Your Name, Weathering with You, and Suzume; these are the three most recent films from writer and director Makoto Shinkai. After a career that spans over 25 years, these three films firmly secured Shinkai’s status as one of the most important figures working in the anime industry today, with all three films being among the top ten highest grossing Japanese films worldwide. The main reason for that is because they’re all great films, but, what if I were to tell you that there was another reason for their success. That reason is that they are all part of a trilogy, specifically a thematic trilogy.

In this video, I will be breaking down the trilogy in the hopes of understanding why they became some of the most successful anime films in recent memory. These are the films that make up Makoto Shinkai's Disaster Trilogy.

Your Name, Weathering with You, and Suzume; these are the three most recent films from writer and director Makoto Shinkai. After a career that spans over 25 years, these three films firmly secured Shinkai’s status as one of the most important figures working in the anime industry today, with all three films being among the top ten highest grossing Japanese films worldwide. The main reason for that is because they’re all great films, but, what if I were to tell you that there was another reason for their success. That reason is that they are all part of a trilogy, specifically a thematic trilogy.

In this video, I will be breaking down the trilogy in the hopes of understanding why they became some of the most successful anime films in recent memory. These are the films that make up Makoto Shinkai's Disaster Trilogy.

Christmas Day today! Merry Christmas!!!

Last video of 2023 and I said I would have it out before the big day arrives, and I've kept my word on that! In this video, I explain why I believe the Christmas episode of Kimi ni Todoke is the best Christmas special that anime has to offer and how it, and the rest of the series for that matter, means so much to me! I hope you all enjoy! Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!

Last video of 2023 and I said I would have it out before the big day arrives, and I've kept my word on that! In this video, I explain why I believe the Christmas episode of Kimi ni Todoke is the best Christmas special that anime has to offer and how it, and the rest of the series for that matter, means so much to me! I hope you all enjoy! Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!

If I had a nickel for every time a highly anticipated anime series aired in 2023 with a feature length first episode, I’d have two nickels, which isn’t a lot but it’s weird that it happened twice! In this video, we're talking about Oshi no Ko, Frieren: Beyond Journey's End, and how they made the absolute best first impression with feature length premieres by taking the anime community by storm!

The Sasaki and Miyano: Graduation film is finally out -- and so is my review for it! I know Pride Month has come and gone for another year, but if it was up to me, every month should be Pride Month! Especially in the year we've had... I hope you enjoy!

One Piece Anime Watchalong: Sky Island Saga 1/2

Jaya (144-152)

Started: 20/9/23 Finished: 23/9/23

Hey guys! It's been a while since I last talked about the One Piece anime, but after making the OPLA video, I needed a bit of a little break away from doing anything OP related. Anyway, I'm back talking about OP again and this time, we're venturing into new territories, and by that I mean we're ascending up towards the skies! That does mean that I had to skip three back-to-back filler arcs, which aren't that long in the grand scheme of things. Like I've said before, I will get around to those filler arcs soon, probably after we're done with the first half as a little breather.

To pick up where we left off, the Straw Hats have just recently added Nico Robin to their crew. I realise now that I forgot to talk about her when discussing the previous arc, but I have been very intrigued by her character. It's revealed that she has been considered a notorious threat by the World Government ever since she sunk six warships when she was just a child, leaving her with a bounty of 79 million berries. Ever since then, she has been working with Crocodile in order to find the ancient weapon known as Pluton, which its location can be found by reading the poneglyph in Alubarna, which Robin is the only one who can read its script. That's a lot of lore to take in for me at the moment, but from what I understand on a thematic level, Robin seems like she has no sense of free will. Thus, since she "fulfilled" her obligation with Crocodile, she thinks that she has no reason to live anymore. That is until Luffy saves her against her wishes, and so, as a punishment, she is now travelling with the Straw Hats. So far, her more mature and dignified presence amongst the rowdy and childish group dynamic is a welcome change of pace, and I look forward to see her get more involved in the story.

Anyway, let's get onto the arc proper. It starts off, as always, with a great hook: a giant pirate ship suddenly falls from the sky, almost killing the Straw Hats. I've noticed that almost every OP arc begins with a big set piece to ease viewers into a new arc, and I think this one is my favourite so far. You, along with the rest of the cast, have so many questions, like what the hell is a pirate ship doing up in the sky? Anyway, within the ruins they find a map of Skypiea, an island located up in the sky, and since the log pose is pointing upwards, that must be their next destination. But before getting to that point, they find themselves on Jaya island to find more information about the sky island.

I'm in two minds about this arc. I'll start with the positives because there were so many great moments that happened in this arc. Firstly, the stuff in Mock Town was fantastic. The location itself looks like any other port town, but underneath the surface is a cruel and mean-spirited atmosphere amongst those who visit it. The person who encapsulates this conceit is Bellamy, a relatively new pirate captain with already an impressive bounty on his head (55 million). His personality is so brash and cocky who, despite being so fresh on the scene, thinks he's got the world all figured out. This is posited by his main philosophy that dreams are worthless and have no place in this new age of piracy. It is the polar opposite of Luffy's beliefs, which abrasively clashes when him, Zoro, and Nami visit the local pub to get more information about the sky island. Upon inquiring about it, they are ridiculed by everybody, especially by Bellamy, who lectures them about it and how he rejects the notion that a sky island actually exists and also rejects the notion that even the One Piece itself doesn't exist. You can see that Bellamy has struck a nerve with all three Straw Hats, even provoking Nami who initially wanted the boys to stay civil. However, even though she gives them permission to fight him, Luffy orders Zoro to "not attack them, by any means", and lets Bellamy and his crew to beat them up. I got chills at this scene, because it's obvious that Luffy fundamentally disagrees with everything Bellamy has just said, but with someone as stubborn in their ways like Bellamy, is he even worth fighting for that slight boost in ego?

But, that makes the following scene all the more impactful. After letting Bellamy wail on them, Nami drags the severely injured Luffy and Zoro out of the bar, only to encounter someone in the street to say that the sky island does, in fact, exist. The person who said that was Marshall D. Teach, who is later revealed to be Blackbeard but more on that revelation later. The speech he gave to the Straw Hats about Bellamy's idea of the new age of piracy being wrong, and topping that off with him declaring that "people's dreams... never die!" Chills. To onlookers, he appears to be some drunkard spewing a rubbish philosophy, but to viewers like me whose been watching this journey unfold up until this point, it encapsulated everything that the series is all about. However, despite how affirming that speech should be to Luffy, he instead gives the man a blank, expressionless stare. What Teach is saying is reminiscent of the lessons that Shanks and Ace have imparted onto him, Luffy is still very wary of what Teach's true intentions are. He obviously speaks of a code of piracy that Luffy may agree with, but if some greater opportunity comes up, will he abandon those ideals in favour of using others to further his own career. And by the end, when Teach finds out about Luffy's current bounty and resumes his activities as Blackbeard, those suspicions were confirmed. I have no doubt we'll return to this at a later date, but it's given me a lot to think about.

