One Piece's most forgotten villain, and why he matters
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- Опубликовано: 2 авг 2024
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Well, the RUclips algorithm heard me talking sh** I guess and decided to clown on me. This video started out doing well below average in terms of numbers, but it's rallied in little surges that I cannot explain, and is now doing above average for a video on my channel. I am very suprised, and very happy, with this - thank you all for your time and attention
Your explanation wants me to read the maga from the start!
Thanks for talking about this. I like when people talk alot about things that many don't talk about.
Even more so when it's about stuff i like.
Your shorts have made me finally start reading one piece. On Water 7 now and it's been great. Thank you.
The cover of 1090 is kuro so I think this videos about to blow up
It's a great vid though. I for one would like to see more.
I honestly think that his claws are also good storytelling. They are utterly goofy but they also make it impossible for hims to touch things. Kuro literally can't reach out to people without impaling them and manipulation is always awkward for him.
I do not forget this guy cause I just started watching one piece
@r.e.n9809 you're in for a wild ride. Thats all I will say without spoiling things but trust me, however good you think it is, it gets better and somehow makes the earlier parts better as you go. It is every bit as great as every bit of praise you've ever heard says it is.
I guess you could say he is...
*“out of touch”* 😂
Oda has a type with women, honestly nothing wrong with drawing women he wants to look attractive in the way he thinks is attractive, especially when there are quite a few women of other bosy types in the show and most of them do play a major role in the arcs they're in. though I will concede that Sanji's training arc was indeed cringe
One of the more underrated things about them was just how dangerous they were at the time. Before haki and crazy power creep came in and Luffy was actually *super* vulnerable to bladed weapons.
Now that I’m thinking back on it….I think most of his pre TS enemies that weren’t heavily dependent on DF used blades
*TB Skyen:* I’m gonna make a video about a villain from One Piece who is so forgotten that Oda hasn’t mentioned him in decades, so chances are the RUclips algorithm isn’t gonna recommend this video
*RUclips algorithm:* Fuck you we’re gonna recommend your video
*Oda:* Fuck you here’s Kuro for the first time in decades
😂
Who's here from the community post
@@paweropel3712me lol
wait where was kuro
@@malactwo8785in the manga he was drawn for the cover page, but he didn‘t become relevant in the story again
Usopp and Kuro are one of the best examples of handling a mirror concept between protagonist and antagonist with both of them being liars but in opposites spectrums.
True that's a cool idea
There's just how well Kuro works as an East Blue villain specifically; one of the cool themes fans might remember from these early chapters is how the various arc villains (Higuma, Buggy, Kuro, Don Krieg, and Arlong) represent, in one fashion or another, the absence or abandoning of ambition, to contrast with the fiery determination of the Straw Hats to achieve their dreams.
Buggy is the only recurring villain that actually shows up after east blue too! Maybe he has ambition left after all
@@voidnoidoidThat line accidentally aged line fine wine-
“My name is Captain Kuro. I am 33 years old…”
Edit: holy shit Kuro literally was 33 during his debut
Edit: he’s also cat themed, wtf
@@voidnoidoidhe has so much ambition to the point he influenced two badass pirate dream.
@@blushingralseiuwu2222could you remind me who?
Kuro is one of those characters where he himself isn't that interesting, but Oda manages to embody so many themes and ideas through him that are really vital for setting the stage early on
How in the world did you get four days owed on this video when it’s what is a release 16 hours ago
@@adey4139 if you're subbed to skyen on twitch, patreon or become a member on youtube, you get early access
@@adey4139 I think subscribers can get videos early if creator sets it that way.
@@adey4139 He mentioned in the video how one of the Patreon bonuses is getting to see videos early, so they're probably a patron!
@arikadoriyama4724 oda has always known what his story is about. It's nice seeing that consistency from beginning to end
I am not ashamed to admit that as a kid I thought Kuro was *so cool* that I still, to this day, sometimes push my glasses up with the palm of my hand.
Who didnt? That move Was so cold back then. His character Design always stuck in my head. Also his claw weapons are so cool.
Ngl, so did i!
Same.
He is still one of the coolest characters in OP to me
I still do
Kuro was always my favorite antagonist from early One Piece. Kuro served as the perfect foil of what being a pirate means to Luffy. Luffy being disturbed by how Kuro regarded his crew as pawns and fodder to further his own goals and slashed them indiscriminately during the fight is one of my favorite moments in the East Blue saga. Highly underrated.
That's true. He had met Buggy by this point, but Buggy is actually quite like Luffy in the context of seeing his crew as something like family. Kuro really was a flavor of pirate Luffy never knew and couldn't stomach. And sure enough, he gained a sort of one-sided friendship with Buggy later in the series, but it's like Luffy scrubbed Kuro's existence from his mind.
