Also, Zoro never uses stairs. It’s never pointed out, but he goes to pretty absurd lengths to avoid stairs, presumably because of what happened to Kuina.
Before they go to Sky Island, while they are trying to catch the South Bird, is one of my absolute favorite parts of the entire series. While looking for the South Bird, a large spider twice the size of her hand crawls onto Nami. Nami (a woman who steals from dangerous pirates and recently helped take down a dangerous crime syndicate run by one of the most dangerous pirates this side of the planet) and Sanji (a man who can kick a sea-cow so hard it flips over) both freak out, terrified of it. Usopp recognizes it as a tarantula and picks it up, telling them it won't bite if they don't scare it. Fans frame Usopp as a coward, a guy who panics at everything and is frightened of everything but that isn't quite right. Usopp is a man of rational fear. When they meet a giant monster, he is scared, when they go up against extremely dangerous people who are willing to kill them, he's terrified, when they launch their ship into the sky with wings they built in an afternoon, he's horrified. Wouldn't you be? If you, a normal person, were dealing with any of these things? But when Sanji sees a single spider he is irrationally afraid when Usopp knows even if it tried to hurt them the worst it could do is a bite, and he's not scared of that. Usopp doesn't have irrational fears, the things he's afraid of are things people should be afraid of, it just makes him stick out as a worry-wart when he's surrounded by people who refuse to be frightened or intimidated by legitimate danger.
Ussop is scared but honestly we joke how much of a scared person he is like I'd do one of what he does and I don't consider myself that scared of a person.
@@erradavid2 Usopp absolutely has an audience-insert element to him, though I do think his skills and talents put him beyond the average viewer. He's a decent handyman, an insightful tactician, a brilliant inventor and even back when he met Luffy he was already an AMAZINGLY skilled sharpshooter. Usopp's aim is almost on par with the likes of Deadshot. So I think moreso than an audience surrogate, Usopp is a barometer for danger via his reactions. Though if Usopp's presence has made The Straw Hats feel more welcoming to a viewer that's wonderful.
My favourite thing about Zoro is that because he's so quiet and serious looking, he seems like to other people that he would be a voice of reason, whenever Luffy wants to do something insane, and the others are like “um, no”, Zoro is just like “yeah, sounds fun” and just goes along with everything Luffy wants to do 😂 This also applies to Robin as well
zoro being an absolute idiot is one of my favorite things about the series. i always go back to this time when he tried to navigate following the clouds not knowing that clouds can move, nami was desperate lmao. since luffy is my favorite character i always felt like his tandem with zoro was somehow unique.
I actually really love Ussop because he's the most reletable guy, he doesn't wanna fight big monsters but run away, he doesn't have super abbilitties, he doesn't have a super tragic or complicated backstory. He's just there reacting as any of us would do in that situation. Also his friendship with Luffy is one of my favorite dynamics in the whole group.
*Then proceeds to spend all his money to pay a party for all the people of a whole fucking island XDDD nah actually he's a free spirit so he will share as much as he wants WHEN he wants, but he won't do it if it's some kind of moral obligation
The fact that you and Daniel are reading One Piece and actually really enjoying it is my favourite thing that has happened this year. One Piece is my absolute favourite work of fiction and the fact that you like it makes me so incredibly happy, I grin like an idiot whenever watching your videos. I hope that your reading experience continues to be a fun one! :)
Same! I was never into reactions and reviews until I caught up to one piece. I love it so much that I can’t help but watch people fall in love with it too. Also I’d give anything to be able to experience it for the first time again, but since I can’t this is the closest I can get
Can I just say the bells ringing in this arc is one of the best moments in the whole series, it's mad underrated when people talk about the best moments
Skypeia in general underrated the Noland flashback was top tier, enel was one of the better pre timeskip villans, great themes of progress against tradition, cold fights and wyper was a great character
it is also the location of the fabled luffy thought bubble, the only one in the entire series. (all the other ones that people point out are actually him whispering). the only thing in the series that luffy said, but didn't actually say.
While it is tough to review so many chapter in one video, I think one major point that you missed was the theme of dreams. Everyone laughed at them but Luffy didn't let that phase him or his dreams. One of the best quotes from this section was "A man's dreams will never end!" Skypeia really is the embodiment of dreams and adventure in One Piece!
