This chapter basically just secured Oda's inevitable W with the entire Kuma situation. No matter what happens, Oda wins. Kuma can die and we'd be crying but it'd be totally fitting. Oda could write in a way for Kuma to get his memories back (which the Paw Paw fruit could totally do), and we'd be overjoyed that the guy finally got a win.
@ultimasurge I mean one of the things that has always separated Oda from other Shonen is that he's really good at giving his characters dignity even when they're getting their asses beat. Whereas in places like Bleach, Naruto, and especially Dragon Ball, a character will just get humiliated to establish how strong the new antagonist is. If Oda decides a Straw Hat is gonna die, he's gonna get every bit of oomph he can out of that situation
I love that between all the doom and gloom and sadness Oda draws the panel where Luffy gobbles up a mountain of food...and Saturn's reaction. I love One Piece, there can literally be seconds between wanting to cry and laughing your ass off
I totally agree! I remember when I was watching robins "I want to live" moment and I was bawling then it cuts to Franky trying to wipe his eye and hide that fact that it made him emotional. it makes me laugh through the tears every time.
That necklace to me, also has a lot of symbolism because she couldn’t be in the sun because of her sapphires and now the sapphire is shining in sunlight. It’s repackaging trauma into power. It’s awesome.
One thing I have to make note of with the last page: Kuma's fist is covered in Haki. Haki is a manifestation of _willpower._ And a will of his own is something Kuma's not _supposed to_ have anymore. Yet when defending Bonney, he is still able to use Haki.
I really love how Oda portrayed Kuma's anger towards Saturn. Bartholomew Kuma, the Pacifist who vowed to only use his hands/paws for helping and liberating the people around him, chooses to use his fist for the first time because Bonney's in danger. No amount of science can erase the love he has for his daughter.
That necklace feels like the perfect call back to the "you mean your jewels?" scene. Kuma may, and likely even, felt negative feelings towards sapphires. Us as an audience also likely felt that same way. Kuma never let her feel like she was a freak or an outcast for her sickness. Every part of her was a precious jewel, including her sapphires. Now, two or so years removed from her sickness, she finally received a reminder that Kuma saw her jewels as beautiful, because it was a part of her. I may be reading too much into it, but i believe all of this with my heart.
These recent chapters have had a very autobiographical nature to them. Oda has daughters and probably doesn't see them as much because of his dedication to One Piece. Even her age manipulation could be a symbol of his daughters growing up so fast but still remaining his little girls inside. Much like Kuma who had to spend every waking moment away from Bonney to find a cure and as Monkey Paw deals go could only save her by becoming a tool for the Government which he despised and eventually forget about her as his humanity was erased. So it must be cathartic to write this character that now has an opportunity to reunite with a daughter and let all that pain and rage out on someone like Saturn.
Amazing observation it’s how many artist express themselves when they cannot be close to their loved ones due to their commitments the story in itself has a depth of autobiographical nature I hope he can travel the world , experience many cultures and countries and go on his own journey with his family
@@ItUnidentifiedOda definitely deserves the world I know he probably doesn’t see comments like ours but he really is so significant in all of our lives. I hope he gets infinite letters from fans reminding him how much he means to the world.
@@josephmother2659 yeah idk he is a polymath with his stuff and I can relate to it. I’m glad it doesn’t go unseen you really have to step back and almost see how carefully it is all set up and near meticulously done with a large seamlessness to it! Shout out you! And all the peeps who really soak in odas work
Correct me if I’m wrong but I think this is the first time we see Kuma actually punch someone. Before he always just used an open hand because of his paw-paw power. I think it’s a great way of showing how angry he is at Saturn for hurting Ginny and for everything else. If Kuma the pacifist clenches his fist you know it’s about to get wild.
Not just the first punch that I can think of him throwing, I believe it's also the first time we've seen him use armament Haki. You know, the thing that's a manifestation of willpower. Being used by Kuma who supposedly has no will of his own left.
@@IceAokiji303bro Kuma *just* fought Akainu and somehow survived then comes to fight the biggest and most evil villain yet, while being supposedly dead. There’s a reason Saturn asked Vegapunk “who would stop him?” if he went rogue and I’m asking the same question. He’s so badass and so tragic 😢
Oda's ability to get people to hate his villains is one of his greatest strengths as a writer. All his major villains are people that you want to see get socked to kingdom come. And that's rare imo; especially when sympathetic antagonists are the rage in modern fiction. It's damn refreshing to have hateable bastards in your favourite work of fiction
I couldn’t have said it better!! Sympathetic villains only breaks the system further and then they don’t change the system or situations that made that sympathetic villain and stick to wanting to maintain the status quo, so the final message is if the system/society/status quo fucks you up you can please go be a villain and find people who will sympathise with you so you can live your worst miserable life! Don’t give no fox for the ‘modern’ villain.
@@ladybookworms It's also impressive how he can change certain villains from a hated character into a sympathetic one. Helmeppo, Buggy, Bellamy, Moria, Mjosgard; after their initial villain arc Oda often will branch out on the character's story and add qualities to these characters that bring about newfound respect to the readers, I definitely appreciate that sort of writing.
Right. Like I just went through Hunter x Hunter for the first time and Meruem might be one of my favorite villains of all time now because of his character arc over the course of the Chimera Ant Arc. But, it also just as great to just have a truly evil bad guy that you want to just get the beat down of a lifetime.
Yeah, you are so right. Even tho I love evil bastardos like Doffy, Lucci, the Gorosei and Akainu for a unhealthy degree I still want them to get their asses kicked!
The thing with his antagonists is that even when they are pure villains they have different vibes/personality that makes them all feel like unique and different characters. I just love that, and it blows my mind how Oda does it so well. You'd think if all villains are just pure evil scum they'd feel repetitive. Nope not here.
@@y-wing7654this just made realise what goat actually means in the “Oda is Goat” context. For the longest time I thought someone just misspelled “Goda” as “gota”, then maybe autocorrect did its thing and the fandom just latched on to it.
The thing that's made me appreciate Kuma in Egghead so much is this indomitable kindness he has. He witnesses the most vile and abhorrent of humanity but still choses to be selfless, to care for the common people, to care for his daughter. And now he gets to be kind to his daughter one last time by proving that HE is still there and Nika will come to liberate the world. Kuma is the man who brought the Sun to Egghead
I cried badly with Bonney's "I wanna die" moment, and got worse when I remembered Kuma possibly heard her daughter saying that. I hope the punch fully hit on that insect called Saturn
I'm fully on board with Uber Eats Borsalino here. The panel framing just _screams_ it was him to me. First we have the panel of Luffy wanting food. Next panel is Atlas pointing out nobody can give him any because none of them can move. One panel later we have Kizaru lying down on the ground thinking about Sentomaru and Bonney. Then a couple pages later, Luffy suddenly has a pile of food he's eating (including the noodle bowl). In almost the next panel, we see Kizaru _now sitting up_ (indicating he has moved), with a thought bubble of ellipses. Yeah I think it's him.
I love how similar the composition of Kuma shielding Bonney is to when Ace took the punch for Luffy back in Marineford. Both are demonstrations of pure love and selflessness. One last moment for fighting for their family after years apart, one last moment to say goodbye.
Smoker also took Doflamingo’s attack to save his Marine underlings who probably couldn’t even beat Usopp because he recognizes the importance of protecting the weak. I love Smoker’s character so much he deserves a big moment at some point, Sun God Smoker incoming 💪
That sun symbol of the necklace can be found in the flag of Alabasta , skypiea , king Neptune's tattoo , Kuzuki clan's crest , kuja pirates , fishman pirates and in the cross from kuma's church . Even in the kimono/ outfit of luffy and zoro during wano.
