Straw Hat Episode 276+277
Added 2024-03-29 16:51:05 +0000 UTCahhhh!
Comments
I mean we talking about an anime right now, but genocide really isnt the answer, to kill thousands for the knowledge of a couple dozen makes you in fact the bad guy.
Mika Buchholzer
2024-07-15 06:21:56 +0000 UTCI understand completely the narrative being ascribed to the scene. And I even completely agree with the message. My problem is with the execution. Because Oda values emotional punch over consistency-of-characterization, things go about ten times farther than the Shanks scene for... what reason, exactly? Establishing our reason to hate Bellamy? Him beating up Cricket and stealing the gold was plenty enough for that. Was it necessary to establish that Bellamy and his crew are dreamless losers? Well, no. He could convey that about as well by having them grow *bored* of Luffy and Zoro after just roughing them up and tossing them out, as that would have done plenty to placate their stupid egos. Instead, you have them ALSO relentlessly MOCKING THE DREAMS OF OTHERS, on top of insulting his friends-- hitting Luffy and Zoro, sure, that's whatever, but the other two are basically berserk buttons for Luffy, at any other time. Playing up the prolonged beating for drama is the choice that packs more emotional punch, sure. But it also completely overshadows the original intention of Shanks' scene for the sake of "punching things up." A little bit of subtlety, there, and having the bar scene feel just as empty and inconsequential as the people who provoked such? Would have lent that much more to Blackbeard's retort. Oda is so good at delivering emotional haymakers that he sometimes neglects to consider the value of a lighter jab that can string into a solid one-two, that is to say. It's part of why his follow-up game with the resolution phase of certain (and especially later) arcs can feel shallow or rushed-- because he understands his *strengths* as a writer exceptionally well, but then he's so far above in a league of his own that he's never really *needed* to work on his weaknesses nearly as much. Regardless, my point was just "it was a 12/10 author writing an 8/10 moment," to be clear. In most other anime, it'd have absolutely been peak. But One Piece itself just has such a staggeringly high baseline that, when comparing One Piece to *One Piece,* some moments will stand out as feeling weaker, or unnecessary, or overwrought. It's like poking fun at Gordon Ramsey's attempt at making grilled cheese. I sure as heck can't make any of the things he cooks, otherwise, so it feels *weird* to have *any* situation where it feels like the writing *could* be improved, by any amount. That elsewise excellence makes those weaker moments stand out. That is to say... if it was written *perfectly*, it wouldn't be *possible* to misinterpret, or to have the wrong take-away from. Writing is, fundamentally, communication. "Perfect" is an unreasonable standard, absolutely. Which was my only point: that even someone as absurdly good at writing as Oda is still *human*. So certain parts of his storytelling have worse conveyance than others. The bar scene, having perplexed more than a few people by feeling "inconsistent," ultimately does a worse job of communicating its message than it probably could have. But I very much appreciate your attempt to clarify things. It's just that my problem was never one of misunderstanding the *reasoning*, and more just that I don't feel like that rationale was communicated as well as it could have been. Mostly because of the overdone bar bludgeoning muddying the waters. Which, even than, is a relatively *small* problem that was just magnified by the anime's poor pacing. But anyways.
Lyn
2024-05-27 16:54:32 +0000 UTCyou seem to have misunderstood Luffy's reasoning behind why he didn't retaliate against Bellamy at Jaya. the entire symbolism behind mocktown was the idea of "Dreams" and the strength of one's convictions, hence why BB said Luffy actually won that confrontation whilst not throwing a single punch. Luffy found Bellamy to not be worth raising a hand against bc he was a pirate with no dreams, no true beliefs, in other words, not someone he needed to even worry about as competition, even though they're both pirates. and while yes it does harken back to the bar fight Shanks had, the point being driven home to luffy was to choose his fights. He didn't need to worry about Zoro bc he can easily withstand the hits, if there was any true danger to their lives they would fight back, but they were just being humiliated for someone else's entertainment
Santi
2024-05-27 14:59:17 +0000 UTCWhy does it feel like every episode lately, I'm saying into the screen, "don't worry, it gets worse"?
Gurth-Quake
2024-03-31 05:05:45 +0000 UTCMy assumption is that she assumed Robin would be let go as just another civilian, whereas she was a known criminal/scholar.
