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One Piece
Episode 1145

by Grant Jones,

How would you rate episode 1145 of
One Piece (TV 1999) ?
Community score: 4.5

op1145.png
© Eiichiro Oda/Shueisha, Toei Animation

Episode 1145 of One Piece is a cartoonish extravaganza and a real good time.

It's challenging to talk about this episode in much detail. That's because a lot of what makes it special is the visuals. Which… I know that sounds odd, given that this is visual media we're talking about here. Of course, it's visual, every episode is visual! Yet this time, we have the rather unique challenge of how much of this week's offering is meant for the eyes, almost to the exclusion of everything else.

Because the actual events are almost comically brief. Dorry and Brogy accompany Luffy in confronting the elders in their monstrous forms. Also, we check in with a few other characters like Rob Lucci, the Straw Hats, and York. Lastly, the giant robot is going-a-marching. That's… pretty much everything? It's the kind of summary you could write on the back of a napkin and still have room to spare.

That is not to say that there is nothing substantive in the episode - far from it. Because the sequence with Dorry, Brogy, and Luffy is absolutely superb. The monstrous haki that the elders are giving off creates a dazzling light display that the Toei team has rendered in all its ominous, resplendent glory. The fact that this trio of heavy hitters is jostled around in the swirling maelstrom of the elders' power is very intimidating, and it makes for a tense sequence as they try and get closer.

The best part of this is Luffy's cartoonish reactions. I've spoken at length about how Luffy tapping into his gag manga protagonist power set makes him more powerful in-universe and a delight for the audience, too. This episode is a great example of precisely that principle. The best bit by far is Luffy getting so caught up in the elders' power that the force of their energy actually strips him of all his cartoonish details. Then those details end up slapped on the broad side of a giant sword, complete with blinking cartoon eyes that would be right at home in a Looney Tunes bit from yesteryear. Gear 5 is a wonderful excuse for the animation team to go hog wild in conjuring hilarious reactions and goofball scenarios for Luffy to be engaged in, and it makes him the perfect foil for the deeply serious enemies that he faces. I don't know how many Gears Luffy will make it to by the end of the series, but Gear 5 will always remain my all-time favorite.

Rating:

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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.
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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