This week, instead of a detail analysis, I wanted to do a thematical character analysis to celebrate how incredible Kuma's flashback has been! I'd love to do more thematical analysis like this, so let me know what you think!!
If anybody thinks Kuma sacrificing himself to take out Garcia or some variation of that scenario is a great idea and makes things ok, they are insane. There's literally nothing that can be done to make things right for Kuma other than restoring him, and that is unlikely to happen. Personally I don't think it was a great story, even though Kuma's been my favorite long before all these yahoos jumped on the bandwagon because of his backstory. I think there were plenty of ways things could have worked out so that Kuma didn't have to go through a lot of what he did, but they had to be that way for story sake. I'm more interested in how Oda finishes him up, which I likely won't be satisfied with.
Bartholomew Kuma has changed from a complete mystery to one of the best written characters in One Piece. His story teaches us that vengeance only feeds the cycle of hatred. We've seen it before with villains like Arlong, how his treatment of Nami and her village made him more like the people he hated. Kuma chose a different path, and rather than swearing vengeance on Saturn and the World Government, he wishes a happy 10'th birthday to Bonney. I'm drowning in tears...
To be fair with Saturn, he did everything he said he would do and Kuma agreed People get all mad at him ignoring the fact that Kuma said a big "YES" to his evil acts because all he cared was Bonney's survival
@@W_Junior True. Kuma did it all for Bonney, and Saturn DID hold up his end of the bargain. He didn't even interfere with Kuma guarding the Sunny for two years, which by all logic should have been viewed as treason on Vegapunk's end.
I hated kuma at first for what he did to luffy and his crew but after knowing the truth he became one of my favorite character kind like itachi oda is able to make go from hating a character to loving him
The only power that can match against the tyrant of IM-perialism is the power of the people. "D" means "Demos" from Democracy (Demos=People & Kratos=Power) So the "Will of D" means "The Will of the People". Freed0m, dem0cracy, and Iiberati0n won't be achieved if there's still 0ppresion towards the weaks. So the meaning of dm0cracy in One Piece is COLLECTIVE FREED0M. In the latest chapter said that only STRAW HAT who can fight against the IM-perialist govt. Straw Hat is the very symbol of people's power: peasants, labors, etc. So OP is also telling the story of S0ciaIism/C0mnunism.
By the end of this chapter , it is safe to say that all this flashback was bonny's , because she literally witnessed all of Kuma's life throughout the big bubble holding his memories , thus the last panel with her crying.
Spoiler: She was overwhelmed on one hand she found the truth about what his dad has to go through all of his life, and on the other she realized that since she touched the only saved file of his conciousness there was no way of him coming back ever again (technically she unknowingly killed him for good)
It was beautiful. Sad and impactful especially with how most anime don't take religion in a positive light same with fathers for the most part. Kuma was a wave of greatness and managed to give bonney that tenth birthday it was beautiful Also that side development of kizaru was also fantastic and how fhe px models using the laser basically told us they had a relationship in a way. Magical
Over a decade after his introduction we finally come full circle and know everything we’ve been waiting for….and it was worth the wait. I think we all knew Kuma was going to have a great backstory but this was so much more than I had hoped for. Especially since I’m currently going thru another reread of the series it was great seeing all the connections to so much of the past. So many things have more meaning and stand out.
This video has a lot of meaning for me. I grew up in abuse. But if there is one thing I have held throughout my life it is that I refuse to push that hatred I received back into the world. That lesson was pretty easy to pick up for some reason. Kuma is someone I can easily identify with. Im also...well, obviously different, lets say that. I grew up in a small rural town and was the locap scapegoat for the few other kids around. The blame for his birth is a thing that hits real close to home. Your putting this out into the world has put a smile on my face. Thanks. One of the best gifts serendipity has managed to give me in a while.
"The Child of Someone I love is my own child" is a lesson that way more of Step-Parents, and loved-ones of deceased parents need to learn. After this flashback I pray that no one piece fan ever finds themselves as the uncaring stepparent /bio parent in some kid's life
My prediction for next chapter: - The chapter starts where the previous one left off with Bonney crying, but begins to understand why Kuma allowed VP to do what he did to him. - We get some scenes on how the SH defeated York & the Seraphim. - Then, we return to the actual present where Bonney is about to be killed, but something unexpected happens! - Break for the holidays.
1105(Gear 5) will be when Luffy rejuvenates himself with the drums of liberation and saves Bonney. Kuma will arrive on Egghead a little before this so he can finally see and hear the drums in action🥹🥹🥹
I suspect Kuma will intervene but will be beat by Saturn not before leaving a little bit of damage and both Bonney and Kuma will do the nika dance and Luffy will be powered up
This story is so beautiful, and this video brought tears to my eyes. The lessons we learn and adopt from this story we love is the REAL one piece. Thank you, Artur.
Kuma is legit one of the best characters in all of manga to bear all he did and STILL remain so pure good is a thing that 99.9% of us real people wouldn't be able to do myself included.... i never get emotional over manga but this last chapter got me deep. Hes the true world's strongest man and is an example to us all of how a real absolute CHAD moves in life.
