Luffy is too wonderful and wise to ever want to dominate another person. He understands that dominating another means sacrificing your own freedom, something Gandhi, Martin Luther King, and others have talked about.
@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy fun fact about Oda: in his cubicle at the Shounen Jump offices (which he never uses anymore, he works from home and has for a LONG time) there is still a picture hanging from when he still sometimes used that cubicle there...of Che Guevara. I think he has some strong opinions about liberation! A guy who functionally abandoned power in the Cuban state to go around helping liberation movements around the world, who DIED doing that...I can imagine a few linkages there.
@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy Luffy's idealism is individual freedom from Luciferianism and Hinduism. Monkey (Hanuman) D. Luffy (Lucifer abbreviated). Skypia theme is Maya, where you can find the White City of Hanuman. If I say more, I will most likely spoil what the final trasue is, but Oda has his own idea for reincarnation and uses cleverly. It took my entire life of reading one piece theories, and I learned to stick to Sanskrit hanuman story, native American myths, pseudoscience, and conspiracy theories. There is key figure that link Hanuman to Lucifer.
Like the world is your oyster to the extreme. In this age of sea fairing luffy wants a ship and a tight group of friends that can trust an relay on one another to do the things they can’t as they each strive for their own dreams, he doesn’t want to be weighed down by obligation and wants to only act out of a true compulsion of good will, with no authority to tell him no. He may shirk a tab with an i.o.u. But he has every intention to pay it back. He has no cares for monetary wealth his treasure is laughter, songs, and camaraderie and the promises between friends as well as meat. Freedom is his ambition.
One of my favourite aspects of Sabaody archipelago is how it recontextualises Arlong. He built Arlong park in the image of sabaody archipelago - a place where of centuries and centuries worth of discrimination & enslavement of the Fishman.
It makes Arlongs character arc all the more tragic in hindsight, the Fishman Island Arc drives this home even further. It represents a loss of innocence.
For sure! That is one of the great things about this story: the recontextualizing of characters and events as the series progresses, and I'm guessing it would reward rereads for that reason.
Two things: Luffy's empathy and compassion when Boa Hancock is speaking about her past, telling her she doesn't have to continue when he sees how much it is tearing her apart to recount it. Luffy looking bored, doing other things, barely or not paying attention during basically every other recounting of backstory in One Piece but how respectfully and seriously riveted he was to Boa being as vulnerable over something so important. As a survivor of sexual assault, I fell for Luffy as hard as Boa Hancock in that moment. I was BAWLING and it's not that I didn't already love One Piece and Luffy already by that point, but boy did that cement it for me. Oda also never directly states in any kind of exploitative or lurid way what happened to the sisters, it's probably one of the most empathetic and careful and caring ways I've seen that kind of a plot point depicted in fiction and it really endeared Oda as a storyteller to me.
@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasyyea im not a writer in any way but i think sexual asault especially repeted sexal asaut against i think 12-16 year olds would be their aged while enslaved would be extremely hard to write well and keep it from being in poor taste and in this medium and genre too because boa and her sisters in that flashback would have been the targeted age range this story is mainly marketed twords and in a lesser writers hands i could see this going vary badly
Fun Fact: Oda asked Matt Owens (the live-action showrunner) if he wanted to know the ending to the story. Much like Luffy, Matt said he wants to stay on the journey with everyone else.
@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy The visual effects in that scene are excellent. The anime is in color, but at the moment of the punch everything goes to black and white. Then the color bleeds back in.
I still think about this scene often (I was anime only until recently. I convinced a friend of mine to start watching, so now I’m reading the manga and rewatching the anime because my husband won’t let us watch “too many” episodes in a day.)
I love how the cartoonist aspects of the story can make the history relevance fly over your head. Not even hidden on plain sight, he just put a moustache on the evil, an evil mustache of course.
Wano and egghead might be the best arcs in one piece overall, although wano is dragged in the anime it should be good in the manga@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy
Rayleigh may be named after Walter Raleigh, but also Rayleigh scattering (which he takes the spelling and pronunciation from), a phenomenon in physics, relating to scattering of light. And here he fights a light-man.
"Mariejoa" is basically a play on the word "burgeoise" Instead of the "burg-" part, its "mary-" referring to the "upper class" of the tenryuubito - the so called celestial dragons
@@Matuterocks This is an example of a spoiler that only becomes a spoiler due to being called out as one, I would not have connected the dots otherwise.
@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy I'd highly recommend starting watching yall of our your favorite moments at leasts in like 3-4 arcs. One pace (a fan edit without the limitations of weekly animation) can help to mitigate the downsides present in these tense moments while still filling in the gaps, especially with the pacing after this saga once the anime caught up. The animation quality becomes for the best moments some of the best I've ever seen anywhere, the imdm ratings are decently representative if you only compare similar eras for indicating the best animation moments. Also, without being able to read in color, reading it as it releases, I find I like the anime more effective at coloring the world in a bit more for me than the color version does and without it being a new experience I need a couple years at least to get the same effect reading the color panels had initially (Could be a nonreactor for others though. I'm kinda face blind which doesn't mesh well all the time with manga, so sorry if this whole section wasn't applicable to you)
The themes of Power, Oppression, Prejudice and Slavery are so real in One Piece. Oda doesnt pull any punches, while still remaining classy by not being overly explicity and gory just for the sake of being shocking. In some ways, its these universal themes that make One Piece so lasting. The juxtaposition of Freedom vs Oppression, Genetic Family vs Found Family, and so on.
5:10 Those are called "Cover Stories" since that is the cover page of the chapter when it is printed in serial form. Hachi is not the only character to pop back into the story after having a character arc in those stories, so they are definitely worth paying attention to. I just like it because Oda is using the medium to flesh out the world without distracting from the main journey.
But what we see in them is not always canon. Sonetimes it's just fan requests that Oda draws. So anything which may seem like a major character moment may not be true. Like crocodile holding a umbrella for a dog
@@rishikkanthravikumar6596 Fortunately, Oda always writes "Fan request" before the non-canon ones. I love how the cover stories expand the worldbuilding without drawing too much attention away from the main story.
I’ve always loved how super ballsy the end of Sabaody is. To have 500 chapters where nothing has really gone wrong for the hero and then to just pull the rug out from under both him and the fans. Oda has said that he knew Kuma would split up the Straw Hats since his introduction. And fun fact but all of the eleven supernovas were introduced last minute because Oda's editor thought the arc was too boring. Question: do you look up the mythological, literary, and real-world references after you read?
Thank you for the fun fact! I don't look up the allusions and references that I'm familiar with, such as allusions to Norse mythology and Greek mythology. If someone mentions an allusion I'm not familiar with (there are many in One Piece), then I like to look them up. I'm pretty sure someone could write a long compendium of them all. Cheers!
I’ve said this before, but these thumbnails are genuinely amazing and hilarious 😂 they’re probably one of the main reasons why i look forward to your reviews
Fun fact about the worst generation. Oda created all of them in around 3 hours time after his editor advised him to spice up the story in Sabaody. They were never intentional and one of the biggest testaments to his creativity.
Fun fact is Oda made 7 warlords when the series was already hafway through the East Blue Saga (I think right before Baratie), and there's 7 of them just because the number is cool. Same for Yonkou, same for 11 Supernovae. Same for Mrs Wednesday being Vivi, he thought she looked like a princess with her hair down. Same for CP9, Oda just used cool Galley-La characters for the agents. This is why OnePiece is so bloated.
@@sayeksofianI think I heard Oda had 4 emperors in mind first, and then came up with Seven Warlords later, so he made Crocodile a Warlord instead of Emperor.
@@Itoyokofan maybe could have been since originally it was supposed to done in 5-6 years assuming a chapter a week 250-300 chapters going through all the younkou and world government and finding the One piece
i HIGHLY recommend watching episodes 396 & 405. hachi apologizing after getting shot and luffy punching a celestial dragon on ep396 is amazingly animated, and the directing of ep405 is heartbreaking in the best way possible
You'd have to read the original Japanese (with its included pronounciation giude) or watch the anime. Many don't, and they simply have no way of knowing.
It is an absolute pleasure hearing the analysis of each arc from an English Professor. Loved your thoughts about the meaning of Kuma's bible, never thought about the duality of law and mercy and how well that is represented in his character. Love from Portugal! Hyped for your thoughts of the next arcs
The name "Colour of the Supreme King" is a *little* bit of a misnomer. It implies that it's a very specific role. An alternative translation, that I prefer is "Conqueror's Haki", because it's not about being a king, it's about having the will to rise to the top of whatever you do and overcome any odds to do it - to conquer.
Just a heads up, I've seen people get some flak for reading Marineford in single page mode. There are a lot of two page spreads in that arc. It's not just about the choppy visuals, it makes the speech bubbles hard to follow. You often don’t know which line to read next because it’s sometimes split across two pages, so you end up flipping back and forth constantly. This can spoil the experience since you might accidentally read ahead, and there are some key reveals in that arc where doing so could mess up some of the best moments in the series.
I wanna bring up a line from a video from an amazing analyst for One Piece: “There is very little media that is sympathetic to the role of Medusa.” The Boa sister serves a very strange role. We’re introduced to Hancock as a villain, yet as the arc goes on, we realize she’s a victim along with her fellow sisters. And that is powerful. While One Piece can always be criticized for its female designs, its writing for the same never falls short of fantastic and compelling at the least. Yet the strangest role they serve is as a stepping stone to show that Luffy still has a long, long way to go. And I love strange things, and I hope you will similarly love where the story goes from here!
In the myths(correct me if im wrong) medusa was assaulted by Posiedon, a god who has all the authority in the world, and she still got punished by Athena for no apparent reason. I think the same applies here, even though Boa and her sisters are VICTIMS, they are the ones that get shamed if they show a sign of their past trauma.
@rudrapratapdevati92 that's an Ovid retelling (he had a history of bias against the gods & authority, always making the gods worse etc because he hated Augustus because Agustus exiled him for sleeping with his daughter if I recall) in the original myths Medusa and her sisters are born Gorgons and always had been. Ovid's retelling is valid if you prefer his I just get irked since I really don't like him lol.
@@Mandaiish I would say Ovid’s has definitely become much more commonly accepted and known, with the other sisters being lumped in via more arbitrary means. That being said… especially with where the story heads, I’d say it’s clear that Oda took from both interpretations here and mixed in the nuance of what determines true monsters. Something I cannot wait to see how Philip reacts specifically to this parallel will eventually be Doflamingo, though I’ll refrain from touching on more for that until he has read Dressrosa.
@@rezahydra Indeed on that Ovid is the more common story (which of course I'm sad about) but I am glad that Oda does seem to take both versions like you said and oh boy I can not wait to hear his thoughts on Doflamingo and personally his thoughts on Mjollsgard later down the line as well as a juxtaposition of the Donquixote family, I personally love it when characters try (and do) change.
Small correction: Kizaru is a navy admiral, not one of the 7 warlords. I don't know if you just misspoke, but the story will make this clear soon enough. Great video! Love your insights as always!
Cheers! Yes, somewhere among all my poor overworked neurons firing while trying to keep track of all these cool new characters, my brain got the two things confused, and I didn't even realize it. All the best!
This was a good episode. You covered all of the major themes well and I loved your insight about, “if you are afraid of losing your freedom you have already lost it.”
@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy He calls him "ojisan" which can either mean "uncle" or "old man/mister" (familiar language). It is unusual for someone in the military to refer to their superior by this term, so at this point in the series it either implies: 1) Kizaru actually is his uncle, 2) Sentomaru is highly casual and unprofessional, or 3) Sentomaru and Kizaru share a close relationship.