While those moments are definitely the highlights and rank among some of my favourite OP moments, what drags this arc down for me a bit is the stuff involving Masira, Shojo, and Montblanc Cricket. Not to say that the scenes involving them weren't any good; they were fun to watch on screen and the whole fairytale aspect involving Noland the Liar was a really nice touch. But, compared to the more thought provoking content that was on display earlier in the arc, it was kind of a step down from that. Also hindering it for me was the fact that it didn't really go anywhere sometimes. For example, Usopp's confronting Cricket about whether his intentions are good kind of came out of nowhere and were resolved just as quickly as it was brought up. That part kind of confused me because it makes sense for Usopp to be initially reluctant to whatever reckless idea that comes their way, but it felt really forced in this instance. At least the Straw Hats trying to find the South Bird to know which way to go was cute.

Last thing I want to bring up before we wrap up is the fact that the arc's penultimate episode packed a lot of content into its runtime. There was the fight between Luffy and Bellamy that took up the first half. It was way shorter than a lot of the fights we've seen up until this point, almost to a comical degree, but it was so satisfying to see Bellamy go down after Luffy's one singular punch to the cheek. Then the rest of the episode was dedicated in expanding the world outside the main Straw Hat unit. It was like a carousel of new characters being introduced. Five elders who had senior positions in the World Government; two warlords of the sea Donquixote Doflamingo and Bartholomew Kuma in order to discuss who to replace Crocodile as a Warlord; we finally get to see what Whitebeard looks like, albeit concerningly hooked up to multiple IV drips. However, probably the biggest revelation in this arc was Blackbeard and his crew whose goal is to capture Luffy after catching wind of his current bounty, boosting his status high enough for him to be recognised by the World Government to make him one of the seven Warlords of the sea. We also catch up with Shanks and the Red Hair pirates, who after failing to communicate with Whitebeard via letter decides to give him a personal visit. This was a lot for the series to casually drop in like its nothing, but it was still fascinating to see all the cogs turning elsewhere while the Straw Hats are doing their own thing. Shows that the actions that have been taken by the main unit have real ripple effects throughout the world.

Overall, I thought this arc was alright. It wasn't as dense as the arcs that came before it, for the most part, but I don't think that was its intention. This arc is clearly structured like a prologue to the next big adventure we're about to embark on, so it can be pretty easy to gloss over it. But, when it does show those typical OP sparks, then it really does shine. Anyway, let's keep moving forward, as we take to the skies for real this time! Join me next time, when we will be focusing on the Skypiea arc! Like with Alabasta, it's another long one so it'll probably take a while, but hopefully when I finish it, it'll be worth it!

This came out a bit later than I anticipated, but hey at least I managed to finally finish it! Here's my videos detailing my thoughts on Live Action One Piece and why I, and many other people thought it was amazing!

I'm also experimenting with a different thumbnail style -- my avatar was drawn by myself! I'm interested to see how people respond to this and whether I should continue in this direction.

One Piece Anime Watchalong: Alabasta Saga 5/5

Alabasta (Eps 92-130):

Started: 14/8/23 Finished: 30/8/23

Here we are at the final arc of this saga. It only makes sense that we end it in the Alabasta kingdom. Here we see the Straw Hats return Vivi to her home kingdom and try and reclaim it before Crocodile's plan of inciting a civil war can come to fruition. But, as always, it isn't that simple, as a number of surprises come their way, such as the Baroque Works trying to stop them, Captain Smoker and his crew showing up to finish what they started, and the introduction of Luffy's brother Portgas D. Ace! Strap in, there is a lot to talk about with this arc.

First point I want to bring up is the country of Alabasta itself. We spend a lot of this arc learning about its history, its politics (and who says shounen anime isn't political?), and how the drought has impacted its society. Vivi's father, King Cobra Nefertari, does what he can to mitigate the issues surrounding the decline of the country, but it comes to a point where the people begin to lose faith in his leadership. Because of the drought, what used to be bright beacons in the country, from the Ermalu, the city of Green, to the upstart oasis Yuba, have all dried up and withered away. It provides such a stark contrast from the lively (but still disparaging) cities of Nanohana and Katorea where we started. The shock of seeing these once prosperous locations in the country in ruins was pretty powerful, despite us not having seen what they were like before. Other series can be hindered by the characters telling the audience about something without actually showing it, but OP being a series that wears its heart firmly on its sleeve and has such intense emotions at all times, it can get away with it. Though, for as good as that stuff was, spending that much time trekking across the desert with very little story progression was getting tiring. Okay, that's a bit unfair towards it. The story is progressing in this part, but the pacing was almost glacial. The stuff in the beginning where we meet Ace (more on him later) was great, and everything after the desert was also great, but after a while I was getting pretty sick of the desert. As a result, it was so satisfying seeing Luffy just outright state that Vivi's plan of just wandering aimlessly across the desert in the hopes of encountering the rebel army was not the way forward, and convincing her to change course by going to Crocodile himself.

Speaking of Vivi, as much as we want to see Luffy beat the ever-loving crap out of Crocodile, this really is Vivi's story at the end of it. Even though she wasn't the central focus of the previous arcs, and we only got a glimpse of what she was capable of in Drum Island, she really gets to shine here. Going into the final stretch of this story, a lot of pressure was riding on Vivi, not only is she tasked with saving Alabasta, but the reputation of her father as a leader is on the line if the kingdom falls. Seeing the gradual change over the course of this arc to become someone who is worthy enough to lead Alabasta was so satisfying. She obviously couldn't do all this without the help of the Straw Hats, who give her the push to take things into her own hands again while also reminding her to not be afraid to rely on the help of others. We also get to see a glimpse of her past and the friendship she formed with Koza, a young boy who is very outspoken and critical of Cobra's neglect of the people. At first they don't along, probably due to the class divide, but over time they begin to build a mutual respect for each other, with Koza even saving her from a group of bandits. However, now their relationship is mired by the fact he is the leader of the rebel army. I think the real sign of growth I saw throughout the arc was her ability to take the initiative. One example I was impressed with was when she reaches the royal palace in Alubarna, already in the midst of a war between both royal and rebel armies, and she gives the order to blow up the palace. It isn't a decision to make lightly, because the palace had over 4,000 years of history and is a symbol of power in the kingdom, but Vivi finds it necessary to destroy it because what matters to her is getting the truth out there. Of course, these attempts are all intercepted by Crocodile, which is always soul-shattering when it happens because we've invested so much emotional energy into seeing her save her country. Then there is her decision at the end of the arc, whether she wants to stay in Alabasta or to continue to journey across the Grand Line with the Straw Hats. She decides that she cares too much about her country to go with the Straw Hats, and since she is still a princess, at the end of the day, her connection with them would only label her as a criminal. Despite this, she still wants them to acknowledge her as a friend, and they respond to that by showing their back to her and raise their fists to show the X mark on their left forearm, to let her know that it is a symbol of their friendship. With "We Are" playing on top of that, it's a very magical moment.

