One Piece - General Discussion

[Lantern7]

I don't find bugs to be cute. And I don't think they're ears would be cute, either.

 

Sandman87 . . . I think most secondary characters on the show have distinctive laughs. It isn't confined to just giants.

[Sandman87]

It's like in anime; little things are cute. You know, chibi. Like a bug's ear. It's an expression that originated in the South-Eastern US during the 1800s.

[lathspel]

I thought my daughter had a huge head, but I think lil' Robin wins that fight.

She probably just took a devil fruit to the face from those kids and that's how it happened (yeah, I know they are really rare...).

I love that the chief librarian has a clover for his hair (upside down though).

[Lantern7]

Robin remembers her mother's return, and the brutal government crackdown of a peaceful island.

 

ETA: Interesting to see that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, at least as far as Spandam's father is concerned. What a jerk. And Robin wound up looking like her mother. . . .except for the hair. I do miss the usage of Flower-Flower Fruit power, though.

[Sandman87]

I hope they're going to wrap up the tragic back story and get back to the rescue soon.

[Lantern7]

I think there's one more episode of backstory before we go back to Enies Lobby. Bad news . . . judging by the episode titles, we'll be getting crew flashbacks/motivations. It'll probably be worth the wait, but I'll understand if it's a drag for many.

[Lantern7]

Professor Clover reveals a theory about the World Government.

The thread should open on 1:30 a.m. on Saturday night/Sunday morning.

 

ETA: Well, that was depressing. Forgot that Saul was a Vice-Admiral. And I'd like to think that Prof. Clover would've made a great Pokémon researcher in another life. In other news, I think the flashbacks conclude next week.

[Sandman87]

So the government is worried about the Pone Glyphs revealing actual history. As if it were hard to figure out that they're bad guys without them. One wonders if they really are worried at all about some Awful Doomsday Weapon, of if that's just a convenient excuse for suppressing history.

[lathspel]

Perhaps the poneglyphs explain how to defeat the World Government's weapons? Although if the ancients knew that, I suppose they'd still be around.

I have to say that I got something in my eye during that episode, I teared up a bit.

[Lantern7]

"I WANT TO LIVE!!!!!" And with that, it's officially on. Seriously, Nico Robin's backstory is perhaps the most painful of anybody from One Piece, but the reaction of the Straw Hats is beautiful. "Take our crew member? We'll set fire to your flag and declare war on the world government without even flinching." And Usopp got to introduce his fancy Kabuto to boot.

 

I don't know if there's anything to complain about. Maybe there should've been a flashback on how Crocodile nearly killed Robin, and that  Luffy saving her (and King Cobra) convinced her to join the crew to pay the debt.

[Sandman87]

Since the Library was in a giant tree, does that make it a branch library? And now that the staff dumped all the books in the lake, does that mean they're watermarked? Ahh, so many other potential puns here; leaf them alone...in a bind...checking it out...cooking the books...

 

I still want to know where Sniper King got his Staff-of-Ra slingshot from all of a sudden.

[PrincessEnnui]

I don't know if there's anything to complain about. Maybe there should've been a flashback on how Crocodile nearly killed Robin, and that  Luffy saving her (and King Cobra) convinced her to join the crew to pay the debt.

 

I don't really watch (or read the manga), but I kept expecting Luffy to comeback with a "You told me to take responsibility,,," or something like that. Then again, I also wanted Kamina to enter and yell "Grit those teeth!" to Robin. Yes, the punch too.

[Lantern7]

"Believe in the Luffy that believes in you"? I can see that.

[lathspel]

I probably would know this if I saw the other earlier episodes, but looks like Aokiji went by Kuzon in the past?

Great episode - I love when this show gets noble, it's really great.

Robin must've used her smarts to elude capture for so long.

[Lantern7]

lathspel . . . yeah, I think "Aokiji" is an official name. I think it's a vice-admiral thing.

[Lantern7]

Yikes . . . HD-unfriendly bars! Flashbacks from 1999! Sadly, we're getting at least three more weeks of filler, so we'll have to get used to it. Also, Luffy's backstory isn't anywhere close to being revealed. On the other hand . . . damn, Shanks is a badass. How the hell does he not bleed out after the sea king ate his arm?

 

Oh, snap . . . Straw Hat Theatre! Did not expect Funimation to dub that. It's silly filler . . . but at least it's not bland.