So I just found this out via the OP Wiki: "In Hindu astrology, Saturn is associated with Shani, the god of karma, justice, retribution, misery, sorrow, longevity, and old age. Furthermore, Shani's associated gemstone is sapphire. According to Hindu astrology, if Shani rules over a person's zodiac sign, they need to wear a ring with sapphire." Another thing is the yokai Saturn's Zoan Devil Fruit is based on, the Ushi-Oni, is known for giving people incurable illnesses, like the sapphire scales that killed Ginny. Oda scares me sometimes.
I think what really nails down Kuma at the end of the chapter is his fist is coated in Haki. Instinct was dropped at the beginning of the arc for sure, but haki is literally the embodiment of willpower. Not just Kuma's body responding to his daughter, Kuma's soul is in there fighting back
Saturn must be a pretty mid scientist if Vegapunk was able to pull this off, assuming this is not Kuma’s willpower alone, which it might be. F that guy, he’s just as human as anyone else and deserves what’s coming.
The symbol is also all over the place. The giant "sun" with eight dots has been seen Alabasta, Skypiea, its on the Kozuki Crest. It seems to be the sign of Nika.
my chest hurt when bonney was saying shed rather be dead. and yelled so loud in excitement when kuma came in and saved her. chapter was peak. and if kumas punch lands, next chapter is an automatic 10/10
Just hit me that Saturn views humans as insects when his devil fruit power is literally turns him into an insect. Now imagine how poetic and funny it would be to see Luffy go giant and squash Saturn like the actual insect he is.
Spiders do eat insects though, so the analogy doesn't fit. Like, Luffy could still crush Saturn as a giant, but it really is disingenuous to do this whole "insect" thing. Plus Saturn is right, at least for the moment, he is above humanity both metaphorically and literally.
I agree that this is by far the best chapter. When Mama Drawk gets caught up the two of you should do a show together. I bet that if you guys did get together you could guess the ending. It's actually scary how much she has predicted accurately.
The essence extraction I love because it's been a thing since Alabasta! They did it with two inanimate objects that turned into animals: the dog baseball launching thing, and then Spandam's sword with the elephant fruit. Love that it's brought back - to our horror.
I've really loved the thematic throughline of Faith throughout all of Egghead, and I think that it really unifies the arc despite all the cutaways and makes the arc 10/10 for me. Like, ignoring Kuma/Bonney and the faith in Nika, you have Kuzan losing faith in the government he used to work for and joining Blackbeard because he doesn't know what to believe in anymore contrasted with Garp's faith in the younger generation and Coby finally having faith in himself. You have multiple pirate crews showcasing faith in their captains only to have them fail, or in Law's case, faith in their crew being their redemption. Then, the elders and their faith in Imu. Just so many thematically high moments this arc that I feel elevate it.
Never be sorry about long chapter reviews. Love when you do it. The hype is real. Seeing Kuma take Saturn's strike the same way that Ace did Akainu's really gutted me. However, seeing Kuma then turn around and power up a punch to show his will is still there, brought me back and I was elated.
May i just add one thing to Bonney experiencing Kuma's memories? I honestly wonder how she must've felt at that moment. Being 12 and watching her father live his life through his eyes. Growing up with him as him in matters of seconds. Recontextualizing her own life from his point of view. Bonney is twelve, but she was forced to pretend she's 20 for about last two years, and now she lived through her father's life. Imagine now being 12 or 10, but with all the life experience and turmoil and baggage you have now. Being this weird mix of curiosity and endless potential as well as life crushing realization that world is cruel, unforgiving and life treats us like crap. No wonder her devil fruit isn't working properly at the moment
We, as a fandom, which is MASSIVE, should push Oda-sensei to be nominated for the Nobel prize for literature. If only to show our devotion and appreciation. No other living author is more deserving. And this isn't even his peak yet. That's what makes it even more impressive.
Dude I cannot wait till the void century, god valleys , rocks, dragon, garp, the mother of luffy, the mother of dragon, and all the other missing pieces ODA is a way of life at this point
This video is the embodiment of why I follow this channel - such a thoughtful and detailed analysis of the characters, themes and nuisances. 11/10 review 👏
literally nothing NOTHING NOTHING ive ever seen or read or heard or whatever in media as a whole has made me more emotional than this whole flashback. its the best thing ive ever read and i NEVER want to read it again. it hurt my fucking soul to the core.ive never read a chapter of one piece while sobbing, laughing AND saying "FUCK YOU FUCK YOU" out loud before. i cant believe what oda did to me. im glad someone more eloquent than me can at least talk about it lol. im....unwell.
And I had to read it after losing my grandfather irl. Chapter 1102 I read the day of my Grandfather's funeral. My uncle made the eulogy and emphasized my grandfather had "Selfless Hands" his whole life. Kuma also had Selfless Hands
The best part about this chapter, and Kuma's story as a whole frankly, is that we currently still have no idea how it will end. It feels like things are building towards a bittersweet ending with Kuma sacrificing himself, but it could just as easily end with Kuma being saved for once.
I honestly want Bonney to join the crew after this and the last chapter. Between all of the info we got withher & Kuma, and how much their lives are tied to Nika, I think she’d be a perfect fit for the Straw Hats
@@RedsMeName actually she is a kid so it's still possible both for kuma and bonney always wanted to see the sea with Nika so it's possible but we are talking about ODA he may switch anything at the last time
This is the chapter I finally caught up with! I know I'm late to the One Piece party, but finally getting caught up and going week to week at this point in the story has been an utter joy. Kuma and Bonney ripped my heart out with their story and I'm excited to see them reunited, even though it will probably be for only a moment. It kind of reminds me of Robin and her mom getting to reunite again, but only for the briefest of moments.
21:20 Also everyone is championing Kizaru but wouldn’t it make more sense for Boa’s seraphim to override her priority chip to follow this exact theme and do anything for Luffy no matter what as long as he asks (which he specifically did in the chapter)? That’s my crack pot theory at least
holy cow i didn’t even make the connection between Saturn’s disdain for Kuma with the reveal that he gave Ginny her disease WOW! oda is such a brilliant writer
You know, despite all the hard ships Kuma faced he never once get angry. He lost himself with Ginny but never went full mad but this right here was the first time we see Kuma truly Pissed off and that says a lot
Caribou bringing in the food for Luffy is not the Sabody Archipelago call back we want but it's the one we deserve for balancing how good these chapters have been
11:41 disagree on Saturn purposefully wanting Ginny to be allergic to the sun, considering the sapphire scales was a side effect failure of his experiments. 13:04 also the “blue blemishes” and the allergy to the sun go hand and hand. Supported by a third party doctor that Kuma spoke to, who was the first person to diagnose the illness and then by Vegapunk, that is “Sapphire Scales”.
And this punch is the first Kuma showed us for sure that Kuma can use haki. Haki being manifestation of one's will and this being the moment that Kuma does as Luffy did, but to an Elder... this punch os going to be amazing.
Saturn has been a thorn on Kuma's side his entire life. Kidnapped his lover, experimented on her and her daughter which led to her death, separated him from his daughter, killed him for het cure, and now he was about to kill her.
26:20 Actually, I want Bonney to join, and I want the final blow to be delivered by both of them at the same time -Luffy: Gomu Gomu no... -Bonney: Distorted Future... -Both: DAWN BAZOOKA!! right on Saturn's face. Thematically, it's perfect, it's Bonney recovering her hope for the future, and to some degree reclaiming her robbed childhood innocence (as cynicism naturally coming with age is what dampers her DF power), gaining freedom. Action-wise, it'd look amazing! Two Nika-ish bazookas on Saturns face? What else can you ask for? Whether Kuma survives or not, it's a moment of respite for him, and pride for his daughter (to either die smiling, or to live on with her perhaps being a child again). And finally, it's the cathartic moment. Saturn has been an asshole to a lot of people, but Bonney was robbed of her mother because of him, of her father, of her childhood, and even of hope. Kuma's list is basically the same, but he had agency in it, he made a decision. Bonney didn't even know.