Would like to request volume rereads from her every once in a while😅 just so merphy can notice essential things she may have overlooked or underrated, like how we all did at one point
Yes! That little moment with Sanji and Luffy berating Conis for NOT betraying them is one of my favorite character moments and im shocked people dont bring it up more.
I think that's a really bad comparison. Tolkien's world was special in how far Back his world goes, but Oda's world is special in the new and absurd ways his world can grow. Oda also never really does anything with his old worlds like Tolkien does. There's nothing in one piece that suggests Oda particularly loves his world more than the any other author.
@@DoggyP00 This is a bit meta perhaps but the way he works on One Piece is ridiculous, and how structures his schedule, even after 20 years, and I think that speaks to his love of his world. I'm guessing you're not reading it actively since you said he's not doing much with the "old world" (I'm guessing you mean history?) It's pretty clear that he knows the events of the world's past. It's a major part of the mystery element in One Piece, and we're always shown hints about the way the world once was. We know we're going to learn what happened eventually (this is not a guess, it's very explicit both in the manga and in interviews) so I'm not sure if saying the world building doesn't have enough history is a statement made after actually reading the story so far...
@@AnimatingClass101 I think it's clear he doesn't know exactly what happened in the past. At most he had some general outline that he made at one point. Even if we assume he does have all of that, in the absolute edge case for Oda, it still doesn't even come close to Lord of the Rings. It's frankly silly to compare One Piece's world building to Lord of the Rings' equally. One Piece has it's strengths and has things that it does better than lotr, but this is not a fair comparison.
@@DoggyP00 I think what the first comment tries to emphasise is the love and care he puts into everything even to many things that are insignificant to the main plot
@@DoggyP00 (WARNING: SPOILERS) (SERIOUSLY, SPOILERS, IF YOU HAVEN'T READ AND FINISHED THE MANGA, DON'T READ THIS COMMENT ANY FURTHER) I definitely vehemently disagree. I think it's strange to assume he only has a rough outline of the past given what we've been shown, and given the kinds of set-ups he's paid off after more than a decade. I honestly can't understand any world in which Oda introduces (SERIOUSLY, SPOILERS, IF YOU HAVEN'T READ AND FINISHED THE MANGA, DON'T READ THIS COMMENT ANY FURTHER, I TRIED TO KEEP THINGS VAGUE IN CASE YOU PRESSED READ MORE BUT DON'T PRESS IT IF YOU HAVEN'T FINISHED THE MANGA) the great weapons, Joyboy, Noah, Adam & Eve trees, the different poneglyphs, Toki in Wano, Tequila Wolf, the 20 kings, the significance of the Nefeltari line, the "dawn of the world", the will of D, the celestial dragons, the Empty Throne, Imu, characters who have actually gone to the last island and then made the decision to wait 20 years for a specific event related to Joyboy's return in some way, the straw hat in Mariejois, "the light to be extinguished from history", the "treasure" in Mariejois that can "destroy" the world of the celestial dragons, the unknown kingdom that was fighting what became the world government, the void century, the 800 year long propaganda campaign to hide what happened during that gap in history, or God Valley, Rocks D. Xebec, and so much more. It's fair to like Tolkien's work more, it's a matter of taste. I prefer One Piece's world building because all of it is given to us through the main narrative, and I think that adds a lot more impact to its delivery than the Silmarilion and all the other books did for me. But I think it's giving Oda a bit *too much* credit to say he doesn't actually plan things out, and somehow still manages to tie things like this together on the go. However, I think every bit of his story telling style points to the exact opposite being true. Even with set ups with the main plot that most people think are just him adding stuff in because he regretted x, you can usually find set up for it LONG before it happened: (I'm not elaborating on it much in case someone who hasn't read the manga or watched the anime stumbles on this: if you read it, you know what I'm talking about) A S C E is a really good example. Or Jimbei's connection to Arlong being mentioned around the Baratie arc. Or just about a dozen more things, and probably more that we have yet to see be paid off.