All the east blue major villains acted as important foils to carve out Luffy's worldview for us before heading in to the Grand Line. Morgan represented the marines and opression, Luffy represents freedom. Buggy represented piracy as pointless mayhem, Luffy represents pointed ambition. Kuro represented the disregard of the strong for the weak, Luffy represents the duty of the strong TO the weak. Don Krieg played double duty, representing both piracy as a means of replicating the navy's power (Krieg even started his career posing as a marine officer to raid civilian ships) AND cheating as an acceptable strategy for pirates; Luffy represents close relationships and shared ambition (no fleets for Luffy,) and tackles the "no fair fights among pirates" problem with sheer grit instead of cheap tactics. Arlong represented a few things to Luffy, but narratively he represented the belief of the supremacy of one kind of people; Luffy represents the acceptance of everyone who would be his friend. Finally, Smoker represented perfection and absolutes, Luffy represents flexibility and acceptance of life as it comes.
Luffy's strength of character never needed proving again. Instead, Luffy's greatest personal challenges have come mainly from who he had to bear his convictions against (e.g. when Usopp quit the crew,) or when he didn't have enough power to back up his convictions (e.g. when he couldn't save Ace). But the convictions themselves have never come into question.
And his reveal actually caught me reallyoff guard and sets the tone for how one piece can set up these little plot twists and whatnot. The twist genuinely caught mw out of nowhere and was set up so cool, woth the glasses raise still iconic af.
@@bobbodaskankBuggy literally sacrificed his own crew and shields and was not above killing them for small matters...
Luffy, by definition isn't actually a pirate until he actually fights with the government... and even then, it's only because the higher ups...
The world government is a monarchy pretending to be a republic...
he was also a great foil to usopp as well, saw a video that said something along the lines of usopp is an honest man who comes across as a liar while kuro is a liar who comes across as an honest man. he’s probably one of the best pre-alabasta villains for sure.
As a Syrup Village defender, this video impressed me. I knew that Kuro is a prototype for villains like Cocodrile and Doflamingo, but I've never seen in detail all this storytelling.
I'm curious on how the Netflix live action of One Piece is going to adapt Kuro, the fight is going to take place in the mansion
In case of prototype. His Stealth foot technique was also a early prototype of the techniques used by the CP9 later in the Enies Lobby Arc.
Syrup Village fans unite ✊
They wont
Have you watched it? I watched it yesterday and he’s interesting. It’s not terrible but i haven’t seen Jango
@@BroomPusher2024lol
Honestly Kuro is an interesting character, basically one who has been fed up with pirate live and instead of living an honest live like other retired pirates like Sanjis Mentor, but instead continues his villany just in another enviroment.
its such a unque and interesting motive for villainy
It reminds me of Yoshikage Kira, both these characters claim to want a peaceful life, yet do things that forego such an idea, always wanting to have their cake and eating it too, pure arrogance.
Zeff?
Life would be a more appropriate word to use instead of live
@@soundssaneenough7574 Sorry, not a native english speaker
Now that Kuro appeared in a cover story, i can say that Ghin/Don Krieg is the most forgotten villains despite Ghin helping to emphasized his compassion for cooking and even says "See you on the Grandline"......
Yeah they also basically didn't include him in the Netflix show
well guess who finally showed up in a background shot in one of the newest egghead chapters-
I swear oda is tilling these comments
I agree, Don Krieg is a lot more forgettable imo and in one of the credit sequences it showed all of the major threats the Straw hats went against at the time and he was completely missing
Funny that Kuro got cover art right after this was posted 😮
YES LMAO
There's a lot I like about the Netflix series but it's a shame that a lot of what you praised in this video was missing.
-Kuro doesn't get new glasses from Kaya, so we lose everything they represent along with his rejection of them.
-Kuro's crew is limited to just the cat duo, so the threat to the village as well as Kaya is gone, meaning Usopp is no longer fighting for a place that rejects him.
-The absense of the crew also means them being expendable to Kuro is limited to telling rather than showing.
i see why you would be dissapointed, but I think since you adapt the live action knowing what happens in the next 1000+ chapters, you don't need to adapt a character whose model is gonna be used for better vilains later, and you might as well make something new like a horror movie-part
I think the Live Action also played more into a man who has given up on his dreams and ambitions.
Abandoning his crew and ship, which to LA Luffy, is the greatest crime one can commit.
You don't give up on your dreams.
@@AstaraBrightwing oh really? I never read the manga or watched the anime (intimidated) so my first watch I did buy into him maybe caring about her? Of course they drop that rather quickly when Zoro recognizes him.