[PrincessEnnui]

Ah, so it was filler. I still remember the first episode from the 4Kids dub. Good times. Shanks was chastising Luffy for drinking apple juice, when everyone at the bar was drinking...apple juice. XD Seriously though, needless flashback.

[Lantern7]

I wouldn't call it "needless," especially since Toonami decided to pick up the series from the 200s. Also, the dub is from Funimation, which means no shenanigans. It means no Sanji with a Brooklyn axe-ent, which is a bit of a shame, but something I can live without.

[PrincessEnnui]

Lets be fair to the viewers though, there was nothing about this episode that couldn't have been found on an episode from a few months ago IIRC. I know the show needs to have breaks for various reasons. Its just kind of insulting to basically show one of the first episodes, when a mix of Luffy and Shanks history and Robin joining the crew would have been better.

 

I know the current dub is by Funimation now. I was just taking a cheap shot at the defunct 4Kids dub. ;)

[Sandman87]

Wasn't the 4kids dub the one that had Sanji smoking lollypops? I really should track down some of the episodes they did to see just how bad it was.

 

I love the way Luffy gets his powers; just grabbing whatever random food was laying around because he was pissed off by the teasing. I also liked the fact that he didn't immediately know how to use his new powers, unlike every other anime kid who suddenly gains powers.

 

Do all the bandits in this word look down on the pirates, like the way clowns all hate mimes?

[PrincessEnnui]

Yep, that's the dub. Its also infamous was for skipping a filler arc that wound up being brought back up like 400 episodes later. I was a part of the whole uncensored fad that cropped up in the early 2000s, that had several websites dedicated to comparing the official english dubs to original material. A few people on Shaman King uncensored thought Toei was trying to screw with 4Kids with that move. There was also a fan theory that the arc in question was skipped specifically to get to Chopper, who got off light in comparison to Nami and Sanji.

Edited November 17, 2014 by PrincessEnnui

[Lantern7]

Sandman87. . . it was pretty bad. Sanji had the thick Brooklyn accent (see also: "Wheeler, Joey") and he was sucking lollipops. Smoker's cigars were edited out as well. And Luffy wasn't bloodied when he was fighting Crocodile for the third time . . . apparently, he was "sweating" really hard, and that was the difference in fighting the guy with the sand-sand power.

 

Didn't Kalifa and Kaku get told that they'd know what their Devil Fruit powers would be after eating it? I guess Shanks found out about the Gum-Gum Fruit before Luffy could.

[lathspel]

The flashback was cool, although the original art style and those bars are hard to take.

Who leaves a Devil Fruit just laying around? Aren't they super rare?

[Lantern7]

More HD-unfriendly bars. I'm hoping they'll be gone by the time we get to Sanji and Chopper's respective flashbacks.

 

Damn, Axe-Hand Morgan is/was scary. He had a friggin' axe for a hand! And I don't think he was ever heard from again, unless somebody wants to correct me. No real insight into Zoro's rival or her death, though.

 

Ah, the Syrup Village arc. Captain Kuro was a major league asshole, and so was Jango. I remember spoofing the arc, making Kuro's crew LOLCats. Good times. Apparently, they left out Usopp's dead (long-nosed) mother and the reason why he lies so much (pirates coming to the village would mean his father's return). I think his backstory is the weakest of the crew, in terms of sheer tragedy (Nami, Chopper, Robin).

 

Another "Straw Hat Theatre," about the eating habits of the crew before Sanji joined up. Very cute.

[Sandman87]

I don't know why but that little extra bit of handle sticking out of Axe-Hand's arm freaks me out a little. And speaking of him, I bet all the other kids in school used to call him "Ass-Hand".

 

I suppose we'll be seeing Chopper's and Nami's stories next week.

[Lantern7]

If Wikipedia is to be believed, we'll be having Nami's story next, followed by Sanji and Chopper.

 

ETA: Here's the Funimation dubbed version of the first opening credits. I think "We Are" is so beloved, it's been used twice more in the credits.

[lathspel]

Interesting that the opening credits don't show Chopper - were they from before he joined up?

I'm really liking the Straw Hat Theatre.

So if Toonami had run the series from the beginning, would these back tory episodes still be here? I always assumed most of the backstory was aired in the past but we skipped it.

