That moment. The moment when you know that an anime is more than just good. The moment when you realized that anime you was something worth sticking with until the very last episode. That moment when you knew you were watching something epic. When does that moment happens depends on the individual. Sometimes it’s early on in a series. Other times it can be when you least expect it.
One Piece is a long series infamous for having a slow start. Sometimes this can turn away new viewers. Still, there was one moment in the series that made each us fall in love with One Piece. One moment that turned us into long time devoted fans. The one scene that will forever be in our minds as the moment we realized One Piece was going to be great.
My "That Moment" for One Piece? It has to be when Luffy finally defeated Crocodile. I know that’s late compared to most One Piece fans, but there was a reason it took me this long.
Until the latter half of Alabasta, I had been watching One Piece via the 4Kids dub. Due to their choices in handling the dub, some scenes were downplayed a bit. It was during Mid-Alabasta that rumors spread concerning 4Kids losing the rights to the series. It was then that I decided to watch One Piece via fansubs. I watched the Straw Hats’ battles against the Baroque Work officers and the buildup to the final battle between Luffy and Crocodile. I was in awe as Luffy kicked Crocodile into the air, and watched as the two pitted their final attacks against one another. Then it happened. My ears perked up as I heard the change in music and I was amazed as Luffy's Gum Gum Storm rained blow after blow on to the cunning villain.
Crocodile was unlike any other villain in the series to that point. He was always one step ahead of the "good guys" but there he was, defeated by Luffy. I was awestruck thanks to the visual and audio cues. That left a deep impression on me as a young One Piece fan and I knew that this series was going to be awesome. Even now, years after my first viewing of Episode 126, I find myself re-watching the episode with the same excitement that I had the first time around. My body tenses up as I hear New World Symphony – 4th Movement starting up in the background as Luffy yells out his final attack. I recite the attacks and sing along to the music. It is an amazing moment altogether that will forever be in my top picks for One Piece.
As mentioned before, this moment is different for every fan. Some may find a scene from the Drum Island arc to be that moment. Others may find something in East Blue that is engraved into their minds as "That Moment".
So the question is...
Question: What is 'That Moment' in One Piece that turned you into a devoted fan?
Well you pretty much already gave it away in your first image, but for me (and certainly my otaku friend who got me into the show in the first place.) It was Episode 37: Luffy Rises. The Result of a Broken Promise.
ReplyDeleteI can say that I am lucky to have never been tainted by the 4Kids dub. And I'm one of the few people who actually found the first handful of episodes to be rather fun. By episode 37, I personally felt the show did a great job of giving all five of our main characters depth, and each had a tragic back story that bread them to who they became. Nami is nowhere near my favorite of the five, but I have to admit she had probably the worst past of them all.
What really makes this episode so solid with me is that it brings up Luffy's greatest quality: And that is his unyielding devotion to his friends. And the way he showed that this episode with hardly saying anything at all I thought was brilliant. And then when the four of them march to Arlong Park in strait line, and I was sold. (which according to the Nostalgia Critic, "walking in a strait line" is one of the top eleven most badass cliches in the world. It just looks awesome any time you see it.)
From this point on, Luffy does continue to bring out that quality in him to always be there for his friends, but it never feels as powerful and up to that magnitude of episode 37 until the Enies Lobby Arc 200+ episodes later when he tells Sogeking to burn down the World Government Flag, just to prove a point to Robin that he doesn't give a damn who her opponents are.
If I keep talking about various Moments in One Piece now, I'm not going to be able to stop. So here's a neat little video that pretty much sums them all up in the most epic way imaginable. Enjoy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vslBlZFpyRA
My absolute favorite moment has to be when Luffy punches the Tenryuubiito in the face and the screen turns black and white :) Loooooooove that episode.
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