I do wish the LA had more time (obviously not the case in any timeline), but I actually preferred the LA Kuro, especially combined with Sham and Buchi. I hope we get to see more of him.
The anime Kuro just seemed stupidly impatient and incompetent.
@@eliben4066I loved the claustrophobic feel of LA syrup village and how it kinda played out like a slasher- also ngl that scene where kuro rants about kaya being needy and it's just her asking for things a normal kid would ask for is some chilling stuff
I get annoyed when people hate syrup villiage. I love syrup villiage because this was the arc that actually convinced me to keep reading One Piece. I did notice the thing with the glasses right away, and I love Kurou. He is such an underrated character, and his attempted killing of Merry in the anime is gorgeous.
His successful killing of Merry in the LA is even better.
Awesome video. I like how the parallels between Usopp and Kuro run so deep. Not just everything said in the video but even in how they approach a fight.
Despite his appearance and meticulous nature, Kuro was an indiscriminate slasher. His peak was simple lashing out at his surroundings until it was done. Usopp, on the other hand, is a sniper. He finds good positions and then takes shots when the opportunity arises. He is doing the more think heavy fighting. Even the lethal/non-lethal nature of how they fight are funny opposites.
Kuro's glasses are also the one and only rounded element of his character design that is rounded, which, when he's still playing the role of the butler can be interpreted as him having a soft side to him that he doesn't show often, but once we learn of his real personality, then the glasses become a symbol of that fake persona: he puts them on the same way that he puts on the mask of a caring person
I do like the observation that his glasses are the only things round… but im not entirely convinced of it being the mask of a caring person…
One nuanced take is its an angle around his belief, his own naivety, like he truly believed his plan would work, which is almost childish, everything else about him was quite cold and sharp.
a second nuance, i wonder if it says something despite how he told lots of lies, his eyes always gave who he really was away, his eyes could never hide his intentions, that cold gaze (showing his inability to trust) was the only part of him that was honest.
I don’t think my angles hold much better, but it certainly is strange why his glasses were round. Maybe it just makes him look soft like a cat, but cats are predators by nature, contrary to his looks! More nuance thought is needed!
I LOVE his glasses. 10 years after I read One Piece (I stopped at the transphobic prison arc) and I remember that piece of visual storytelling better than anything.
One could also say that maybe the fact that they were unlike his character is why he struggled to keep them in place. They are rounded, soft, and they really don't belong on a character like him. They symbolized his soft persona that he tried to put on, but it didn't fit him, and it kept trying to fall away to reveal the true character that he tried to hide.
And they keep slipping off...!
It's a very cool metaphor that works, intended or not.
Also, I think that they bring about a kind of softness to him that which the reader WISHES he could embrace. There's nuance to him, in you there grows bittersweet expectations which you know will never be fulfilled. He's exemplified being warm, affectionate and caring, but his pride disallows him to fully embody these traits. The tenacity and discipline, the desperation and hard-headed conviction... It's this kind of complexity that makes him so compelling and sets him apart from a lot of other villains in OP.
@@Ajehy You believe the prison ark was transphobic? Got any reason or was it just because Ivankov was a cartoon pastiche of Rocky Horror?
When I was in 4th grade, around 2004, I was super into One Piece when it first made its way statewide. That year, I decided I wanted to be Captain Kuro for Halloween. Everyone thought I was Harry Potter. Needless to say, I love seeing people put some respect on his name! Thanks for this incredible look at Kuro's character. The parallels between him and the World Government never even occurred to me!
This is going to be buried but kaya did not have a wasting disease. kuro was poisoning her. It’s never explicitly stated, but it is stated that her parents were killed by poison shortly after they found “Clawhador”, and she fell ill shortly afterwards. We also see that kuro is always the one who brings her tea and medicine. The reason he keeps her isolated is not just to foster dependence on him, but also because if she were to miss her scheduled tea breaks then she would start to recover and realize something was wrong. Finally, after kuro is defeated, we see kaya is able to walk around outside without any trouble.
Whoops: missed a detail. Kuro did not kill kaya’s parents. Or at least tells Jango he didn’t.
Did she ever recover post kuros defeat?
Source? I have never heard of this before, and can find no official materials confirming it, nor is it mentioned anywhere on the wiki
@@Small_Leviathan source: the syrup village arc. i said it was never explicitly stated. But her parents dying of poison right before she gets sick is too much of a coincidence to ignore. Also, kuro would have been the only one to know what was happening, and he wasn’t exactly in a position to tell anyone at the end of the arc.
@@claustrophobicmole867 we don’t see her recover, but we do see her walking around outside without any issues.
This is headcanon, no where is any of that stated. Jango mentions that Kuro killed Kaya's parents, and he denies it and says it was actually outside of his plans. This was in the conversation just between them, no reason for him to lie.