I just open this to give you a view because you where so excited to I jumped through with no sound on but omg I just finish skypiea and I was crying way much more with the backstory there and then luffy fulfilling the promise, if there are more cries like that to come I dont know if I can take it
The way I seen it, Saturn was messing with bonnys mind, making her doubt nika, saying that the more bonny admits reality, the less her power works, so Saturn said that to make bonny less imaginative with her power. Like I'm sure when bonny become like 99 years old, she cant use distorted future cause her future at the end of her lifespan is very limited, and there isn't a distorted past she can create, her powers at 99 years old can make her age young and old of course, but only to the previous years she naturally was. But anyways back to Saturn, bonny is feeling like all hope is lost so her powers won't work as well at the moment, if she stays with the straw hats I bet her imagination can be endless alot, she will feel like she can do anything,
Generally I ramble a lot about themes, emotions, characters, perspectives, ideologies, etc discussions.... But this whole Egghead Kuma portion... Even though I have lots and lots of things to say, I'm way too emotional every chapter that I can't sort and articulate my thoughts properly and end up watching your videos and realising my own thoughts about it through your thoughts... Kuma has become by my favourite character in last few months and this 1102, 1103 are my favourite chapters, and this has become by favourite post timeskip arc... and is in the top tier. My favourite character has always been Corazon, not only because what he means to Law or his selfless kindness, but also him being the antithesis to how Doffy turned out yet Corazon going through the exact same thing as Doffy turned out to be one of the most kindest people in the story... Cora-san shows us that what we go through doesn't make who we are. What we choose to see and what we choose to be ourselves inspite of what we went through is what actually defines us. And he'll be my inspiration. But... Kuma-san is actually giving a competition to Corazon in my mind right now...😂 Anyway... Every week when we think Oda sensei won't best himself, he is doing it!!! This is truly Peak-piece!!! And me being a one piece fan who caught up to one piece pre wano, everytime I saw the brilliance of writing, storytelling of Oda sensei and thinking he is one of the greatest storytellers both plot wise, characterwise, thematically, making deep multifaceted, multilayered discussions through his different characters... All this, I've been experiencing it retrospectively... But now for the first time, I'm experiencing it as it is unfolding before our eyes... And what I thought about Oda sensei and the var I've set for Oda sensei's calibre.... I've realised now that I have been seriously underestimating him.... Inspite of me putting him in the top echelon already... Now even that feels insufficient to his talents, skills, vision, depth and maturity and creativity. Now inspite of all these achievements one piece has, so many records... Now after actually experiencing the brilliance of it all firsthand infront of me, Oda sensei and one piece are highly underated in today's day and age. No one in the mainstream doesn't even know Oda sensei's name or take his name in context of literary geniuses. Oda sensei deserves more and more recognition and acclaim across the globe.. and one piece is not just a manga but it's an epic fantasy living breathing world with real characters and depth !!! What a time to be one piece fan and I'm so happy that I got over my inertia of stalling watching one piece due to the art style 7 years ago, because I didn't know what i was getting into and now I realise... Even the long term one piece fans who have been watching/reading one piece for over 20 years also didn't know the heights Oda sensei is taking it to... And this is something incredible to experience and I hope as many people as possible to hop on the bandwagon and follow one piece so that they'll get to experience the experience of their lifetime... experiencing the satisfying end of such a great story 4-5 years from now.. ❤
It takes a minute to get these, but god do i love a merphy chapter review/analysis ❤ one of the greatest (if not the greatest) addition to the one piece fandom ever 🤩 keep up the good work and thank u.
Hearing you talk about the chapter and remembering how people reviewed and live read this one as well, gave me the mental image of Bonney seeing Luffy and smiling then suddenly shouting at the top of her lungs NIKA!!!!! Then while things are escalating you see her dancing and singing the drums of liberation, and she is asking people around her to dance w/ her as Luffy fights Saturn, omg! I am going to cry if that happens then Kuma joins in w/ Bonney 😭❤️
Man, Im so glad I have myself paused for a month, not reading week by week. Just when the arc of Ginny being kidnapped came in with a cliffhanger I knew to stop reading and give it a while, so the chapters build up. And man... ...I almost gave myself PTSD out of this decision. I read them all at once up to 1103 and those 5 or 6 chapters made me CRY LIKE A BABY! Kuma is such a blessing of a character, I hope one day I can be a dad HALF AS DEDICATED as this man. He gave it all, he gave even more, he gave his life, he gave his freedom, he gave his future, he gave his free will to save this little girl whom he took as his own child and made her his forever daughter. This is too much guys, whenever I think of this all My heart breaks in half. I hope this PUNCH thats coming for Saturn rips him IN HALF! Love Kuma
I am very similar to you as I was very much a book kid before i got into anime and manga, so I absolutely love your breakdowns of the chapters through an emotional booky lense. For a few months now its become a ritual of reading a chapter and re-contexualizing it and re-experiencing its emotions and weight through your thoughts. I cried when bonney finally hugged vegapunk and I wouldnt have had this deep connection to bonney and kuma's arc without your videos. Thank you
Hey Merphy! I would just like to say that your character analysis, the way you analyze the plot, and the feelings you display in these reviews are what make you stand out from other One Piece reviewers. I mean, there's nothing wrong with watching for the hype and power scaling, but your channel's singularity is your analyses, so don't feel bad when they're long or deep - that's the best part about them! So... good luck with the channel, and please (for all of us who love One Piece for the care and brilliance Oda puts into his world), keep up with the great reviews ❤
Also! Giving her the sapphire calls back to how he'd try to make her feel better about people making fun of her sapphire scales by telling her that they were all just jealous of her "beeaauuuuutiful jewels" which is just sweet
I never thought about the connection between Ginny's disease and Saturn doing it to punish Kuma for believing in the sun god. That definitely is not a coincidence, you are spot on. It also explains why he let Ginny go at the end. It always struck me as odd that the celestial dragons would just let Ginny leave even if she was sick. Those people are heartless, wouldn't they just kill her? But it all makes sense when you realize that Saturn wanted Kuma to find her and watch her die from the sun. That is beyond sick.
I really love the symbolism in Bonnie not being able to go out into the sunlight. She’s trapped and the sun, the symbol of freedom, is what is trapping her. And when she’s finally free, she’s able to go and experience the warmth of freedom.
Last few chapters have just been Platinum Medal after Platinum Medal after Platinum Medal chapters in the Olympics of One Piece, just a cut above in the same way as the I Want To Live and Nothing Happened and Ace Taking the Magma Blow and etc and etc chapters were a cut above, it's just incredible what he is putting to page lately (and I can't wait to see the finished version of the unfinished chapter in the volume release when it comes out because it was ALMOST a chapter on that level unfinished, and I know fully finished it will knock me on my ass).
I think that one interesting note about one of the chapter's last panels, is that Kuma is also using Haki as he goes to attack Saturn. And with Haki generally translating to Will, or Ambition, which is something that Kuma shouldn't reasonably have if there isn't some part of him still in there.
"Overthinking?" Nah. You hit the nail on the head. Also, let's not forget that Bonnie couldn't even BE in the Sun for most of her life. There's so much symbolism in that necklace. Also, I don't think that punch is going to land. In manga, usually, when a chapter ends on an unlanded blow, it doesn't connect. I'd love for it to connect, but I highly doubt it.