I haven't cried so much over an One Piece chapter in a long time, the page of Kuma running became one of my all time favorite. And now i'm crying again with your video, it was beautiful, thank you so much and merry christmas to all.
I thank God every day for intreducing One Piece to my life. It helped me through the toughest times in my life and always keeps making me go forward. It truly is the greatest story ever told.
"Never be cruel, never be cowardly. Remember, hate is always foolish and love is always wise. Always try to be nice and never fail to be kind. Laugh hard. Run fast. Be kind"
Oda is just such an amazing writer, he gets me every single time. We all knew that Kuma was going to be a tragic character but he still pulled it off for him to be so much more then just that.
Lloré al final del capítulo, y lloré al final de este video. Aveces damos tanto valor a los grises y negros que alabamos a los antiheroes y villanos, pero kuma nos recuerda que debemos admirar también a aquellos que piensan que la virtud misma es la recompensa. Grande Oda, grande Arthur.
Omg I’m literally in tears Artur😭 Oda is a genius for creating such a great back story and such a great character, but you have made it even better and more touching with this video 🙏
It’s unfortunate Ace and Kuma never spoke to each other during their lives. Both of their fathers were deemed bad by the world government, and their children suffered the consequences for it. Kuma learned it’s okay to have born and be alive despite his lineage, while Ace found out during his last moments how loved he was😞.
as a person with strong emphatic tendencies I feel kuma stronger... as a kid I was bullied and for sometimes I hate everything and everyone... if anyone cares why care... but then once I saw one of the bully cry .. and I feel it... I decide to try my best to help others...
What if I told you that not only Kuma's life, but Bonney's life as well, was planned out before their respective introductions in the story? Well, I can prove it. When Kuma arrives on Thriller Bark, he meets Perona, the adopted daughter of Moria, with pink hair, around the same age as Bonney in her wanted poster. He then asks her the famous question. Thats particularly interesting because Perona just happens to be the key to Kuma's entire life story. She has three bears, and each one represents a phase of Kuma's life. In the sbs for volume 66 Oda drew Perona as a child with her first bear, which was an adolescent living bear on a leash, representing Kuma as a child slave, Kuma-A. Kumacy is actually Kuma-C and so it can be deduced that her teddy bear is probably Kuma-B. Kuma-B being a teddy bear is a perfect representation of Kuma during the middle phase of his life, and Kuma-C, as an adult undead slave bear, is the perfect representation of Kuma in the final phase of his life. As for Bonney, we get her connection to Kuma's tragedy as far back as Marineford, and her turning into a child (her real form) specifically in the same scene where she saves a Straw Hat (her future crew mate) and forsakes a woman who's about to suffer a similar fate to Ginny really points to Oda having this end game in mind from the start. We know Bonney was added with the Supernovas and they famously weren't planned. But IMO, that's the perfect way to hide an important character. Hide them in with a group of less important characters. Kuma's daughter was probably a character planned from Kuma's introduction, and I think he used the Supernovas as a means to introduce her into the story line.
Your message at the 9:30 part about doing bad things to people, it hit me just so h ard. A girl killed herself in my country due to gossip websites spreading fake news about her. This message about empathy and doing good deeds should be more broadly spread out. Happy holidays for you Mr. Artur, I hope you and your loved ones have a very special end of year!
Don't let this tragic, horrible ending distract you from the fact Kizaru danced to the drums of liberation. THERE'S STILL HOPE!! Maybe... He also saw (and fought) Nika. Rest well, Kuma! Happy tenth birthday, Bonney!!
When I see people say that the crosses and Bibles in One Piece mean nothing it’s kind of sad. It might mean nothing to the current state of the world but it had meaning. Kuma’s profession and the Nika symbol looking like a cross existed. Kuma is most certainly a Christ figure. In One Piece Kuma‘s religion is a representation of the various faiths that has been lost to the void history but still maintain in the hearts of people despite the tyranny. One Piece shows the sad reality of a one government system is that the ruling body MUST get rid of all the different cultures’ faith and way of life. Religion gets erased completely. Because someone without faith and a higher moral compass to rule them becomes very easy to control. That’s what happened to China and Venezuela and others that have gone a communist route (one authoritarian rule). Their culture is erased.
This focus on the dream of being a super hero makes me wonder, what inspired Daz Bonez's dream? Stories of Nika, Sora, or maybe even Kuma? (I know it's just a pun on his fruit, but that never stopped Oda from giving something a deeper meaning).
This video is superbly and beautifully done. You perfectly captured Oda's message-the core essence-in Kuma's arc: to be a superhero. Superhero in this case is not to be defined narrowly as mere super people who help others. As you have perfectly explained, the true definition of superhero can be obtained from the virtuous side of it, which is also the most noble side due to how hard it is to maintain a virtuous heart. Yes, the hardest thing in the world is probably to be selfless, to overcome our own pain and also our self gratifying desire, thus this should be the most important and respectable value in superheroes. You established that, since Kuma have all these virtuous values, he is a real superhero. Vegapunk and you were able to see the true worth of Kuma, because you two understand that having a truly kind and compassionate heart like Kuma's is what truly makes someone a superhero. Im so moved by this analysis. It allows me to understand Kuma's kindness and the core message Oda wants to tell us even deeper. Great work!
