One Piece
Episode 1057

by Grant Jones,

How would you rate episode 1057 of
One Piece (TV 1999) ?
Community score: 4.2

op1057.png
© Eiichiro Oda/Shueisha, Toei Animation

Despite my misgivings about the direction that Wano goes sometimes, I think One Piece episode 1057 is a great example of when the arc is at its best.

“Now Grant,” I hear you say, “I'm wise to your game.” What game? “This episode was full of Nico Robin content,” you continue. “About how important she is and how others would die to protect her and also there is a lot of her smiling.” All right, cards on the table—you got me there. A fair chunk of 1057 is thinly veiled Nico Robin propaganda, and I already have a significant bias toward her (though significant may not be a strong enough word). That said, I think it fits canonically for her to be such a valuable target for the World Government/CP-0 and this is also my review column so I'll be biased if I want to be.

There's also a significant amount of Sanji content, which should weigh negatively for me, but honestly, I think it's the stronger stuff from him. While I'm a bit head-scratchy about his criteria, I do think the fundamental premise of whether he is willing to use the monstrous technology his father created to achieve victory is a fascinating question for Sanji. It is probably the most compelling question surrounding Sanji in a long time, and it's nice having a bit of pathos in the mix for the ol' cook. The juxtaposition between him and Zoro and their shared ride-or-die objectives for Luffy is a good one too. Their essential dynamic as the wings of the pirate king has their fates entwined, and they would rather kill each other than stray from that path (also, the Zosan folks out there had to be losing it this entire episode).

And of course, the animation is gorgeous, well shot, and exciting. The Toei team has so consistently delivered in that regard it's almost a cliche to comment on it at this point but it is still true. Ultimately, what makes this episode so strong to me is that it focuses on the main cast of One Piece—the Straw Hats!—through the emotional beats and stories they still have to tell. As much as I love Oda's new characters, at the end of the day these are the cast members I care about.

Rating:


Grant is the cohost on the Blade Licking Thieves podcast and Super Senpai Podcast.

One Piece is currently streaming on Crunchyroll and Funimation.com.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views of Anime News Network, its employees, owners, or sponsors.
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