I just realized, with how Bonney's power seems to be related to how much hope she has and Saturn being aware of that, maybe that government agent tearing up Kuma's letters was under orders to do so to minimize her hope? And if it's Kizaru feeding Luffy on the sly, it'd be a pretty cool way to kick off his redemption arc. We see a lot of cases in fiction where a villain dramatically turns on the bigger villain in the eleventh hour, but one being subtle in rebellion is relatively rare and pretty refreshing to see. Also, his light powers being very suited to sneaking about is a detail I hope we get more attention on in either case, since all his appearances thus far have been super-noticeable. That said, Caribou being Luffy's emergency catering service is very amusing to me. I also really love how Saturn works as a villain. We got a lot of little slices of the vileness that the Celestial Dragons had to offer since they were introduced, but their capacity as a threat was always undercut by their incompetence. Now we get one as a true villain, carrying all the cruelty and entitled self-importance of a Celestial Dragon, but with the focus and competence to personally bring the full force of that vileness to bear against people. (And yes, I agree, him infecting Ginny with the sapphire scales was an intentional strike against Kuma, that's clearly what his dialogue's meant to convey. Or he at least wants us to think so; even if he didn't know at first, he strikes me as the type of villain who'd go "Ah yes, all part of my plan." but it'd probably an unnecessary complication here.) Saturn's our first glimpse at the actual evil that lies at the heart of the World Government: He's not just a self-serving asshole trying to cover his own ass and suck up to his superiors. He's not just an official that accomplishes his goals without caring for how many people get hurt in the process. He's not just destroying innocent lives for some idea of a "greater good." Saturn is one of the most powerful man in the world, he has more options, more power and more security than anyone besides his fellow elders and Imu; and he's actively, diligently, and effectively working to crush individual people's hopes and he feels beyond justified in doing so to "insects." That tells us quite a bit about the guiding principles of the World Government, especially if it is as I suspect and Saturn's meant to be a smaller-scale personification of the WG meant to introduce us to the deliberate, systematic evil of the institution at its core. I'm looking forward to learning more about him, and through him about that small group of people ruling the world, almost as much as I look forward to seeing him get the mother of all ass-kickings.
Ayoo, the dragon bit was hilarious to me 😂😂 "and Dragon's off somewhere thinking, hmph I wonder where Kuma went" ☠️ i swear the dragon stocks in the states have gone drastically low 😂😂
"I know I'm just halfway through the chapter and need to speed up..." No, no no. The very thing that sets you apart and makes you a joy to watch within the pool of One PIece content creators is how passionate and in-depth you get about things. I personally don't mind however long you want to go on about various aspects of what you're talking about or how long the video might end up, I want you to fully engage with the content as much as you feel drawn to.
This chapter was really good. But somehow hearing you talk about it is what actually made me cry. I can't breathe straight as I'm writing this. I love hearing your takes on everything, it's a wonderful way to go through the chapter more thoroughly than I usually do when I read myself. And as a dad, I can only hope I would be willing to go even a fraction of the distance that Kuma has gone for his kid. I also hope I never have to actually find out. But, you know.
Remember early on in the flashback, Bonney had trouble turning old. It makes sense now, she was putting on a brave face, but deep down, she believed the disease would kill her. She had no hope for a future where she grows old.
When you make the tier list again Kuma has to be a protect at all cost. After this chapter he easily has my favorite flashback and is a top 5 favorite character for me! Oda delivered an excellent chapter.
So, on my left wrist, there's this low-key One Piece-inspired tattoo. It features the X symbol from when the Strawhats teamed up with Vivi in Alabasta, with a bold Red D on top. Lately, as I've been reading these latest manga chapters, it's got me contemplating adding another piece to the collection. I'm leaning towards a PawPaw fruit tattoo with some type of Sun God Nika reference because having this One Piece symbolism inked into my skin feels like I can keep the story alive in my life after this coming final arc. I have been a huge fan since One Piece first aired in America 19 years ago when I was 14. It's going to be weird when it ends.
"Maybe I'm reading too much into it" My sister in Christ, you're talking about One Piece! I don't think a single one of us who loves this series doubt that Oda would put that much thought and care into something seemingly "small" like that because we've been shown time and time again that YES he does. Loving these chapter reviews, only started following you recently (Thanks Goblin!) and I'm considering if I should start further back on those and watch them, perhaps reread Egghead myself while doing so.
The Christ imagery with Kuma was so powerful and brought me to tears for a second week in a row. He is the character who embodies sacrifice, and, just like in the story of the Bible, I hope we now see that his willingness to surrender everything, even his very life, becomes the very vehicle by which evil is defeated in the end. His sacrifice to save Bonney and Luffy now may become the very thing that results in Saturn's defeat. Nothing would bring me greater joy than to see Kuma vindicated here - standing victorious over Saturn, proved right in his hope for Nika, and HIMSELF liberated to live as the father he always wished to be. Oda...please.
I've gone back and forth on if Saturn is defeated or not by the end of the arc, but with how the flashback played out I think Saturn might just die at the hands of Kuma. With Saturn's death being attributed to Luffy and Bonney, which most certainly would make the OP world go crazy.
![Kodak Black - Versatile 4 [Official Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/VcP_1Ua__vY/mqdefault.jpg)
This chapter basically just secured Oda's inevitable W with the entire Kuma situation. No matter what happens, Oda wins. Kuma can die and we'd be crying but it'd be totally fitting. Oda could write in a way for Kuma to get his memories back (which the Paw Paw fruit could totally do), and we'd be overjoyed that the guy finally got a win.
So this is final form oda. Now character can die or get faked death and its still 10/10 regardless.
Truly incredible. He is on a tier on his own
@@inasinas226i like that opinion of yours with oda in his final form. it gets me hyped so much xdd
@@inasinas226i just hope he doesnt start trying to fake deaths the strawhats too now, cuz we know they aint gonna die
If a straw hat dies, that straw hat immediately is gonna get mvp status on the crew. You know oda would do it justice.
@ultimasurge I mean one of the things that has always separated Oda from other Shonen is that he's really good at giving his characters dignity even when they're getting their asses beat. Whereas in places like Bleach, Naruto, and especially Dragon Ball, a character will just get humiliated to establish how strong the new antagonist is. If Oda decides a Straw Hat is gonna die, he's gonna get every bit of oomph he can out of that situation
I love that between all the doom and gloom and sadness Oda draws the panel where Luffy gobbles up a mountain of food...and Saturn's reaction.
I love One Piece, there can literally be seconds between wanting to cry and laughing your ass off
Luffy can bring joy even in the worst situations, he do be Joyboy😂
Kizaru: 😏
I totally agree! I remember when I was watching robins "I want to live" moment and I was bawling then it cuts to Franky trying to wipe his eye and hide that fact that it made him emotional. it makes me laugh through the tears every time.
That necklace to me, also has a lot of symbolism because she couldn’t be in the sun because of her sapphires and now the sapphire is shining in sunlight. It’s repackaging trauma into power. It’s awesome.
One thing I have to make note of with the last page:
Kuma's fist is covered in Haki.
Haki is a manifestation of _willpower._ And a will of his own is something Kuma's not _supposed to_ have anymore. Yet when defending Bonney, he is still able to use Haki.
I really love how Oda portrayed Kuma's anger towards Saturn. Bartholomew Kuma, the Pacifist who vowed to only use his hands/paws for helping and liberating the people around him, chooses to use his fist for the first time because Bonney's in danger. No amount of science can erase the love he has for his daughter.
