Episode 1151 of One Piece gives us the Black Friday deal of the century: two Joy-forms for the price of one!
This week presents us with a big, bombastic battle as the escape from Egghead runs into a few elder-sized snags. This turns the tide (snarf) more than a few times in our brief 20-ish minutes, with the pendulum swinging back and forth between the Navy and the pirates. There isn't a lot of time for any major tension to build up, but it remains entertaining watching powerful warriors clash while waves crash and ships explode (sorry, dear reader, I couldn't find a third rhyme).
Entertainment is the keyword here. Just about everything that happens has some level of frivolity, excitement, or uplifting quality to it. Luffy eating to regain his strength is a scene we've watched countless times, yet the hilarity of him eating off the oversized Elbaph-warrior portions is palpable. Ships dancing along the cartoonish waves that are more rubber than water brought a big smile to my face, and the action sequences were all suitably intense and well-rendered. The dance of Nika is so infectious that it makes the giants dance along despite their imminent danger, and awakening something within Bonney's past both bring big smiles too, though one more bittersweet than the other.
Bonny gaining a new super-mode is a bit of a lightning rod moment. I'm not quite sure how to refer to it - Joy Girl? Nika Bonney? In any case, Bonney taps into the same power that Luffy does and gains access to Nika's power. I have seen a fair amount of discussion about how folks view this power-up, and I admit I wasn't totally sure how to feel about it myself when it happened in the manga. It does seemingly come out of nowhere, at least relative to how long it took Luffy to tap into this power; he has barely had the ability that long, and in a way, it seems to cheapen his accomplishment. On the other hand, it's fun to see a power-up that is less about some ancient bloodline inheritance but rather a state of mind or spirit that basically anyone can achieve given the right conditions. I am more positive on it overall, and plus it helps that Bonney looks really cool in her new form, in addition to allowing more cartoony gag-manga-fighters available in the story. I wonder if part of Luffy's legend will be inspiring enough hope and joy in others that he will allow even more people to tap into the same Nika form, and that will be how he topples the powers that be in the end.
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.
This week, Coop and Lucas reminisce about a vestige of the Old Internet: abridged anime series.― This week, Coop and Lucas reminisce about a vestige of the Old Internet: abridged anime series. Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the participants in this chatlog are not the views of Anime News Network.Spoiler Warning for discussion of the series ahead. @RiderStrike @BWProwl @LucasDeRuyte...
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