@@OfficialTigerino Not nitpicking at all! Thanks, I hadn't seen the scene in years and just assumed he said ojisan. I did not know that yakuza use ojiki, but I am unfamiliar with how yakuza speak. I suppose it is similar to how they use aniki for older brother type figures.
@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasyyou may not like him now but without spoiling anything he arguably becomes the series greatest and most well writen villain when his time as one finally comes
About Rayleigh's "you may come to another answer" to Robin, people's experiences shape how they view the world. For example, when we first see Fishmen with Arlong and his crew they are racist, terrorizing mobsters. It is only in Sabaody that we see the prejudices toward and slavery of Fishmen, along with getting to know Camie and Hachi, that we gain a new perspective of what fishmen have been dealing with. The new knowledge widens our view of a subject we had a narrow understanding of before. So by going through with their journey the Strawhats will bring their own unique evolving perspectives to what is waiting at the end with the One Piece.
It constantly astounds me as to how much you see on your first time through. So much of Kuma from his personality/humanity down to just hus Bible and their implications, where the straw hats are sent too, being able to recall that haki was used by shanks on whitebeards ship and all the way back in romance dawn, rhe very beginning. Well done, but be sure to keep all these little details and more in your memory, they surely come up again.
Echoing what others have mentioned, definitely watch the scenes in the auction house and the conversation with Rayleigh in Shaaky's bar. They're so well done
My one piece journey began within the last couple years, just too late to join Merhpy on her journey, but JUST in time for Philips! Love your insight and breakdowns, very human and heartfelt! 😎
I came to understand that more than the gag of us humans falling for someone who doesn't have interest in us, in the case of Boa, it's also the fact that Luffy was probably the only man she knew that didn't objectify her, didn't expect anything from her, didn't idolize her, he just treated her like a regular human with basic respect, based on her actions. She finally felt seen, probably.
The craziest thing about the rival pirate crews that debuted in Sabaody is that Oda, supposedly, created, designed, and developed every single one of them while drawing the chapter in which they debuted, and immediately they're so incredibly full of life and showing signs of the depths and stories they'll have later on. I have to imagine some of them were made to fit vague roles he already had in mind, like how he tried drawing Miss Wednesday with her hair down and realized he had his Arabasta princess character, but to achieve that and have it feel completely natural in an arc already as densely packed as Sabaody is impressive, and it gives such scope to the world, with the idea that stories just as epic as Luffy's were happening concurrently down the paths of the Grand Line he didn't take... and imagining people capable of nearly a dozen Enies Lobbies' worth of incidents, then seeing that was still nowhere near enough for them to stand a chance against the full might of the world government and marines, sells that we haven't even begun to understand the scope of the world. Also enjoyed seeing all the Marguerite focus in your Amazon Lily analysis. When I reread the arc awhile back I found myself enjoying her a lot more than I remembered.
Thank you! I think the friendship that develops between Marguerite and Luffy is key to Amazon Lily. She saved his life, and when hers was in danger, that brought out his haki in a big way. All the best!
I remember reading the arc back then as it came out and there was a certain amount of fan theorizing about Marguerite joining the crew. She's nice and has a fantastic design, plus her being an archer would have made for a cool addition to the arsenal.
The Duval wanted poster reveal is one of the funniest punchlines to a joke I've read in manga. It's sat with me more than a decade later and I keep coming back to it. I highly recommend looking up clips from the reveal in the anime. Brook's laughter is incredibly infectious, adding to the humor.
Thank you for your thoughts and comments on this arc! I’ve always thought that the goofiness of One piece is what makes the darker aspects of it hit so well, but hearing your view on it made me realize that it also made it so much easier to digest as well. Knowing that there is hope and laughter waiting for me as I read on helped make me appreciate the hard realities described in the world and push on to greener pastures. Oda does an amazing job of weaving his story in such a way that he never ignores the harsh realities but also never lets the straw hats (or us) get bogged down by it. The way this story mirrors life gives me hope for my future as well, which is much needed today. That might be why, I’ve ended up loving One Piece more with each passing year.
Celestial Dragons are more than a metaphor for wealth in general. They are what happens when wealth and power both are concentrated for a small minority over many generations, with small concessions piling up. If you want to compare it to something, I think the whole notion of "2nd generation" people in Korea is pretty much that. People from a rich and powerful family (chaebol) that grew up with a silver spoon and a guaranteed future. They are very present in Korean fiction, both as the "ideal position" to be in and the "ideal villains" to use. You can make comparisons with keireitsu families in Japan (zaibatsu are more known as a term in fiction but they are pre-war)
12:00 so beautifully said sir!! Your analytical mind and drawing of connections between one piece and the real world are what I appreciate so very much in these videos, please keep it up!!
THIS is a huge breathe of fresh air! man, ive watched 100s of reactions to these arcs and YOU SIR by far, ARE MY FAVORITE. The fact that you understood and discussed the very dark topics and traumas op has to offer soo willingly and with concern makes me tear up with joy. Sooooo many people are just engulfed in the action and the characters [rightfully so they are phenomenal] of these arcs that i was STARVED of the commentary oda had as a whole for sabaody and the AFFECTS of it aka boa. Boa is sooo much more than the usual "love trope" every show has, and It brought me sooo much happiness that you saw her for who she was too! such a very hard topic to talk about but you dove into it head first into seeing these people AS PEOPLE. what makes one piece sooo great? because of how VERY HUMAN it is. And you sir are an amazing human being~
Yes, in Robin's flashback, professor Clover stated that before the World Government was formed (during the void century), there once a Great Kingdom that had enormous power. But they were wiped out by a group that would one day become the World Government. However, before Clover could reveal the name, he was shot. Based on information on this arc, the 20 kings are the ones who won against this Great Kingdom. (celestial dragon are just the descendants of this 20 kings) Because the winner writes history, they erased an entire century (900 years ago) and made it just a blank history during that century. And the loser (Great Kingdom) make the last attempt by writing the real history and couple of messages (such as ancient weapon's location like pluton) to an indestructible book named Poneglyph and got scattered all over the world. The one in Arabasta got the information about Pluton's location. And the one in Skypiea, got the information about Poseidon's location. So far, they're all about ancient weapons which is not the one Robin looking for. She just wants the one who got the real history. And yes, Roger pirates including Rayleigh knows the true history about the void century
Bartholomew Kuma carrying Bible represents Oda's hometown which is Kumamoto (熊本) Prefecture in Japan As Kuma (熊) means bear, and Moto (本) means book, which also another meaning of The Bible or The Book
I think Arlong being our introduction to fishmen as a concept is a really good way to create the message seen in Sabody and some future arcs, we are lead to believe fishmen are monstrous human hating by nature mythical beasts by their obvious inspiration from characters like the creature from the black lagoon, making them similar to orcs or goblins in other fantasy worlds. but these arcs are designed to make us realize that's exactly how so many people in this world see fishmen and that's exactly why they have to live in the shadows as "monsters" because all of society has pushed them into the mold of one by force.
Shabondy is more or less correct. Sabaody comes from the Portuguese word sabão, which means soap. The Japanese katakana spelling for sabão is sha-bo-n (same way their pronunciation and spelling for pão, bread, is pa-n). Spot on with the pronunciation, overall. Whoever helped you, give them a cookie, they earned it. 7:25 With Oda you can't even trust gags. Nobody would've thought that Sanji's poster would play a role in the story!! Also, Luffy's reaction when he sees Duvall was priceless. He completely washed his hands of it, turned to Sanji, and basically went "Yeah, you dea with this... I'm not having anything to do with it." 16:53 Since you mention it, go back and take a solid look at the main building of Sabaody Park. Keep it in your head. 19:20 Fun fact: When storyboarding Sabaody, Oda ran it by his editor, and they agreed it felt a bit empty. So Oda sat down, and immediately came up with all the Sopernovas/Super Rookies, their backstories and designs. When he was naming them, he finally ran out of cool ideas, and that's why Killer is just Killer. 20:35 That punch felt SO CATHARTIC!! I deeply recommend watching it in the anime, because it just feels SO GOOD!!! 22:15 He had two extremely creepy appearances before as well. The first one after the crew defeat Crocodile and they are choosing a new Warlord (that ends up going to Blackbeard), somehow making two Marine high ranking officials present fight each other. The second one after Skypiea, he is seen on Jaya forcing Bellamy to fight Sarquiss in the same manner. 23:00 When does a man die? When he is forgotten. And remember how Crocus said he had joined a pirate crew to go look for Brook at some point? Now we know which crew it was. 25:55 *He is one of the Three Admirals, you meant xDD BTW, Kizaru means "yellow monkey", Aokiji means "blue pheasant" and Akainu (the last one) means "red dog". A dog, a pheasant and a monkey are the animals that joined Momotaro (after he feeds them kibi-dango) to go fight the Oni at Onigashima, in the Japanese folk tale. 32:50 Oda, as the 12-y-o he is, has confirmed that his Gomu Gomu powers do in fact also affect his strategically placed mushroom. BTW, same confirmation was also given about Buggy and his Bara Bara powers. 37:00 If a piece of meat had the powers of the Mero Mero no Mi, Luffy would be screwed. 38:50 The word used in Japanese is 覇王 (Haō), 覇 meaning Conqueror, Overlord, 王 meaning King, so it's sometimes translated as Conqueror's Haki. Also, the complete name (and translation) is 覇王色の覇気 (Ambition/Willpower/Aspirations (that's the meaning of Haki) the colour of the Conqueror/Supreme King/Overlord), so you might also see it written as "CoC", as in "Colour of Conqueror". 40:20 I love how Hancock's perconceptions crumble little by litte in front of Luffy, just becuase he is Luffy being Luffy. He doesn't fall victim of his basic instincts (she doesn't understand Luffy is solely attracted to meat), that must be some trick. He covers Sandersonia's back, it can't be something done honestly. So Hancock gives him a test she is sure he'll fail: Unpetrification or a ship. He immediately Luffies and even thanks her. There she decides to at least acknowledge him, but she is still wary. Until Nyon tells her that Luffy messed up Charlos's face, and Hancock's world crumbles. 44:50 I take it as Garp talking about Whitebeard there, same way he previously referenced him as a Living Legend (when a random Marine tells him they found Rayleigh and he replies "do you think we can fight two Living Legends at the same time?"). Which only hypes Whitebeard even more!
Thank you so much! I always appreciate your informed comments, especially on linguistic matters. Interestingly, the word for soap in Nepali (which I speak like a five-year-old), is "sabon." I imagine it has the same root. Very cool!
@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy It's also sabon in Filipino, if I'm not mistaken. Regardless, they all ultimately share the Germanic root "saipôn" (and then Latin sapo, -ōnis, in some cases), same as soap, and even the Spanish "jabón" that somehow ended up replacing the S for a J. But in this case in particular, more than sharing a root, or the one being root for the other, it's just a Portuguese loanword (same as "pa-n", even though it now resembles Spanish "pan" more than Portuguese "pão"), as Portugal was one of the few countries that had commerce with and heavily influenced Japan (via Portuguese settlements in Macau, China). For example, their first matchlock rifles, the Tanegashima, were Portuguese, Japanese Tempura is actually a Portuguese recipe (Portuguese friars ate fried fish and vegetables during lent, and its name comes from Portuguese tempero = "seasoning"), same happens with Tonkatsu (Japanese breaded pork cutlets, several sorts of deep fried breaded cutlets are pretty common in Mediterranean Europe), Nagasaki was founded by the Portuguese, etc
@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy Oh, it's still on my bucket list!! I've heard many good things about it, though. Now my Portuguese half has another reason to watch it xD EDIT: Ok, I just got a reply from a Nepali friend, he has no idea of the etymological origin of "sabon". I tried
There's so many Luffy moments in Amazon Lilly that bring me to tears. The moment where hes so happy his new friends can be saved in particular is just, gah!