It hit me hard when Bonney said she’d rather be dead. After reading it a 2nd time I’m like “wait, this is a 12 year old” 😢
Yes a child wishing to die 💔
That necklace feels like the perfect call back to the "you mean your jewels?" scene. Kuma may, and likely even, felt negative feelings towards sapphires. Us as an audience also likely felt that same way. Kuma never let her feel like she was a freak or an outcast for her sickness. Every part of her was a precious jewel, including her sapphires. Now, two or so years removed from her sickness, she finally received a reminder that Kuma saw her jewels as beautiful, because it was a part of her. I may be reading too much into it, but i believe all of this with my heart.
That's a beautiful way to look at it.
Merphy trying to make a sports reference and realizing “no this isn’t my thing, stop” is why I will always keep coming back to this channel
These recent chapters have had a very autobiographical nature to them. Oda has daughters and probably doesn't see them as much because of his dedication to One Piece. Even her age manipulation could be a symbol of his daughters growing up so fast but still remaining his little girls inside. Much like Kuma who had to spend every waking moment away from Bonney to find a cure and as Monkey Paw deals go could only save her by becoming a tool for the Government which he despised and eventually forget about her as his humanity was erased. So it must be cathartic to write this character that now has an opportunity to reunite with a daughter and let all that pain and rage out on someone like Saturn.
Amazing observation it’s how many artist express themselves when they cannot be close to their loved ones due to their commitments the story in itself has a depth of autobiographical nature I hope he can travel the world , experience many cultures and countries and go on his own journey with his family
@@ItUnidentifiedOda definitely deserves the world I know he probably doesn’t see comments like ours but he really is so significant in all of our lives. I hope he gets infinite letters from fans reminding him how much he means to the world.
@@josephmother2659 yeah idk he is a polymath with his stuff and I can relate to it. I’m glad it doesn’t go unseen you really have to step back and almost see how carefully it is all set up and near meticulously done with a large seamlessness to it! Shout out you! And all the peeps who really soak in odas work
Correct me if I’m wrong but I think this is the first time we see Kuma actually punch someone. Before he always just used an open hand because of his paw-paw power. I think it’s a great way of showing how angry he is at Saturn for hurting Ginny and for everything else. If Kuma the pacifist clenches his fist you know it’s about to get wild.
Not just the first punch that I can think of him throwing, I believe it's also the first time we've seen him use armament Haki.
You know, the thing that's a manifestation of willpower. Being used by Kuma who supposedly has no will of his own left.
@@IceAokiji303bro Kuma *just* fought Akainu and somehow survived then comes to fight the biggest and most evil villain yet, while being supposedly dead. There’s a reason Saturn asked Vegapunk “who would stop him?” if he went rogue and I’m asking the same question. He’s so badass and so tragic 😢
Oda's ability to get people to hate his villains is one of his greatest strengths as a writer.
All his major villains are people that you want to see get socked to kingdom come. And that's rare imo; especially when sympathetic antagonists are the rage in modern fiction.
It's damn refreshing to have hateable bastards in your favourite work of fiction
I couldn’t have said it better!! Sympathetic villains only breaks the system further and then they don’t change the system or situations that made that sympathetic villain and stick to wanting to maintain the status quo, so the final message is if the system/society/status quo fucks you up you can please go be a villain and find people who will sympathise with you so you can live your worst miserable life!
Don’t give no fox for the ‘modern’ villain.
@@ladybookworms It's also impressive how he can change certain villains from a hated character into a sympathetic one. Helmeppo, Buggy, Bellamy, Moria, Mjosgard; after their initial villain arc Oda often will branch out on the character's story and add qualities to these characters that bring about newfound respect to the readers, I definitely appreciate that sort of writing.
Right. Like I just went through Hunter x Hunter for the first time and Meruem might be one of my favorite villains of all time now because of his character arc over the course of the Chimera Ant Arc. But, it also just as great to just have a truly evil bad guy that you want to just get the beat down of a lifetime.
Yeah, you are so right. Even tho I love evil bastardos like Doffy, Lucci, the Gorosei and Akainu for a unhealthy degree I still want them to get their asses kicked!
The thing with his antagonists is that even when they are pure villains they have different vibes/personality that makes them all feel like unique and different characters. I just love that, and it blows my mind how Oda does it so well. You'd think if all villains are just pure evil scum they'd feel repetitive. Nope not here.
His bounty epitaph needs an update from “The Tyrant” to “The Goat”
The Hero
THE MAN
More like Doat. Daddy of all times.
@@y-wing7654this just made realise what goat actually means in the “Oda is Goat” context. For the longest time I thought someone just misspelled “Goda” as “gota”, then maybe autocorrect did its thing and the fandom just latched on to it.
The Patron Saint of Fatherhood
The thing that's made me appreciate Kuma in Egghead so much is this indomitable kindness he has.
He witnesses the most vile and abhorrent of humanity but still choses to be selfless, to care for the common people, to care for his daughter.
And now he gets to be kind to his daughter one last time by proving that HE is still there and Nika will come to liberate the world.
Kuma is the man who brought the Sun to Egghead
That final 2 pages where perfect.
The final 15 pages were perfect
I cried badly with Bonney's "I wanna die" moment, and got worse when I remembered Kuma possibly heard her daughter saying that. I hope the punch fully hit on that insect called Saturn
I'm fully on board with Uber Eats Borsalino here. The panel framing just _screams_ it was him to me.
First we have the panel of Luffy wanting food. Next panel is Atlas pointing out nobody can give him any because none of them can move. One panel later we have Kizaru lying down on the ground thinking about Sentomaru and Bonney.
Then a couple pages later, Luffy suddenly has a pile of food he's eating (including the noodle bowl). In almost the next panel, we see Kizaru _now sitting up_ (indicating he has moved), with a thought bubble of ellipses.
Yeah I think it's him.
I love how similar the composition of Kuma shielding Bonney is to when Ace took the punch for Luffy back in Marineford. Both are demonstrations of pure love and selflessness. One last moment for fighting for their family after years apart, one last moment to say goodbye.
Smoker also took Doflamingo’s attack to save his Marine underlings who probably couldn’t even beat Usopp because he recognizes the importance of protecting the weak. I love Smoker’s character so much he deserves a big moment at some point, Sun God Smoker incoming 💪
That sun symbol of the necklace can be found in the flag of Alabasta , skypiea , king Neptune's tattoo , Kuzuki clan's crest , kuja pirates , fishman pirates and in the cross from kuma's church .
Even in the kimono/ outfit of luffy and zoro during wano.
Kujas Pirates too...
@@caiovitor9632 Forgot about that. 👍
So I just found this out via the OP Wiki: "In Hindu astrology, Saturn is associated with Shani, the god of karma, justice, retribution, misery, sorrow, longevity, and old age. Furthermore, Shani's associated gemstone is sapphire. According to Hindu astrology, if Shani rules over a person's zodiac sign, they need to wear a ring with sapphire." Another thing is the yokai Saturn's Zoan Devil Fruit is based on, the Ushi-Oni, is known for giving people incurable illnesses, like the sapphire scales that killed Ginny. Oda scares me sometimes.
I think what really nails down Kuma at the end of the chapter is his fist is coated in Haki. Instinct was dropped at the beginning of the arc for sure, but haki is literally the embodiment of willpower. Not just Kuma's body responding to his daughter, Kuma's soul is in there fighting back
💯
Saturn must be a pretty mid scientist if Vegapunk was able to pull this off, assuming this is not Kuma’s willpower alone, which it might be. F that guy, he’s just as human as anyone else and deserves what’s coming.
The symbol is also all over the place. The giant "sun" with eight dots has been seen Alabasta, Skypiea, its on the Kozuki Crest.
It seems to be the sign of Nika.