As a long time fan, seeing people get into One Piece nowadays despite the intimidating length of the series genuinely makes me so happy. The fact that you aren't even part of the anime community makes it even more impressive! Looking forward to future reviews.
I think the unsung hero of the Sky Island Saga is the Jaya Arc, which is, in my opinion, significantly better than the Skypeia Arc. The Jaya Arc introduces and reaffirms the major “themes,” if you will, of the series. ‘One Piece’ is a modern odyssey, where pirates are selfishly guided by their dreams - in a world where would-be conquerors and the World Government fear the power of dreams.
Man Luffy one-shoting Bellamy and then they learn about his new bounty is, And how the whole thing ties into "a man's dream will never die", how Skypea is basically miniature version of the story of One Piece and whole lot of other foreshadowing stuff is just so awesome in this arc.
Yeah, but we realize it only after we had gone further down in the story, of how Skypiea was a miniature version of the story of one piece to an extent. Also pretty sure Skypiea arc exists to set up the existence of sky islands and the system and environment above so oda doesn't have to dump it later
I think Nami had some great moments of handling herself in high pressure situations. She was Luffy's main assist in finishing up the battle, and had to be brave in the face of Eneru.
Sanji is a character who when he shines, he is one of my favourite characters in the series. When he is at his worst though, I really could care less. But he has some of my favourite moments throughout the series.
Oftentimes stakes come in the terms of the people of the islands they visit moreso than the crew and how they push past the things that stop them to achieve their dreams. Speaking of the crew and how they do things for people, a great moment at the end of this arc is them attempting to steal all the treasure and leave because they don't want to be known as the good guys. They want to be pirates not heroes.
Well a lot of people just died in the civil war in Alabasta and Enel for being super powerful is kind of an idiot, all he ever did was up the voltage of his attacks, it's the amperage that kills you.
Skypeia is super important to one of the main themes of One Piece. It’s unique in that it’s an arc that takes place completely away from everything else happening in the world. Which is weird bc we learned some really interesting things were taking place while the Straw Hats were away, but they were just having a fun adventure doing the things they wanted with their friends, and there’s nothing wrong with that. It’s not the destination, it’s the journey.
Indeed. Water 7 feels so good because there’s so much more character driven conflict then we’ve ever gotten in One Piece. Don’t get me wrong, I actually really like a lot of the plots of various arcs, but seeing a saga that focuses so heavily on the characters is see incredible. It’s also why the first half of Whole Cake Island is spoken of so positively.
I just started reading One Piece and I'm on chapter 70-something. It never appealed to me when I was in high school and more into manga, but with all of my extra quarantine time and your videos I decided I would jump in. It's so good! Thanks for convincing me to give it a shot.
Please tell me you're not yet caught up with the latest chapter, cause the one month break is making all of us suffer right now😅 although it's great news that Oda had a succesful eye surgery 😇
The brilliant thing about One Piece is how the world is designed. Each island is basically a world unto itself, with some of the latter ones having their own cultures, customs, races, cultural and racial divides, politcs, scheming, etc. Because of this, there really isn't a limit to the kind of stories Oda can tell in this world, and it keeps the world feeling fresh as well. It's pure genius. I can't wait until you finish the next arc. You're going to love it.
yeah, they are really different, but interconected. when we go to another island, the one before is still relevant. the island are a world into itself, but the world feel like a world, with the island "talking" with each other, affecting each other.
the harder it gets to travel between isands, the more unique and distinctive the cultures are. even if it was unintentional on oda's part (which is sometime hard to tell, looking at what he writes in the series compared to what he says in interviews.), it just makes sense.
as outlandish one piece can be, the worldbuilding is one of its most realistic aspect, both in terms of operating under similar rules of our world as well as operating under specific rules set up for the one piece world. like every region/island having a different culture, customs, and history both mirrors how it is in our world _and_ makes sense for the world of one piece, as mentioned by the commenter above me. and honestly it's much appreciated, especially with the amount of scifi/fantasy space stories out there, where a planet somehow operates more like a singular unified country, lol.