I'm truly grateful that you take the time to read and reply to all these comments, on top of older videos. It makes you adding the heart to them even more appreciated.
It's a challenge to keep up with the comments, but I value them so much because they are so encouraging and also because I often learn from them. All the best!
Usopp asking about the One Piece and Luffy's reaction is one I always recommend to watch in the anime. The energy of that scene is so palpable, and simply put: Powerful. Love that you enjoyed this arc as much as all of us did!
Hi Philip! One Piece was my favorite show/manga in middle school. I have been in love with the story since then. Now, a decade later, I've learned to appreciate media in different ways and on deeper levels. Hearing your perspectives on One Piece has given me new found appreciation for something I didn't think I could cherish more than I already did. I'm so glad you picked up the series and are enjoying it. Thank you!
Heres the references for each of New Pirates: Captain Kidd based on real life William Kid, X-Drake based on real life Sir Francis Drake, Basil Hawkins on Basil Ringrose, Sir John Hawkins and the Drummer Slipknot's #1(Joey Jordison), Jewellery Bonney on Anne Bonney, Scratchman Apoo on Chinese Pirate Chui A-Poo, Trafalgar Law on Cape Trafalgar where Napoleons Fleet was defeated and Valentino Rossi Nascar Driver Capone Bege on Al Capone, Killer on Daft Punk, Not a reference but wordplay Gold Roger + Silver Rayleigh makes Gold and Silver lol
Amazing review. I follow One Piece theory videos and online threads on a daily basis, but I appreciate your general knowledge of literature. It seems that you have a very good understanding of typology and can draw beautiful parallels. For example, I find your analysis of 'Kuma and his Bible' very insightful. Your takes make sense to me and also expand my knowledge of One Piece and exegesis in general. Thank you.
Commenting because I am not seeing it described elsewhere, it's kinda hard to convey how crazy a time the fandom had with Duval when the manga was releasing. The speculation and theorycrafting on his potential "dark and serious backstory" and connection to the crew spawned all sorts of theories (a lot of people thought it might be Gin or Don Krieg). For it to end up as a foreshadowed joke completely caught the fandom off guard and has been legendary since.
Just for some context for you, so that you can potentially have the same understanding as a Japanese reader, the term Haki (覇^は 気^き or just 覇気) can be variously translated as such: - "Ambition" or "Aspiration" - "Drive" or "Vigor" - "(Domineering/Powerful) Spirit" - "Will (to Conquer/Rule)" - "Supreme/Hegemonic Spirit/Ki" (when you translate the kanji individually) There is one other way I've commonly heard it translated/described as/akin to, but I don't remember if it is a spoiler or not, if it used to describe Haki within the story or if it is something the fans came up with on their own or possibly both even, so I won't say it just in case it is a spoiler. But other than that, I'll leave it up to you to figure out what this deeper meaning even means in relation to this power that Oda is setting up. Something else that Japanese readers would have picked up on that non-Japanese readers probably wouldn't is that the Navy Admiral Kizaru is modelled after the late Japanese actor, Kunie Tanaka, or at least certain aspects of Kizaru is based on a movie character that Kunie played in his youth. When you see & compare their two faces, you can really see the resemblance. And yes, Oda LOVE to reference and pull inspiration from world-wide myths, legends, pantheons, etc., so Amazon Lily is definitely inspired by Greek mythology and especially the Amazons Island of Warrior Women & gorgon imagery w/ all of the snake theming. BUT, what Oda ALSO loves to do is MIX these different inspirations together, usually creating something wholly unique. Because although the idea of the Amazoness Island is Greek inspired, the architecture of all of the buildings is mostly Chinese inspired, which begs the question of why? Well, also in theme with slavery, a dark part of Japanese history, which is illegal to talk about in Japan (reminding me of something similar to the Void Century in One Piece), is that there was one (or possibly more, I'm not an expert) period(s) in time, most likely when Japan and China were at war, when Japan would send troops over to China to raid the land and to abduct the country's women to be used as slaves for Japanese men. I don't know if abducting the women was the primary goal of these raids or if it was more of a secondary thing, but either way nowadays it is seen as one or more of the most EXTREMELY shameful moments in Japanese history, to the point that the government has labeled it as a taboo subject and has forbidden people from talking about it, at least openly & explicitly. And this is not an isolated incident, there are plenty of other topics that Japan has banned people from openly/publicly discussing (because Japan doesn't allow freedom of speech). However, it is sometimes believed that these complex and taboo subjects is what lead to Japanese fiction to become popular within its own country, as writers and artists found fiction to be a cleaver loophole or work-around of explaining and talking about these touchy subjects. (That's how monster p*rn got its start, supposedly. A painting of a man and women doing it? No-no-no, that's too much nudity & is explicit sex. A painting of a woman and an octopus getting down? A-Okay! Tentacles aren't phalic, what do you mean?) And so, with this homage to Chinese culture, amidst an island of only women, with both "slavery" and "covering up the story of said slavery out of shame" being prominent themes within this story arc, for some it definitely feels like Oda is trying to invoke the memories of this past and address it in as subtle of a way as he can get away with (since he can't openly admit if he is doing this or not). Whew, well on some lighter notes now, Oda also mentions in either an SBS or an interview somewhere (I forget the exact place he mentions this) is that another reason for him to make Amazon Lily was to force him to improve at drawing women better. Specifically he is really good at drawing a select few body types/shapes of women, mainly the "beautiful" kind we'll say, but when it comes to "not so beautiful" women, he said he struggles. And so he made a place of all women of all different kinds of body shapes, types, and proportions. Personally, I think he has improved in this area after this, but I also think he doesn't draw enough women with smaller chests (he's all about the big boobies, because we all know that he's a bit of a pervert). All that I'll pass along, as someone who does not feel this way myself, is that there are some who feel slightly left out or less connected to this world over this topic. Because this is a world FULL of diversity, from physical traits to people's personalities, cultures, ideals, dreams, etc., but yet there seems to be a surprising lack of smaller chested women in this world. Which is a shame, both from the "less inclusiveness," I guess I'll call it, it can create, but also if every woman has "big boobs" then they're not really "big" anymore in this world, they can start to look "average." Which this can be dangerous for some young reader's perception of normal if they base it off of this story, kind of like how beauty magazines can do the same for their young readers. Even if it is mostly boys reading this story instead of girls, it can still warp their minds and expectations if this influences how they see women in our world as well. I know this is a bit of an extreme take, but the fact that I'm talking about this not from my own experience but from someone else's, multiple someone elses' even, that shows at least a little bit of unfortunate merit to this point. That being said, this is really rare, and when it does happen can be mostly easily addressed at the individual level, with it only affecting people's preferences rather than their expectations over 99% of the time. Last thing about Japanese reader context: The joke about Luffy's "Family Jewels" is actually a play on words in Japanese. You see, the word "Kintama (金玉)" means "Testicles," however the two kanji used to make up this word translates directly into, "Golden Balls." So, in the context of Amazon Lily where these women have never seen a man and know nothing about them, when they hear the word "Kintama" they don't know what testicles are, all they hear is that Luffy has some golden balls of treasure inside of him! Still funny either way, but I think the original version of the joke with this context is the funniest version, which of course it is when it is a word-play for a specific language, that's usually how that goes down. Also, I would HIGHLY recommend checking out the moment that Luffy punches Charlos in the face in the anime, if you'd be so interested in it, simply for the pure catharsis of that moment (plus it is also just super epic the way the animators handles that moment). You can find two versions of the moment during Ep 396 for the full moment/scene starting at about 16:00-18:50 until the end of the episode, or Ep 397 during the recap after the first 3:40 or so minutes of intro. In addition, there is also basically all of episode 405 for Kuma separating all of the Straw Hats, where the acting for all of the cast in it, I believe in all language versions, is just absolutely giving all of their hearts for this moment. Alongside the subtle, touching, and potent symbolism of the environment that the animators use to help enhance this moment. It is obviously incredibly powerful, especially for those who might not have as keen of insight to notice that Kuma may actually be helping the Straw Hats instead of destroying them like you mentioned.
Thank you so much for all the valuable insights and information you've provided here! I deeply appreciate you taking the time, especially as your comments have enriched my experience of the story. Much appreciated!
I always look forward to your videos on One Piece. Your discussions are always thoughtful and your analysis and perspective on things is really great to listen to. I really don't mind the longer videos as well so definitely keep rambling!
One piece was 10 years old when the water 7 saga ended and the log pose pointed to Fishman island as the next destination (that's exactly when I caught up with it). It still took another 6 years for it to actually reach fishman Island. All in all its not considered a great arc, but I can't wait to see your opinions on all the fishman lore we'll get there.
What a brilliant video, I'm stunned at how well you've touched on the themes and characters in this arc and even things beyond the scope of what you read so far. Amazing stuff and it has me really excited for the rest of your journey. Really grateful to you for making these videos, thank you and have a good day.
Oh... I've been waiting for this one. One of my favorite emotional moments of the series. I do highly recommend watching the anime for episodes 404 and 405. I've been reading the manga since it's US release in 2001 but the occasional episode is worth a watch.
I cant believe youre already at Impel Down!!! loved your thoughts on these two arcs. Also hope youre not stressing the pronunciations too much, its no big deal. You're killing it!
Thanks so much, James! I don't get worked up about pronunciations, but if someone does help me out, I try to remember. Because of how international One Piece is, I get the feeling that a lot of the names have variant pronunciations, and I like that diversity too. Anyway, I deeply appreciate your kindness and encouragement!
My take on me crying every single time I read enies lobby and the merry dies: In my opinion it is one of the best story threads of all time. There is so much build-up you get without even realizing that you do. You start off as taking the merry as a given even though it is a gift from kaya. It slowly grows into becoming a mascot as well as a safe haven for our crew. Before you know you are worried for the ship. At first because it is the means of transportation. But in water seven you get the reality check. You didnt notice what you had before it was gone. Then in the end of enies lobby it is revealed that the merry actually has a soul. We knew that but we didn't understand that we knew. And not only that. It is revealed that it happily suffered for us all the way since skypia. And we knew the ship suffered. But we did not know really know. And then the great finale happens. Against all rules of physics and logic the merry appears out of nowhere to save the strawhats from certain death. And it makes no sense. Even the characters in the story agree. But the love for the crew and sheer willpower of the merry are stronger than any possible obstacle. And right after bending the universe itself for us the merry dies. But the tears are not sad tears because it is the goodbye we were prepared to say. They are bitter sweet melancholic tears while you remember everything you experienced together and after one last time of showing everybody who the boss is the going merry can finally have its well deserved rest. What I didnt notice for many years is that you land right in the acceptance stage of grief when the merrys final moments happen. Which is why it is such a bitter sweet moment. Because without even noticing you went through the first four stages of grief together with the strawhats. Mostly with ussopp. The denial when he hears of the merry being irreparable. Followed by anger leading to his fight with luffy. Bargaining when he talks to franky. Instantly followed by depression after Franky beats some sense into him again. You kinda feel with him but also you just want him to accept it. Yes Oda really made you go through the first four stages of grief through the eyes of another character. And he did it without you noticing to prepare what you feel when the comic book ship dies. And all of this subtle build up peaks in that one final moment of the merry. And while your eyes start to tear up you can't help yourself but start smiling just a little in memory of the merry.