Dressrosa's geography also resembles the sign
Outside of the flashback part of the chapter, I really love how angry Vegapunk was in this chapter. He really cares for Kuma and Bonnie.
my chest hurt when bonney was saying shed rather be dead. and yelled so loud in excitement when kuma came in and saved her. chapter was peak. and if kumas punch lands, next chapter is an automatic 10/10
Just hit me that Saturn views humans as insects when his devil fruit power is literally turns him into an insect. Now imagine how poetic and funny it would be to see Luffy go giant and squash Saturn like the actual insect he is.
Manifesting that this is how it goes down
Spiders do eat insects though, so the analogy doesn't fit. Like, Luffy could still crush Saturn as a giant, but it really is disingenuous to do this whole "insect" thing. Plus Saturn is right, at least for the moment, he is above humanity both metaphorically and literally.
I have ptsd around women (I am a woman btw) and honestly merphy is so nice and safe feeling. Her reaction to one piece really helps me and is sweet.
Im glad you have found a female figure to follow and feel safe around, dont let the people that ruined it for you from feeling safe arround others.
Huh
I agree that this is by far the best chapter. When Mama Drawk gets caught up the two of you should do a show together. I bet that if you guys did get together you could guess the ending. It's actually scary how much she has predicted accurately.
Oh man poor Mama Drawk's heart is gonna shatter. Just like mine 😭
OMG yes
The essence extraction I love because it's been a thing since Alabasta! They did it with two inanimate objects that turned into animals: the dog baseball launching thing, and then Spandam's sword with the elephant fruit. Love that it's brought back - to our horror.
I've really loved the thematic throughline of Faith throughout all of Egghead, and I think that it really unifies the arc despite all the cutaways and makes the arc 10/10 for me.
Like, ignoring Kuma/Bonney and the faith in Nika, you have Kuzan losing faith in the government he used to work for and joining Blackbeard because he doesn't know what to believe in anymore contrasted with Garp's faith in the younger generation and Coby finally having faith in himself. You have multiple pirate crews showcasing faith in their captains only to have them fail, or in Law's case, faith in their crew being their redemption. Then, the elders and their faith in Imu. Just so many thematically high moments this arc that I feel elevate it.
The mere thought of Kuma seeing Luffy and recognizing him as Nika nearly makes me cry
Never be sorry about long chapter reviews. Love when you do it. The hype is real.
Seeing Kuma take Saturn's strike the same way that Ace did Akainu's really gutted me. However, seeing Kuma then turn around and power up a punch to show his will is still there, brought me back and I was elated.
Kuma swooping in like he did saving Bonney one last time and gonna deliver one of the most satisfying punches of all time that's *_HIM_*
May i just add one thing to Bonney experiencing Kuma's memories?
I honestly wonder how she must've felt at that moment. Being 12 and watching her father live his life through his eyes. Growing up with him as him in matters of seconds. Recontextualizing her own life from his point of view.
Bonney is twelve, but she was forced to pretend she's 20 for about last two years, and now she lived through her father's life.
Imagine now being 12 or 10, but with all the life experience and turmoil and baggage you have now. Being this weird mix of curiosity and endless potential as well as life crushing realization that world is cruel, unforgiving and life treats us like crap.
No wonder her devil fruit isn't working properly at the moment
20:27 Can we talk about the fact this is coming from someone who is canonically 12?
Just let it sink in how much more brutal it is cause of that
We, as a fandom, which is MASSIVE, should push Oda-sensei to be nominated for the Nobel prize for literature.
If only to show our devotion and appreciation.
No other living author is more deserving.
And this isn't even his peak yet. That's what makes it even more impressive.
Dude I cannot wait till the void century, god valleys , rocks, dragon, garp, the mother of luffy, the mother of dragon, and all the other missing pieces ODA is a way of life at this point
Egghead so far has been flawless and peak One Piece, amazing
This video is the embodiment of why I follow this channel - such a thoughtful and detailed analysis of the characters, themes and nuisances. 11/10 review 👏
literally nothing NOTHING NOTHING ive ever seen or read or heard or whatever in media as a whole has made me more emotional than this whole flashback. its the best thing ive ever read and i NEVER want to read it again. it hurt my fucking soul to the core.ive never read a chapter of one piece while sobbing, laughing AND saying "FUCK YOU FUCK YOU" out loud before. i cant believe what oda did to me. im glad someone more eloquent than me can at least talk about it lol. im....unwell.
And I had to read it after losing my grandfather irl. Chapter 1102 I read the day of my Grandfather's funeral. My uncle made the eulogy and emphasized my grandfather had "Selfless Hands" his whole life. Kuma also had Selfless Hands
Merphy in true rat fashion slanders Dragon for not doing anything again.
I love it here.
Old Merphy: Reviewing an entire arc in 30 minutes
Current Merphy: Reviewing one chapter in 30 minutes.
Nice progression!
The best part about this chapter, and Kuma's story as a whole frankly, is that we currently still have no idea how it will end. It feels like things are building towards a bittersweet ending with Kuma sacrificing himself, but it could just as easily end with Kuma being saved for once.
I honestly want Bonney to join the crew after this and the last chapter. Between all of the info we got withher & Kuma, and how much their lives are tied to Nika, I think she’d be a perfect fit for the Straw Hats
The only role left to fill is the “Apprentice” role like buggy and shanks 🤔
@@RedsMeName actually she is a kid so it's still possible both for kuma and bonney always wanted to see the sea with Nika so it's possible but we are talking about ODA he may switch anything at the last time
@@RedsMeName🤔
I loved that little rant about breaking the scale at the end 🤣
This is the chapter I finally caught up with! I know I'm late to the One Piece party, but finally getting caught up and going week to week at this point in the story has been an utter joy. Kuma and Bonney ripped my heart out with their story and I'm excited to see them reunited, even though it will probably be for only a moment. It kind of reminds me of Robin and her mom getting to reunite again, but only for the briefest of moments.
5:25 Jay has definitely gotten to Murphy she all but said all he’s doing is looking East😂😂😂
21:20 Also everyone is championing Kizaru but wouldn’t it make more sense for Boa’s seraphim to override her priority chip to follow this exact theme and do anything for Luffy no matter what as long as he asks (which he specifically did in the chapter)? That’s my crack pot theory at least
Kuma is getting to punch someone even higher than a celestial dragon just like his hero nika did in seabody.
holy cow i didn’t even make the connection between Saturn’s disdain for Kuma with the reveal that he gave Ginny her disease WOW! oda is such a brilliant writer
You know, despite all the hard ships Kuma faced he never once get angry. He lost himself with Ginny but never went full mad but this right here was the first time we see Kuma truly Pissed off and that says a lot
Caribou bringing in the food for Luffy is not the Sabody Archipelago call back we want but it's the one we deserve for balancing how good these chapters have been
11:41 disagree on Saturn purposefully wanting Ginny to be allergic to the sun, considering the sapphire scales was a side effect failure of his experiments. 13:04 also the “blue blemishes” and the allergy to the sun go hand and hand. Supported by a third party doctor that Kuma spoke to, who was the first person to diagnose the illness and then by Vegapunk, that is “Sapphire Scales”.
And this punch is the first Kuma showed us for sure that Kuma can use haki. Haki being manifestation of one's will and this being the moment that Kuma does as Luffy did, but to an Elder... this punch os going to be amazing.
The Drums of Liberation are going to restore Kuma's mind, I think. I can't wait for that moment.
Saturn has been a thorn on Kuma's side his entire life. Kidnapped his lover, experimented on her and her daughter which led to her death, separated him from his daughter, killed him for het cure, and now he was about to kill her.
AND HE STILL DIDNT BRAKE, HE IS STILL FIGHTING, HE STILL HAS A WILL. HE. IS. THE. GOAT.
26:20 Actually, I want Bonney to join, and I want the final blow to be delivered by both of them at the same time
-Luffy: Gomu Gomu no...