Speaking of Crocodile, after being built up throughout the saga as someone not to be reckoned with, he does live up to those expectations. He is such a devious bastard, using his status as one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, pirates who are affiliated with the government, to manipulate the people of Alabasta and to pull the strings from the back. He just knows how to push each character's buttons, and he just relishes in every moment of their agony. Does he have his stereotypical villain moments -- monologuing his plans, maniacal laugh, and just being plain evil? Yes, but he doesn't need to have these complex motivations to work. He's a pirate with substantially more backing from the government to do whatever the hell he wants, and what he wants is to destroy and entire country. That in and of itself is a terrifying thought. And that's what makes Luffy beating him so satisfying. Admittedly, their first battle was heavily skewered in Crocodile's favour, with him actually stabbing Luffy and burying him in the sand. However, through that defeat, that's when Luffy found out how to actually get a hit on him, since he can turn his body into sand, making his body solid by dousing him with a liquid, in this instance water, is the only way to beat him. Yay, go science! Despite this revelation, Luffy still hasn't managed to weaken Crocodile, only getting him closer to destroying the country. By the time their third and final battle commences, Luffy had covered his hands and feet in his own blood so he can get a hit on Crocodile. That is one of the rawest things I've seen in anime, let alone in One Piece. Even when Luffy is exhausted, has lost a considerable amount of blood, and was poisoned by Crocodile's hook, he never gave up for as long as Vivi gave up on getting her country back. Luffy's attacks go from strength to strength until we arrive at the finishing blow, sending Crocodile flying into the air, defeating him, and finally putting an end to this war. All of which is set to Antonin Dvorak's New World Symphony. The way I was cheering and jumping out of my seat when I heard those first notes of the 1st movement as Luffy was laying the first of his many punches in his Gum-Gum Storm finisher. I fucking love One Piece.

We have some new members of the Baroque Works that the Straw Hats need to fight to protect Vivi, so let's go over those characters in the order of the battles. First off is Usopp and Chopper's fight against Mr. 4 (along with his gun-dog Lassoo) and Miss Merry Christmas, who is a mole-woman. What all of these fights have in common is that it shows the Straw Hats at disadvantage for the majority of it and they have to work out how they will beat them by knowing where each of their weak points are. The first fight is unique because it's the only one where two Straw Hat members are teamed up to fight the Baroque Works. While Usopp and Chopper's fight is pretty fun, with Usopp most of the time either running away or goofing about, the crux of the fight was when they were told that Luffy was dead, and were making fun of how "weak" he was. However, Usopp, right after getting his face broken by Mr. 4's hammer, is still raring to fight them because they insulted Luffy's dream. This was the stand out moment in this fight because we've seen time and time again how Luffy defends his friends and to uphold their dreams in the face of adversity, and in this moment, Usopp is paying it forward.

Next up is the fight between Sanji and Mr. 2 Bon Clay. Before we get to the fight, I've just got to say that I thought Sanji was so cool in this arc. Since he's the only Straw Hat member who isn't on the Baroque Work's radar, he can discreetly make his way past detection. However, as seen during this Out of all the Baroque Works agents, Bon Clay is definitely my favourite. His design is camp-tastic drag excellence and classic OP levels of goofiness that is hard to resist. Unlike all the other agents, he works alone, and in one line he describes himself as embodying both man and woman in his duties. I really want to know why that was the case but it was never explored. He also grows a fondness for the Straw Hats, having befriended them before knowing they we enemies, and even after he had done was he was told for Baroque Works, he continues to view the Straw Hats in high regard, and even helps them escape from the clutches of the Navy at the end. The fight itself was pretty unique, since it was all legwork -- literally! With Sanji being a cook who prioritises his hands and Bon Clay being a ballet dancer, this was a pretty evenly matched fight. I don't exactly know how Sanji's final kick could have Bon Clay's body spin around like that, but, hey, it's One Piece. Also, props to animation director Kenji Yokoyama for making it look so kinetic and stylish, almost like it was a dance performance, which is appropriate.

Then we have Nami going up against Miss Doublefinger, who ate the Spike-Spike fruit that turns any part of her body into spikes. Before the fight starts, it is prefaced by a one-to-one conversation between Nami and Usopp about how comparatively weaker they are in combat than the rest of the crew. Normally this wouldn't be an issue, be since this mission is so important to Vivi, and since Nami has been shown throughout the saga to be a shoulder for her to cry on, Nami feels the need to show that she's more than just a pretty faced navigator. I love how she has this conversation with Usopp, who is probably the only other person in the Straw Hats who can understand where she's coming from. While it is very entertaining to see the rest of the crew perform these impossibly strong and grand acts of heroism (well, as heroic as a pirate can be) Nami and Usopp are my favourite Straw Hats because of the fact that they cannot attain that power for themselves. But, I digress. Anyway, Nami requests Usopp to make her a pole that can be used efficiently as a weapon, so he hastily makes her the Clima Takt, a pole that derives its power from the forces of nature. However, she's learning how to use it whilst she fights off against Miss Doublefinger, and she quickly finds out that the pole is mostly used for entertainment purposes. As amusing as this was to watch, these revelations doesn't help Nami in terms of surviving. She sustains a lot of injuries during it but, after frantically reading through Usopp's incomplete instructions, she finds herself getting to grips with how to use the Clima Takt, using the fact that it shoots out hot, cool, and electric bubbles to eventually make a thunder cloud. There is, however, one special move that the Clima Takt possesses, the Tornado Tempo. The only caveat is that it can only be used once, so if you miss, you won't be able to use it again. A lot is riding on this attack working, so Nami aims a close range at Doublefinger, even using her already injured leg to pierce through the spikes so there is better control (Nami's line of "this pain is nothing compared to what Vivi is going through" was so badass), she fires and... it appears to be another spring toy, all the hopes of winning draining from Nami's soul, until the springs wrap around Doublefinger and sends her flying through multiple buildings, knocking her out cold. Incredible stuff.