From this chapter I also get that people saying that Luffy journey is between 2 or 3 months from fusha village till time skip probably are wrong, and a closer time frame would be 4 and half months. From Luffy leaving at 17 years (around May 5th, Luffy´s birthday) till Bonney´s turning 10 (at September 1st, around when kuma was totally converted into a robot) are 4 months apart, plus 2 weeks that he was unconscious after Marineford. This is my little headcanon and making the process more breathable. Instead of using the moon or clothes changes to do this calculations, and making Alvida, Morgan, Buggy´s defeat on the same day. Sorry if my English was not good to express my idea
That one panel where Doflamingo and Kuma walk side by side, both complete opposites only related by their position as Shichibukai and the tragedy that defines their lives is simply amazing now that we have the story of both.
Artur, man, you're literally the best One Piece youtuber out there. I was really enojoying this video (especially your reflexion about being kind and trying to stop the hate cycle) but the final minutes of it I was literally crying. The way you narrates the suffering of Kuma, the way you manage to start just talking about a flashback in a 1100 chapters manga series and end up telling us the basic meaning of life... Nah man this video´s built different. You're so especial to me and to this community Artur, never change bro. We love ya.
Going from 1 year ago to now and making my way back up again from rock bottom to being stable with a lot of stumbling. I can relate and I can smile again and be happy near the holidays. Also Thank you Artur for the video :D.
I remember back in the day in a poll, Kuma was ranked the lowest of the seven warlords. Man times have changed and I hope we get same thing for Kaido, I feel like he had so much potential
How does oda come up with such backstories? He riles up all the emotions, no other tv show or anime has ever done that. This backstory is something else, epic.
Kuma running from child to priest to Revolutionary Army member to The Pacifista while his friends and loved ones calling out his name really tug at the heartstrings. And it made me feel livid at Saturn who's the reason behind Kuma's suffering.
Ive not cried really to One Piece since I started reading the manga after catching up years ago, right before Gear 4th in the anime. Technically earlier too, as the last thing to really hit me hard was brook’s backstory. But Oda has truly surpassed this. I thought this backstory would’ve been over 5 chapters ago, then 3 chapters ago, then a chapter ago… and each time I felt it would’ve been one of the greatest. However it kept getting better. And then this ending just… it finally got me. There’s a notion I’ve come to since catching up that One Piece was made for the weekly model better than most, so you can sit on the chapters and the episodes and just *think*. And this is literally the perfect chapter to end the year on. And I hope everyone who reads this has a great end to their year.
i just read his backstory and he's a really nice guy with a bright smile. i cant believe he will trade his freedom in exchange of his daughter cure. didnt expect bonney to be kuma's daughter. and his smile when he watch his daughter eat pizza in sabaody man 😢
I was listening to Memories and weeping when the lines 'I was singing since I was a child, the secret melody that was imitated by everyone, maybe this time we can play it better' and I know it's not but it felt like this was Bonney talking about the rhythm of Liberation.
I finally understand the depth behind why exactly those are Kuma's final words... Thank you Artur since your video made me realise it. Kuma was worried that his life might have bothered other people, which is why he always wanted to give a bit of himself to them. To relieve their pain, to listen and be patient with them, to break that cycle of hatred. And "Happy 10th birthday" reflects perfectly what Kuma has been and stood for. To the girl who was supposed to die before reaching that age, he gave her the gift of life. To the person whom he treasured the most in the world, he gave his entire world. It is so beautiful to think that right after he saw his entire life flash in front of his eyes, he gave Bonney the greatest birthday gift in the world. He gave her his limited time in the world. He gave her his world. And, in the present time, he gave her all his memories. It's hard to put into words how powerful those two pages are. And even harder to imagine how Bonney felt in that moment.
I do wonder how the fanbase will react if and when the Celestial Dragons or the Gorosei end up getting a similar flashback treatment to Kuma. Because Oda does tend to not have pure good or evil characters. And given how much evil the Celestial Dragons have done, they'd need one crazy tragic backstory to balance things out. Would the fanbase accept something like that at this point, or would they say trying to make the Celestial Dragons sympatheic would ruin the manga? I don't know, I just think something like that is coming for the Celestial Dragons and I don't know how people would react.