-Bonney: Distorted Future...
-Both: DAWN BAZOOKA!!
right on Saturn's face.
Thematically, it's perfect, it's Bonney recovering her hope for the future, and to some degree reclaiming her robbed childhood innocence (as cynicism naturally coming with age is what dampers her DF power), gaining freedom.
Action-wise, it'd look amazing! Two Nika-ish bazookas on Saturns face? What else can you ask for?
Whether Kuma survives or not, it's a moment of respite for him, and pride for his daughter (to either die smiling, or to live on with her perhaps being a child again).
And finally, it's the cathartic moment. Saturn has been an asshole to a lot of people, but Bonney was robbed of her mother because of him, of her father, of her childhood, and even of hope. Kuma's list is basically the same, but he had agency in it, he made a decision. Bonney didn't even know.
I just open this to give you a view because you where so excited to I jumped through with no sound on but omg I just finish skypiea and I was crying way much more with the backstory there and then luffy fulfilling the promise, if there are more cries like that to come I dont know if I can take it
The way I seen it, Saturn was messing with bonnys mind, making her doubt nika, saying that the more bonny admits reality, the less her power works, so Saturn said that to make bonny less imaginative with her power. Like I'm sure when bonny become like 99 years old, she cant use distorted future cause her future at the end of her lifespan is very limited, and there isn't a distorted past she can create, her powers at 99 years old can make her age young and old of course, but only to the previous years she naturally was. But anyways back to Saturn, bonny is feeling like all hope is lost so her powers won't work as well at the moment, if she stays with the straw hats I bet her imagination can be endless alot, she will feel like she can do anything,
Generally I ramble a lot about themes, emotions, characters, perspectives, ideologies, etc discussions.... But this whole Egghead Kuma portion... Even though I have lots and lots of things to say, I'm way too emotional every chapter that I can't sort and articulate my thoughts properly and end up watching your videos and realising my own thoughts about it through your thoughts...
Kuma has become by my favourite character in last few months and this 1102, 1103 are my favourite chapters, and this has become by favourite post timeskip arc... and is in the top tier.
My favourite character has always been Corazon, not only because what he means to Law or his selfless kindness, but also him being the antithesis to how Doffy turned out yet Corazon going through the exact same thing as Doffy turned out to be one of the most kindest people in the story...
Cora-san shows us that what we go through doesn't make who we are. What we choose to see and what we choose to be ourselves inspite of what we went through is what actually defines us. And he'll be my inspiration.
But... Kuma-san is actually giving a competition to Corazon in my mind right now...😂
Anyway... Every week when we think Oda sensei won't best himself, he is doing it!!! This is truly Peak-piece!!!
And me being a one piece fan who caught up to one piece pre wano, everytime I saw the brilliance of writing, storytelling of Oda sensei and thinking he is one of the greatest storytellers both plot wise, characterwise, thematically, making deep multifaceted, multilayered discussions through his different characters...
All this, I've been experiencing it retrospectively...
But now for the first time, I'm experiencing it as it is unfolding before our eyes... And what I thought about Oda sensei and the var I've set for Oda sensei's calibre.... I've realised now that I have been seriously underestimating him.... Inspite of me putting him in the top echelon already... Now even that feels insufficient to his talents, skills, vision, depth and maturity and creativity.
Now inspite of all these achievements one piece has, so many records... Now after actually experiencing the brilliance of it all firsthand infront of me, Oda sensei and one piece are highly underated in today's day and age. No one in the mainstream doesn't even know Oda sensei's name or take his name in context of literary geniuses. Oda sensei deserves more and more recognition and acclaim across the globe.. and one piece is not just a manga but it's an epic fantasy living breathing world with real characters and depth !!!
What a time to be one piece fan and I'm so happy that I got over my inertia of stalling watching one piece due to the art style 7 years ago, because I didn't know what i was getting into and now I realise... Even the long term one piece fans who have been watching/reading one piece for over 20 years also didn't know the heights Oda sensei is taking it to... And this is something incredible to experience and I hope as many people as possible to hop on the bandwagon and follow one piece so that they'll get to experience the experience of their lifetime... experiencing the satisfying end of such a great story 4-5 years from now.. ❤
It takes a minute to get these, but god do i love a merphy chapter review/analysis ❤ one of the greatest (if not the greatest) addition to the one piece fandom ever 🤩 keep up the good work and thank u.
Hearing you talk about the chapter and remembering how people reviewed and live read this one as well, gave me the mental image of Bonney seeing Luffy and smiling then suddenly shouting at the top of her lungs NIKA!!!!! Then while things are escalating you see her dancing and singing the drums of liberation, and she is asking people around her to dance w/ her as Luffy fights Saturn, omg! I am going to cry if that happens then Kuma joins in w/ Bonney 😭❤️
Man, Im so glad I have myself paused for a month, not reading week by week. Just when the arc of Ginny being kidnapped came in with a cliffhanger I knew to stop reading and give it a while, so the chapters build up. And man...
...I almost gave myself PTSD out of this decision. I read them all at once up to 1103 and those 5 or 6 chapters made me CRY LIKE A BABY!
Kuma is such a blessing of a character, I hope one day I can be a dad HALF AS DEDICATED as this man. He gave it all, he gave even more, he gave his life, he gave his freedom, he gave his future, he gave his free will to save this little girl whom he took as his own child and made her his forever daughter. This is too much guys, whenever I think of this all My heart breaks in half. I hope this PUNCH thats coming for Saturn rips him IN HALF!
Love Kuma
I am very similar to you as I was very much a book kid before i got into anime and manga, so I absolutely love your breakdowns of the chapters through an emotional booky lense. For a few months now its become a ritual of reading a chapter and re-contexualizing it and re-experiencing its emotions and weight through your thoughts. I cried when bonney finally hugged vegapunk and I wouldnt have had this deep connection to bonney and kuma's arc without your videos. Thank you
Hey Merphy! I would just like to say that your character analysis, the way you analyze the plot, and the feelings you display in these reviews are what make you stand out from other One Piece reviewers.
I mean, there's nothing wrong with watching for the hype and power scaling, but your channel's singularity is your analyses, so don't feel bad when they're long or deep - that's the best part about them!
So... good luck with the channel, and please (for all of us who love One Piece for the care and brilliance Oda puts into his world), keep up with the great reviews ❤
Oh no, poor Merphy! 🤣😭
You made me cry too, and I thought I was all finished!
Also! Giving her the sapphire calls back to how he'd try to make her feel better about people making fun of her sapphire scales by telling her that they were all just jealous of her "beeaauuuuutiful jewels" which is just sweet
Amazing chapter, and love your interpretation of her necklace. The artwork turned out amazing also!
Your artist's artwork completely captured the weight of the moment. Beautifully done. Thanks for giving them a shout out, they nailed it.
Merphy trying to reference sport terms might be the hardest thing i’ve watch in this channel. 😂😂😂
I never thought about the connection between Ginny's disease and Saturn doing it to punish Kuma for believing in the sun god. That definitely is not a coincidence, you are spot on. It also explains why he let Ginny go at the end. It always struck me as odd that the celestial dragons would just let Ginny leave even if she was sick. Those people are heartless, wouldn't they just kill her? But it all makes sense when you realize that Saturn wanted Kuma to find her and watch her die from the sun. That is beyond sick.
Just right after I read it I said yup this is top 3 for sure
The analysis on Saturn developing the Sapphire Scales was jawdropping. Ohhhhh, that is so cruel and brilliant
I really love the symbolism in Bonnie not being able to go out into the sunlight. She’s trapped and the sun, the symbol of freedom, is what is trapping her. And when she’s finally free, she’s able to go and experience the warmth of freedom.