Lastly, we have Zoro's fight against Mr. 1, who ate the Steel-Steel fruit that turned his entire body into steel. Yeah this fight was pretty awesome. Not just because of the fact that Zoro is an undeniable powerhouse of a swordsman, but also that we got to see him gain a deeper understanding of his craft. The biggest obstacle that Zoro has to overcome was him figuring out what the riddle his teacher taught him when he was training. When asked about whether it was possible to cut through steel, his teacher responds with, "There are swordsmen out there who are capable of cutting nothing." For the longest time, Zoro has wondered what he meant by that. However, just when Zoro is at his lowest moment and we think that Mr. 1 had gotten the better of him, he finally understands what his teacher meant by those words. I love how its presented almost like a meditation session, where Zoro can actually sense the individual rhythms of his surroundings, like time virtually stops when he's in zen mode. And that is when he is able to slain Mr. 1, with only one fricking sword, no less! And with slaying Mr. 1, later revealed to by Daz Bonez, Zoro now has his first bounty, a price of 60 million berries. It's ironic how the bounty hunter became the bounty hunted... That was terrible, I'm sorry!

Other thoughts I have: We are introduced to Portgas D. Ace, who is revealed to be Luffy's older brother. He didn't stick around for too long, as he heads off before the crew reaches Yuba, but I doubt this will be the last we'll see of him. There were a few episodes that perhaps didn't progress the plot that much, but it gave more opportunity to learn about Alabasta and focuses on some of the characters that live on the outskirts of the desert. These were pretty fun episodes and served to expand upon the country and make it a more well realised place. My favourite moment from these episodes, however, doesn't really involve that, but instead are little character moments for the Straw Hats, specifically the one-to-one chat that Zoro and Chopper have about their feelings towards Luffy. Even though they think that Luffy is far from being a typical pirate captain, they still view him in high regard. The scene where Chopper and Tashigi accidentally bump into each other was diabete-inducing -- I cannot handle their combined cuteness! Konosuke Uta, the GOAT himself, directed episode 107 (the episode which sets Operation Utopia into action) and it was such a visual treat. Oh yeah, Smoker and Tashigi are there too. To be honest, they didn't contribute a whole lot to the arc up until the very end, but their continuously developing relationship with the Straw Hats was extremely fascinating. Luffy ordering Zoro to save Smoker from drowning after escaping Rainbase, even though he's technically an enemy, was a really nice moment, and the fact that he let Luffy off the hook was the cherry on top. And that blush action! Who knew Smoker was such a tsundere -- I love it! I also really liked Tashigi wrestling with her sense of justice; does she try and capture the Straw Hats or do they aid them in preventing a national catastrophe? It was really compelling and Smoker being frustrated about receiving a medal and higher rank for something that he didn't do, and telling the big guns at the top to "go to hell" was the cherry on top. Finally, Pell's sacrifice as he was carrying the cannonball up towards the sky to save the country was such a gut-punch to the feels. We didn't even know that much about him, and yet his noble efforts to serve and protect what he loves is so beautiful.

So, overall, this was a fantastic arc, if you couldn't tell by how much I've been gushing about it. Great moments throughout, lots of emotion, it has probably the best fight in the series so far, and every Straw Hat member had something to do. I can see why some people consider this the best arc in this saga. However, if I'm being completely honest, it's not my favourite arc. It's clear that it is going for this grand, epic Lawrence of Arabia styled adventure story, and it does succeed at executing that, for the most part. However, I think that first third when they were traversing the desert meandered a lot and, even though it was setting up that is vital to the later parts of the story, the road getting to that stage was kind of tedious. And just in terms of personal preferences, I think the (slightly) smaller scale stories like Drum Island have always resonated with me more, so while Drum Island doesn't necessarily reach Alabasta's highs that arc remained consistent throughout and just provided better emotional payoffs in the long run. For a first attempt at crafting a large scale story arc like this, it was a valiant effort, but it's clear that its being held back by a lack of refining and smoothing out some of the rougher patches. Hopefully, some of those issues can be ironed out the further we get into the series.

Anyway, here's my ranking for each arc in this saga: Drum Island Alabasta Little Garden Reverse Mountain Whiskey Peak

And there you have. We have finished all of the Alabasta saga! I finished it at the perfect time too because, at the time of writing this post, Netflix's live action One Piece series will be released tomorrow. I don't know about you, but I am so unbelievably excited for this to drop. Judging it from the trailers and promo videos, you can tell that everybody behind it has so much love for the series. There could still be a chance that it may suck, but I will be absolutely devastated if it did. Either way, I will be making a video on it. After that, well, I'll continue to slowly work away at other projects that aren't One Piece related (I mean as fun as it is talking about OP I do have other interests outside of it). I'll see you next time, as we gain a new member of the Straw Hat, and we venture forward to our next saga, Sky Island. See you soon!

One Piece Anime Watchalong: Alabasta Saga 4/5

Drum Island (Eps 78-91):

Started 30/7/23 Finished: 6/8/23

After their stay in Little Garden, the Straw Hats are off again towards the kingdom of Alabasta, and upon hearing the news that the kingdom could have more casualties, Vivi desperately wants to get there as soon as possible. However, Nami has fallen ill to a fever which, if not treated in time, could kill her. So they take a detour to Drum Island where they hope to find a doctor to cure her illness. The only doctor on the island is Dr. Kureha, often called a witch. Whilst the Straw Hats look for Dr. Kureha to save Nami, the country's former tyrannical king, Wapol, returns to take back his throne.

Now this is what I'm talking about! This is the OP that I was waiting to see again.

Firstly, I want to talk about Vivi. I liked Vivi beforehand, but I was just waiting for her to do something substantial at some point during this saga. Something that proves to us that she is befitting of being a princess, not in the damsel needing to be saved, but somebody with actual authority and agency in their own story. In this arc, we finally get that from her. We know that she needs to get back to her kingdom, and upon hearing that the coup has escalated further she desperate to get there as soon as possible. However, despite the gravity of the situation and Alabasta being her top priority, she still insists that Nami needs to see a doctor in order to progress to the next stage. Another moment that was very effective was when the crew arrive to Drum Island and they are threatened by the townsfolk to leave or else be gunned down. Vivi is shot, accidentally, in the arm by the townsfolk, but just as Luffy begins to recklessly attack them, Vivi stops him by using her words instead of violence to persuade them to let them on the island. In moments where Luffy can be so narrowminded in terms of protecting his friends from danger, to the point his point can only be conveyed by physical violence, Vivi's reasoning actually gets through to him and follows her example. This demonstrates that, even though she is separated from her kingdom, it doesn't diminish the influence she has on others outside of her royal duties.

