Welcome back One Piece fans. I know it has been a while, but after a couple months of soul searching, and a little depression, I have finally gotten the will to go back and do my reviews! I know I missed a ton a content to recover, but it is better late than never. So without further adieu lets review!
Positives:
This arc has been going good, and flowing with the good pace that Zou was moving at. I love when Oda expands on details, but I love how he’s not shoving down every detail under our throat. I think this can be his biggest downfall, but also his biggest strength. He’s building tension early in the arc already when it comes to Jimbei, and his meeting with Big Mom. Already, and established loved character besides Sanji we are attached too, and it makes us aware of how crazy, and a threat Big Mom is away from her title of Yonkou. Totland is a wonderful colorful place that has all the races, it just makes One Piece’s world building huge, and it makes me really appreciate the world that I am really built into. A world that I invested in heavily so it’s much appreciated that he works just as hard on it. Big Mom is already proving to be a formidable antagonist, and it makes me much more excited to see how she reacts to Luffy. Jimbei’s interaction with his crew was something that I really wanted to see do to their history with humans. I think it was quite heartwarming that they’ll let Jimbei do what he wants cause he always puts his life on the line for the others. Jimbei is such a great character, and he is only going to add more to the story as he joins the Straw-hat crew.
Negatives:
I can tell that most of Big Mom’s daughters are going to be annoying. I think it will be because they instantly build a bond and dedication to the male that they are betrothed to. Aladdin’s wife was too me very annoying, and very creepy looking, and I know it was drawn to be a comedic scene, but I can’t help but not care because I really don’t have a connection to Aladdin, nor the other fish man. (Call it PTSD from the Fishman Island arc.) Maybe if Oda spent more time dedicating time to showcasing Aladdin’s personality I would have cared more, but for now it didn’t sit right, and I already got a feeling that Big Mom’s daughters will fall for anyone Momma picks. Pedro’s story is interesting, but I was hoping he was going to be a spy for Kaidou, and it was more interesting than that. It just seems he’s following Luffy because he has something to prove to himself, and which is respectable, it is quite annoying to me. At first before predicting being a Kaidou spy, I was hoping he was a lone wolf type, and only did things for himself, but I guess it’s not going to go down that way, and it brings me to find annoyance in a series where everyone and their mother will get on their knees for Luffy. One Piece has good tension, but when everyone goes to Luffy eventually it just goes down dramatically.
Predictions:
It is simple, the board is alive, and it always lands on the person losing their head. Jimbei knows this, and barely survives while escaping. Meanwhile the area that was suppose to be unguarded according to Nami, is actually the most guarded, and when the Straw hats land and see Jimbei they’ll be ambushed by Big Mom’s warriors. They find out Pudding really was a spy. Is it predictable writing, or is it not?
I rate this chapter a 7/10. Really good chapter of exposition, and it will make the climax more satisfying when we get to it.
Dragonics writing corner. 