Last few chapters have just been Platinum Medal after Platinum Medal after Platinum Medal chapters in the Olympics of One Piece, just a cut above in the same way as the I Want To Live and Nothing Happened and Ace Taking the Magma Blow and etc and etc chapters were a cut above, it's just incredible what he is putting to page lately (and I can't wait to see the finished version of the unfinished chapter in the volume release when it comes out because it was ALMOST a chapter on that level unfinished, and I know fully finished it will knock me on my ass).
I think that one interesting note about one of the chapter's last panels, is that Kuma is also using Haki as he goes to attack Saturn. And with Haki generally translating to Will, or Ambition, which is something that Kuma shouldn't reasonably have if there isn't some part of him still in there.
Man this makes me cry to think of what if this was my daughter.
God, I love this chapter. I was waiting for your reaction and everything I expected you to react too was in this video
"Overthinking?" Nah. You hit the nail on the head. Also, let's not forget that Bonnie couldn't even BE in the Sun for most of her life. There's so much symbolism in that necklace.
Also, I don't think that punch is going to land. In manga, usually, when a chapter ends on an unlanded blow, it doesn't connect. I'd love for it to connect, but I highly doubt it.
This was such a thoughtful review, and that's why I love your videos so much. Great work!
Oda had already broke me with kyros & rebbecca in dressrosa and Yasuie & toko in wano, but he went nuclear with kuma & bonney.
It truly was a phenomenal chapter!
Just saying, you don't need to speed up. Do an hour review and I'll LOVE IT!
That fase when he pulls that push kracked me...
We haven't seen that kind of fase in a Long time.
the beginning was adorable, thanks
This chapter is 1 of the best chapter ... i just want to see kuma landing that punch
I’d say it’s LOVE. Humans can do anything in the name of love. Kuma’s love for his daughter awakened his core humanity.
I just realized, with how Bonney's power seems to be related to how much hope she has and Saturn being aware of that, maybe that government agent tearing up Kuma's letters was under orders to do so to minimize her hope?
And if it's Kizaru feeding Luffy on the sly, it'd be a pretty cool way to kick off his redemption arc. We see a lot of cases in fiction where a villain dramatically turns on the bigger villain in the eleventh hour, but one being subtle in rebellion is relatively rare and pretty refreshing to see. Also, his light powers being very suited to sneaking about is a detail I hope we get more attention on in either case, since all his appearances thus far have been super-noticeable. That said, Caribou being Luffy's emergency catering service is very amusing to me.
I also really love how Saturn works as a villain. We got a lot of little slices of the vileness that the Celestial Dragons had to offer since they were introduced, but their capacity as a threat was always undercut by their incompetence. Now we get one as a true villain, carrying all the cruelty and entitled self-importance of a Celestial Dragon, but with the focus and competence to personally bring the full force of that vileness to bear against people. (And yes, I agree, him infecting Ginny with the sapphire scales was an intentional strike against Kuma, that's clearly what his dialogue's meant to convey. Or he at least wants us to think so; even if he didn't know at first, he strikes me as the type of villain who'd go "Ah yes, all part of my plan." but it'd probably an unnecessary complication here.)
Saturn's our first glimpse at the actual evil that lies at the heart of the World Government: He's not just a self-serving asshole trying to cover his own ass and suck up to his superiors. He's not just an official that accomplishes his goals without caring for how many people get hurt in the process. He's not just destroying innocent lives for some idea of a "greater good." Saturn is one of the most powerful man in the world, he has more options, more power and more security than anyone besides his fellow elders and Imu; and he's actively, diligently, and effectively working to crush individual people's hopes and he feels beyond justified in doing so to "insects." That tells us quite a bit about the guiding principles of the World Government, especially if it is as I suspect and Saturn's meant to be a smaller-scale personification of the WG meant to introduce us to the deliberate, systematic evil of the institution at its core. I'm looking forward to learning more about him, and through him about that small group of people ruling the world, almost as much as I look forward to seeing him get the mother of all ass-kickings.
Ayoo, the dragon bit was hilarious to me 😂😂 "and Dragon's off somewhere thinking, hmph I wonder where Kuma went" ☠️ i swear the dragon stocks in the states have gone drastically low 😂😂
Mostly due to people not being able to read. Dragon figured it out in like 2 seconds of talking to Iva
"I know I'm just halfway through the chapter and need to speed up..." No, no no. The very thing that sets you apart and makes you a joy to watch within the pool of One PIece content creators is how passionate and in-depth you get about things. I personally don't mind however long you want to go on about various aspects of what you're talking about or how long the video might end up, I want you to fully engage with the content as much as you feel drawn to.
If it was Caribou who snuck Luffy food AGAIN then it’s Caribou for Nakama! ❤😅
This chapter was really good. But somehow hearing you talk about it is what actually made me cry. I can't breathe straight as I'm writing this. I love hearing your takes on everything, it's a wonderful way to go through the chapter more thoroughly than I usually do when I read myself. And as a dad, I can only hope I would be willing to go even a fraction of the distance that Kuma has gone for his kid. I also hope I never have to actually find out. But, you know.
Remember early on in the flashback, Bonney had trouble turning old. It makes sense now, she was putting on a brave face, but deep down, she believed the disease would kill her. She had no hope for a future where she grows old.
Sensi odas writing skills needs to be recognized internationally
When you make the tier list again Kuma has to be a protect at all cost. After this chapter he easily has my favorite flashback and is a top 5 favorite character for me! Oda delivered an excellent chapter.
This is my favorite chapter in recent memory, so goood
So, on my left wrist, there's this low-key One Piece-inspired tattoo. It features the X symbol from when the Strawhats teamed up with Vivi in Alabasta, with a bold Red D on top. Lately, as I've been reading these latest manga chapters, it's got me contemplating adding another piece to the collection. I'm leaning towards a PawPaw fruit tattoo with some type of Sun God Nika reference because having this One Piece symbolism inked into my skin feels like I can keep the story alive in my life after this coming final arc. I have been a huge fan since One Piece first aired in America 19 years ago when I was 14. It's going to be weird when it ends.
One of the absolute elite top tier chapters ever for sure.
"Maybe I'm reading too much into it" My sister in Christ, you're talking about One Piece! I don't think a single one of us who loves this series doubt that Oda would put that much thought and care into something seemingly "small" like that because we've been shown time and time again that YES he does.
Loving these chapter reviews, only started following you recently (Thanks Goblin!) and I'm considering if I should start further back on those and watch them, perhaps reread Egghead myself while doing so.
The Christ imagery with Kuma was so powerful and brought me to tears for a second week in a row. He is the character who embodies sacrifice, and, just like in the story of the Bible, I hope we now see that his willingness to surrender everything, even his very life, becomes the very vehicle by which evil is defeated in the end. His sacrifice to save Bonney and Luffy now may become the very thing that results in Saturn's defeat.
Nothing would bring me greater joy than to see Kuma vindicated here - standing victorious over Saturn, proved right in his hope for Nika, and HIMSELF liberated to live as the father he always wished to be.
Oda...please.
I've gone back and forth on if Saturn is defeated or not by the end of the arc, but with how the flashback played out I think Saturn might just die at the hands of Kuma. With Saturn's death being attributed to Luffy and Bonney, which most certainly would make the OP world go crazy.
@@albericponcedeleon2696 This is my favorite timeline. I hope you're right.
@@albericponcedeleon2696if the gorosei aren’t scared of Luffy yet (they probably aren’t at this point) they *will* be
Been waiting for this all week! Woo!
I also love how Kuma’s shirt was tore open, breaking the target he wore on his chest.
The struggle with sports terms was hilarious.
Caribou is destined to support nika in the liberation of the world, against his (and our) will