But those moments where Luffy's philosophy about protecting his friends from danger really come into effect in this arc, it's so powerful. Even before that scene (which I will get to in a bit) we had him helping out the Lapins, giant sized killer rabbits. The Lapins are seen as obstacles for Luffy and Sanji in order to safely escort Nami to see Dr. Kureha at the top of the mountain. Even despite the trouble that the creatures caused for them, including starting an avalanche that further disrupts their plan by knocking Sanji out cold, when Luffy sees a baby Lapin struggling to save their parent from suffocating under inches of snow, he doesn't hesitate to help. Even if it wasn't necessary to help the Lapins for how much trouble they've caused him, even though passing on the opportunity to help them meant that he would reach the castle and treat Nami sooner, he still insists on helping the parent Lapin out of the snow. All without a single piece of dialogue being said. That was so powerful. But that's just the end of it, there's also the scene where Luffy climbs the pillar to get to the castle, with his bare feet and bare hands, in the blistering cold, and also carrying the weight of Nami and Sanji. It's not an easy task, even seen struggling as the cold catches up with him and even slips and his fingers and toes are bleeding against the tough cliff face. It was such a nail-biting thing to watch. However, despite everything that he has endured and the pain he inflicted, he is determined to get to the top, and it's with that determination that brings him all the way to the top. Luffy is just one of the best protagonists in all of anime and manga, for real.

Now, let's move onto what was probably the best thing about this arc: Tony Tony Chopper. I can't tell you how much I adore this little blue-nosed reindeer! In the first half of this arc, when he was with Dr. Kureha, he intrigued me with his design and form. I then heard what his voice and at that moment he was just adorable (same voice actor who does Pikachu in the Pokemon anime). The way he was so tsundere And then we get to his backstory... fuck, this destroyed me. Chopper being casted out by both his reindeer family and by human society just for eating the Human-Human fruit, him being saved by Dr. Hiriluk and Chopper forming his first ever connection with him, learning about Hiriluk's life goal of making the town's forest bloom with cherry blossoms, and then, when Hiriluk finds out that he doesn't have long to live, he regrettably pushes Chopper out of his life. But it was goddamn episode 86 that broke me, from Chopper, all battered and bruised from an unfortunate encounter with the leader of the reindeer pack, bringing back an Amiudake mushroom for Hiriluk to cure him of his disease, to Hiriluk's speech about when a man truly dies, that episode was the hardest I've cried at OP so far. After Hiriluk dies, he's taken into the care of Dr. Kureha, who taught him everything he knows about medicine. Their relationship bares similarities to Chopper's relationship with Hiriluk, in that it's that doctor/student dynamic, but unlike Hiriluk, Kureha lacks the warmth and whimsicality. She's a lot more direct with her diagnoses and her tone is more blunt from the outset. It may seem that she only took Chopper as an apprentice out of obligation to her late colleague, but under that cold expression, she does actually care about him, as she's the one who recounts his scarred past. After Chopper announces to her that he plans on joining the Straw Hats, Kureha is angered by this and proceeds to chase him out of the castle with an arsenal of weapons. This would normally have a damaging effect on his mental state, as it would trigger the trauma he has faced in the past, but having made friends with Luffy, who accepts him, not as a monster, but as a living thing with thoughts and feelings, it perhaps may be a little easier on him because, no matter what threats come his way, he at least has his friends to protect him from danger. Even though Kureha may not seem to care for what Chopper does, she does in fact care for him deep down, realising that he's growing as a person and accepting the fact that he wants to explore the world. She was probably expecting this to happen as well because, not wanting their goodbye to be sour, she plans one last farewell by bringing the cannons out from the arsenal room, pointing them up to the sky, and firing them to reveal that the powder loaded into the cannons was the formula Hiriluk had spent 30 years of his life trying to make. It results in a gigantic waft of pink smoke, that turns the white snowflakes into something that resembles pink cherry blossom leaves. Hiriluk's dream had finally been accomplished. What a beautiful ending.

If there was a low point to this arc, and it isn't that much in the grand scheme of things, but Wapol as a villain was kind of pathetic. Granted, this is supposed to be the point, and the fact that somebody that entitled and obnoxious could have the power to rule a kingdom can be terrifying (if Helmeppo actually succeeded in becoming a tyrannical leader after Captain Morgan), taking the twenty best doctors only for his own care and exiling the rest. In fact, this exemplifies the dichotomy between Wapol and Dalton, who served as former captain of the guards. Dalton having this crisis within himself about wanting to serve and protect the people, but having very little power to do so because he's at the hands of a king who only looks out for himself. But taking Wapol as a character at face value is probably the least interesting aspect of this whole arc. At least his Devil Fruit power was memorable in that goofy, almost macabre sense.

Other thoughts I had about the arc: that "To Be Continued" title card being written in the snow for a split second was so cool to me! Usopp and Zoro didn't get that much to do during this arc, but their interaction with each other throughout was pretty sweet, with my favourite being after being swept up by the avalanche, they both shared the exact same dream, which was pretty funny! I don't have too much to say about Dalton, but he was pretty cool, and him putting his ideals first and foremost, even to the point where he was willing to die for the safety of his people was really powerful.

So yeah, Drum Island is my favourite arc of this saga so far. So much about this arc is just absolutely wonderful, and while it may not all be perfect, it is still a massive highlight for the series. I'm looking forward to see how Chopper slots into the arcs and the stories going forward. Speaking of which, the next and final arc of the saga is the eponymous Alabasta arc. This arc is longer than any arc I've encountered so far, so bear with me if there's a gap in activity here, especially when I have real life stuff to deal with as well. I'll see you all next time!

One Piece Anime Watchalong: Alabasta Saga 3/5

Little Garden (Eps 70-77):

Started: 28/7/23 Finished: 29/7/23

I said in the last post I would be quicker getting these posts out there, but real life and the video I just uploaded a couple days ago kind of distracted me from that.

With Vivi now apart of the Straw Hat pirates, the crew head off to their next destination, which is the Little Garden. However, when they get there, the realise that the island's inhabitants are not what they expect. Not only do they discover dinosaurs living there, but the island is also home to the two giants Broggy and Dorry, who have been fighting with each other on the island for 100 years. However, their evenly matched duel is disturbed when Baroque Works invade the island.