@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy If you haven't already, read the first chapter of Marineford before releasing the Impel Down video, you will understand why.
I've watched all your One Piece videos so far, and in this one, it's become very evident how much you're enjoying it. So fun to watch someone laugh along with and fall in love with my favorite series! Can't wait for the next video!
I always have Sabaody as my favourite arc because it just really expands the world in such a large number of ways. I think a lot of people underestimate its impact on One Piece as a whole. 11 pirates in the same class as Luffy all with crazy powers, the upper nobility of the one piece world showing up for the first time, the first mate of the Roger pirates clashing with a new admiral who seems unstoppable, the breaking up of the crew. It really is the catalyst that changes the entirety of One Piece as a series from this point on.
This series is officially my favourite on RUclips. Nothing better than scrolling RUclips and finding the next episode of this series, it’s awesome. Also congratulations, you have now started one of the most popular sagas in one piece, get ready. Also you should totally check out the Kuma scene from the anime it’s heart breaking and amazing.
This short stretch of chapters is so rich with content, and fertile ground for so much thinking. The character moments Luffy displays are such a joy here, and a clarifying display of Luffys nuances. It's really interesting to hear you pronounce Sabaody, which is quite similar to how the Japanese voice actors pronounce it, yet very different to how you would hear most any non-japanese pronounce it (at least here on yt) btw, the anime made dedicated episodes out of all the Strawhats "trials" from their respective cover pages (2/3 SH's per episode) . While they are, afaik, not technically canon, they are still very much "interesting" in the bigger picture they provide.
I think there is a moment in this arc that shows the true nature of The Marines as an institution; when Garp is told that Rayleigh is being sold at a slave auction and he jokes about it. This is showing the reader that Garp, Luffy's grandfather and Hero of the Marines, knows about the Celestial Dragon ruling class and the slavery and abuse that comes with it. And he just laughs about it. This man, that is supposed to be the pinacle of the Marines, the very best they can be. That will fight pirates, defend villages from bandits and protect the weak. But, when a Celestial Dragon says they want someone as a slave, he will look the other way as they put a collar on them. We see this further reinforced when Sengoku, the Fleet Admiral, is informed about Saint Charlos' incident and the man who informs him starts saying "human auction hall" and then corrects himself and says "employment assistance office" There can be corrupt and "evil" Marines throughout the series, but even at their very very best, at their ideal, a Marine will always be an enforcer for the World Government and its nobles first and foremost. P.S; check out Buggy's flashback in chapter 19 for Rayleighs first appearance!
@@BladeEdge86what about the other slaves? Are they strong enough to escape? This is a place that only serves to sell slaves. Garp knows that this place exists and that people are being sold there daily. And he does nothing about it. He has accepted that slaves are a part of the system he enforces
While I see where you are coming from, I do disagree with your conclusion on Garp and his sense of justice. It is shown throughout the rest of the series by his actions in both the present and in flashbacks that he adamantly disagrees and dislikes that the Marines are serving the corrupt World Government and the Celestial Dragons. But the Marines are the de-facto policing force for the whole world and that is where he can be of most use to the regular everyday citizen.
Phillip, this arc brings one step closer to you understanding my tattoo, the same mark on Hachi's forehead. Your thoughtful commentary on the world themes has me even more excited for you to experience what moved me so much I put it upon my own flesh🖤🖤 Your journey delights me, thank you for sharing your One Piece journey.
Cheers to another video! Couple of recommendations for flavor when reading this series going forward: 1. Keep all your notes from these earlier videos. You’re entering a cyclone of spiraling themes, foreshadowing, and call backs that will be enriched by remembering what you have predicted/ discussed. 2. Read/reread Dante’s inferno or a summary of it before/during your reading of impel down 3. Tissues my guy, buy more!!
Luffy is just the best! I just think he shows us that through friendship (getting to know people) and bravery we can overcome prejudice and these tyrants. But I also love that Oda shows that it is not an easy task, that you risk everything you love for such an important battle. Something to mull over I believe.
So true! Defying the way things are in real life can take many forms, and it's not always easy to figure out the best way to seek justice. In our world, we can't punch some spoiled noble on the nose and hope that it solves something. But characters like Luffy can inspire us to seek ways to make our world better.
Thank you for another great review. Even the small things, just like seeing you giggle while mentioning Duval's name, makes your reviews very relatable and appreciable.
been waiting for this one!! soooo excited for you to read through marineford and the other arcs of the new world. i’m currently a few arcs ahead of you on the anime, and very eager to see your reviews of upcoming arcs. thank you for your insight, my brother and i enjoy the analysis.
Kuma is definitely one of my favorite characters in the story so far. Even as someone who is up to date with the current story of one piece I remember that kuma always fascinated me as a character as far back as thriller bark when he is put forward as this big bad villan. Loving this series and your fresh take on what I think is one of the best stories of all time.
Damn, i never forget how i feel back then.. it still hurts whanever i visit the story and tragedy.. love your thought on this one. Can't wait for next episodes man! What a roller coaster!!
some clarification that i don't think i've seen in the comments yet: the translation you seem to be reading calls the different types of haki "colours" (as in, colour of the supreme king). another common name for it is conqueror's haki. they're the same thing, but people usually use both when talking online, just in case you run into discussion about it
"It's freedom, not domination, that makes the World his Kingdom" is the best, greatest way to describe Luffy's Dream
Luffy is too wonderful and wise to ever want to dominate another person. He understands that dominating another means sacrificing your own freedom, something Gandhi, Martin Luther King, and others have talked about.
@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy fun fact about Oda: in his cubicle at the Shounen Jump offices (which he never uses anymore, he works from home and has for a LONG time) there is still a picture hanging from when he still sometimes used that cubicle there...of Che Guevara. I think he has some strong opinions about liberation! A guy who functionally abandoned power in the Cuban state to go around helping liberation movements around the world, who DIED doing that...I can imagine a few linkages there.
@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy ohh you ate with that
@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy Luffy's idealism is individual freedom from Luciferianism and Hinduism. Monkey (Hanuman) D. Luffy (Lucifer abbreviated). Skypia theme is Maya, where you can find the White City of Hanuman. If I say more, I will most likely spoil what the final trasue is, but Oda has his own idea for reincarnation and uses cleverly. It took my entire life of reading one piece theories, and I learned to stick to Sanskrit hanuman story, native American myths, pseudoscience, and conspiracy theories. There is key figure that link Hanuman to Lucifer.
Like the world is your oyster to the extreme. In this age of sea fairing luffy wants a ship and a tight group of friends that can trust an relay on one another to do the things they can’t as they each strive for their own dreams, he doesn’t want to be weighed down by obligation and wants to only act out of a true compulsion of good will, with no authority to tell him no. He may shirk a tab with an i.o.u. But he has every intention to pay it back. He has no cares for monetary wealth his treasure is laughter, songs, and camaraderie and the promises between friends as well as meat. Freedom is his ambition.
That thumbnail is fire, prepare to audition for live action Rayleigh
He unironically could play Rayleigh.
Yeah the thumbnail made me laugh. Never figured he actually looks a lot like Rayleigh
It would be a ton of fun! I might have to rethink my career . . . 😁
@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy I could see it but your eyes are too kind 😅
I support, its great idea❤
One of my favourite aspects of Sabaody archipelago is how it recontextualises Arlong. He built Arlong park in the image of sabaody archipelago - a place where of centuries and centuries worth of discrimination & enslavement of the Fishman.
It makes Arlongs character arc all the more tragic in hindsight, the Fishman Island Arc drives this home even further. It represents a loss of innocence.
Fishman Island is what really recontextualises Arlong. Fisher Tiger's backstory especially.
For sure! That is one of the great things about this story: the recontextualizing of characters and events as the series progresses, and I'm guessing it would reward rereads for that reason.
@@Lukas-ht9xm Fishman island does so in depth with all the character. But sabaody is the start.
@@deliii395 yeah that's fair.
Two things:
Luffy's empathy and compassion when Boa Hancock is speaking about her past, telling her she doesn't have to continue when he sees how much it is tearing her apart to recount it.
Luffy looking bored, doing other things, barely or not paying attention during basically every other recounting of backstory in One Piece but how respectfully and seriously riveted he was to Boa being as vulnerable over something so important.
As a survivor of sexual assault, I fell for Luffy as hard as Boa Hancock in that moment. I was BAWLING and it's not that I didn't already love One Piece and Luffy already by that point, but boy did that cement it for me. Oda also never directly states in any kind of exploitative or lurid way what happened to the sisters, it's probably one of the most empathetic and careful and caring ways I've seen that kind of a plot point depicted in fiction and it really endeared Oda as a storyteller to me.
Beautifully said! Thank you so much!
@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasyyea im not a writer in any way but i think sexual asault especially repeted sexal asaut against i think 12-16 year olds would be their aged while enslaved would be extremely hard to write well and keep it from being in poor taste and in this medium and genre too because boa and her sisters in that flashback would have been the targeted age range this story is mainly marketed twords and in a lesser writers hands i could see this going vary badly
Fun Fact: Oda asked Matt Owens (the live-action showrunner) if he wanted to know the ending to the story. Much like Luffy, Matt said he wants to stay on the journey with everyone else.
That's craaazy, I know he's told all his editors but I didn't know he was willing to tell Owens.
@jacobcoates7987 I certainly wouldn't if u was Oda but I'm glad Oda trusts him
I would be so sad that I would have to say no
I don't know if I would resist knowing it if I was in his place lol
This isn't true
The charlos scene is worth a watch of the anime. People say Luffy punched him so hard he went back into the manga. Very satisfying.
That would actually be immensely satisfying.
@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy I think one the best scenes in the anime. Definitely the best punch in all of one piece
@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy The visual effects in that scene are excellent. The anime is in color, but at the moment of the punch everything goes to black and white. Then the color bleeds back in.
I still think about this scene often (I was anime only until recently. I convinced a friend of mine to start watching, so now I’m reading the manga and rewatching the anime because my husband won’t let us watch “too many” episodes in a day.)
@@QuiltyKatyis better to just read the manga and watch the good escenes
Oda has a real talent for juxtaposition. It's always his most silly and whimsical settings where all the darkest things are taking place.
Yup. I can think about at least 3 arcs in the New World that fits that description ( maybe more but i can just remember 3)
I literally had this exact thought when reading 🥚🧠
I love how the cartoonist aspects of the story can make the history relevance fly over your head.
Not even hidden on plain sight, he just put a moustache on the evil, an evil mustache of course.
That juxtaposition is a hallmark of this series, and I love it.
yeah, and thriller bark is one of the scariest settings, ends up having some of the silliest things throughout the arc.
You're catching up! We're all waiting for you in the New World, Philip.
Can confirm, am In the New World, it's cool out here.
Real cool
I look forward to meeting you there!
Wano and egghead might be the best arcs in one piece overall, although wano is dragged in the anime it should be good in the manga@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy
Rayleigh may be named after Walter Raleigh, but also Rayleigh scattering (which he takes the spelling and pronunciation from), a phenomenon in physics, relating to scattering of light.
And here he fights a light-man.
Very cool!