I doubt we will see much different backstory for the Celestial Dragons as a whole. As far as pure meaningless evil goes in OP, they’re probably the purest example, because they are the government’s decoy. The true calculated evil are not them. For the ones we know most about and who chose to change for the good, well, it didn’t end very well (Donquixotes, Mjorsgard for example). The other ones don’t seem to carry enough personality to make an effective backstory that would make readers question their judgment. Kuma was never portrayed as evil exactly, more mysterious and open to interpretation. I can’t think of any CDs left who would make a same impact. On the other hand, I agree that Oda doesn’t leave characters purely black and white. I would love to learn more backstory on Gorosei, so far we’re only more or less familiar with Saturn. There’s definitely much more we are about to learn regarding Imu and their complicated relationships, could be something there. But so far, Saturn is hated with almost no return for what he did to Kuma and Bonney, I don’t know if people could ever feel truly sorry for him. Yet again, it’s One Piece, anything can happen
9:34 all of this section, you get it. You do not go out looking for a fight, but if there truly is a need, fight. Shanks understands escalating a situation for your own pride accomplishes little of value. But if someone has their life on the line, and if it is the best option, do not sit by idle. 11:39 Twitter mindset in a nutshell. Don't send death threats, harass people, stalk, kill, ******, ****. And this applies to everything, not just twitter and parasocial relationships. Granted, most people are just normal people. Even then, try to be understanding instead of offended. Assume ignorance before stupidity before malice. Ask non-leading questions, try to be neutral, break down the sequence of things that resulted in misunderstanding and talk about it to prevent more misunderstandings. Then remember, we must be better. 19:09 Truly, Kuma was one of the strongest characters. 20:29
Ahh Cosmo Canyon...❤ 😊 That music just made me smile from ear to ear... Ty Ohara ❤ :) NGL i always had a feeling about Kuma being a gigachad but after this? Kuma is a TERRACHAD the one and only. There is no one like Kuma and there is nothing like Kuma. PERIOD.
Shanks lackadaisical view on no need for violence is what cost him his arm and almost Luffy's life. If he just stomped Haguma, then Haguma would not have been able to come back and kidnap Luffy.
This week, instead of a detail analysis, I wanted to do a thematical character analysis to celebrate how incredible Kuma's flashback has been! I'd love to do more thematical analysis like this, so let me know what you think!!
Merry Xmas Artur ❤️
Was beautiful to listen to, thanks!
Genuinely think it's a toss-up between Robin's flashback and this one for best flashback in the entire series, and that is high fucking praise.
Really great work man, especially that last part, you narrated it perfectly and with the music it got me choked up😅
If anybody thinks Kuma sacrificing himself to take out Garcia or some variation of that scenario is a great idea and makes things ok, they are insane. There's literally nothing that can be done to make things right for Kuma other than restoring him, and that is unlikely to happen. Personally I don't think it was a great story, even though Kuma's been my favorite long before all these yahoos jumped on the bandwagon because of his backstory. I think there were plenty of ways things could have worked out so that Kuma didn't have to go through a lot of what he did, but they had to be that way for story sake. I'm more interested in how Oda finishes him up, which I likely won't be satisfied with.
Oda left me Speechless with what he did with Kuma. I always knew he was an Ally but not a top 5 character. Final Saga Oda is finally unleashed 🔥
Top 5? He is THE BEST character in the show. I mean man saved NIKA himself
@@bustercannon6088there are so many character who saved Nika!
@@bustercannon6088Mr 2 save Nika jimbei saved Nika law saved Nika etc
Oda is really a genius kuma has become one of my favorite character in one piece
Top5? He is the single most important character for luffy and the crew.. not to mention nika and the liberation...
Kuma is a Joyboy to me. The running through is life is my favorite panel in all One Piece
That went hard for sure 🔥
YES!
Kuma has become one of my favorite character in one piece
Kuma story reminds me of madrara speech nothing ever goes as planned in this acuresd world it kinda proves that madrara was right
Bartholomew Kuma has changed from a complete mystery to one of the best written characters in One Piece. His story teaches us that vengeance only feeds the cycle of hatred. We've seen it before with villains like Arlong, how his treatment of Nami and her village made him more like the people he hated. Kuma chose a different path, and rather than swearing vengeance on Saturn and the World Government, he wishes a happy 10'th birthday to Bonney. I'm drowning in tears...
To be fair with Saturn, he did everything he said he would do and Kuma agreed
People get all mad at him ignoring the fact that Kuma said a big "YES" to his evil acts because all he cared was Bonney's survival
@@W_Junior True. Kuma did it all for Bonney, and Saturn DID hold up his end of the bargain. He didn't even interfere with Kuma guarding the Sunny for two years, which by all logic should have been viewed as treason on Vegapunk's end.
I hated kuma at first for what he did to luffy and his crew but after knowing the truth he became one of my favorite character kind like itachi oda is able to make go from hating a character to loving him
@@W_Junioryou’re forgetting that Saturn caused this situation in the first place by giving Ginny the stone disease or whatever it’s called
Hurt people, hurt people. That was the cycle that Otohime was trying to break. That’s the message a lot of people missed in Fishman Island.
and there's many readers thinking that the Celestial Dragons need to be exterminated.
@@kaiseralternativo5058 Calestial Dragons are not people.
@@kaiseralternativo5058 also, hurting is not the same as exterminating.
Kuma story reminds me of madrara speech nothing ever goes as planned in this acuresd world
The message of Fishman Island is that there will be a "white savior" that will come along educate and solve all the problems the natives have.
The fact Kuma runs taller than ever before when Bonney said daddy killed me. As a father it just hits different.
Kumas flashback might be one of the best in all of manga.
Facts
The only power that can match against the tyrant of IM-perialism is the power of the people.