I don't really have a lot to say about this arc, mainly because for the most part it was a little uninteresting. There were some aspects that I liked a lot from it, but it didn't really grab me in the same way like previous arcs had. While the Straw Hats realising what was on the island and their interactions with the giants was fun and playful, it was a bit slow to start with. Then it's tied back to the main plot of this saga, which involves the Baroque Works preventing the Straw Hats from getting to Alabasta. I'll be honest, the Baroque Works are kind of a mixed bag for me. Mr. 5 and Miss Valentine are kind of dull as far as antagonists go. They have cool Devil Fruit Powers, Mr. 5 with the Bomb-Bomb fruit, and Miss Valentine with Kilo-Kilo fruit, and their designs are neat, but they don't leave a great impact. That being said, the higher ranking agents we see in this arc, that being Mr. 3 and Miss Golden Week, I found to be really entertaining. Mr. 3's over-the-top and extravagant personality juxtaposed with Miss Golden Week's very stoic attitude was a highlight of the arc. They have more unique Devil Fruit powers too, having the Wax-Wax and Colours Trap powers, respectively, leads to more interesting fights. The only issue is that I wish we could've seen more of them, as the way they were defeated in the end felt anticlimactic.

Onto the stuff I did like about this arc. Firstly, the reinforcement of the Straw Hats ideologies, namely Luffy and Usopp. It's stuff that we already seen before, but I always love seeing it. Luffy getting along so well with Dorry, hearing about their tradition, and feeling so passionate about honouring their duel is great. I really love Usopp in this arc and it's further solidifies why he's my favourite Straw Hat member. While he was initially terrified of Broggy, thinking that he might eat him, upon seeing the giant's duel Usopp's admiration for what Broggy does and what he stands for really affected him, to the point where he aspires to be just like him -- metaphorically not physically! I also like how he was the one responsible for saving Nami, Zoro, and Vivi from being further incased in wax by realising that heat can melt it. If it wasn't for his quick thinking, it would've been curtains for the Straw Hats. It demonstrates how Usopp is slowly but surely embodying that "brave warrior of the sea" mantra he respects so much. It is implemented very gradually, at points glacially, but that's just what makes him so relatable to me. These issues don't get magically resolved because of one singular act of bravery, it happens because of repetitive action. Even though the story is set in a fantastical world, where I have no doubt will get crazier from here, the emotions are still very much grounded and believable.

Other thoughts I have on this arc: Sanji and Zoro's symbolical dick measuring contest in this arc was pretty funny. The way Nami and Vivi emerged from the flames to save Usopp from Miss Valentine, and the close up shot of them with their backs against each other was so hot.

Overall, while this was decent, it wasn't my favourite arc. So far the Alabasta saga hasn't grabbed me like East Blue did, even though there are moments that I think are awesome. I'm hoping as we get edge closer to the end that I will be proven wrong. Onward to the next arc, which is Drum Island!

Alright, time to do what I originally created this blog for: promoting my YouTube channel. So, if you didn't already know, I've been making YouTube videos for over 10 years, mainly covering topics that pertain to anime.

In this video, I explain why I'm actually excited about live action One Piece and why you should be excited about it as well!

Alright, time to do what I originally created this blog for: promoting my YouTube channel. So, if you didn't already know, I've been making YouTube videos for over 10 years, mainly covering topics that pertain to anime.

In this video, I explain why I'm actually excited about live action One Piece and why you should be excited about it as well!

One Piece Anime Watchalong: Alabasta Saga 2/5

Whiskey Peak (Eps 64-67):

Started: 22/7/23 Finished: 22/7/23

Picking up from where previous arc left off, the Straw Hats are tasked with bringing Mr. 9 and Miss Wednesday back home to the town of Whiskey Peak. When they get there, are welcomed by the town's leader Igarappoi, who throws a party in honour of their arrival. Or at least, that's what they want you to believe, as a darker secret is unearthed.

If I'm being honest, I wasn't expecting this arc to have this much going on, due to the fact that it was another short arc with a pretty simple premise on the surface. I figured we just drop Mr. 9 and Miss Wednesday back, maybe there would be some conflict the Straw Hats had to face, and it would be resolved pretty quickly and we'd move on to the next arc. Oh, how I underestimated One Piece, which you should never ever do! I'll get to the arc's biggest hook in a little bit, but I'll start off by saying that this was a really entertaining arc throughout. I really enjoyed seeing the Straw Hats involve themselves in the welcome party that the town throws for them. I know we got some of that at the end of Arlong Park, but it's still quite joyful to see, even if it doesn't have much bearing on the overall plot. There were some moments in this arc that had me fully laughing, either when they're acting as a resolve for some of the more serious scenes or isolated on their own. They occurred most frequently during Zoro and Luffy's "fight", the way Zoro dodged Miss Valentine's (again will get to that later) kilogram press attack by simply side stepping out of the way, and how at the end of it Zoro and Luffy were still throwing laboured punches at each other even when Nami absolutely totalled them. Speaking of Zoro, I really loved watching him in this arc. Even though it's clear that he's not the brightest member of the Straw Hats, he is still sharp when it comes to spotting obvious traps, and when that was revealed to the audience it was so satisfying.

Alright, now let's get to the main draw to this arc, and how it serves as the opening act for the rest of the saga. It was revealed that Whiskey Peak was used by bounty hunters to lure pirates in order to kill them for their bounties. I expected that to be the end of it, but like I said at the beginning of this post: never underestimate One Piece. It turns out these bounty hunters are actually agents working for the secret crime syndicate known as Baroque Works. Emphasis is placed on the word "secret", because every member has a mysterious codename that conceals their real identity. But, their boss, known as Mr. 0, had discovered spies within the system who accessed classified information about the organisation. Mr. 0 then sent agents Mr. 5 and Miss Valentine to kill these spies, who happen to Igarappoi and Miss Wednesday, which are the aliases of Igaram and Princess Vivi Nefertati of the Alabasta kingdom, respectively. After saving Vivi from the agents, she then explains that her kingdom is currently in the middle of a civil war that was constructed by Baroque Works, and the promise of them "founding an ideal nation" is actually just a ploy for them to rule over the kingdom. It was all a bit much to throw at me like that. I know that it's necessary to establish all the pieces in play for the rest of the saga, but it was kind of hard to follow at some points, especially when it was all juxtaposed with the comedic aspects that it was easy to just miss important details. But, I will say that the last third of this arc was pretty spectacular. After Vivi accidentally let slip the real identity of Mr. 0, it turns out to be Crocodile, who is one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, Luffy, Zoro and Nami overheard this and are now put on a hit list. They begin to leg it, but not before saying goodbye to Igaram, as he intends to pose as Vivi with decoys of the three Straw Hats in the hopes that Crocodile will forgive them. This teary farewell was short lived, as Igaram's ship is blown up shortly after he set sail, leaving everyone to believe that Igaram is dead. This shook Vivi up to the point where she can't move, and it leads us to this moment where Nami convinces Vivi to move and ensuring that they will bring her home, for real this time. This short exchange was so touching because it was a heart-to-heart moment between the two of them, and reassures that whatever lies ahead of them in the Grand Line, regardless of how powerful these guys might be, they are no match for the Straw Hats. That coming from Nami goes a long way in terms of giving her more depth beyond only caring about money. I don't know, it may be so small that it would be easy to miss it, but it's the scene I think will stick with me the most when I look back on this arc.