CeCactus13
2024-03-30 23:55:43 +0000 UTC16:30 I mean... technically no one in O'hara know what a Buster call is at this point. they didn't know the whole island was at stake, they thought only the books and scholars and MAYBE people who seem connected were in danger...
Silver Blade
2024-03-30 14:51:50 +0000 UTCOda really be "gotta tip toe around killing characters in the active story" and at the same time "in flashbacks, you know what would be the most fucked up thing ever?"
Silver Blade
2024-03-30 14:38:10 +0000 UTCOda might not like killing characters, but he *loves* killing the audience's souls.
Liesmith
2024-03-30 10:46:19 +0000 UTCThank you for going through this heart-breaking *mess* with us Alicia.
DaniDeFig
2024-03-30 09:56:10 +0000 UTCThough one thing that I started to wonder while watching was; why was it "necessary" for Olvia to stay back with the other scholars, couldn't she (try to) escape with Robin instead??
V_VMat
2024-03-30 02:41:29 +0000 UTCalicia, olvia didnt just leave robin because of the history she wanted to uncover, it also had to do with her husband's wishes. Also, its never said in the manga or anime but in the manga's SBS Corner its said that the agent with red-tinted glasses next to Spandine is Kalifa's father, making her a family business agent.
Draconic
2024-03-30 02:38:55 +0000 UTCTree of Knowledge is definitely based on the Library of Alexandria, considering they both burned down! Also, depression. These flashbacks are BRUTAL.
V_VMat
2024-03-30 02:33:53 +0000 UTCNetflix i think maintains it as Void, or something else
Yagi di Hoshi
2024-03-30 00:50:56 +0000 UTCLOL, you probably didn't see her HxH reaction if you think she underestimates Yasopp's terrible parenting. Maybe overestimated Olvia's a smidge in this case
Yagi di Hoshi
2024-03-30 00:50:06 +0000 UTCAlicia, I am soo happy that you just called the writing of this one out here. OP literally changed my life, permanently. but it there's quite a few moments that have come up over time where i'm going "huh?" just more & more
Yagi di Hoshi
2024-03-30 00:46:59 +0000 UTC& also the "my goal is to draw this happening" also makes more sense when the pace matches that of the manga too, lmao
Yagi di Hoshi
2024-03-30 00:35:50 +0000 UTCI just get super annoyed by people acting like you have to like EVERYTHING about something, or else you somehow hate the whole of it. I can't think of many things that have made me cry more than One Piece, but I'm *allowed* to think it has some bits and pieces of weak writing! And when those people start harassing super cool people who make really fun reactions and stuff, to the point that they then start to *EXPECT* such? Fuck that! Let people have their own perspectives, and give them a chance to come to their own conclusions-- you don't need to interfere unless they genuinely start asking questions or missing out on things, and even *that* can be rude AF if you start doing headass shiz like spoiling stuff that'll get explained a few episodes later! I want people to enjoy this stuff as much as they can, and blind fanaticism just gets in the way of that WAY too much. Some of these people just need to grow up and calm down. The fact that something's flawed is WHY it's so impressive to hold such appeal in spite of that! There's NUANCE! Isn't that the whole point!? Why watch something if you're too far up your own ass to actually INSPECT it! Anyways! Glad to hear it's not just me. Pretty much just want to try and drown out any potential haters, and/or draw their aggro myself, as Alicia's just a good bean who don't need that nonsense!