To this day, the earlier episodes leading up to the grand line, are my favorite. They are small and simple stories, but I think that's what makes it feel real to me.
A scene that really stands out to me, is when Usopp gets ready to defend the town against the Straw Hats by bluffing, and Luffy calls him out by quoting one of Shank's crew members. It's a very serious, and hard line.. and then is followed by Luffy laughing with his stupid grin, saying "hahah, that's just what my pirate friends used to say! Sounds cool, huh?"
It kind of encapsulates what the early chapters are. A bunch of silly kids learning their core values before they are put to the test in a very real, and very cruel world.
yeah they are sadly underated from the fandom
1090 cover art 8 days after this vid:
Captain Kuro is an underrated villain, with many aspects we associate with some of our favorite villains in fiction. There's actually a fan- made cover story, in which Kuro abandons his crew at Logue Town, travels to the Grand Line on a merchant vessel, and learns Haki. It also gave Kuro a backstory, in which he was raised to be a Cypher Pol agent, but defected.
I know in the game One Piece Pirate Warriors 3 the Cypher Pol 9 does have an option dialogue with Kuro if they are both on the field.
Namely theorizing his Out of the Bag attack is an incomplete version of one of the six powers and they toy interest in recruiting him (which is declines).
@@Redblaze27 That's interesting. Even I speculated Oda could bring back Kuro as a Cipher Pol agent. But he's too arrogant to take orders from anyone, and he'd probably get bored with it in the end, just as he got bored with piracy. Even if his plan for Kaya's fortune had worked out, he would probably have gotten bored with that life too eventually..
@@Redblaze27 Hah, funny thing...
_Grand Battle! Rush!_ has a possible dialogue with Crocodile where he applies for membership in Baroque Works. It was even kept in the 4Kids-dubbed version!
His ultimate technique is just an uncontrollable version of Cipher's shave.
I only was into One Piece for the first few arcs (I was little and couldn't get mangas regularly) but this bad guy was one of the only things that stayed in my mind this whole time. It's funny coming back and learning the singular thing I remember was the thing most people forget.
Glad to see I'm not alone. To me is the most well designed character in East Blue - if you count out Buggy who became more interesting in Imple Down. Despite having no devil fruit, his fighting style was unique and cool to watch, he was cunning and the way he moved his glasses was pure badassery.
Hard to not forget him when we get more amazing stuff later(that you didn't see)
he's still one of my faves. he's not particular deep or that clever, but he's a pretty good villain in my opinion.
@TheReviewGhost it is probably because you did not get much further.
Later on in the series, there are much better ones, and after enough of them you will start to remember the earlier antags less and less.
Especially in the case of Kuro because (like the vid says) he never appears again lol
Even "unmemorable" One Piece main antagonists are still pretty damn good
I never noticed the jacket poop and now I can't unsee it.Thanks, Skyen.
And then he proceeds to appear in a cover story right after this video
It's weird how this guy makes it canon that there's a kind of tap dancing in the one piece universe that makes you invisible
Alright. I know that this video might not get the love it ABSOLUTELY deserves by the RUclips algorithm, but as someone who absolutely adores one piece, your coverage of the series via shorts and this video essay are a true treat! Whether you continue making more in the future or step back from one piece in the future to commit more time to your other cool projects, I’m definitely still here for it! Great video, Skyen! :)
It did appear in my page having seen none of this channel's videos so that's a good sign
@@yosholau Alright! Neat!
Syrup Island is the first appearence of the thesis statement of One Piece, and that is certainly something special considering how much Oda's vision has both shifted and stayed the same through out a quarter century of writing.
The same thing that happened to you with kuro happened to me with crocodile on my third re-read. There's a scene where crocodile stabs Luffy through the chest saying that "there are thousands of rookie pirates like you, who don't know how the world works." And I realized he wasn't talking about Luffy, he was talking about how HE lost to white beard, and he didn't get back up the way Luffy does. Not just to get back to the fight, but to get back to his dream, he took a cushy government job and hid away where there was no water to hurt him anymore, where he couldn't lose. And he couldn't help but project that onto Luffy and his idealism.
What I noticed first in Kuro's design was actually his shoes. They looked as if they don't make a sound while walking just like a cat. And if he does not want you to hear him coming, then you need to watch him.
Those striped fluffy shoes. I noticed them too. They're so cool in such a weird way. They really looked like soft steps lol
Is biting the bullet and reading the manga the best way to experience one piece for the first time?
Also yes, Arcane animation breakdown sounds fun.