"Mariejoa" is basically a play on the word "burgeoise" Instead of the "burg-" part, its "mary-" referring to the "upper class" of the tenryuubito - the so called celestial dragons
Cheers!
its also spelled mary geoise
@@QuwrofWrlccywrlfh.05 yes, but this spelling is not yet revealed at this point in the story
@@Matuterocks This is an example of a spoiler that only becomes a spoiler due to being called out as one, I would not have connected the dots otherwise.
Brooks response to duval is top 10 peak comedy moments in the anime
His choked laugh kills me
@@audreyholmes9751 It would kill him too, but he's already dead.
I'm so glad Brook is among the crew!
@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy the laugh in the anime is gold!
@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy SKULL JOKE!! YOHOHOHOHO!!!
I REALLY recommend watching the clip of that "punching" moment in the anime, it is REALLY cathartic!
I will do just that! Thank you!
@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy I'd highly recommend starting watching yall of our your favorite moments at leasts in like 3-4 arcs. One pace (a fan edit without the limitations of weekly animation) can help to mitigate the downsides present in these tense moments while still filling in the gaps, especially with the pacing after this saga once the anime caught up. The animation quality becomes for the best moments some of the best I've ever seen anywhere, the imdm ratings are decently representative if you only compare similar eras for indicating the best animation moments.
Also, without being able to read in color, reading it as it releases, I find I like the anime more effective at coloring the world in a bit more for me than the color version does and without it being a new experience I need a couple years at least to get the same effect reading the color panels had initially (Could be a nonreactor for others though. I'm kinda face blind which doesn't mesh well all the time with manga, so sorry if this whole section wasn't applicable to you)
The themes of Power, Oppression, Prejudice and Slavery are so real in One Piece. Oda doesnt pull any punches, while still remaining classy by not being overly explicity and gory just for the sake of being shocking.
In some ways, its these universal themes that make One Piece so lasting. The juxtaposition of Freedom vs Oppression, Genetic Family vs Found Family, and so on.
When Oda shows something disturbing, there is good reason for it.
Well said! I'm so glad Oda has used his talents to explore these important themes.
Luffy defiantly doesn’t pull any punches thats for sure
5:10 Those are called "Cover Stories" since that is the cover page of the chapter when it is printed in serial form. Hachi is not the only character to pop back into the story after having a character arc in those stories, so they are definitely worth paying attention to. I just like it because Oda is using the medium to flesh out the world without distracting from the main journey.
Cheers!
But what we see in them is not always canon. Sonetimes it's just fan requests that Oda draws. So anything which may seem like a major character moment may not be true. Like crocodile holding a umbrella for a dog
@@rishikkanthravikumar6596 Fortunately, Oda always writes "Fan request" before the non-canon ones. I love how the cover stories expand the worldbuilding without drawing too much attention away from the main story.
Yea it hasnt played into anything yet but i get the felling that enel one is going to have a big affect on the final saga
I’ve always loved how super ballsy the end of Sabaody is. To have 500 chapters where nothing has really gone wrong for the hero and then to just pull the rug out from under both him and the fans. Oda has said that he knew Kuma would split up the Straw Hats since his introduction. And fun fact but all of the eleven supernovas were introduced last minute because Oda's editor thought the arc was too boring.
Question: do you look up the mythological, literary, and real-world references after you read?
Oda had a lot of fun coming up with the Supernovas though, a case of an editor suggestion making an arc even better.
Thank you for the fun fact! I don't look up the allusions and references that I'm familiar with, such as allusions to Norse mythology and Greek mythology. If someone mentions an allusion I'm not familiar with (there are many in One Piece), then I like to look them up. I'm pretty sure someone could write a long compendium of them all. Cheers!
I’ve said this before, but these thumbnails are genuinely amazing and hilarious 😂 they’re probably one of the main reasons why i look forward to your reviews
Don't tell anyone, but I think making the thumbnail is the part I look forward to most! 😂
Fun fact about the worst generation. Oda created all of them in around 3 hours time after his editor advised him to spice up the story in Sabaody. They were never intentional and one of the biggest testaments to his creativity.
Fun fact is Oda made 7 warlords when the series was already hafway through the East Blue Saga (I think right before Baratie), and there's 7 of them just because the number is cool. Same for Yonkou, same for 11 Supernovae.
Same for Mrs Wednesday being Vivi, he thought she looked like a princess with her hair down.
Same for CP9, Oda just used cool Galley-La characters for the agents.
This is why OnePiece is so bloated.
@@Itoyokofan nah the emperors were always planned just not their designs but the fact that their would 4 of them
@@sayeksofianI think I heard Oda had 4 emperors in mind first, and then came up with Seven Warlords later, so he made Crocodile a Warlord instead of Emperor.
@@Itoyokofan maybe could have been since originally it was supposed to done in 5-6 years assuming a chapter a week 250-300 chapters going through all the younkou and world government and finding the One piece
This makes me slightly envious of Oda! Very cool!
"Being a *celestial dragon* has made people real comfortable with talking smack and not getting punched in the face for it"
-Luffy, probably
A wise saying!
i HIGHLY recommend watching episodes 396 & 405. hachi apologizing after getting shot and luffy punching a celestial dragon on ep396 is amazingly animated, and the directing of ep405 is heartbreaking in the best way possible
Seconded!
I can see where the anime would bring some important emotion to those scenes. Thank you!
This
This is why I love this channel... I always called it "Sah Bah Oh Dee" 😂😂
You'd have to read the original Japanese (with its included pronounciation giude) or watch the anime. Many don't, and they simply have no way of knowing.
Even worse when there are people who watch the anime up to 1000 episodes and continue to butcher 'Sabaody' and 'Mary Geoise.'
@@vspence2why didn’t he use sa in katakana tho? That’s the part that confuses me the most
@@chefgreasypaw7816 for real シャボンディ or sha bo n di
My guess is he wanted to emphasize the soap bubble meaning to his Japanese readers
@@chefgreasypaw7816Nope. In Japanese, it’s pronounced Shabondi.
the reminder of that moment where luffy chooses his friends over a ship on amazon lily made me tear up. this series just tugs at those heart strings
@@thewingedturtle480 For sure!
Never clicked so fast before
Me too
Me too!!!
Same, helps that the thumbnail was beautiful
Thank you for watching! 😊
It is an absolute pleasure hearing the analysis of each arc from an English Professor. Loved your thoughts about the meaning of Kuma's bible, never thought about the duality of law and mercy and how well that is represented in his character.
Love from Portugal! Hyped for your thoughts of the next arcs
Thank you so much! Kuma is a fascinating character, and I hope to learn more about his backstory. All the best!
Outro português a seguir esta série!
The name "Colour of the Supreme King" is a *little* bit of a misnomer. It implies that it's a very specific role. An alternative translation, that I prefer is "Conqueror's Haki", because it's not about being a king, it's about having the will to rise to the top of whatever you do and overcome any odds to do it - to conquer.
Cheers!
Just a heads up, I've seen people get some flak for reading Marineford in single page mode. There are a lot of two page spreads in that arc. It's not just about the choppy visuals, it makes the speech bubbles hard to follow. You often don’t know which line to read next because it’s sometimes split across two pages, so you end up flipping back and forth constantly. This can spoil the experience since you might accidentally read ahead, and there are some key reveals in that arc where doing so could mess up some of the best moments in the series.
Thank you for the heads up! Much appreciated!
I wanna bring up a line from a video from an amazing analyst for One Piece: “There is very little media that is sympathetic to the role of Medusa.”
The Boa sister serves a very strange role. We’re introduced to Hancock as a villain, yet as the arc goes on, we realize she’s a victim along with her fellow sisters. And that is powerful. While One Piece can always be criticized for its female designs, its writing for the same never falls short of fantastic and compelling at the least. Yet the strangest role they serve is as a stepping stone to show that Luffy still has a long, long way to go. And I love strange things, and I hope you will similarly love where the story goes from here!
In the myths(correct me if im wrong) medusa was assaulted by Posiedon, a god who has all the authority in the world, and she still got punished by Athena for no apparent reason. I think the same applies here, even though Boa and her sisters are VICTIMS, they are the ones that get shamed if they show a sign of their past trauma.
@rudrapratapdevati92 that's an Ovid retelling (he had a history of bias against the gods & authority, always making the gods worse etc because he hated Augustus because Agustus exiled him for sleeping with his daughter if I recall) in the original myths Medusa and her sisters are born Gorgons and always had been. Ovid's retelling is valid if you prefer his I just get irked since I really don't like him lol.
@@Mandaiish I would say Ovid’s has definitely become much more commonly accepted and known, with the other sisters being lumped in via more arbitrary means. That being said… especially with where the story heads, I’d say it’s clear that Oda took from both interpretations here and mixed in the nuance of what determines true monsters. Something I cannot wait to see how Philip reacts specifically to this parallel will eventually be Doflamingo, though I’ll refrain from touching on more for that until he has read Dressrosa.
@@rezahydra Indeed on that Ovid is the more common story (which of course I'm sad about) but I am glad that Oda does seem to take both versions like you said and oh boy I can not wait to hear his thoughts on Doflamingo and personally his thoughts on Mjollsgard later down the line as well as a juxtaposition of the Donquixote family, I personally love it when characters try (and do) change.
Small correction: Kizaru is a navy admiral, not one of the 7 warlords. I don't know if you just misspoke, but the story will make this clear soon enough. Great video! Love your insights as always!
I noticed that too, but he did call him an admiral later on, so I'm sure that was just a slip of the tongue :)
@@chrismaeleonthanks for the info lol I just heard him say the first thing and was gonna 🤓☝️
Cheers! Yes, somewhere among all my poor overworked neurons firing while trying to keep track of all these cool new characters, my brain got the two things confused, and I didn't even realize it. All the best!
@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasylol love it
I actually really like Roger's last words to Raleigh in the English dub of: "They may kill me, but I'm not gonna die."
Or "You die when you are forgotten about.", from the Chopper arc.
As borsalino put it, the sins of a pirate don't just go away, especially those of the Roger pirates
45:13 never apologize for rambling on about OP, It's what were here for. Please, continue to ramble.
Cheers!
Agreed, it could be twice as long and I’d be grateful
This was a good episode. You covered all of the major themes well and I loved your insight about, “if you are afraid of losing your freedom you have already lost it.”
Can’t wait for your review and analysis of Impeldown, and especially marineford after that!
Thank you so much! I'll be covering Impel Down and Marineford in separate videos, I think.
Sentomaru call Admiral Kizaru uncle but kizaru actually not his uncle. Sentomaru call kizaru uncle is like a Yakuza style thing to call your superior.
Good to know! Thank you!
@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy He calls him "ojisan" which can either mean "uncle" or "old man/mister" (familiar language).
It is unusual for someone in the military to refer to their superior by this term, so at this point in the series it either implies: 1) Kizaru actually is his uncle, 2) Sentomaru is highly casual and unprofessional, or 3) Sentomaru and Kizaru share a close relationship.
@@BidwellRunnersorry to nitpick but Sentomaru doesn't say ojisan, he says ojiki （叔父貴）which is very old school yakuzas way of saying ojisan.
@@OfficialTigerino Not nitpicking at all! Thanks, I hadn't seen the scene in years and just assumed he said ojisan. I did not know that yakuza use ojiki, but I am unfamiliar with how yakuza speak. I suppose it is similar to how they use aniki for older brother type figures.
@@BidwellRunner yeah it's like that. Aniki is written as 兄貴（brother兄 + noble貴）so ojiki is uncle叔父 +noble貴
Doflamingo "hahaha disco - you can keep the auction house - I've moved onto new prospects... it's all about SMILES now hahahahaha" so ominous
Means nothing for long until it does... ☠
I don't think I like Doflamingo . . . Let's see, though. Cheers!
