One Piece
Episode 1153

by Grant Jones,

How would you rate episode 1153 of
One Piece (TV 1999) ?
Community score: 4.0

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© Eiichiro Oda/Shueisha, Toei Animation

Episode 1153 of One Piece proves that the series has a real penchant for emotional devastation even from unexpected quarters.

Now, it wasn't like the entire episode was full of gut punches. Most of the early sections focused on Vegapunk's message and the hope it spread. The message had a huge impact and has inspired people to stand up and recognize that change is coming - from your average Joe off the street all the way to prisoners in the deepest, darkest cells. The World Government might have stopped the message, but there is simply no getting the toothpaste back in the tube. They stuffed a powder keg full of secrets and, while it's been a long fuse, the ignition sparked by Gol D. Roger's death is getting closer by the second.

Giant Robo's death does hit like a truck. Despite the victorious tone and triumph at the end, Emet's passing is hard not to get a little choked up about. Maybe it is me still not being totally over Iron Giant's death all those years ago, but I think the way this death was handled shows the deft care the Toei team has taken with adapting the manga. Having the flashback sequence bookended by the haki release and Emet's demise was handled quite expertly. Those last few seconds where he is saying he will never be lonely again, and then we jump back to the present where the light in his eyes has gone out - oof. OOF! The oof heard round the world. It's quite amazing how big of an emotional sucker punch this scene is, given how little screen time the giant has received thus far. Talk about a high tears-to-minutes ratio for a side character.

Another interesting twist here is that the Straw Hats' escape is bittersweet. Egghead Island ends on a dour note, which is certainly not the norm. Usually, when the Straw Hats make their exit, they leave an island better off than how they found it. This time that's… less the case. The world has benefitted from this information most assuredly. But as the Thousand Sunny sails away with cascading embers falling in their wake and a pillar of billowing smoke rising over the once marvelous futuristic island, it's hard to avoid a sense of loss at the anguish that has resulted from their arrival.

The Straw Hats won. The World Government lost. But it sure doesn't feel like a victory.

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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