"D" means "Demos"
from Democracy (Demos=People & Kratos=Power)
So the "Will of D" means "The Will of the People".
Freed0m, dem0cracy, and Iiberati0n won't be achieved if there's still 0ppresion towards the weaks.
So the meaning of dm0cracy in One Piece is COLLECTIVE FREED0M.
In the latest chapter said that only STRAW HAT who can fight against the IM-perialist govt.
Straw Hat is the very symbol of people's power: peasants, labors, etc.
So OP is also telling the story of S0ciaIism/C0mnunism.
Kuma went from one of the character I hated because of what did to luffy and his crew to one of my favorite character that I love
By the end of this chapter , it is safe to say that all this flashback was bonny's , because she literally witnessed all of Kuma's life throughout the big bubble holding his memories , thus the last panel with her crying.
the bubble disappeared cause she touched it. Man, that moment got me in tears
And she maybe wasted the only opportunity to give kuma his memory’s back. Makes the scene where vegapunk tries to stop Bonney so much more painful
@@inkognito3145NOOOOOOO I NEVER THOUGHTTT ABOUT THAT 😭😭😭😭😭😭
Spoiler:
She was overwhelmed on one hand she found the truth about what his dad has to go through all of his life, and on the other she realized that since she touched the only saved file of his conciousness there was no way of him coming back ever again (technically she unknowingly killed him for good)
Kuma is a true Saint in the One Piece world.
And them calling kuma a criminal is why the one piece world is so interesting to me
Many Saints were considered criminals by those who hated what they believed in or such reasons.
Kuma is one of the unsung heroes of the one piece world... He is the saint the world doesn't deserve.. But a saint the world needs
Kuma has become one of my favorite character in one piece
It was beautiful. Sad and impactful especially with how most anime don't take religion in a positive light same with fathers for the most part. Kuma was a wave of greatness and managed to give bonney that tenth birthday it was beautiful
Also that side development of kizaru was also fantastic and how fhe px models using the laser basically told us they had a relationship in a way. Magical
Over a decade after his introduction we finally come full circle and know everything we’ve been waiting for….and it was worth the wait. I think we all knew Kuma was going to have a great backstory but this was so much more than I had hoped for. Especially since I’m currently going thru another reread of the series it was great seeing all the connections to so much of the past. So many things have more meaning and stand out.
This video has a lot of meaning for me. I grew up in abuse. But if there is one thing I have held throughout my life it is that I refuse to push that hatred I received back into the world. That lesson was pretty easy to pick up for some reason. Kuma is someone I can easily identify with.
Im also...well, obviously different, lets say that. I grew up in a small rural town and was the locap scapegoat for the few other kids around. The blame for his birth is a thing that hits real close to home.
Your putting this out into the world has put a smile on my face. Thanks. One of the best gifts serendipity has managed to give me in a while.
Thanks for sharing. Here’s a hug from an internet stranger. ❤
Merry Xmas
Thanks for sharing.Here is another hug from another internet stranger. Merry Christmas
im sorry to hear that.
you are as strong as kuma
Thank you for holding on to your kindness. Wish you the best❤
You are amazingly strong, you've come this far, and I know that you, too, will break the cycle of hatred in your life. Cheers and blessings
"The Child of Someone I love is my own child" is a lesson that way more of Step-Parents, and loved-ones of deceased parents need to learn.
After this flashback I pray that no one piece fan ever finds themselves as the uncaring stepparent /bio parent in some kid's life
to put into perspective how kind and wholesome kuma really is, he thought the most selfish thing he has ever done was to think he deserved to live
My prediction for next chapter:
- The chapter starts where the previous one left off with Bonney crying, but begins to understand why Kuma allowed VP to do what he did to him.
- We get some scenes on how the SH defeated York & the Seraphim.
- Then, we return to the actual present where Bonney is about to be killed, but something unexpected happens!
- Break for the holidays.
1105(Gear 5) will be when Luffy rejuvenates himself with the drums of liberation and saves Bonney. Kuma will arrive on Egghead a little before this so he can finally see and hear the drums in action🥹🥹🥹
next time we come back to current bonney she will be going full Nika in saturns hand
I suspect Kuma will intervene but will be beat by Saturn not before leaving a little bit of damage and both Bonney and Kuma will do the nika dance and Luffy will be powered up
@@Awesomemt2018 and then kuma will find the giant robot and control it to defeat saturn
@@divinebanana9782 I'll do you one better kumas story is a parallel to joyboy and the giant robot is his cyborg body.
This story is so beautiful, and this video brought tears to my eyes. The lessons we learn and adopt from this story we love is the REAL one piece. Thank you, Artur.
Kuma is legit one of the best characters in all of manga to bear all he did and STILL remain so pure good is a thing that 99.9% of us real people wouldn't be able to do myself included.... i never get emotional over manga but this last chapter got me deep. Hes the true world's strongest man and is an example to us all of how a real absolute CHAD moves in life.
Kuma D. Goat
Didn't expect one piece to be so dark , I thought law's backstory was horrible.Now that I have witnessed kuma's story 😭😭😭 no words to say or describe
I haven't cried so much over an One Piece chapter in a long time, the page of Kuma running became one of my all time favorite. And now i'm crying again with your video, it was beautiful, thank you so much and merry christmas to all.