Lyn
2024-03-30 00:22:19 +0000 UTCthank you so much for making this comment. feels like something i always wanted to express, as much as one piece is basically -the thing- to ultimately impact my life in a major way back then in 2010, & me maintaining its trajectory to this very day. Like, even so, i wish he would go back to drawing women a bit more realistically like he'll always do with certain men characters (like, i dunno, find an in-between with like less-conventionally attractive characters), for instance. it didn't bother me until the anime switched up on character designers
Yagi di Hoshi
2024-03-30 00:12:08 +0000 UTCYOW! that hurt the feels watching the second time lmao oh the feels hittin
james blaire
2024-03-30 00:02:12 +0000 UTCJust a rambling preemptive strike against people who'd thoughtlessly whine about Alicia being a bit too real, as they're too busy brown-nosing Oda to consider that, *gasp*, there ARE weak points to his writing! Every work of art, now matter how *relatively* great, will have some objective shortcomings as a result of its creator's limits and biases. People just take this shit way too seriously, like being *slightly annoyed* at a few bits of subpar writing is a direct attack on themselves, as they're too empty inside to have any identity beyond that of their interests. Buuuuut yeah. I'm a hella wordy bish, lol. I just like to say such stuff for my own sake-- 's not really about whether anyone reads it. ^^
Lyn
2024-03-29 23:56:36 +0000 UTCRespect for how long this is but I'm not reading all this
Klaytor
2024-03-29 23:44:59 +0000 UTCOda is definitely the type of writer who is more concerned with coming up with things he wants to happen than he is making sure that those events are always driven by consistent and reasonable character behavior. Don't get me wrong, he's peerless at character-driven worldbuilding, but there are definitely some shortcomings in his particular style of writing. Very few people will generally comment on that, however, because, even at his worst, Oda is still eclipsing the best-case writing of many other shonen series that'd aired at a similar time, like the trite contrivance of Bleach's "Ichigo is just all of the things," or the inane approach to character motivations in Naruto. Oda's writing is more concerned with "what happens" than "why," and it really shows in how the "why" sometimes feels like it was slapped together after having decided on the "what." In the case of backstories, it's usually "what would be the saddest possible thing," and then, from there, it doesn't really matter how much the idiot ball or insane coincidence might be invoked to get from A to B. Sure, there's often a pretty solid explanation for *most* things, as it's not like he *isn't* a skilled writer. But he simply doesn't care nearly as much about connecting the dots as he does plotting them out. Oda is fantastic at surrounding characters with meaningful *events*. But that shouldn't be mistaken for having the best character *writing*. He *characterizes* them well, with plenty of distinctive habits, traits, behavior, and even dynamics (an oft-neglected part of character-building), but... things mostly just -happen-, with character motives used to hastily justify them after the fact, rather than considering how reasonable a decision might actually be. The result is a story that has a MASSIVE amount of emotional *punch*, to be sure. And it's wild how many interconnected points there are within the wider world of One Piece, and its grand map of events. But... character writing will all-too-often get reduced to "this'd be cool/fun/sad, so this is what they'll do," rather than always considering how they'd think and feel more directly. It's not that this is *always* a problem, mind. Just that, over the course of something as long as One Piece, you start to pick up on it. Anyways! Glad to see someone else noticed one of the only things that really bugs me much about Oda's writing (other than the sometimes-blatant sexism stuff that's unfortunately basically endemic to shonen anime, in particular-- not that I mind fanservice, to be fair, but it can be pretty dang *uncomfortable* when used thoughtlessly). I love the world of One Piece, it's stories and themes, and almost all of its characters... but I hate that they will sometimes create this weird sense of dissonance "for the sake of a scene." Easiest example: in Jaya, Luffy doesn't fight Bellamy just to replicate the scene with Shanks at the bar. Which would be reasonable if, like with Shanks' case, it was just some insults and spilt drinks, or the like. Or even violence that wouldn't affect Luffy, as a rubberman. But things instead go so over-the-top as to be far beyond that context, with a *friend* of Luffy's being similarly beaten up (Zoro), and another being mocked and insulted (Nami). Both things Luffy'd kick someone's teeth in, on any other day, because his whole thing is that nakama are hella important to him. Buuuuut Oda decided that that scene needed to happen *now*, and then handwaved the differences and inconsistencies just to be able to look back and be like "see! It's like the thing!" It's a great moment, to be sure, but it suddenly starts to feel weird and inconsistent if you ever ask "but why, though." And I'm not saying that it's -out of character-, to be clear. Just that it doesn't quiiiite feel "finished." But anyways. Oh, and I also wanted to mention