I would say yes for multiple reasons:
1. The anime's art is very inconsistent, while Oda and his teams art are almost always on point.
2. It's quicker to read through a manga than it is to sit through an anime. Especially since the anime has unnecessary padding (that's not including the filler arcs).
3. The Shonen Junp app makes it easier than ever to read through the manga. At 2.99 USD, the ability to read through One Piece alone would be worth the money, but you also get access to a massive library of stuff.
Also to add onto ChowderMeat's point, the anime has massive pacing issues later on. Toei shifted to a 1 chapter per episode, where most do 2-3 chapters per episode, format which means you have 6 minutes of going over the last episode at the beginning, scenes are dragged on long past what they should and such.
Yeah, it cannot be overstated how much the anime drags at times. One Piece was the first time I switched from anime to manga and though it seems daunting at first, I firmly believe that you'll have a much better time with it if you go that way and just catch the animated highlights after.
I recommend reading the colored version of the manga, it looks amazing.
The only problem with the manga is that the official translation is pretty bad at the start. I recommend reading it with the Stephen Paul text only translation
as somebody who got into one piece because of your shorts i can confidently say i read every chapter with a lot of care and attention - it gives me a great appreciation for not only the story but the artistry and ideals displayed in this series when i pay attention… so thanks skyen for introducing me to one piece
Were you reading manga before One Piece?
Pretty interesting that you point out the parallels between Kuro and Doflamingo. Post-TS arcs tend to mirror the pre-TS arcs to some extend, so I think Kuro and Doflamingo being both glasses wearing villains, who present themselves as good people and whose glasses get shattered when they are defeated is intentional.
That makes me remember a fan observation I read about the whole of the East Blue saga being somewhat predictive of the post-timeskip arcs. Some of the connections are just fun and superficial (Buggy and Caeser are both clowns) but others definitely have deeper thematic similarities
@@welshlout3400 Arlong and Kaido can definitely viewed as parallels.
Going by that pattern
Arlong park/wano
a maglomaniac villain who's unrivaled and considers himself the pinnacle of the world most powerful being until a crackhead sends them packing to the bottom along with their shattered dreams
Baratie/whole cake island
An arc that focuses on Sanji
With an arrogant villain who failed becoming the pirate king and had their top subordinate's personality fleshed out
Dressrosa/syrup village
Glasses wearing weirdo
Punk hazard/orange town:
Goofy villain with a clown theme used explosive weapons and were beaten by being sent flying who later became running gag of a character after their villain arc
Egghead island/longue town
Logia based marine officers witness the potential threat of a certain crackhead
This aged like a fine wine
I'm so glad someone is finally giving this arc the care and attention it deserves through a video essay. Despite its many flaws, it's still one of my favorite arcs, especially since it's the introduction of my favorite strawhat
As someone who has a really weird adoration for Kuro and his design. This video literally is something I've always wished to exist and I feel lucky that I was subscribed to your channel as you made it because God damn it, I love Kuro's Arc so God damn much.
Missed opportunity that he couldn’t have become a CP agent. He already has potential to learn the six powers based on his own speed technique showing that he could develop such skills.
Yah but I dont think he would want to keep fighting or risking his live. So he probably wouldnt be a good fit because CP follows orders even if it would cost their life (Kaido vs Luffy fight for example)
Funny you say that. In One Piece Pirate warriors 3 there are various little scenarios that can occur during some of the missions. One such scenario that can occur is spandam telling cp9 to pursue kuro to recruit him to cp9. Kuro refuses, and you can back him up in the fight. Afterwards, he immediately tries to fight you cause he wants his 'peaceful life.'
A lot of people say Baratie or Arlong Park is where they first started to get hooked on the show. But personally it was Kuro and syrup village that really had me hooked on the show. Baratie was just icing for me
I got hooked when I watched episode 1. After that all arcs in the east blue saga and forward were amazing.
I liked Syrup Village more than Baratie personally, but I think Arlong Park is the first truly fantastic OP arc
Back after... the "not so forgotten anymore" incident. X']
Take this as me cheering to the success of this great analysis! :D
I really enjoyed this. Really makes you think about how to show things about a character visually with the glasses.
One thing to note is that technically, the "values of pirates" that Luffy preaches is actually the value of sailors and adventurers...
If anything, the World Government is actually a decent government run by what is essentially a group of Pirates pretending to be supporting the law...
The World Government is making good people who don't actually engage in piracy considered pirates....
And it also shows a parallel. Kuro doesn't want to consider himself a Pirate, doesn't show himself as a pirate... but is a pure Pirate...
While Ussop calls himself a pirate, considers himself a pirate... yet is actually a hero....
Also, it should be noted that Merry is a sheep and Kuro is wearing the clothes of Merry while hiding his claws... a literal wolf in sheep's clothing... and Ussop is the boy who called wolf and body believed him while the sheep was hurt by the wolf...