I thank God every day for intreducing One Piece to my life. It helped me through the toughest times in my life and always keeps making me go forward. It truly is the greatest story ever told.
"Never be cruel, never be cowardly. Remember, hate is always foolish and love is always wise. Always try to be nice and never fail to be kind. Laugh hard. Run fast. Be kind"
Oda is just such an amazing writer, he gets me every single time. We all knew that Kuma was going to be a tragic character but he still pulled it off for him to be so much more then just that.
Lloré al final del capítulo, y lloré al final de este video. Aveces damos tanto valor a los grises y negros que alabamos a los antiheroes y villanos, pero kuma nos recuerda que debemos admirar también a aquellos que piensan que la virtud misma es la recompensa. Grande Oda, grande Arthur.
God watching this feels like binks sake level of sad and tears in my eyes. Not just the first time but constantly
Omg I’m literally in tears Artur😭 Oda is a genius for creating such a great back story and such a great character, but you have made it even better and more touching with this video 🙏
In the land of gods taken over by demons oda introduced the literal demon doffy and saint kuma.
Even though ironically Doffy was born a Saint and Kuma was born a criminal in the government's eyes.
Kuma is what Fisher Tiger wished he could be.
It’s unfortunate Ace and Kuma never spoke to each other during their lives. Both of their fathers were deemed bad by the world government, and their children suffered the consequences for it. Kuma learned it’s okay to have born and be alive despite his lineage, while Ace found out during his last moments how loved he was😞.
as a person with strong emphatic tendencies I feel kuma stronger... as a kid I was bullied and for sometimes I hate everything and everyone... if anyone cares why care... but then once I saw one of the bully cry .. and I feel it... I decide to try my best to help others...
What if I told you that not only Kuma's life, but Bonney's life as well, was planned out before their respective introductions in the story? Well, I can prove it.
When Kuma arrives on Thriller Bark, he meets Perona, the adopted daughter of Moria, with pink hair, around the same age as Bonney in her wanted poster. He then asks her the famous question.
Thats particularly interesting because Perona just happens to be the key to Kuma's entire life story. She has three bears, and each one represents a phase of Kuma's life. In the sbs for volume 66 Oda drew Perona as a child with her first bear, which was an adolescent living bear on a leash, representing Kuma as a child slave, Kuma-A. Kumacy is actually Kuma-C and so it can be deduced that her teddy bear is probably Kuma-B. Kuma-B being a teddy bear is a perfect representation of Kuma during the middle phase of his life, and Kuma-C, as an adult undead slave bear, is the perfect representation of Kuma in the final phase of his life.
As for Bonney, we get her connection to Kuma's tragedy as far back as Marineford, and her turning into a child (her real form) specifically in the same scene where she saves a Straw Hat (her future crew mate) and forsakes a woman who's about to suffer a similar fate to Ginny really points to Oda having this end game in mind from the start.
We know Bonney was added with the Supernovas and they famously weren't planned. But IMO, that's the perfect way to hide an important character. Hide them in with a group of less important characters. Kuma's daughter was probably a character planned from Kuma's introduction, and I think he used the Supernovas as a means to introduce her into the story line.
Your message at the 9:30 part about doing bad things to people, it hit me just so h ard. A girl killed herself in my country due to gossip websites spreading fake news about her. This message about empathy and doing good deeds should be more broadly spread out.
Happy holidays for you Mr. Artur, I hope you and your loved ones have a very special end of year!
I am crying. I fall in love with this video. Thanks Arthur, Thanks Kuma ❤❤
Here i was thinking i couldn't cry more about this chapter but then i watched this video. Well done
Don't let this tragic, horrible ending distract you from the fact Kizaru danced to the drums of liberation. THERE'S STILL HOPE!! Maybe...
He also saw (and fought) Nika.
Rest well, Kuma! Happy tenth birthday, Bonney!!
Good job man! Very profound video. You dig deep into many complex layers of life and articulate them in a very straight forward way 👏👏
When I see people say that the crosses and Bibles in One Piece mean nothing it’s kind of sad. It might mean nothing to the current state of the world but it had meaning. Kuma’s profession and the Nika symbol looking like a cross existed. Kuma is most certainly a Christ figure. In One Piece Kuma‘s religion is a representation of the various faiths that has been lost to the void history but still maintain in the hearts of people despite the tyranny.
One Piece shows the sad reality of a one government system is that the ruling body MUST get rid of all the different cultures’ faith and way of life. Religion gets erased completely. Because someone without faith and a higher moral compass to rule them becomes very easy to control.
That’s what happened to China and Venezuela and others that have gone a communist route (one authoritarian rule). Their culture is erased.
Your the only person I've seen that has said this. But your absolutely right
This focus on the dream of being a super hero makes me wonder, what inspired Daz Bonez's dream? Stories of Nika, Sora, or maybe even Kuma? (I know it's just a pun on his fruit, but that never stopped Oda from giving something a deeper meaning).
