I'm honestly starting to get a feeling of deja vu writing these weekly One Piece reviews. If you've read any of my prior reviews on Wano, you'll probably know where I'm going with this.
Lots of running around in the middle of Onigashima. Conversations between Nami and Zeus. Tama yells. CP0 moves pieces on a Go board and counts big numbers. I can't tell if I'm describing Episode 1040 or half a dozen other episodes from months ago. There's even an extended flashback of Jinbei and his past encounters with Luffy, bringing us up to the current moment.
We've seen a lot of this stuff before and sadly I feel we will see more of it in weeks to come. Wano has many high points, but the endless meandering in the bowels of Onigashima wears on me most of all. Even the rooftop fight feels more engaging if for no other reason than it is simple and straightforward – you know it's punching time when you're up there. But seeing characters running and running without any clear end in sight starts to remind me of those Scooby Doo gags where they'd run in and out of the same doors a dozen times in a hallway. I'm ready to move on.
But then the Whos Who and Jinbei fight hits and it's an absolute knockout blow. Every moment is lavishly animated, all the super attacks have tremendous weight, and the relentless pace keeps you glued to the action. Watching Jinbei cross his arms while diagonal sprays of his own blood splatter the rocks nearby as he weathers the assault is terrific stuff. It really doesn't get much better than this, amazing fights between powerful weirdos is the beating heart of shonen action stories, and by God One Piece does it with aplomb.
Half monotonous mundanity, half dynamic spectacle – that's One Piece, all right.
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