@@mophead_xu If you like to read, give Christopher Ruocchio’s Sun Eater a try. It’s sci-fantasy space opera basically, and I’ve heard nothing but glowing praise for it. I’ve only read the first two books and novella, but the second book had the most exciting climax and ending I’ve read in a long time. On the world building front, I think he’s somewhat better in that regard, even if we may only see part of a planet. I’ve heard him say that the 4th book visits more planets than the first three combined too, so that’s pretty exciting.
Water 7 is next OMG! I really enjoyed your analysis. To me, this next Saga is the one that really solidified my love for One Piece. Hope you enjoy it as well!
Same. I was recently getting into manga a little over a decade ago when I started one piece (just got caught up on Naruto and bleach). One piece was the obvious next choice. Loved it initially, but skypiea made me question my fandom. Water 7 is where this manga morphed into my favorite and still holds the crown to this day. The jovial comedy mixed with some of the darkest histories with just the right amount of seriousness... i feel like it was drawn for me lol.
For Sanji's character, I will give you a hint, he is the 'savior' of the group more so than a 'I am gonna kick you as*'. Since his introduction, he is always getting a hidden savior role, In Arlong park he is the one got the job to save Luffy underwater, In Little garden, he is the one who saved SHs from their biggest problem, to go to next island (finding Alabasta's Eternal pose), In Alabasta when everyone was in dire situation with no way out, Mr. Prince was again the one saving them from Crocodile jail, On Skypiea even though Luffy went on the Ship with Enel still it was Sanji who saved Nami. It's easy to get into the most obvious flaw of Sanji as being a Simp but He is the 'Mr. Prince the savior' of Strawhats
Dude, this was Sanjis whole arc from Dressrosa to Whole Cake! He literally tried to be the savior/martyr 3 times in the span of those arcs. Ex. Wanting to sacrifice himself against Doffy, saving the crew on Zou against Bege and going by himself to WC, and fighting Luffy on WC so that he wouldn’t try to save him. They’ve all been selfless acts to protect his crew, but it also showed the lack of trust or the “selfishness” in his acts. This all culminated in the moment between him and Luffy where he finally admits that he wants to go back to the Sunny with his friends. And the progression of his character is seen on Onigashima when he asks Robin for help against Black Maria. Instead of taking on the burden by himself like he’s done over and over again, he decided to rely on his crewmates. It’s honestly one of the best moments he’s ever had till this point in the story.
@@pubixcube27 honestly, i think the guy has some kind of self worth issues. which is understandable, seeing how he spent the first 8 years of his life being called a failure by almst everone around him.
This island was sooo cool, one of my favorite settings of One Piece Imo. The adventure and magical feeling when the ship got there "THIS SHIP IS FLYING". ahh so good, I teared a little bit.
Sanji is one of the most developed members of the crew at this point in the story. His utility as a character and how Oda uses him in the story sets him apart from the rest. If you overlook his gag you’ll see a solid gem of a character.
Skypia is an Arc that gets recognition after time pass and reading. There is so much information about the world and of course roger haha particularly is my favorite pre timeskip arc and have one of the best flashbacks of the whole series. Norland 😭
The thing is with this saga, that this one is not technically a part of the whole narrative of the in total because this saga is a treasure Hunt with some world building sprinkled between
Some big theorists say Its the most important arc foreshadowing Laftale... Since its the only place in entire one piece where even the normal scriptures were written in same language as ponyglifs... Plus that one line robin read "we are the ones who write history" is bugging me a lot... Plus where is the Left eye of the island??? Its all really a huge mystery and i believe people will realise its importance when some random YT theorists 😂 is gonna connect these dots after the end of OP
I think my favorite thing about One Piece's storytelling is that the little moments are enjoyable leading up to the big moments. There are so many stories where I'm essentially just waiting for the BIG moment to happen, not caring much about the little moments building up to it. But with One Piece, I genuinely enjoy seeing the characters interact with each other. I can be entertained by the straw hats simply hanging out and having a good time.
She's gonna read IT, boys and girls. Water Seven is beautiful, Merphy. I hope you enjoy it as much as us all. I'm so excited to see the next video. Also a Luffy video? Yes, please.
When I get that point I saw the subtle hint in the dialogues. My brain fit it into its slot when it is finally revealed. The character work of Oda is somehing magical.