One of the best flashbacks ever in One Piece. Great video, Artur.
i always thought kuma was an amazing character but this arc has solidified him as my favorite character in the series
This video is superbly and beautifully done. You perfectly captured Oda's message-the core essence-in Kuma's arc: to be a superhero.
Superhero in this case is not to be defined narrowly as mere super people who help others. As you have perfectly explained, the true definition of superhero can be obtained from the virtuous side of it, which is also the most noble side due to how hard it is to maintain a virtuous heart.
Yes, the hardest thing in the world is probably to be selfless, to overcome our own pain and also our self gratifying desire, thus this should be the most important and respectable value in superheroes. You established that, since Kuma have all these virtuous values, he is a real superhero. Vegapunk and you were able to see the true worth of Kuma, because you two understand that having a truly kind and compassionate heart like Kuma's is what truly makes someone a superhero.
Im so moved by this analysis. It allows me to understand Kuma's kindness and the core message Oda wants to tell us even deeper. Great work!
Bro Artur,
Your Videos are soo Touching.
U make me feel the sadness of Kuma and his backstory very Sad like how oda wanted us to feel.
Thank you
This video essay is brilliantly written and edited. Thank you Artur.
The timing for this type of videos from you is so spot on rn in the real world. Thank you 💞
From this chapter I also get that people saying that Luffy journey is between 2 or 3 months from fusha village till time skip probably are wrong, and a closer time frame would be 4 and half months. From Luffy leaving at 17 years (around May 5th, Luffy´s birthday) till Bonney´s turning 10 (at September 1st, around when kuma was totally converted into a robot) are 4 months apart, plus 2 weeks that he was unconscious after Marineford. This is my little headcanon and making the process more breathable. Instead of using the moon or clothes changes to do this calculations, and making Alvida, Morgan, Buggy´s defeat on the same day. Sorry if my English was not good to express my idea
What a master piece this video. Amazing Artur
I really enjoy your theories. But, I think you're storytelling is getting better and better. Great video!
What a great analysis! You are my favorite one piece youtuber please keep it up!
What a beautiful video of a beautiful chapter. Thanks Arthur.
This video got me tearing up thinking about it all over again😭😭 Another great video analysis!!
Also Merry Christmas everyone 🎉🎉
Praying Kuma doesn't die on Egghead 😭 he and bonney deserve their happy ending.
Thanks for another great analysis. All the best to you, Artur! Take care!
Amazing. Thank you for this!
That one panel where Doflamingo and Kuma walk side by side, both complete opposites only related by their position as Shichibukai and the tragedy that defines their lives is simply amazing now that we have the story of both.
Artur, man, you're literally the best One Piece youtuber out there. I was really enojoying this video (especially your reflexion about being kind and trying to stop the hate cycle) but the final minutes of it I was literally crying. The way you narrates the suffering of Kuma, the way you manage to start just talking about a flashback in a 1100 chapters manga series and end up telling us the basic meaning of life... Nah man this video´s built different. You're so especial to me and to this community Artur, never change bro. We love ya.
Going from 1 year ago to now and making my way back up again from rock bottom to being stable with a lot of stumbling. I can relate and I can smile again and be happy near the holidays. Also Thank you Artur for the video :D.
Thank you for everything Arthur.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for this character analysis.
Omg Man, what a vídeo, thx for this and congrats for be só good in see the true one piece!
This made me cry harder than the chapter. The anime episode of this is going to be rough.
I'm so ready for this to be animated but my eyes aren't. Tears will still flow out.
Sht man you actually made me cry by the end of the video
That ending was deep
You made me cry again
I remember back in the day in a poll, Kuma was ranked the lowest of the seven warlords. Man times have changed and I hope we get same thing for Kaido, I feel like he had so much potential
kuma is one of the best origin story in one piece, but in some way, I really hate Oda for making Kuma suffer like this
Ironically this proves how good Oda-sensei as an author is.
You don’t make your characters suffer like that if you don’t love them
Kuma is unironically my favorite character in One Piece now.
How does oda come up with such backstories? He riles up all the emotions, no other tv show or anime has ever done that. This backstory is something else, epic.
Happy Holidays Artur!
Kuma running from child to priest to Revolutionary Army member to The Pacifista while his friends and loved ones calling out his name really tug at the heartstrings.
And it made me feel livid at Saturn who's the reason behind Kuma's suffering.
Kuma is someone we all can learn about. He took all of our burden so we all could be better people in the future
Okay, I cried so hard this time :')
Just Great :)
Yeah. He is the best character for now. 2023 is year for Kuma, the real superhero.
Ive not cried really to One Piece since I started reading the manga after catching up years ago, right before Gear 4th in the anime. Technically earlier too, as the last thing to really hit me hard was brook’s backstory. But Oda has truly surpassed this. I thought this backstory would’ve been over 5 chapters ago, then 3 chapters ago, then a chapter ago… and each time I felt it would’ve been one of the greatest. However it kept getting better. And then this ending just… it finally got me.