But wait, there's more! We wrap up this arc with another bombshell. After fleeing the island on the Going Merry, the Straw Hats and Vivi find out that a mysterious woman was waiting for them on the ship. She goes by the name Miss All Sunday and is the agent who is closest to Crocodile. It is revealed that she was responsible for telling Vivi the real identity of Mr. 0 and alerting the organisation that there were spies in their ranks. She also lends them an Eternal Pose leading to Alabasta, an advanced Log Pose that has its coordinates permanently set on one location, but Luffy destroys it. Miss All Sunday is such an intriguing character, and that comes down to the fact that she's very hard to read. Why is she aiding the Straw Hats against Baroque Works? Is this all a double bluff? Whatever her deal is, I'm looking forward to seeing her more in this saga.

And that's it for this arc, which gave me a lot more than I expected. Despite the overload of information and exposition that it gave me, this was still a pretty good arc. With all the pieces now in play for this arc, I have no doubt that OP will wrap these up in a way that might make this saga better than the last! Let's hope that is the case as the Log Pose takes us to our next destination, Little Garden!

Just watched the new trailer for the One Piece live action, and, I've got to say, I'm so impressed with it! I was kind of convinced that we were in safe hands with the first teaser, but here, I cannot stop replaying this trailer over and over again. It looks amazing! The cast are great, the sets look incredible, there seems to be competent fight choreography, and the CGI is actually turning out to be alright. The only thing that I'm a bit mixed on is how Arlong looked. I think his actor is going to do fantastic, but I'm not entirely sold on how they scaled down his frame. I mean, there could be a chance this could still fail like other live action anime adaptations, but I'm still holding out hope that this actually turns out to be the first truly good live action anime of its kind. I'm so excited!

One Piece Anime Watchalong: Alabasta Saga 1/5

Episodes 62-130

Reverse Mountain (Eps 62-63):

Started: 19/7/23 Finished: 19/7/23

Since we've skipped over the Warship Island arc, we are now moving onto our next saga: Alabasta! I expect that the further we get into the series, the longer these story arcs will become. Fortunately, Alabasta does have smaller arcs to ease us into this new chapter of the story before hitting us with the one-two punch of the Drum Island arc and its eponymous arc where the saga gets its name. The first of these smaller arcs is the Reverse Mountain arc.

The Straw Hats ride up a mountain where the current flows up that leads to the Grand Line. However, coming down the mountain, they encounter a giant whale called Laboon, which initially try to avoid before Luffy provokes it for breaking the masthead of the Going Merry. Laboon then decides to swallow the entire ship so the Straw Hats, apart from Luffy who manages to narrowly escape, are stuck in Laboon's stomach. They then meet a man named Crocus, who's also inside the stomach, and his job is the look after Laboon.

I felt sorry for Laboon, even before we are told about it's backstory. This gigantic whale with scars all over its face looking solemnly up at the sky is a striking image. When we did find out more about Laboon and the pirate crew he befriended, but they never came back for him even though he was waiting for them for over 50 years, howling at Reverse Mountain hoping that they would someday return, was of course a gut punch to the feels. In that case, Laboon reminded me a lot of Chouchou from Orange Town, almost down to the fact that he didn't get on with Luffy initially before forming a mutual bond over their shared beliefs. Or at least that's what I was expecting to happen but things turn out a bit differently at the end. What Luffy does instead to Laboon is provoke him to fight him but Luffy cuts it short by vowing to him that he'll resume it once he conquers the Grand Line. It establishes kind of a friendly rivalry between the two, suggesting that Luffy is establishing a new bond with Laboon that may not replace the love Laboon had for his first crew, but will act as an avenue to direct his anger towards instead of inflicting it on himself.

I also thought Crocus was pretty good too. The way he was introduced made him look very sinister and someone you shouldn't mess with. But, the way those expectations quickly flipped on their head and he is actually so unserious, especially when the anime plays all those freeze frames that build up to Crocus potentially blowing up in rage but ends up giving a pretty calm and mundane response, was a lot of fun. Although in saying that, there are a lot of moments where he does get serious, mostly pertaining with taking care of Laboon. He turned that whale's entire digestive system into this steampunk-esque contraption to in order to make it easier for Crocus to sedate him. That's some level of commitment to your craft! It is also hinted at the end of the arc that he might've known Roger on a personal level, pondering to himself if Luffy was the pirate Roger has been waiting for. Interesting stuff.

Speaking of Roger, even though this is a pretty short arc, there's still quite a bit packed into it when it comes to the lore. We find out that that the Grand Line is a far more mystical place than what was given beforehand. I was under the impression that it was this impossibly difficult task to embark on, and here we're told why it has that reputation in the first place. Traditional forms of magnetism don't work in the Grand Line, so they need a special compass called the Log Pose, which they get from Crocus. However, while we do now know the location of where Roger hid the One Piece, apparently there are seven different paths that will take you there, with varying results. With Luffy proposing that they'll try other routes if one wasn't successful, it does possibly explain why OP has gone on for as long as it has. Oda read those choose-you-own-adventure games as choose-EVERY-adventure game!

If there were some drawbacks to this arc, I would say that the inclusion of Mr. 9 and Miss Wednesday was kind of irrelevant. I like the dynamic they have, as a kind of Bonnie and Clyde duo type, but you could've taken them out of the arc completely and it wouldn't have changed anything. However, since the Straw Hats have taken them onboard and they will be featured in the next arc, so I am holding out hope that they do get more interesting as we go into this next arc.

Again, this was a pretty short arc that didn't give me a lot to talk about this time around. But, overall, I thought this was a pretty decent arc. Hopefully by the time it takes me to get to Whiskey Peak, there will be a quicker turnaround this time...