Odas ability as a mystery writer is seriously underrated in the fandom. In retrospect a lot of the twists seem obvious, but Oda is just so good at crafting all the pieces in such a way that it hits like a brick when it all comes together. The map reveal still amazes me
i dont think its that underrated, just look at all the theories, and people desperately trying to unravel his mysteries... (some of this results in pretty hilarious theories, like crocomom and blackbeard trenchcoat, but other times, people straight up act like detectives and turn out some pretty interesting stuff, like Done piece)
@@remonhidding Really??!! Telling that small screen time characters like Blackbeard and Doflamingo and Kuma at that time are very important characters is not a spoiler, please
@@christiantitus11 How is it a spoiler, Doffy and Kuma are literally warlords of the sea, same rank as Crocodile, of course they're important. Blackbeard is an obvious returning character so once again from a story telling perspective it is rather clear they're important to the world. Shanks has had small screen time but everyone knows he is an important character. It's not as if he said, why they're important, or what they're important for, or when they'll be more present in the story.
@@remonhidding on some level I do agree with you but for someone who is reading/watching One Piece for the first time the experience to find this out on there own is a whole different experience. That is one of the like..... Beautiful thing of One Piece. There was no reason for him to say that, so that is why it ticked me off a bit
Honestly I think you should save your Luffy video for after next arc. We see how far he will go for his crew and friends, and who he is as leader. I know there’s plenty of examples to pull from already, but in Water 7 we see some growth and character development from him that we haven’t seen so far.
Yep water seven and next elevates that kinda selfish yet selfless justice , and anarchism, to a new level. And injustices muhahaha. And one of the best moments.
@@dpseven375 i agree, the asl flashback is VERY effective! it actually does a full circle on his character and it becomes easier to get him (so much easier to understand certain pieces of dialogue throughout pre-timeskip!)
@@nineninesixteensixteen9955 also don't forget, the moment leading up to that we'll see a circumstances that Luffy never experienced, that we haven't see since chapter 1-2
I loved the moment when Bellamy was insulting Luffy, Zoro, and Nami and Luffy chose not to fight. It shows that he actually grew up a little and learned from Shanks. Remember when Shanks did the same thing back in literally the first chapter of One Piece? It shows how Luffy looks up to Shanks.
First the anime community, now the booktube community talking about manga, talking about characters i really love is just amazing.... ps: your reviews are great and at a great pace too...we one piece fans have mastered patience
"we one piece fans have mastered patience" I've watched the anime all the way through, up to Dressrosa, twice. I don't even like the anime. Wait, maybe that isn't patience, maybe I have brain problems...
i love watching people talk about one piece with a smile on their faces. you can just see them thinking back on something that happened that makes them happy :)
you hit the nail on the head for zoro- he’s almost never center stage, and it honestly feels like Oda tries his hardest to keep him lost and busy for most of every saga because he’s TOO reliable and competent- problems get solved when Zoro’s around to chop it up.
I think the "stakes" of one piece fights are the lives that are in the hands of the crew. They fight villains to liberate an island and if they fail, hundreds of people will continue to be subjugated or worse
Usopp is definitely one of the frailest characters in the story, while also having probably the most undying sense of commitment to his personal motivation and pre-established loyalties. He's the only one who thinks realistically when the going gets tough, and I'm glad you highlighted that. His character really shines for me because of the jarring contrast we see in him depending on the circumstance. Where Luffy is unwaveringly brave and dedicated to his goal of becoming the pirate king, Usopp's goal is much less clear. 'To become a brave warrior of the Sea" is not only a vague goal for him to achieve, it is also up to his own self-interpretation. He wants to become a brave warrior like his father sought to do, even though he has no idea what that really means. He just knows that he isn't one, and he fantasizes about being somebody other than himself. It's this really delicate commentary on idolization, and how easily we can dissociate from our own selves if we get too caught up in imagination. Even so, he does not forego his archetypal wimpiness at any point, rather his bravery is embodied by his commitment to strategy - fighting battles from a distance as the great sniper he is. Truly one of the gems in One Piece that never stops getting better. He's a slow burn (unlike a lot of other characters) but man, is he worth it.