[Lantern7]

The original credits had the first five members: Luffy, Zoro, Nami, Usopp and Sanji. Chopper didn't show up until the crew hit the Grand Line with Princess Vivi in the Drum Island arc.

 

We're getting the abridged version of the show through the flashbacks.

[Sandman87]

So if Toonami had run the series from the beginning, would these back tory episodes still be here?

Dunno. I suspect they'd run them, but then again when [AS] ran Wolf's Rain they skipped the four recap episodes.

[Lantern7]

The early days of the Straw Hats are revealed.

Bad news . . . next week's schedule has Summer Wars airing at 1 a.m. If [adult swim]/Toonami is following last year's pattern, then it looks like we won't be getting any "new" episodes until January.

 

ETA: Rule of thumb . . . if Luffy gives you his hat for safe-keeping, that means he's gonna fuck somebody up just for you. As good as the flashback was, I don't think it gave a sense on how the Arlong Pirates owned Nami. Or how big a dick Arlong was. Or how dangerous he was. For instance, he commented on how he could regrow his teeth sharper than before, then he pulls 'em out of his jaw. TWICE. Still, I think Nami's backstory was conveyed well enough to show how it was the most depressing of the Straw Hats . . . at least until Robin came along. Who cares about Zoro's bounty hunter friends or the reference to how Nami "killed" Usopp?

 

Oh, and since when does CN/[as]/Toonami care about eyecatches? Or providing subtitles for kanji? I guess "Obahan Time" needed more explanation than usual for a "Straw Hat Theatre" bit. Frightening to see the crew as middle-aged women. Or maybe it was "Namizaki" having more control over their lives than we usually see.

[Lantern7]

How Sanji joined the crew; Chopper's backstory.

 

If I'm right, we have this episode and the next before we get back to the main story, so hang in there.

 

ETA: A lot got skipped over, but it's good to have Sanji and Chopper's stories retold. Now . . . "Italian Stereotype Theater"? Not so much. And damn, people must smoke a lot in Japan.

[Sandman87]

Wait, there's another one? They've done the whole crew now. Who's left? The ship? Are we gonna get an episode devoted to the backstory of an inanimate object?

I'm really curious about the big rabbit-ish creatures that appeared briefly in one shot during Chopper's story. Looked like they were the size of bears.

[Lantern7]

I think we'll be getting Robin's story . . . even though we've already seen the bulk of it. I'm basing this off of Wikipedia and episodes that have "Straw Hat Theater" accompnaying them. And yeah, those were giant rabbits.

[Lantern7]

Most of the time, the filler is killer. Tonight? Not so much. It's nice that Robin got a recap, but those that saw the Water7/Ennies Lobby arc already know her story. What about her time with Sir Crocodile and Baroque Works? A flashback to Skypeia (sic?) would've been nice as well. At least "Monster Time" was fun . .. and we'll be having more fun next week, when the story lurches forward again.

[Sandman87]

This show has used up its quota of flashbacks, and then some. One flashback episode is fine, four in a row is obnoxious.

[Lantern7]

I think the space between the manga and anime was too close, so we "needed" the filler in order to get some breathing room. And yes, I'm sure the next episode won't be filler.

[lathspel]

I don't mind the filler that much, since I didn't know a lot of the back story, but if I see that shot where Luffy jumps them all off the tower again, I'll scream. It's ok to just barely move the current timeline forward, but quit looping the same two minutes of it!

(Next Saturday: sound of screaming.)

[Lantern7]

From Time-Warner's listing:

 

Franky stands up to Spandam; the Straw Hats make a leap of faith

 

And no, this is not filler. We will officially be back to the main storyline after five episodes of killing time.

 

ETA: Here are the full opening credits. I don't think the Baskerville Judges were revealed to be three guys in the manga. Nice that CP9 can let Franky monologue without snatching the plans . . . which probably come from a place not meant to hold blueprints. If you're tired of the falling, I reckon the real battling starts next week.

[Sandman87]

They give us more flashbacks of what already happened, but they retconned some stuff that they didn't show us before. Reminds me of how old movie serials used to pull the same crap with their cliffhangers.

Nice that CP9 can let Franky monologue without snatching the plans .

I wouldn't put it past Franky to have made an extra copy for just such an eventuality. Or he might have memorized them.