One Piece Anime Watchalong: East Blue Saga 6/6

Loguetown (Eps 45-53):

Started: 15/7/23 Finished: 16/7/23

So here we are at Loguetown, the final arc of the East Blue saga! Luffy has now got a bounty of 30 million berries on his head after beating some of the biggest threats in East Blue like Buggy, Krieg, and most recently Arlong. News of his newly acquired bounty has spread rapidly across the East Blue. I liked how the episode popped back to the previous locations Luffy has been to so far. We get to see how many of the characters are doing since then. We see Coby working hard as a marine, Kaya is striving to become a doctor, the Baratie has the wanted poster plastered over the restaurant, and we see Shanks celebrating with Mihawk over the news that Luffy is a certified pirate. I also watched the two episodes that adapt the first cover story that focuses Buggy's adventures after Luffy had flung him halfway across the world at the end of Orange Town. From what I've heard, these are somewhat considered to be episodes that people tend to skip over despite their canon status in the manga, and even then not all of them get adapted apparently. I thought they were fun, lighthearted episodes that were a nice bit of comic relief after the bleakness that was the previous arc.

Onto the main plot, in which we find the Straw Hats head to the city of Loguetown to stock up on more supplies before heading out into the Grand Line. The city is also well known for being the city of "the beginning and the end", referring to it being birthplace of Gold Roger, the former King of the Pirates, and also set as the place where he was executed. The Straw Hats are mostly separated and doing their own thing.

Starting with Nami, who doesn't contribute that much to this arc. She's just kind of chilling here, buying loads of stuff for herself. It's pretty fun. I think after Arlong and the trauma that she endured in that arc, she needed to treat herself, and I can forgive her not doing a lot in this arc because of it.

I felt bad for Usopp. It's almost like he was forgotten about for the majority of this arc. However, we did get a pretty good standalone episode with him facing off against the famed bounty hunter Daddy the Parent (I cannot get over how funny this name is!) in a duel. And it's through this episode that we get to know more about the kind of person his dad, Yasopp, was like. This is displayed in flashback where Yasopp wins in a duel against Daddy who, prior to the duel, has never been defeated. Instead of killing him, Yasopp spares him because he saw Daddy's pendant with a picture of his daughter. This scene resonates with Usopp, who is vows to be more courageous, which is put to the test when Daddy challenges him to shoot the weathervane or risk losing his life. It was a triumphant moment when Usopp did manage to just about hit it.

Sanji is kind of in the same boat, but he at least got a bit more screen time than Usopp. He too gets a standalone episode where he faces off against Carmen, a chef who proclaims herself as the No. 1 Chef of East Blue. She's a pretty hysterical and camp character with her over-the-top persona and flamenco flairs, which made the episode a breezy fun ride. However, unlike Usopp, we don't really learn anything new about Sanji, other than knowing that his goal is to find the All Blue.

There's quite a bit that occurs around Zoro. The first that's beneficial to him is having three swords again, with him now knowing about the Wazamono swords There's also when he comes into contact with the Sergeant Major of the navy in Loguetown, Tashigi. From her appearance, her short blue hair, down to her position as an exceptional swordsman, Zoro is taken aback by how much she reminds him of Kuina. I wish we would have explored this aspect a bit further, but I'll get more into that later. Also him using his three sword style on some mops when he briefly worked for the navy was hilarious!

Most of the important plot points that are revealed to us revolve around Luffy. We get to know more about Gold Roger, how he ventured across the Grand Line, and how he was executed. It was interesting to hear this story being told, from the old bartender Luffy stumbled upon, and how it puts the rest of the pirating world into perspective; it seems that a lot of pirates that have emerged after Roger's execution don't have the honour in what it means to be a true pirate. We also get to see Buggy who is also accompanied by a newly revitalised Alvida due to her eating the Smooth-Smooth Devil Fruit, as they try to get their revenge on Luffy for what he did to them. I'm really fascinated to see how these two will play off each other, as we didn't get to see much of them together, again more on that later. Finally, we have Captain Smoker, the vice admiral of Loguetown who has the reputation of preventing pirates from entering the Grand Line. He's not so much of a villain but probably more of an antagonist trying to thwart Luffy's goals. Out of all of Luffy's adversaries in this arc, he's probably the most complex. He witnessed Roger's execution as a young lad and he's had some kind of admiration for him as he watched Roger die with a big grin bearing on his face. But, despite this admiration, he still has a duty of catching pirates that have substantial bounties on them and protecting the people of the city. He's also the only naval officer, that we know of so far, to also have Devil Fruit powers, his being Plume-Plume that made his entire body out of smoke and is able to use the smoke to grab onto solid objects. He actually had Luffy in his grasp but only failed due to a mysterious hooded figure that goes by the name of "Dragon". My theory as to who this guy is that he may be one of the seven Warlords that was alluded to earlier in the saga. I may be completely wrong on that, but we'll have to keep watching to find that out.

While I did end up liking the arc, there was a glaring issue over it that kept me from enjoying it even more. It felt like one giant set up, as certain plot points, such as Zoro and Tashigi's fight, Alvida and Buggy's revenge plot, and Smoker's grudge against Luffy, are cut short with the intention of being resolved later. There's nothing inherently wrong with doing that, but it makes this entire arc kind of limp as a whole, because we don't have that satisfying conclusion. Even though East Blue is structured like a prologue before the "proper" story kicks into action, but many of those arcs had three-act structures that can be watched on their own, isolated from the main story but can still be enjoyed. With Loguetown however, it had those first two acts in place but lacks the third , and thus it doesn't hit as hard as those previous arcs. Nonetheless, I'm still looking forward to how these plot points and character beats are resolved in this kind of extended version of a third act, or maybe this could sprout in a whole new direction.

If you want my preliminary ranking of all the arcs in this saga, here's what I've settled on: Arlong Park Syrup Village Baratie Romance Dawn Orange Town Loguetown

idk if this ranking is controversial or not, but that's what I'm feeling at the moment

And there you have it, folks! I finished all of East Blue (excluding the filler arc at the end, I'll get around to the filler arcs at a later date)! The main thing to take away from this is, not that I ended up getting through multiple episodes of One Piece, but how surprising it was that I was able to go through it so quickly! When I first set out to watch OP, I set myself a target of getting through at least 3 episodes a day. That way I'll be able to make it through all the series while also being set at a comfortable pace to consume the anime. But, somewhere down the line, around Syrup Village, I kind of threw that out the window because of how engrossed I was in the story! As a result, what I thought would've taken me over a month to get through this saga took me less than 2 weeks. One Piece is one hell of a drug!

Anyways, onward to Alabasta! I'll see you soon!