There’s a notion I’ve come to since catching up that One Piece was made for the weekly model better than most, so you can sit on the chapters and the episodes and just *think*. And this is literally the perfect chapter to end the year on. And I hope everyone who reads this has a great end to their year.
ngl this video narration sounds about as kind as kuma himself.
W video, king.
That was beautiful. Tears.
Kuma and ivankov being at god valley was one of best unexpected twists that oda has pulled off so far
You make me cry again 😭😭😭
Loved that "Cosmo Canyon" soundtrack background.
Gracias Artur, felicidades.
i just read his backstory and he's a really nice guy with a bright smile. i cant believe he will trade his freedom in exchange of his daughter cure. didnt expect bonney to be kuma's daughter. and his smile when he watch his daughter eat pizza in sabaody man 😢
That last sequence brought tears into my eyes.
this chapter just makes me cry
Loved the Cosmo Canyon BGM..
I was listening to Memories and weeping when the lines 'I was singing since I was a child, the secret melody that was imitated by everyone, maybe this time we can play it better' and I know it's not but it felt like this was Bonney talking about the rhythm of Liberation.
I finally understand the depth behind why exactly those are Kuma's final words... Thank you Artur since your video made me realise it. Kuma was worried that his life might have bothered other people, which is why he always wanted to give a bit of himself to them. To relieve their pain, to listen and be patient with them, to break that cycle of hatred.
And "Happy 10th birthday" reflects perfectly what Kuma has been and stood for. To the girl who was supposed to die before reaching that age, he gave her the gift of life. To the person whom he treasured the most in the world, he gave his entire world. It is so beautiful to think that right after he saw his entire life flash in front of his eyes, he gave Bonney the greatest birthday gift in the world. He gave her his limited time in the world. He gave her his world. And, in the present time, he gave her all his memories.
It's hard to put into words how powerful those two pages are. And even harder to imagine how Bonney felt in that moment.
I do wonder how the fanbase will react if and when the Celestial Dragons or the Gorosei end up getting a similar flashback treatment to Kuma. Because Oda does tend to not have pure good or evil characters. And given how much evil the Celestial Dragons have done, they'd need one crazy tragic backstory to balance things out. Would the fanbase accept something like that at this point, or would they say trying to make the Celestial Dragons sympatheic would ruin the manga? I don't know, I just think something like that is coming for the Celestial Dragons and I don't know how people would react.
We’ll sort of technically did with Corazon
I doubt we will see much different backstory for the Celestial Dragons as a whole. As far as pure meaningless evil goes in OP, they’re probably the purest example, because they are the government’s decoy. The true calculated evil are not them. For the ones we know most about and who chose to change for the good, well, it didn’t end very well (Donquixotes, Mjorsgard for example). The other ones don’t seem to carry enough personality to make an effective backstory that would make readers question their judgment. Kuma was never portrayed as evil exactly, more mysterious and open to interpretation. I can’t think of any CDs left who would make a same impact.
On the other hand, I agree that Oda doesn’t leave characters purely black and white. I would love to learn more backstory on Gorosei, so far we’re only more or less familiar with Saturn. There’s definitely much more we are about to learn regarding Imu and their complicated relationships, could be something there. But so far, Saturn is hated with almost no return for what he did to Kuma and Bonney, I don’t know if people could ever feel truly sorry for him.
Yet again, it’s One Piece, anything can happen
Dude wtf, I cried so much reading those panels and you have to make me cry again??? 😭😭😭
Kuma's flashback is the definition of a man.
just read the chapter and i don’t think i’ve cried this hard in a while
Just with these few chapters Kuma became one of my top 5 characters. Just a straight around good dude.
I can't wait this to be animated
Kuma THE GOAT
Merry Christmas everybody 🎄
9:34 all of this section, you get it.
You do not go out looking for a fight, but if there truly is a need, fight.
Shanks understands escalating a situation for your own pride accomplishes little of value.
But if someone has their life on the line, and if it is the best option, do not sit by idle.
11:39 Twitter mindset in a nutshell. Don't send death threats, harass people, stalk, kill, ******, ****.
And this applies to everything, not just twitter and parasocial relationships.
Granted, most people are just normal people. Even then, try to be understanding instead of offended. Assume ignorance before stupidity before malice. Ask non-leading questions, try to be neutral, break down the sequence of things that resulted in misunderstanding and talk about it to prevent more misunderstandings.
Then remember, we must be better.
19:09 Truly, Kuma was one of the strongest characters.
20:29
Ahh Cosmo Canyon...❤ 😊 That music just made me smile from ear to ear... Ty Ohara ❤ :)
NGL i always had a feeling about Kuma being a gigachad but after this?
Kuma is a TERRACHAD the one and only. There is no one like Kuma and there is nothing like Kuma.
PERIOD.
Shanks lackadaisical view on no need for violence is what cost him his arm and almost Luffy's life. If he just stomped Haguma, then Haguma would not have been able to come back and kidnap Luffy.
I’m not crying you are
Is that Cosmo Canyon in the beginning of the video? Underrated soundtrack
amzing chapter. kuma da goat.
Beautiful ending!
It's amazing how many mangas with main characters have backstories that pale in comparasion to Kuma's a side character in One Piece