@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy Congratulations on making it to the summit war saga, I will watch your journey with great interest Professor Phillip.
@@SkillHunterThousandManPlan Cheers! 🙏
@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasyyou may not like him now but without spoiling anything he arguably becomes the series greatest and most well writen villain when his time as one finally comes
About Rayleigh's "you may come to another answer" to Robin, people's experiences shape how they view the world. For example, when we first see Fishmen with Arlong and his crew they are racist, terrorizing mobsters. It is only in Sabaody that we see the prejudices toward and slavery of Fishmen, along with getting to know Camie and Hachi, that we gain a new perspective of what fishmen have been dealing with. The new knowledge widens our view of a subject we had a narrow understanding of before. So by going through with their journey the Strawhats will bring their own unique evolving perspectives to what is waiting at the end with the One Piece.
Beautifully said! Thank you!
It constantly astounds me as to how much you see on your first time through. So much of Kuma from his personality/humanity down to just hus Bible and their implications, where the straw hats are sent too, being able to recall that haki was used by shanks on whitebeards ship and all the way back in romance dawn, rhe very beginning. Well done, but be sure to keep all these little details and more in your memory, they surely come up again.
Thank you so much! Much appreciated!
Echoing what others have mentioned, definitely watch the scenes in the auction house and the conversation with Rayleigh in Shaaky's bar. They're so well done
Will do! Cheers!
My one piece journey began within the last couple years, just too late to join Merhpy on her journey, but JUST in time for Philips!
Love your insight and breakdowns, very human and heartfelt! 😎
Thank you! I'm so glad for your company!
I came to understand that more than the gag of us humans falling for someone who doesn't have interest in us, in the case of Boa, it's also the fact that Luffy was probably the only man she knew that didn't objectify her, didn't expect anything from her, didn't idolize her, he just treated her like a regular human with basic respect, based on her actions. She finally felt seen, probably.
Well said!
There’s also the fact that her culture very clearly values strength and that Luffy, famously, punched a Celestial Dragon.
The craziest thing about the rival pirate crews that debuted in Sabaody is that Oda, supposedly, created, designed, and developed every single one of them while drawing the chapter in which they debuted, and immediately they're so incredibly full of life and showing signs of the depths and stories they'll have later on. I have to imagine some of them were made to fit vague roles he already had in mind, like how he tried drawing Miss Wednesday with her hair down and realized he had his Arabasta princess character, but to achieve that and have it feel completely natural in an arc already as densely packed as Sabaody is impressive, and it gives such scope to the world, with the idea that stories just as epic as Luffy's were happening concurrently down the paths of the Grand Line he didn't take... and imagining people capable of nearly a dozen Enies Lobbies' worth of incidents, then seeing that was still nowhere near enough for them to stand a chance against the full might of the world government and marines, sells that we haven't even begun to understand the scope of the world.
Also enjoyed seeing all the Marguerite focus in your Amazon Lily analysis. When I reread the arc awhile back I found myself enjoying her a lot more than I remembered.
Thank you! I think the friendship that develops between Marguerite and Luffy is key to Amazon Lily. She saved his life, and when hers was in danger, that brought out his haki in a big way. All the best!
I remember reading the arc back then as it came out and there was a certain amount of fan theorizing about Marguerite joining the crew. She's nice and has a fantastic design, plus her being an archer would have made for a cool addition to the arsenal.
The Thumbnail goes hard. Now that I see it your face does fit quite nicely on Rayleigh
When I was a kid, I always wanted to be an old man with a beard. Now I that I am one, I can aspire to having a beard like Rayleigh's.
@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy following your dreams that what One Piece is all about😁
@@aysseralwan True! 😁
The Duval wanted poster reveal is one of the funniest punchlines to a joke I've read in manga. It's sat with me more than a decade later and I keep coming back to it. I highly recommend looking up clips from the reveal in the anime. Brook's laughter is incredibly infectious, adding to the humor.
Thank you for the tip! I will have to look up that one!
Thank you for your thoughts and comments on this arc! I’ve always thought that the goofiness of One piece is what makes the darker aspects of it hit so well, but hearing your view on it made me realize that it also made it so much easier to digest as well. Knowing that there is hope and laughter waiting for me as I read on helped make me appreciate the hard realities described in the world and push on to greener pastures. Oda does an amazing job of weaving his story in such a way that he never ignores the harsh realities but also never lets the straw hats (or us) get bogged down by it. The way this story mirrors life gives me hope for my future as well, which is much needed today. That might be why, I’ve ended up loving One Piece more with each passing year.
So beautifully said -- thank you!
Celestial Dragons are more than a metaphor for wealth in general. They are what happens when wealth and power both are concentrated for a small minority over many generations, with small concessions piling up. If you want to compare it to something, I think the whole notion of "2nd generation" people in Korea is pretty much that. People from a rich and powerful family (chaebol) that grew up with a silver spoon and a guaranteed future. They are very present in Korean fiction, both as the "ideal position" to be in and the "ideal villains" to use. You can make comparisons with keireitsu families in Japan (zaibatsu are more known as a term in fiction but they are pre-war)
Well said!
12:00 so beautifully said sir!! Your analytical mind and drawing of connections between one piece and the real world are what I appreciate so very much in these videos, please keep it up!!
Thank you so much! I strongly feel that Oda has included some profoundly important messages in his story.
@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy absolutely! ones that a lot of one piece fans seem to ignore unfortunately
44:53 when garp referenced "we've angered THE KING OF THE SEA "
He means Whitebeard
2 weeks for a new arc video, bro is hooked. Keep it up!
I am indeed hooked!
THIS is a huge breathe of fresh air! man, ive watched 100s of reactions to these arcs and YOU SIR by far, ARE MY FAVORITE. The fact that you understood and discussed the very dark topics and traumas op has to offer soo willingly and with concern makes me tear up with joy. Sooooo many people are just engulfed in the action and the characters [rightfully so they are phenomenal] of these arcs that i was STARVED of the commentary oda had as a whole for sabaody and the AFFECTS of it aka boa. Boa is sooo much more than the usual "love trope" every show has, and It brought me sooo much happiness that you saw her for who she was too! such a very hard topic to talk about but you dove into it head first into seeing these people AS PEOPLE. what makes one piece sooo great? because of how VERY HUMAN it is. And you sir are an amazing human being~
My deepest thanks for your kind words and encouragement! Your comment will motivate me as I read ahead! 😊
Yes, in Robin's flashback, professor Clover stated that before the World Government was formed (during the void century), there once a Great Kingdom that had enormous power. But they were wiped out by a group that would one day become the World Government. However, before Clover could reveal the name, he was shot. Based on information on this arc, the 20 kings are the ones who won against this Great Kingdom. (celestial dragon are just the descendants of this 20 kings)
Because the winner writes history, they erased an entire century (900 years ago) and made it just a blank history during that century. And the loser (Great Kingdom) make the last attempt by writing the real history and couple of messages (such as ancient weapon's location like pluton) to an indestructible book named Poneglyph and got scattered all over the world.
The one in Arabasta got the information about Pluton's location. And the one in Skypiea, got the information about Poseidon's location. So far, they're all about ancient weapons which is not the one Robin looking for. She just wants the one who got the real history. And yes, Roger pirates including Rayleigh knows the true history about the void century
Very cool!
Bartholomew Kuma carrying Bible represents Oda's hometown which is Kumamoto (熊本) Prefecture in Japan
As Kuma (熊) means bear, and Moto (本) means book, which also another meaning of The Bible or The Book
The first thing Luffy did after losing his crew being to eat forceful laughing mushrooms is heartbreaking
It was an unfortunate meal, for sure!
I think Arlong being our introduction to fishmen as a concept is a really good way to create the message seen in Sabody and some future arcs, we are lead to believe fishmen are monstrous human hating by nature mythical beasts by their obvious inspiration from characters like the creature from the black lagoon, making them similar to orcs or goblins in other fantasy worlds. but these arcs are designed to make us realize that's exactly how so many people in this world see fishmen and that's exactly why they have to live in the shadows as "monsters" because all of society has pushed them into the mold of one by force.
Well said!
Nothing better than watching you review One Piece like the story it is, regardless of its medium. Thank you for your hard work!
I appreciate your support more than I can say! Thank you!
Can’t wait for you to continue reading!! It gets so good for a long stretch here- can’t wait to see your analysis of the coming arcs!!
I look forward to it so much!
It's so refreshing to hear your takes on these arcs. Love this.
Thanks so much for watching and for your kind words! 😊
Shabondy is more or less correct. Sabaody comes from the Portuguese word sabão, which means soap. The Japanese katakana spelling for sabão is sha-bo-n (same way their pronunciation and spelling for pão, bread, is pa-n). Spot on with the pronunciation, overall. Whoever helped you, give them a cookie, they earned it.
7:25 With Oda you can't even trust gags. Nobody would've thought that Sanji's poster would play a role in the story!! Also, Luffy's reaction when he sees Duvall was priceless. He completely washed his hands of it, turned to Sanji, and basically went "Yeah, you dea with this... I'm not having anything to do with it."
16:53 Since you mention it, go back and take a solid look at the main building of Sabaody Park. Keep it in your head.
19:20 Fun fact: When storyboarding Sabaody, Oda ran it by his editor, and they agreed it felt a bit empty. So Oda sat down, and immediately came up with all the Sopernovas/Super Rookies, their backstories and designs. When he was naming them, he finally ran out of cool ideas, and that's why Killer is just Killer.
20:35 That punch felt SO CATHARTIC!! I deeply recommend watching it in the anime, because it just feels SO GOOD!!!
22:15 He had two extremely creepy appearances before as well. The first one after the crew defeat Crocodile and they are choosing a new Warlord (that ends up going to Blackbeard), somehow making two Marine high ranking officials present fight each other. The second one after Skypiea, he is seen on Jaya forcing Bellamy to fight Sarquiss in the same manner.
23:00 When does a man die? When he is forgotten. And remember how Crocus said he had joined a pirate crew to go look for Brook at some point? Now we know which crew it was.
25:55 *He is one of the Three Admirals, you meant xDD BTW, Kizaru means "yellow monkey", Aokiji means "blue pheasant" and Akainu (the last one) means "red dog". A dog, a pheasant and a monkey are the animals that joined Momotaro (after he feeds them kibi-dango) to go fight the Oni at Onigashima, in the Japanese folk tale.
32:50 Oda, as the 12-y-o he is, has confirmed that his Gomu Gomu powers do in fact also affect his strategically placed mushroom. BTW, same confirmation was also given about Buggy and his Bara Bara powers.
37:00 If a piece of meat had the powers of the Mero Mero no Mi, Luffy would be screwed.
38:50 The word used in Japanese is 覇王 (Haō), 覇 meaning Conqueror, Overlord, 王 meaning King, so it's sometimes translated as Conqueror's Haki. Also, the complete name (and translation) is 覇王色の覇気 (Ambition/Willpower/Aspirations (that's the meaning of Haki) the colour of the Conqueror/Supreme King/Overlord), so you might also see it written as "CoC", as in "Colour of Conqueror".
40:20 I love how Hancock's perconceptions crumble little by litte in front of Luffy, just becuase he is Luffy being Luffy. He doesn't fall victim of his basic instincts (she doesn't understand Luffy is solely attracted to meat), that must be some trick. He covers Sandersonia's back, it can't be something done honestly. So Hancock gives him a test she is sure he'll fail: Unpetrification or a ship. He immediately Luffies and even thanks her. There she decides to at least acknowledge him, but she is still wary. Until Nyon tells her that Luffy messed up Charlos's face, and Hancock's world crumbles.