Well, uh... the World Government is run by despots and sanctions slavery as part of its legal foundation, and enforces a racial caste system up to and including wiping out entire countries that give offense to their ruling class, so idk that I'd call it "a decent government" so much as a violent occupying army ruling by fear
Through Kuros interations I had one of my first "oh shit" moment, where in response to Kuro wanting to live a peaceful life Luffy responds how much of a coward he is and he'd rathed die then ever stop being a pirate.
For how much of a fairly basic two-dimensional bad guy Kuro is on the surface, he’s always been one of my favorite arc villains solely based on his great character design. Watching you delve into that design and uncovering so much thematic depth to him was really impressive.
I started and caught up with One Piece over the last couple of years and I was surprised to see later people’s distaste and apathy towards syrup village. It still remains one of my favorite arcs of the series and cemented Usopp as my favorite character in the Stawhats. His relationship with Kaya, him standing up to Kuro, all of it was so brilliantly done character wise and I have such a soft spot for all of it. Thank you for giving this arc the attention it deserves. ❤
To be honest, I never forgot kuro. Seen the live action and how he was done to perfection got me to look up a vido on him and I'm glad I found this one
I found Kuro to be super-interesting and menacing. He was so manipulative and ruthless. He was the first true villain imo (Buggy went into Comedy mode relatively early on). He was the a very conventionally villainous persona in an otherwise goofy story, and was a great sampler leading to Arlong
I feel he was like a mini Crocodile or Doflamingo. Not to degrade him or anything, and I completely agree with you, he in my opinion also was the first true villain. With a solid plan, just for it to be destroyed by a group of traveling kids under the leadership of crackheaded individual. Literally what happened to Crocodile and Doflamingo.
Oda heard you with that coverpage this week
Out of all the antagonistic parallels you made I'm surprised you left out Crocodile as it's the first i thought of from a visual perspective. Kuro also retroactively acts as a marker between EB and GL as locations with respective power dynamics. Kuro feels it necessary to discard his identity as a pirate in order to manipulate an environment whose only contact with the dangers of pirates is either from Pinocchio's Pranks™ or Government Propaganda™. Crocodile's standing as Warlord and the nefariousness of his plan is such that Vivi learning about it beforehand does very little, because the government has allowed him to build status as a pirate and a rich & respected celebrity simultaneously.
I want to add a bit more to what you were saying about Kuro’s design in relation to his glasses. His features are pointy and stern while his glasses are simple and round. They literally do not fit his face but they also clash with his more jagged appearance which might show that he “doesn’t fit” the kind and responsible butler persona he is trying to appear as.
Been saying this for years. The Kuro reveal with the glasses and connection to Captian Morgan was one of the best and unexpected narrative reveals in my life. Plus, with Kuro representing everything contrary to Luffy and Usopps ideals of piracy, courage, and truth, the fact that Luffy (the real captain) and Usopp (the fake captain) simultaneously defeats the same on the opposite side is so fucking magnifient.
Small thing about Kuro being forgotten, recently Oda did do 2 cover pages with Kuro in them. While not part of the story itself, it is nice to know that he has had some appearances in the manga recently.
The first was a color spread for the Netflix Live Action
The second was actually leaked a few days ago, it'll be the next cover page request, "Kuro reading with black cats."
I always find it so provocative when I see reactors getting upset when Kuro attacks Merry because, as they rightly point out, if he had not, if he had just accepted the gift and continued playing his role, even if his plan failed, he could have continued as nothing and if something unforeseen happens and, say, Kaya gets up in the night to get a glass of water, his plan goes up in smoke. But that is the entire _point!_ He's murderous. He _likes_ the kind of power this sort of thing gives him. He _doesn't_ want to not kill Merry and he's so overconfident in his plan because his plans have apparently never been challenged before, that he doesn't bother to curb his own blood lust. Kuro is a murderer and he _revels_ in it. So Kuro is so confident in his plan going _exactly_ as he imagined it that _he_ gets to divert. He might even have planned that he would kill Merry well in advance to leave Kaya truly alone and unprotected.
Also I feel that he was angry, at that point. Like he resented Merry and Kaya for "making" him play this charade.
I come from the future when the first page is Kuro reading a book surrounded by black cats.
Just his mention of Arlong’s arc had me nearly crying
really appreciate you taking your best panels of one piece shorts and turning it into something long form. i struggle to get into one piece consistently but i do appreciate videos like this where i can enjoy it on its periphery
That Kuro just appeared in chapter 1090's cover story must be painfull.