that cultural perspectives on childcare can be pretty horrifying, to an outside perspective. Certain forms of abuse and neglect are so normalized as to not even register as problematic, and being irresponsible or neglectful is often justified or excused in some way or another... despite that, on the flipside, a woman who isn't available 24/7 would be seen as unfit to be a mother, so things like babysitters don't generally exist. And then there's the fact that "respect for one's parents," as a cultural value, tends to eclipse any notion of the importance of a kid's emotional happiness or mental health... or rather, Japan, as a whole, basically tries to act like mental health and abuse doesn't exist, in general. It's all a very toxic and suppressive form of collectivist "no matter what, do not stand out." Which is a shame, because there *are* positive sides to many Japanese parents that then get buried beneath those problems, like how they're much less likely to try and solve problems or correct behavior by shouting at children. Unfortunately, this is also where some of my own bias shows, as an outsider just doesn't hear nearly as much as the positives as the negatives. Either way, my point is just that "from what I've observed, parents seem to be very all-or-nothing in mindset, of either they give up EVERYTHING for their kids, or give up on being a parent entirely to pursue their career, or whatever, as if that's somehow a noble pursuit." As that more or less mirrors the stereotypical Japanese family structure of "a dad who works double shifts to support a stay-at-home mom who cooks and cleans, manages finances, and raises the children." ...I originally had a brief sentiment to share, that basically just boiled down to "don't worry, Alicia! Full agree on this shiz-- speak your truth, girl!" But then I got to a-ramblin'. Ah well. Point is just that it's NOT just you, Alicia! Plenty of little things like that bug me, as well, about Oda's writing, despite how much I otherwise love One Piece. Totally valid! Don't let the cringe hate from media subliterate fanboys get'cha down! The fact that you don't just blindly cheer when the writing is weaker makes things SO much more interesting to watch! Like how you speak only TRUTH about how Skypeia draaaaaaaaaagged. But anyways! Back to watching more-- I've been paused at 19:43 for like an hour, now, lol. Too hyped about us finally getting to Robin's backstory. Aaaand also trying to stall, because THE FEELS. UUURRRRGGGHHH... But anyway! Onwards!
Lyn
2024-03-29 21:48:37 +0000 UTCI think later on it is called the void century like after [Spoilers]
Delton
2024-03-29 21:38:17 +0000 UTCI agree, i think they didnt realize how hard the gov would go on this, there wasnt any known precident of this happening before to my and their knowledge atleast. I also think killing everyone is also the pragmatic choice aswell, we can talk about morality but lets give the WG benefit of the doubt and say the information they're locking away is terrible and could ultimately bring harm to the world; in that case the choice is obvious while terrible.
lionstooth
2024-03-29 21:30:00 +0000 UTCkinda weird how the subs say blank instead of void century
Fenronin (Dorian Dubourg)
2024-03-29 19:15:06 +0000 UTCSometimes I feel like Alicia isn't getting that [REDACTED] is actually really bad. Buuuuuuuuuut, in her defense she hasn't read over 1,100 chapters of OP as I have. So I hope everyone tries to take it easy and remembers that there is a lot of information that we are privy to but she isn't. NOTE: Chose to use [REDACTED] to avoid the possibility of spoiling Alicia. I hope that is sufficient. I'm not even sure it is considered a spoiler but I'm gonna be safe anyways.
Ham
2024-03-29 19:04:10 +0000 UTCOlivia isn't as bad as Yassop(Ussops dad), she left Robin in the care of her aunt. Yassop left his son and sick wife with just the doctor to take care of them. Both are deadbeats I just feel like you're underestimating how bad Yassop was.
mustofolys
2024-03-29 18:47:28 +0000 UTC-Gets sad- One Piece: But wait, theeeeeeeeres more! -Stays sad-
Okoga
2024-03-29 18:29:24 +0000 UTCI can´t help but think of Bellemere when I see Olvia first try to lie about Robin being her daughter. Two very different, but also alike situations.
Ebofa
2024-03-29 18:04:47 +0000 UTCI was hoping it would make sarcasm obvious
Lightinger
2024-03-29 18:01:11 +0000 UTCU might be right but at the same time we see frankly and he’s family look at the blue print so honestly it’s gotta be an actual weapon based of there expression
Coolfun1234e
2024-03-29 18:00:00 +0000 UTCOh you didn't just do that... You didn't just do a Shake My Head My Head...
Kaz
2024-03-29 17:43:49 +0000 UTCAlicia has no faith in Oda smh my head.
Lightinger
2024-03-29 17:29:22 +0000 UTCI dunno man. While it's true that they might have had faith in the government. They should have realized that there would be repercussions to their actions what they did was still illegal at the end of the day. Feel so bad for Robin that she's had that trauma with her all of her life with her mother going away and then the island getting bombed and everything. She experienced all of that as a kid.
BewearKing64
2024-03-29 17:08:19 +0000 UTCBlessed Easter long weekend
British Ninja
2024-03-29 17:07:13 +0000 UTCYyyyyyyaaaaay depression!
BewearKing64
2024-03-29 16:58:27 +0000 UTCLet's goooooo
Accel
2024-03-29 16:55:35 +0000 UTC