44:50 I take it as Garp talking about Whitebeard there, same way he previously referenced him as a Living Legend (when a random Marine tells him they found Rayleigh and he replies "do you think we can fight two Living Legends at the same time?"). Which only hypes Whitebeard even more!
Thank you so much! I always appreciate your informed comments, especially on linguistic matters. Interestingly, the word for soap in Nepali (which I speak like a five-year-old), is "sabon." I imagine it has the same root. Very cool!
@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy It's also sabon in Filipino, if I'm not mistaken. Regardless, they all ultimately share the Germanic root "saipôn" (and then Latin sapo, -ōnis, in some cases), same as soap, and even the Spanish "jabón" that somehow ended up replacing the S for a J.
But in this case in particular, more than sharing a root, or the one being root for the other, it's just a Portuguese loanword (same as "pa-n", even though it now resembles Spanish "pan" more than Portuguese "pão"), as Portugal was one of the few countries that had commerce with and heavily influenced Japan (via Portuguese settlements in Macau, China). For example, their first matchlock rifles, the Tanegashima, were Portuguese, Japanese Tempura is actually a Portuguese recipe (Portuguese friars ate fried fish and vegetables during lent, and its name comes from Portuguese tempero = "seasoning"), same happens with Tonkatsu (Japanese breaded pork cutlets, several sorts of deep fried breaded cutlets are pretty common in Mediterranean Europe), Nagasaki was founded by the Portuguese, etc
@@AnyMEmdq Very cool! I recently watched the adaptation of Shogun, which portrays the early presence of the Portuguese in Japan.
@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy Oh, it's still on my bucket list!! I've heard many good things about it, though. Now my Portuguese half has another reason to watch it xD
EDIT: Ok, I just got a reply from a Nepali friend, he has no idea of the etymological origin of "sabon". I tried
@@AnyMEmdq Fair warning: Shogun is not entirely sympathetic to the Portuguese, but there’s more nuance there in the end than I expected.
probably my fav arc, love how it started so lighthearted but gets more and more serious everytime
There's so many Luffy moments in Amazon Lilly that bring me to tears. The moment where hes so happy his new friends can be saved in particular is just, gah!
@@showmanshipgaming1326 That’s a beautiful moment, indeed!
I'm truly grateful that you take the time to read and reply to all these comments, on top of older videos. It makes you adding the heart to them even more appreciated.
It's a challenge to keep up with the comments, but I value them so much because they are so encouraging and also because I often learn from them. All the best!
Usopp asking about the One Piece and Luffy's reaction is one I always recommend to watch in the anime. The energy of that scene is so palpable, and simply put: Powerful.
Love that you enjoyed this arc as much as all of us did!
Thank you! 😊
Hi Philip! One Piece was my favorite show/manga in middle school. I have been in love with the story since then. Now, a decade later, I've learned to appreciate media in different ways and on deeper levels. Hearing your perspectives on One Piece has given me new found appreciation for something I didn't think I could cherish more than I already did. I'm so glad you picked up the series and are enjoying it. Thank you!
@@kejo888 I’m so glad you’re enjoying the videos! There is so much depth and wonder to One Piece, and I’m happy to be on this journey. All the best!
Heres the references for each of New Pirates:
Captain Kidd based on real life William Kid,
X-Drake based on real life Sir Francis Drake,
Basil Hawkins on Basil Ringrose, Sir John Hawkins and the Drummer Slipknot's #1(Joey Jordison),
Jewellery Bonney on Anne Bonney,
Scratchman Apoo on Chinese Pirate Chui A-Poo,
Trafalgar Law on Cape Trafalgar where Napoleons Fleet was defeated and Valentino Rossi Nascar Driver
Capone Bege on Al Capone,
Killer on Daft Punk,
Not a reference but wordplay Gold Roger + Silver Rayleigh makes Gold and Silver lol
I love how most of them are based on actual pirates and then you get William Kid's infamous first mate, Daft Punk
And law also looks like Valentino Rossi, Oda sketched law after him
@@lakubana92 ooh almost forgot him
Not only Gol D Roger and Silvers Rayleigh, but the third in command was Scopper Gaban. So gold, silver And copper.
Very cool! Cheers!
Amazing review. I follow One Piece theory videos and online threads on a daily basis, but I appreciate your general knowledge of literature. It seems that you have a very good understanding of typology and can draw beautiful parallels. For example, I find your analysis of 'Kuma and his Bible' very insightful. Your takes make sense to me and also expand my knowledge of One Piece and exegesis in general. Thank you.
@@xbaker_x I’m glad you enjoyed the video, and I appreciate your kind and encouraging words! Thank you!
Buckle up.. some of the best moments in One Piece.. seems like you are rapidly approaching week to week.. Kuma.. oh yes Kuma..
I am buckled and ready! Wait . . . Am I really ready? I guess I'll see! Cheers!
You made it to Sabaody! The most lighthearted arc 😅
Have a lovely Tuesday Philip! Make sure to drink water and stay hydrated
Thank you, Geramiah! Lighthearted indeed!
Commenting because I am not seeing it described elsewhere, it's kinda hard to convey how crazy a time the fandom had with Duval when the manga was releasing. The speculation and theorycrafting on his potential "dark and serious backstory" and connection to the crew spawned all sorts of theories (a lot of people thought it might be Gin or Don Krieg). For it to end up as a foreshadowed joke completely caught the fandom off guard and has been legendary since.
It definitely caught me entirely by surprise, and I laughed for quite a while!
21:08 the scene with luffy punching Charlos is a must watch in the anime. Gives me goosebumps fr
Just for some context for you, so that you can potentially have the same understanding as a Japanese reader, the term Haki (覇^は 気^き or just 覇気) can be variously translated as such:
- "Ambition" or "Aspiration"
- "Drive" or "Vigor"
- "(Domineering/Powerful) Spirit"
- "Will (to Conquer/Rule)"
- "Supreme/Hegemonic Spirit/Ki" (when you translate the kanji individually)
There is one other way I've commonly heard it translated/described as/akin to, but I don't remember if it is a spoiler or not, if it used to describe Haki within the story or if it is something the fans came up with on their own or possibly both even, so I won't say it just in case it is a spoiler. But other than that, I'll leave it up to you to figure out what this deeper meaning even means in relation to this power that Oda is setting up.
Something else that Japanese readers would have picked up on that non-Japanese readers probably wouldn't is that the Navy Admiral Kizaru is modelled after the late Japanese actor, Kunie Tanaka, or at least certain aspects of Kizaru is based on a movie character that Kunie played in his youth. When you see & compare their two faces, you can really see the resemblance.
And yes, Oda LOVE to reference and pull inspiration from world-wide myths, legends, pantheons, etc., so Amazon Lily is definitely inspired by Greek mythology and especially the Amazons Island of Warrior Women & gorgon imagery w/ all of the snake theming. BUT, what Oda ALSO loves to do is MIX these different inspirations together, usually creating something wholly unique. Because although the idea of the Amazoness Island is Greek inspired, the architecture of all of the buildings is mostly Chinese inspired, which begs the question of why? Well, also in theme with slavery, a dark part of Japanese history, which is illegal to talk about in Japan (reminding me of something similar to the Void Century in One Piece), is that there was one (or possibly more, I'm not an expert) period(s) in time, most likely when Japan and China were at war, when Japan would send troops over to China to raid the land and to abduct the country's women to be used as slaves for Japanese men. I don't know if abducting the women was the primary goal of these raids or if it was more of a secondary thing, but either way nowadays it is seen as one or more of the most EXTREMELY shameful moments in Japanese history, to the point that the government has labeled it as a taboo subject and has forbidden people from talking about it, at least openly & explicitly. And this is not an isolated incident, there are plenty of other topics that Japan has banned people from openly/publicly discussing (because Japan doesn't allow freedom of speech). However, it is sometimes believed that these complex and taboo subjects is what lead to Japanese fiction to become popular within its own country, as writers and artists found fiction to be a cleaver loophole or work-around of explaining and talking about these touchy subjects. (That's how monster p*rn got its start, supposedly. A painting of a man and women doing it? No-no-no, that's too much nudity & is explicit sex. A painting of a woman and an octopus getting down? A-Okay! Tentacles aren't phalic, what do you mean?) And so, with this homage to Chinese culture, amidst an island of only women, with both "slavery" and "covering up the story of said slavery out of shame" being prominent themes within this story arc, for some it definitely feels like Oda is trying to invoke the memories of this past and address it in as subtle of a way as he can get away with (since he can't openly admit if he is doing this or not).
Whew, well on some lighter notes now, Oda also mentions in either an SBS or an interview somewhere (I forget the exact place he mentions this) is that another reason for him to make Amazon Lily was to force him to improve at drawing women better. Specifically he is really good at drawing a select few body types/shapes of women, mainly the "beautiful" kind we'll say, but when it comes to "not so beautiful" women, he said he struggles. And so he made a place of all women of all different kinds of body shapes, types, and proportions. Personally, I think he has improved in this area after this, but I also think he doesn't draw enough women with smaller chests (he's all about the big boobies, because we all know that he's a bit of a pervert). All that I'll pass along, as someone who does not feel this way myself, is that there are some who feel slightly left out or less connected to this world over this topic. Because this is a world FULL of diversity, from physical traits to people's personalities, cultures, ideals, dreams, etc., but yet there seems to be a surprising lack of smaller chested women in this world. Which is a shame, both from the "less inclusiveness," I guess I'll call it, it can create, but also if every woman has "big boobs" then they're not really "big" anymore in this world, they can start to look "average." Which this can be dangerous for some young reader's perception of normal if they base it off of this story, kind of like how beauty magazines can do the same for their young readers. Even if it is mostly boys reading this story instead of girls, it can still warp their minds and expectations if this influences how they see women in our world as well. I know this is a bit of an extreme take, but the fact that I'm talking about this not from my own experience but from someone else's, multiple someone elses' even, that shows at least a little bit of unfortunate merit to this point. That being said, this is really rare, and when it does happen can be mostly easily addressed at the individual level, with it only affecting people's preferences rather than their expectations over 99% of the time.
Last thing about Japanese reader context: The joke about Luffy's "Family Jewels" is actually a play on words in Japanese. You see, the word "Kintama (金玉)" means "Testicles," however the two kanji used to make up this word translates directly into, "Golden Balls." So, in the context of Amazon Lily where these women have never seen a man and know nothing about them, when they hear the word "Kintama" they don't know what testicles are, all they hear is that Luffy has some golden balls of treasure inside of him! Still funny either way, but I think the original version of the joke with this context is the funniest version, which of course it is when it is a word-play for a specific language, that's usually how that goes down.
Also, I would HIGHLY recommend checking out the moment that Luffy punches Charlos in the face in the anime, if you'd be so interested in it, simply for the pure catharsis of that moment (plus it is also just super epic the way the animators handles that moment). You can find two versions of the moment during Ep 396 for the full moment/scene starting at about 16:00-18:50 until the end of the episode, or Ep 397 during the recap after the first 3:40 or so minutes of intro.
In addition, there is also basically all of episode 405 for Kuma separating all of the Straw Hats, where the acting for all of the cast in it, I believe in all language versions, is just absolutely giving all of their hearts for this moment. Alongside the subtle, touching, and potent symbolism of the environment that the animators use to help enhance this moment. It is obviously incredibly powerful, especially for those who might not have as keen of insight to notice that Kuma may actually be helping the Straw Hats instead of destroying them like you mentioned.
