Writing About All Things Pop Culture
Have you ever heard of the trope “even evil has standards?” It’s a very popular trope created for a sole purpose. And that purpose is to show that if even the villains are disgusted by something, then you know that it’s bad! And in this case, it’s Big Mom who shows us that even evil has standards.
If you folks will recall, the first time that Luffy fought Kaido, he didn’t leave a scratch on him and got thrown in Udon Prison. However, this led Luffy to discover that he can level up his Haki to let him hurt foes without even touching them. He trained his butt off to learn how to use his Haki like that, and it looks like it paid off. But it’s only now that we see the true extent of his power! Luffy finally takes his Haki to the next level, and it is glorious!
One Piece Chapter 1009 Review/Recap I’ve been reading One Piece for years now, and I’ve watched the anime since the days of the infamous 4Kids dub. And if there’s one recurring theme to the … Continue Reading Big Mom and Orochi Get Sent to Hell (Hopefully)
Do you know which character from the Wano Arc I hate the most? Orochi Kurozumi. Yeah, I feel sorry for how the Kurozumi Clan got hunted down because his grandpa tried to take over Wano, but that’s no excuse for what he’s done. He ran Wano into the ground, he knows he did so, and he doesn’t care. So when it looked like Kaido outright killed him, I felt robbed. I wanted to see the Kurozumi Clan brought to justice for their crimes against Wano. However, I had a feeling that Oda wouldn’t kill off a villain like Orochi so casually. As it turns out, I was right. This week, the Kurozumi Clan returns with a vengeance!
If you’ll recall, several chapters ago, Queen unleashed a deadly virus that turns people into ice zombies. And that he didn’t care if it would end up hurting his own men in the process. The virus has been kept at bay for a while, but unless Chopper creates a cure, everyone will die. Fortunately, we all knew that Chopper wasn’t going to fail. Queen’s in a big surprise this week on One Piece.
Ever since we first met old man Hyogoro in Udon Prison, I liked him. He was the first friend Luffy made while he was on his “involuntary vacation.” Then it turns out he was once the badass leader of the Yakuza in Wano, and my respect for the guy grew even more. Luffy found himself a powerful ally and teacher in Boss Hyogoro, and now the old man’s repaying his debt to Luffy by helping to free Wano. But will it cost him his life in the end?
You know that famous line from The Incredible Hulk TV series starring Bill Bixby? “Don’t make me angry. You won’t like me when I’m angry.” That line can be applied to anyone who’s mad. And if there’s one thing that will make the Straw Pirates mad, it’s messing with their friends and crewmates. Case in point: Nico Robin’s going to demolish the spider-lady who captured Sanji. This should be fun.
You guys ever hear the story of Momotaro? It’s an old Japanese tale about a boy born from a giant peach. In the legend, Momotaro goes to Onigashima to defeat the demons residing there. And during his journey, he convinces three talking animals to join him in exchange for the Kibi Dango he has. The four beat up the demons, take their loot, and come home as heroes.
Why am I bringing this up? Because the latest chapter of One Piece made me realize that cute little Otama’s the manga’s version of Momotaro.
When we learned that the Alliance planned to storm Onigashima in a surprise attack and face an enemy force that was six times their size, I knew that Luffy and his friends were in for a tough fight. So far, they’ve held it together, with the Alliance already taking out some key members of the Beast Pirates. Plus, the Worst Generation of Pirates is now locked in combat with Big Mom and Kaido themselves. Even after all this, though, I know that the heroes face down long odds if they want to win. And unless they do something to thin out the enemy’s ranks, they’re going to get overwhelmed.
For those of you who enjoy One Piece for the sheer amount of action that it has, then you’re going to love this chapter. It’s nothing but action and fight scenes in what could end up being the most epic fights in shonen history. On one side, we have the Yonko, Kaido and Big Mom. Their opponents, from the New Generation of Pirates: Luffy, Zoro, Killer, Kid, and Law! Can our underdogs take down the monstrous Yonko before they destroy Wano? I don’t know, but I’m going to love seeing this!
At long last, the fight we’ve been waiting for is about to begin. It’s the Supernovas vs the Yonko in the smackdown of the century! LET’S GET IT ON, PEOPLE!!
One Piece Chapter 1000 Review/Recap Everyone, we did it! Twenty-three years, 97 Volumes, 14 movies, dozens of games, and a fanbase spanning the world. That’s how One Piece has come. … Continue Reading Monkey D. Luffy, King of the Pirates
It’s hard to believe that we’re just one chapter away from One Piece hitting a historic 1,000, huh? Few manga ever reach such a milestone, and fewer still have been as popular as One Piece. But before we hit that milestone, this week, we’re focusing on the legacy of Luffy’s brother, Portgas D. Ace. It was established early on that Ace traveled to Wano in the past, but we never knew the full story about what he did there. That is, until today.
When I was growing up, one of my great loves was Dinosaurs. I must have spent hours watching Walking with Dinosaurs on my TV. And while I didn’t watch it until I was in my teens, I’m a big fan of the Jurassic Park franchise. Why am I bringing all this up right now? Because at this point in One Piece, the Beast Pirates are the anime equivalent to Jurassic Park. Especially as we see the powers of the Tobi Roppo.
One Piece Chapter 997 Review/Recap Last week on One Piece, we saw the fighting on Onigashima reach new levels of chaos. Big Mom returned to the fight and headed straight … Continue Reading 3 Reasons Why One Piece is Crazy Awesome Right Now.
I’m only going to say it once: I cannot wait for the One Piece anime to get to Onigashima! The chaos, the fighting, the stakes! It’s getting so good. Right when you think one side’s got the upper head, a new player enters the stage and ups the chaos even further. And that’s just what this chapter is, in a nutshell: chaos.