16:30 I recently decided to rewatch one piece from the first episode and as a guy who have been watching one piece for idk half of my life I was really surprised that so many people survived during this arc I remember being so sad about that girl dad
And idk founding that nobody died after all Enel big talk and big actions to make us believe he was a really scary dangerous guy made him look like a clown and the whole arc a joke
And I really love that you're already understanding and getting our main cast really well, a lot of ppl who have been reading for years and are caught up still don't, so kudos to you Merphy lol. Looking forward to those character videos
21:21 its less putting their own goals on hold, and more just another stop on their thrilling tale of adventure. they all know their journeys are long and treacherous, and this series especially is less about the goal but more how they got there.
You have really convinced me to check out this Manga!! I have really been itching to start reading Mangas in general. Based off of your reviews and the comments, this seems like a Manga series that I definitely need to add to my Manga TBR. Great video!
@@AmberAlise honesty the jokes very early on may be really silly (10 year old japanese boy jokes) and it is a bit slow early. As the series goes on, it gets more mature so I hope you can buckle on
There is a filler arc in anime. it is called G8 which is very funny and a great arc. Don't miss it. then there is another funny, short, canon arc called davy back fight. Water 7 starts after that one of the longest and best saga in the pre-time skip period. This arc has real stakes, best emotional moments, best character development especially ussop.
Cant wait for the next saga. It is interesting hearing the thoughts of someone going through the series for the first time. So many people are overwhelmed by how much story is in one piece, that its hard to get anyone to actually read it. So when you said you were picking it up and so far are enjoying it, it feels great.
So happy you've been enjoying the series. It's great to hear a positive and critical point of view from someone who may not know all of the tropes of this particular genre of manga. It's really very interesting to see what a first-time reader of One Piece focuses on. Incredibly excited for the Luffy video as he's such a wonderful character! Also, please take however long you need for the next saga, it's a long one and dense with information.
I am really interested to see your reaction to the next saga, it's really different from the previous ones in a lot of ways, and my personal favorite...
If Zoro is one of your favourites then you will only be more and more in awe the longer the series goes! Oh and Usopp will be one of your favourites afte the next big saga I guarantee it! :)
It's not just you. Fake out deaths are the most criticized aspect of the series in the community, having said that, the Sky Island saga is one of the worst offenders when it comes to fakeouts. Amazing review as always.
I’ve been reading one piece for so long and the characters have been around for so many years of my life I can’t help but think fondly on them. I love to see new people experience one piece for the first time Please keep this up!!!!
In defense of Sanji, while he is also all of the things you said, don’t forget all he did during Alabasta. He rounds out “the Big 3” by being the critical thinker during tense situations and planning ahead. This will come into play big time in the next saga.
I can’t wait for the next saga. It’s some of oda’s best writing from a character perspective. The conflict / dialogue is so realistic that it’s easy to forget you’re not there. Also: Stakes Incoming
@@nottherey4333 i dont want to put spoilers in the comments 😩 but the whole sanji wanting invisibility thing from thiller bark... and sanji right after saboady
About Oda and death of characters, he has said in the past that when characters fight to the bitter end, theyre basically putting their dreams on the line. When one gets defeated their dream kinda "dies" and Oda thinks thats enough of a defeat for a character of the world he has created. Not trying to change your mind about it because it is a big, fair critic on Oda, just wanted to tell you so you can maybe understand his way of thinking. Really enjoyed the video, cant wait for more!
Oh you sweet summer child! It's really funny to watch because so much of the things you said were things I also thought the first time reading it. I think you will really enjoy the plot of the next saga.
Sanji is... Basically a simp, but I'll disagree that he's not layered and that's he's one note. He's actually quite a good character, even right now. He's always been a more subtle character, and he remains that way, but that subtlety is very good
Merphi now (on Sanji): "I'm not gonna get attached to this character" Merphi from the future (Ennies Lobby): "I LOVE THIS CREW SO MUCH I DONT WANT ONE PIECE TO END!" Totaly loving she getting in love with One Piece!
Eneru face makes its appearance in this saga. Zoro "ahahahaha" that was so funny to me. Usopp a brave man amongst monsters, and you're going through it at a very good pace. Amazing, yes character development will happen. For me the fights aren't what's compelling, it's what they're fighting for. Water 7 next...... It'll be very interesting to hear your thoughts on that one :O
Happy to see your enjoying One Piece. I hope you go back one day to watch the Anime (in Sub lol). You gotta hear how all the straw hats sound and interact. Luffys yelling in Water 7 gives me chills too this day.