I love how like three weeks after this came out Oda has a cover story of Captain Kuro in Ch. 1090.... Guess Oda thinks he is import for something soon
His Odasense told him some youtubers claimed he has forgotten a characters
Man the syrup village arc in the anime is what got me into one piece. It holds a special place in my heart. Really appreciated this breakdown and the love you gave the arc. Great video
Kurro being the cover art this week😂
This aged well lmao he’s on the cover of 1090
damn oda must have seen this video before writing 1090
I'm really interested in this video essay direction you're taking, though I obviously love the LoL content I honestly think this brings out the masterful editing, I've always loved how you appreciate the actual art as well, you don't brush over it like so many do, and as a comic artist, I really full heartedly appreciate it
In case you didn't know, skyen used to make comics. So that's probably why.
AND THATS WHY ONE PIECE IS THE GREATEST MANGA OF ALL TIME
THE GOAT
Great analysis video. Kuro is a criminaly underrated villain.
As someone who only just started reading one piece (well, 600 chapters in, but its only been like a month so...) and desperately wants some video essays to listen to while at work but doesnt want spoilers, this is exactly the kind of video i need!!!
A masterful overview and dissection of this One Piece arc I must say! Covering the good bad and interesting, all the while serving as a love letter to One Piece as a whole. Just wonderful Skyen, and I hope you are want to make more of these in the future! Thank you for making this video.
Kuro is an interesting little villain, and while he is doubtlessly forgotten by Oda, I would laugh if he somehow popped up again. But he probably wouldn't serve much purpose as from the meme of "The long forgotten starter villain has returned." Although it's possible Oda could use his return for something, but as he lacks any build up compared to other returned villains like Buggy, at this point it's probably better if this cat stays in the bag. Again, even though I personally would adore his return, his little pushing his glasses up with his palm has always been just a favorite detail of mine, and that along with his weapons has made him stick with me for years, even as villains with more depth have come and gone.
Honestly I'd like to see him in the epilogue to the story, showing him with a new pair of glasses, without a suit, working as an honest man with a family. A reformed man forever changed for the better by Luffy's ideology.
@@yosayoran1I don't know if that's been earned, exactly. I don't remember Kuro getting the "life changing Luffy moment" the other antagonists have
@@yosayoran1 I think Kuro is one of those characters where even if Syrup village went the way he wanted, his pirate instincts would never let him rest, no matter what he tells himself.
I first discovered you through your "Best One Piece Panels" shorts and I absolutely love the way you talk about this series. I've been a One Piece fan since 2004 and thoroughly enjoyed this video essay especially since Syrup Village was one of the first arcs I saw in the anime back then during 4kids dub. I hope you decide to make more of these in the future 🙏🏿💯
Thank you!! As someone finally giving in to peer pressure and watching One Piece, I sincerely appreciate being able to experiencing it along with your content, and it's a joy to listen to your thoughts!
What a great analysis. The early One Piece arcs might be weaker narratively, but they're rich thematically, and function to set up the whole ethos of the series going forward. They're essential, and served very well by their simplicity.
I'm always so confused when someone says this arcs is one of the fans least favorite, since I love it soooo much, exactly for the reasons you brought on this video
I always thought looking back that the glasses falling off his face was his mask metaphorically slipping, but wow did you expand on that so well!
I would kill to see more in depth One Piece videos like this. I love how much clear love and passion you have for the series and the characters and I won’t lie there were a few times in this video where I got emotional over your descriptions. It’s all so thoughtful and interesting!!
Kuro and Jango were the first villains I saw of One Piece. I was so inspired that my first account names were based off of them. It is too bad we do not get to see more of Kuro. My younger days hoped he would have a redemption arc and play the straight man to the strawhats shenanigans. Keep up the great videos T B.
I would actually really love videos like this about other arcs! Either underrated or not, I love hearing Skyen's thoughts about them.
Thank you for uploading this video! Its brilliant as always and so its so nice to have a full length One Piece video because your shorts are already amazing! And its been uploaded on arguably one of the most important days in One Piece history!!
Kuro is one of my favorite characters in One Piece. Makes me sad he never came back. He could have had a whole redemption arc.
Since first watching this video I have now finished the rest of One Piece and yeah. This series is the best thing I’ve ever read. Thank you so much Skyen for being one of if not the first person to point out just how deep Oda’s skill in storytelling goes. 💜
OH DUDE , Kuro just today, got featured on a Cover of the chapter 1090 as fan request, fans still remember this evil dude
I really liked Kuro as a villain. Taking out all the marines in a ship that was hunting him was a big story element to me in the beginning.
