Categories
Manga One Piece

Throw The Baby Out With The Bathwater [One Piece 1153]

All bad men need is a good partner to “fix” them.

Classic Oda. Who needs personal character growth when a fat ass lady is all a guy needs to be set on the righteous path? And what a path it is. King Harald did a complete 180. He’s now kind, empathic, and went to college to get his degree in diplomacy. Thanks Ida!

Can someone explain why Ida just gave up marrying Harald? Seemed a bit too sudden to me. I guess she had to “sacrifice” herself for the good of her lover and Elbaph. For a character who had an interesting introduction, Ida went full basic by the middle of the chapter. I’m not blaming Ida, mind you. I’m blaming Oda. The ole “tough” woman but is actually sweet is Oda’s bread and butter. Throw in a woman being in ♥love♥ and you get the complete average One Piece female character.

Even Shou Tucker’s disgusted by Estrid’s actions. What a waste of a perfectly good test subject.

Estrid was a bit more interesting. Where did all her prophecy talk come from? Is it all just B.S.? Did no one ever call her out on it? It’s clear she’s using that feng shui talk as an excuse to go full gold digger on Harald. Hope it’s revealed one way or another the prophecy is garbage.

Categories
Manga One Piece

Hope You Like Flashbacks [One Piece 1152]

Because you’re getting a flashback within a flashback. A three-minute explanation? Yeah, right.

You know… Thanks to One Piece Live Action, I miss the simpler arcs of One Piece. Where arcs didn’t have the main duty of expositing world and character lore while constantly setting up the final war arc of the series.

Weird, right? I’m all about the One Piece lore, yet here I am complaining about it. But I don’t hate it, not at all! I just want more of the fun stuff that made me fall in love with One Piece too. The Straw Hats interacting with each other, the zany villains, the feeling of a grand adventure instead of constant melodrama p0rn. This is a different manga than what began.

Here we are at the flashback portion of the arc and I’m just going through the motions. Sure, I’m excited about the coming lore dumps, but then it’s back to Basic Bro Imu the Evil and his boring henchmen. The only thing interesting about Imu is the mystery boxes surrounding him. I need more than that for a character to interest me.

Worst part is Loki spent the morning tap dancing inside a barn.
Categories
Manga One Piece

No Demon Kings Protest [One Piece 1151]

Time for Luffy to save us all…*YAWN!*

I get it. I GET it. Luffy’s the main character; he has to save the day. But could all the other Straw Hats have their moment to shine?

No! Because we’re at the classic Luffy-Was-Absent/Disposed-But-Now-He’s-Back-To-Save-The-Day portion of Elbaph’s Arc. Well, it’s not all about Luffy. Can’t forget about Sanji and Zoro. One will fight Killingham and the other, Sommers.

Maybe.

There’s still Loki. No way is he not getting uncuffed at some point. Helping against Imu will probably be that reason. Not now, of course. No way will the Monster Trio think they’ll need Loki’s help. Things will have to get even MORE dire for that to happen. You know…like Luffy losing to Imu.

At least Chief Jarul will get a free gold watch and retirement party at IHOP.

Oh, don’t act so shocked! Luffy losing a round or two to a Big Bad’s nothing new. And since Imu will be the FINAL Biggie, there’s gonna be a lot of plot armor and/or teamwork getting Imu off Elbaph. Loki, Whoever/Whatever’s in Astral World, Brook helping to break Imu’s control of Gunko, etc. Heck, even when Team Luffy wins it’ll be a win against Imu possessing Gunko, not the character’s true body. It’s all building to the final war, kids.

Categories
anime My Hero Vigilantes

Buzz Off! (That Bee Scene In Episode 10) [My Hero Academia: Vigilantes]

<—Spoilers for this episode.—>

Yes, I’ve been watching the show. Yes, I LOVE it. And, yes, I’ll talk a little about the season as a whole when it wraps it. But, this couldn’t wait.

Kids: If someone wants to stuff live bees up your vagina. Say NO!

Yeah, I remember that bee-gina scene from the manga, but still…Yikes! Did you see how many bees came out? Kuin Hachisuka may not be the most evil villain in the My Heroverse, but she’s definitely the rudest! Because you don’t get much ruder than shoving bees in you friend’s hoo-hah.

Categories
Manga One Piece

Helluva Boss [One Piece 1150]

Okay… So the final villain is The Devil.

Not exactly the most unique Big Bad we’ve seen, right? Look, let’s be honest here: Imu’s basic. Really basic. Let’s go down the evil trope checklist.

  • Devil Wings
  • Pitchfork
  • Pentagram
  • Spooky Magic Book
  • Dressed In All Black
  • No Pants

This is who’s supposed to be the final villain of the series? This boring caricature of pure evil? Yes. Evil. Because he/she literally says “Evil”. So much for subtlety.