Thank you so much for all the valuable insights and information you've provided here! I deeply appreciate you taking the time, especially as your comments have enriched my experience of the story. Much appreciated!
People mentioned the Charlos punch, but the episode with Kuma teleporting the SH's away is also extremely good and worth the watch.
I always look forward to your videos on One Piece. Your discussions are always thoughtful and your analysis and perspective on things is really great to listen to. I really don't mind the longer videos as well so definitely keep rambling!
Ha ha! More ramblings will no doubt be forthcoming! Cheers!
I thought this was only a video about sabody but realised half way it covers Amazon lily as well made me double happy
One piece was 10 years old when the water 7 saga ended and the log pose pointed to Fishman island as the next destination (that's exactly when I caught up with it). It still took another 6 years for it to actually reach fishman Island.
All in all its not considered a great arc, but I can't wait to see your opinions on all the fishman lore we'll get there.
What a brilliant video, I'm stunned at how well you've touched on the themes and characters in this arc and even things beyond the scope of what you read so far. Amazing stuff and it has me really excited for the rest of your journey. Really grateful to you for making these videos, thank you and have a good day.
Thank you so much! As always, I am incredibly grateful for your support and kindness!
i love sabaody. every little detail remains relevant all the way to the current chapters. excited for you to keep reading !
Oh... I've been waiting for this one. One of my favorite emotional moments of the series. I do highly recommend watching the anime for episodes 404 and 405. I've been reading the manga since it's US release in 2001 but the occasional episode is worth a watch.
Thanks so much for the recommendation -- much appreciated!
I cant believe youre already at Impel Down!!! loved your thoughts on these two arcs. Also hope youre not stressing the pronunciations too much, its no big deal. You're killing it!
Thanks so much, James! I don't get worked up about pronunciations, but if someone does help me out, I try to remember. Because of how international One Piece is, I get the feeling that a lot of the names have variant pronunciations, and I like that diversity too. Anyway, I deeply appreciate your kindness and encouragement!
My take on me crying every single time I read enies lobby and the merry dies:
In my opinion it is one of the best story threads of all time. There is so much build-up you get without even realizing that you do.
You start off as taking the merry as a given even though it is a gift from kaya. It slowly grows into becoming a mascot as well as a safe haven for our crew. Before you know you are worried for the ship. At first because it is the means of transportation. But in water seven you get the reality check. You didnt notice what you had before it was gone.
Then in the end of enies lobby it is revealed that the merry actually has a soul. We knew that but we didn't understand that we knew. And not only that. It is revealed that it happily suffered for us all the way since skypia. And we knew the ship suffered. But we did not know really know.
And then the great finale happens. Against all rules of physics and logic the merry appears out of nowhere to save the strawhats from certain death. And it makes no sense. Even the characters in the story agree. But the love for the crew and sheer willpower of the merry are stronger than any possible obstacle.
And right after bending the universe itself for us the merry dies. But the tears are not sad tears because it is the goodbye we were prepared to say. They are bitter sweet melancholic tears while you remember everything you experienced together and after one last time of showing everybody who the boss is the going merry can finally have its well deserved rest.
What I didnt notice for many years is that you land right in the acceptance stage of grief when the merrys final moments happen. Which is why it is such a bitter sweet moment.
Because without even noticing you went through the first four stages of grief together with the strawhats. Mostly with ussopp. The denial when he hears of the merry being irreparable. Followed by anger leading to his fight with luffy. Bargaining when he talks to franky. Instantly followed by depression after Franky beats some sense into him again. You kinda feel with him but also you just want him to accept it. Yes Oda really made you go through the first four stages of grief through the eyes of another character. And he did it without you noticing to prepare what you feel when the comic book ship dies.
And all of this subtle build up peaks in that one final moment of the merry. And while your eyes start to tear up you can't help yourself but start smiling just a little in memory of the merry.
@@kliffi96 Beautifully said - thank you!
This might be your best thumbnail yet and you’ve had some spectacular ones
Thank you, Andrew! I got an extra long eye roll from my daughter for this thumbnail, so I knew it must be pretty good!
Philip, you’re getting into some of the best parts of this story and I am so excited to see you react to it. Im very interested in what you’ll think
@@GavinMcHugh066 I just finished Impel Down! Thoughts coming soon. Cheers!
@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy If you haven't already, read the first chapter of Marineford before releasing the Impel Down video, you will understand why.
it’s amazing how perceptive you are with one piece, i have to watch analysis videos each week on the new chapters to pull this kind of info haha
You are very kind! I look forward to watching those analysis videos once I’ve caught up with the series.
YOU ARE SOOO GOOD AT THESE, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHARING YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH US, NEVER STOP DOING THESE!!❤❤
Thank you for your kindness! 😊
I've watched all your One Piece videos so far, and in this one, it's become very evident how much you're enjoying it. So fun to watch someone laugh along with and fall in love with my favorite series! Can't wait for the next video!
I always have Sabaody as my favourite arc because it just really expands the world in such a large number of ways. I think a lot of people underestimate its impact on One Piece as a whole.
11 pirates in the same class as Luffy all with crazy powers, the upper nobility of the one piece world showing up for the first time, the first mate of the Roger pirates clashing with a new admiral who seems unstoppable, the breaking up of the crew. It really is the catalyst that changes the entirety of One Piece as a series from this point on.
It definitely feels like a turning point to me, like the story is on the verge of something vast and dangerous. Cheers!
As always, you have a great intuition with Oda's foreshadowing, it's almost unbelievable.
This series is officially my favourite on RUclips. Nothing better than scrolling RUclips and finding the next episode of this series, it’s awesome. Also congratulations, you have now started one of the most popular sagas in one piece, get ready. Also you should totally check out the Kuma scene from the anime it’s heart breaking and amazing.
Thank you for the kindness and support! I’ll check out the anime episode!
This short stretch of chapters is so rich with content, and fertile ground for so much thinking.
The character moments Luffy displays are such a joy here, and a clarifying display of Luffys nuances.
It's really interesting to hear you pronounce Sabaody, which is quite similar to how the Japanese voice actors pronounce it, yet very different to how you would hear most any non-japanese pronounce it (at least here on yt)
btw, the anime made dedicated episodes out of all the Strawhats "trials" from their respective cover pages (2/3 SH's per episode) . While they are, afaik, not technically canon, they are still very much "interesting" in the bigger picture they provide.
Thank you for the comments! So well said about the joy in Luffy's character moments!
I think there is a moment in this arc that shows the true nature of The Marines as an institution; when Garp is told that Rayleigh is being sold at a slave auction and he jokes about it.
This is showing the reader that Garp, Luffy's grandfather and Hero of the Marines, knows about the Celestial Dragon ruling class and the slavery and abuse that comes with it. And he just laughs about it.
This man, that is supposed to be the pinacle of the Marines, the very best they can be. That will fight pirates, defend villages from bandits and protect the weak. But, when a Celestial Dragon says they want someone as a slave, he will look the other way as they put a collar on them.
We see this further reinforced when Sengoku, the Fleet Admiral, is informed about Saint Charlos' incident and the man who informs him starts saying "human auction hall" and then corrects himself and says "employment assistance office"
There can be corrupt and "evil" Marines throughout the series, but even at their very very best, at their ideal, a Marine will always be an enforcer for the World Government and its nobles first and foremost.
P.S; check out Buggy's flashback in chapter 19 for Rayleighs first appearance!
Yes, most Vice Admirals have dog-inspired themes or names, because they're "government watchdogs".
Garp knew Rayleigh was strong enough to get out of that situation, that is why he joked about it.
@@BladeEdge86what about the other slaves? Are they strong enough to escape? This is a place that only serves to sell slaves. Garp knows that this place exists and that people are being sold there daily. And he does nothing about it. He has accepted that slaves are a part of the system he enforces
Let not forget that Luffy in this very same arc didn't actually cared about other people being slaves he only cared about Camie
While I see where you are coming from, I do disagree with your conclusion on Garp and his sense of justice.
It is shown throughout the rest of the series by his actions in both the present and in flashbacks that he adamantly disagrees and dislikes that the Marines are serving the corrupt World Government and the Celestial Dragons.
But the Marines are the de-facto policing force for the whole world and that is where he can be of most use to the regular everyday citizen.
This is where I started to really enjoy One Piece, can't wait to see your reactions to the next handful of arcs 😁
@@davec8385 My next video with my thoughts on Impel Down will be out in 25 minutes! Cheers!
@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy that's amazing! Thanks for sharing these videos I hope you have a great rest of your day :)
The reighley look suits you .😂
Thank you! 😊
Phillip, this arc brings one step closer to you understanding my tattoo, the same mark on Hachi's forehead. Your thoughtful commentary on the world themes has me even more excited for you to experience what moved me so much I put it upon my own flesh🖤🖤 Your journey delights me, thank you for sharing your One Piece journey.
@@TurtleBazooka Very cool tattoo! I look forward to learning more about its importance as a symbol. All the best, nakama!
The cover stories really are the gift that keeps on giving
Cheers to another video!
Couple of recommendations for flavor when reading this series going forward:
1. Keep all your notes from these earlier videos. You’re entering a cyclone of spiraling themes, foreshadowing, and call backs that will be enriched by remembering what you have predicted/ discussed.
2. Read/reread Dante’s inferno or a summary of it before/during your reading of impel down
3. Tissues my guy, buy more!!
I’m stocking up on tissues!!!
23:23 Laboon wasn't part of Rogers crew. - Don't know if you misspoke or just confused something, but only Krokus was on board of Rogers ship.
Just trying to say too much at once!
Great video as always and great pronunciation especially for Saboady first english content creator i know who goes with Japanese pronunciation 👍
Luffy is just the best! I just think he shows us that through friendship (getting to know people) and bravery we can overcome prejudice and these tyrants. But I also love that Oda shows that it is not an easy task, that you risk everything you love for such an important battle. Something to mull over I believe.
So true! Defying the way things are in real life can take many forms, and it's not always easy to figure out the best way to seek justice. In our world, we can't punch some spoiled noble on the nose and hope that it solves something. But characters like Luffy can inspire us to seek ways to make our world better.
Thank you for another great review.
Even the small things, just like seeing you giggle while mentioning Duval's name, makes your reviews very relatable and appreciable.
One Piece does make me giggle a lot! Cheers!
Anime moment I love: Brook, upon seeing Duval, laughs so damn hard.
The VA does it so well, the way he just breaks down with laughter.
been waiting for this one!! soooo excited for you to read through marineford and the other arcs of the new world. i’m currently a few arcs ahead of you on the anime, and very eager to see your reviews of upcoming arcs. thank you for your insight, my brother and i enjoy the analysis.
Many thanks, nakama!
Kuma is definitely one of my favorite characters in the story so far. Even as someone who is up to date with the current story of one piece I remember that kuma always fascinated me as a character as far back as thriller bark when he is put forward as this big bad villan.
Loving this series and your fresh take on what I think is one of the best stories of all time.
Many thanks!
Damn, i never forget how i feel back then.. it still hurts whanever i visit the story and tragedy.. love your thought on this one. Can't wait for next episodes man! What a roller coaster!!
Cheers!
you should put the art that you read into tier list as you go!
some clarification that i don't think i've seen in the comments yet: the translation you seem to be reading calls the different types of haki "colours" (as in, colour of the supreme king). another common name for it is conqueror's haki. they're the same thing, but people usually use both when talking online, just in case you run into discussion about it
@@Oreli Cheers!