[lathspel]

Exactly - if I were CP9, I'd be looking for leverage over Franky to get him to recreate the plans. I was surprised that somebody fast, like Kalifa, didn't try to grab them. Of course, Kaku had a chance to see about half....

I didn't mind the retcon as long as we're finally moving forward. Just don't milk the "Robin wants to live!" any more - with the constant repetition, we're moving well past pathos into near comedic waters.

Edited January 19, 2015 by lathspel

[Lantern7]

Quick heads-up: Attack on Titan is off the schedule, so everything got moved up by 30 minutes. The episode should air at 1 a.m.

 

ETA: Yes, Funkfreed is a sword that was given an elephant Devil Fruit. Because One Piece, that's why. Same thing happened in the Alabasta arc with Mr. 4 and his dog/gun. Anyway, the episode starts pairing off CP9 with the Straw Hats, and Luffy goes gunning for Rob "Pigeon Guy" Lucci. The bit with Chimney and Gonbe getting close to Lucci and Spandam isn't in the manga, so it's new to me. Ditto Luffy's fruitless search, where he comes closer to becoming Zoro than ever before. Next week, we'll see at least two new Devil Fruit transformations

[Sandman87]

It it looks like it'll be Nami and her staff against Popeye the Kabuki Man and his staff, Sanji and his kicking against Kalifa and her kicking, Zorro and his swords against Kaku and his swords, and Luffy against a guy who can't stretch at all. (Singing) One of these things is not like the others. Unless Funkfreed-sword can stretch its trunk. Speaking of which, Funkfreed should have been a gun, not a sword. Then he'd be an elephant-gun.

 

During all the rah-rah stuff before everyone ran off, someone said of Robin "She's not the type to give up so easily." Really? Are we talking about the same Robin who gave up just because someone in a mask walked up to her and said "CP9"?

[Lantern7]

From Time-Warner:
 

Usopp and Zoro fight animal assassins; Sanji teaches a CP9 member about tea.

 
ETA: So . . . Giraffe-based Devil Fruit . . . bad power or worst power? It's definitely one of the weirdest, even when you factor in Devil Fruit in future stories. YouTube spoiled me with the Kaku/Jabra interaction, and TVTropes spoiled me about the chirping chicken (and Usopp's overreaction), but I still laughed. And Jabra's Wolf form is badass . . . until you factor in Lucci's Leopard-Man powers. I want to get a sketch of him like I did with Kaku.

 

ETA2: Get this . . . Toonami is juggling their lineup to make room for Kill La Kill. One Piece is slated for 2:30 a.m. next week. Just thought y'all should know.

[lathspel]

So why does Jabra's hair grow when he changes forms? I guess it's the same way that Kaku's clothes stretch.

It's interesting that Devil Fruit animal powers can go "too far" - wonder if we're going to see more of those.

[Lantern7]

They're Zoan-based powers, meaning that they can shift from human to animal, to hybrid. Chopper is a good example, being a reindeer that ate the Human-Human Fruit.

[Sandman87]

Boy Kaku really lost the Devil Fruit lottery. His sword fight with Zorro was good though.

[Lantern7]

I don't think there's such a thing as a bad Devil Fruit. It's all about how you use it That said . . . Kaku's got a weird Devil Fruit. Up to this episode, is that the oddest power to have? I think the only thing that compares would be Gan Fall riding a bird (Pierre) that ate the Horse-Horse Fruit, making a really weird-looking Pegasus.

[Lantern7]

From Time Warner:

 

Luffy runs into trouble trying to sail his way to Robin; Usopp and Zoro end up handcuffed together; Sanji's inability to kick a woman may lead to serious injury.

 Crappy episode summary, but there you go.

 

ETA: Man, a lot got expanded upon from the manga. I didn't know Kumadori had hair mojo, though I'm assuming that isn't a Devil Fruit power. Also, I gotta give credit to the animators for the effect shown when Kalifa kicked Sanji in the balls. That was funny. Oh, and we'll see what she did to him soon to make him look like that.

[lathspel]

Blonde kid and bunny are going to be our lucky mascots, I can see.

I enjoyed Nami's "what, this key?" deal after escaping from hair-tentacle dude. This was our episode for veiled sexual metaphors, it seems.

[Lantern7]

I don't know where Chimney (the kid) and Gonbe (the bunny) are going. Their role in the manga wasn't as big as it was in the anime.