Episode 1114 is almost entirely centered on one punch, and I couldn't be happier.
So, uh… yeah, how about that Galaxy Impact, folks? One Piece is a series defined by having big, giant punches, and this episode is no different. This time, it's not Luffy; it's our dear Vice Admiral Garp, yet it stands out as one of the best single-attack fights in the series. I have gone out of my way to mention the Toei team's amazing animation work for the entire time I've been writing this column - having enjoyed the incredible visual run of Wano Country to our current era - and I'm at it again with this entry. Cause… wow, this is just a glorious hammer blow from Grandpa.
Part of the appeal for me is the simple clarity of the action. The visual fidelity has been consistently high for years, so the quality is not surprising. But what is so pleasing is that there is really only one simple chain of events to follow: Garp arrives, laughs, powers up, punches, and the island detonates. Appreciating the visual splendor is easy when you have so little to track in the fight. It makes for a breath of fresh air compared to the busier fight scenes with multiple combatants zipping around, flashing impact frames, and wild movements. I enjoy the more frenetic fights, too, don't get me wrong. But I appreciate this scene has time to breathe instead of this fabulous flurry of action and movement condensed into a very short runtime.
There's more to this episode than just the big ol' Garp punch, but I didn't find that anywhere near as engaging. Koby is fine, and the totally-not-Uta-echo-fighter sniper Marine gets frozen. We get a summary of the Aokiji and Akainu beef again, which is fine because I dig their conflict, but it doesn't move the needle like the big show in this episode.
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