I would absolutely love to see an analysis video this deep and we’ll thought out about every arc in one piece
Honestly one of my personal favorite things about the syrup village arc is just how much it feels like a fairy tale. The way Kaya is written in almost a rapunzel like way with her tower that Usopp climbs up to to save her, and the fact that one of Usopp’s central character traits is telling tall tales (as well as the common theory that Usopp’s names was inspired by Aesop, a infamous story teller) it just kinda makes the whole things feel a bit like a fairy tale to me in its story.
Just listened to this today, and sent it to a friend and Captain F'n Kuro is on the cover of this week's chapter!
For me, I see Kuro as sort of the progenitor of what pirates generally sort of represent in the one piece world - in that, despite Oda’s propensity to depict pirates that are either “bad” or “good” he also depicts the institution of pirating as one which has manifested from oppressive political systems and unjustifiable hierarchies, regardless of if that pirate is “good” or “evil” - pirates represent people looking for some sort of salvation, some sort of agency they are deprived of having given the way the world is structured
Tying this back to Kuro, I always found it interesting his goal is to essentially turn the “fake” life he lives with Kaya into a legitimate reality - a simple life where he doesn’t have to play pirate - but sees no way out his current standing without relying on the old pirate methods he’s grown accustomed to using. He can’t find a solution outside of the current status quo.
When you get deeper into one piece, and you see that most of the pirate villains are mostly just people trying to turn the world in their favor - victims of the same oppressive system the “good” pirates also exist within - I think you get a clearer picture of the political systems Oda is trying to depict, ones which foster very reactionary attitudes within peasantry classes and enable them to be the worst versions of themselves
Ultimately, I think one piece is a story about fighting your way out of that system, instead of giving into it and a perpetuating those cycles of oppression and I think Kuro is our first indication of this underlying theme.
As you get deeper into one piece, and get a clearer understanding of how the world works, the easier it is to look back at Kuro and understand what led him to this point.
I love your One Piece analysis videos, I do hope you do more on the obscure and forgotten aspects of One Piece, I could listen to them all day!
You just had to invite the wrath of oda saying he forgot someone? What next gonna say he forgot gaimon?
Was genuinely not expecting a video on Kuro, but I'm so glad it exsists! Syrup village was the arc that made One Piece one of my favorite manga/anime and it's a shame not many people talk about it
I always think fondly of this arc. Kuro is still one of my favourite villains. Great video.
One Piece chapter 1090's cover story is "Captain Kuro Is Reading A Book Peacefully With Black Cats."
A week after I watched this video Chap 1090 comes out and Kuro is on the cover I don’t see a comeback but I just find it funny to see him again after this video
Been really enjoying your One Piece shorts. This is a wonderful day for One Piece I hope you celebrate
Ever since you mentioned making this video I have been on the edge of my seat, I am so happy
I recently started rewatching the One Piece anime with my best friend and I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the Syrup Island Arc, specially bc of what you mention of Kuro being an extreme foreshadowing of the workings of every major villain of t'he story
Thank you so much for your work
Great video, its been a joy to follow your journey on the best panel's short series. Its nice to go back to these early chapters and appreciate them with a renewed perspective
Genuinely thank you so much for making this video, in my opinion Captain Kuro is such an underrated villain which is a shame because he’s a one off character (at least for now) with the arc. I thought he was really entertaining and different from other One Piece villains and genuinely think he’s really interesting, here’s to hoping that one day he may come back.
Ooh, I really enjoyed this!! What a great exploration of an under-explored character. Funny that Kuro just showed up in the manga again. Wonderful narration and editing.
I have to say, I sometimes miss the early art. There was a nice use of negative space and simplicity that I enjoyed. Also, the women didn’t look as… inflated. But the modern style is, of course, wonderful too.
Your best panels in one piece is what finally got me to read one piece, as I kid I watch a lot of episodes but eventually just fall off the show.
But your content on it, including this, showed so much passion for a story, that I decided I just had to give reading it manga ago.
And after about 2 weeks I read 1000 chapters and now I wait week to week for new chapters.
So thank you for sharing your passion and igniting a passion for this story in me.
I am always excited to see your one piece shorts and this video was just such a treat
I love your One Piece shorts. I was not expecting a full video on it. I am so happy 🥹
To be fair, the live action brought this to life really well
Dude, please make more one piece essays, that was such a good unique presentation on one of the lesser talked about arcs, I hope the copyright doesn't scare you enough to not make another one!
I had to take a break from reading One Piece to focus on school years ago, and have only recently been getting back into it thanks to your shorts. But of all the things I forgot over the years, including most of the East Blue saga, Kuro always stuck in my head thanks to those glasses of his. Your analysis on why that was so memorable is just perfect!
The algorithm caught wind of your shorts and I was really impressed with the in-depth analysis of the panels! So having a full fledged video like this was great, and I hope you do more, because they're wonderfully done!