Does Imu’s Satan schtick recontextualize Luffy into God? Or, at the very least, the living embodiment of good? Nika’s always laughing. Pure Happiness VS Pure Evil. Is that what One Piece is heading toward? Sure, there’s nothing wrong with that. Good VS Evil is a classic storytelling theme. But! Luffy’s goofy cartoon Nika form’s getting stale and Imu’s so dang darn boring that for the first time ever… I’m not looking forward to the end of One Piece!

Get Thee Behind Upon Me Face Satan
Categories
Manga One Piece

Undead-beat Dad [One Piece 1149]

It’s the skeleton guy who turns out to be a DEADbeat dad. Should’ve seen that coming.

Brook was a Celestial Dragon?! Gunko’s his daughter?! What the heck’s going on here? Well, besides Oda giving us an entry into the Celestial Dragon’s backstory. Honestly, I’ve never thought about Brook’s pre-pirate life. I just assumed he was from the same Blue as his previous pirate captain, Yorki. Sorry, Usopp fan(s), your bud’s arc just got hijacked by the Soul King.

Maybe I should’ve seen something like this happening. Gunko’s a woman. And we all know by now Oda goes light on women fighting seriously. And that’s on the small occasions when they do. Nami and Robin’s too weak to pull off a believable win against Gunko, so instead we get a possible redemption arc for our no pants faux god.

I heard Gunko’s Mom is also a living skeleton named Kate Moss.

Not only can King Imu communicate with those who (I assume) he lent his immortality power to, but he can control their bodies when necessary. There’s no leaving Imu’s Gang. You get in, you in for life!

Categories
Manga One Piece

Game of Thorns [One Piece 1148]

You mess with Ron(ja) of us, you mess with all of us!

No, not Ronja! Her positivity in the face of death is heartwarming. She’s, by far, one of my favorite Elbaph characters in this arc just from this chapter alone. Prediction time: Sanji saves Ronja. Either him or Spider-Man. Hasn’t Disney bought Shonen Jump already? No? Sanji it is then.

Finally! We have a possible weakness to the Celestial Dragons’ immortality: Conqueror’s Haki. Geez! Is there anything haki can’t do? I’m positive my dentist used haki to pull out my wisdom teeth. Wish I could haki away her invoice.

And the museum, and the gym, and that over-priced Starbucks that never gets my name right!
Categories
Manga One Piece

Momma Mia [One Piece 1147]

An authoritarian government invades a sovereign nation, forcing its citizens to work for them as slaves while destroying their places of knowledge to keep them ignorant and easier to control.

Thank goodness One Piece is fictional and that type of thing never happens in the real world.

The Celestial Dragons have got the whole conquering other nations role down pact, huh? Guess they’d had plenty of practice. Elbaph’s school and library are in danger of being destroyed. Something tells me Loki also wouldn’t mind if those two buildings were burned down. Protecting them is gonna become just as important as rescuing the kidnapped children. Mark my words!

Glad Robin’s gonna fight Sommers, but she’s at a huge disadvantage fighting someone with thorn powers. Maybe her and Chopper can pull off a win. Guard Point’s pretty durable. Then again, someone’s gotta save the kids, so I guess that’s gonna be Chopper. Just kick the little brats away with Monster Point and pray they don’t tattle.

Baby Momma Drama!
Categories
Marvel One Piece

Get To The Point [One Piece 1146]

The Celestial Dragons are gearing up for the final war!

After Dr. Vegapunk Stella revealed a secret group wanting to destroy the world, Monkey D. Dragon and the rest of the Revolutionary Army begin perparing for all-out war against the World Government. Turns out, the Celestial Dragons are doing the exact same thing.

Going by what Gunko and Sommers said in this chapter, they want Elbaph’s warriors on their side during the inevitable final battle, whether Warland’s citizens want to or not. Hence, why the Holy Knights are kidnapping Elbaph’s kids. Just take the kids as hostages and Elbaph’s adults will do whatever the Celestial Dragons want. Simple, yet effective. Also evil. Very VERY evil.

This all confirms most, if not all, Celestial Dragons with higher status know the truth about the world. Or, at least, they know enough that they have to work to maintain their godly status and that the world will indeed be flooded at some point. And, they need to make sure it happens, no matter what.

And that’s why its rude to point at people, kids.
Categories
Manga One Piece

Only YOU Can Prevent Forest Fires [One Piece 1145]

What the heck was Rocks D. Xebec doing in Elbaph?!

I don’t think he was there on vacation. I wonder…is the reason Rocks was there the same reason the Celestial Dragons want the island? Or, maybe Big Mom’s Ponegliff was originally from Elbaph and Rocks was just there to read it? Hmm…maybe both!

There’s definitely something special about and/or on Elbaph related to the world’s history. That Elbaph flashback is gonna be insane, Y’All!

Jimbei, stop! That’s not water. It’s Chardonnay!
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