heart possibly and decide not to leave if Zoro gets a chance and offers. Otherwise, she will probably just get left behind and have a comic tantrum. That would be lame though, so I hope that that doesn’t happen, but at this point it seems most likely.
Luffy--> Amazon Lily: Epic; this island was MADE for Sanji, but Luffy is probably one of the only people in the world who could have survived being there, so it turned out wonderfully. Plus, it is the resident home of one of the Shichibukai.
Preview
And so, the final week of Arc fillers approaches with Zoro and Brooke’s parts, each interesting in their own ways. Well, I’m hopeful for next week anyway, it seems a nice break from all of this nonsence we’ve had to endure here lately with the fillers. Yes, Robin’s is good and Franky’s might become useful here, but seriously, the rest aren’t very serious, are they?
It looks like Brooke is going to wander around a bit, and interact with the people some. I am really looking forward to this, I don’t quite know what to expect past the long armed people but still it looks very interesting. Rather serious as well.
Zoro’s interests me greatly. Perona is there; not quite sure what is going to happen, but you never know, huh? I am worried though, from the preview here it looks like there is someone else there. Ha, maybe it is a deranged lone woodcutter dude. Hm…I wonder if Zoro will assume that the crew got lost instead of himself again? Ha, that is great, I hope so.
Yes, I am greatly looking forward to next week’s adventure, in all respects. Luffy, Zoro, Brooke, good animation, and the last of this Arc as well. Tensions run high as the Whitebeard War approaches, let’s see it in action!
Next Episode: The Friends’ Whereabouts! The Giant Gravestone and Panties of Gratitude!
Come back next week! You know, if you can still stand all of this commentary we do, ha.
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