It really makes me happy to see someone share their first experiences. This series is my favorite piece of media pretty much period, and I love to see people experience it for the first time. Just sitting here like “oh this person has no idea where this is all going”.
Skypeia!!!! This is one of my favourite One Piece arcs, I loved it so much. I remember watching this and just having so much fun because I didn't expect Oda to take us to a Sky Island 😂 this is when I understood that we were just getting started with the world building in this story. I also loved the concept of dials and the different way of fighting we were introduced to. Love these characters and this world so much 🥰 this crew really is amazing. I love how much they trust each other. One of my favourite things about Luffy is he trusts his crew and their capabilities completely, if there's danger he doesn't worry about his crew bc he knows and trusts that they cna take care of themselves and handle the situation. And yes, one piece hits right in the feels at times, I love how the story takes care to give us those emotional moments and tie back storylines and character moments (ie. Luffy's shadow in the sky) excited for your character videos and future reviews!
Yeah fakeouts deaths are the biggest problem in One Piece for a lot of us. It isn't THAT bad from this point on tho. I missed you talking about the worldbuilding you get at the Jaya arc, with the highranking pirates and government. You probably forgot about it since you read it a while ago, understandable. Also, in my opinion, the art in this arc is peak One Piece, it really has a unique style even within One Piece for me. Great video!
The next saga is often considered a high point of the series, and is definitely one of Oda's finest pieces of writing. Almost the entire fanbase has this saga as at least their second favorite, if it's not their favorite, and it's not hard to see why :)
i dont know if you are gonna see this comment but cover page are also story and explains and introduces new setups to story and are short arcs on itself. So, pls pls read it as it serves the story later and is very important.
So Water 7 is next... damn I'm excited. I remember watching it on TV when I was young. That was when I fell in love with One Piece as a kid. Btw, if the whole saga seems a bit too long for you, you can make seperate videos for the Water 7 and Enies Lobby story arcs, though they are defenitely best enjoyed when viewed as one continuous story.
"Its a pretty overpowered world" is really good way of summing up Onepiece progression. From the start, it seems like everyone is so strong and as you go...you learn just how much stronger everyone else is...and everyone else...and so on. Its a pretty fun adventure and seeing the journey / progression of the crew has been a great joy for me and sounds like you're enjoying it too!
Thanks for posting! As detailed as this saga is, it’s basically the last one-off adventure before the main story goes into overdrive. Also, the bar scene in Jaya is a callback to the first chapter with Shanks taking a beating from someone weaker.
I like to think of this as the adventure saga that doesn’t have a ton of plot development. There’s some world building, but most sagas build onto the greater conflict that takes place across the whole story. Also, yeah the fake out deaths are so annoying. Basically unless the character straight up dies in front of your eyes AND it’s acknowledged that they’re dead then they’re probably not dead. Unless it’s a flashback.
Merphy I'm so happy that you give One piece a chance and I enjoy so much your reactions! Believe me after this saga, we'll have some more deep situations (even some sad ones) for all the crew, and everybody will start to shine even more! I'm sure you'll love it!
8:40 "This is a thing we're doing now." Is a theme with the crew and parts of the anime/Manga with other people. Even some of the villains hint at the lack of awareness Luffy has for dangers that later extends to the crew bar Ussop and Chopper. For the most part, though chopper is a doctor so health is his occupation.
Waiting for her to reach the darker themes waiting ahead, also save the Luffy video till you reach the midpoint(you will know when you have reached the midpoint). It's the perfect point in the story to reflect on the story so far.
Oh, I don't know if you're gonna love it or not but we're gonna love seeing your reaction for the next arc. And I'm sure everyone has already told you but it's Chopper, not Hooper. About Ussop, he's the only human here, others are referred to as Monsters, demon child, nami has been mentioned as a witch. And Sanji other than being a simp, a cook, a monster in strength he is a kind guy. The difference between his and Luffy kindness seems like is he will still help even though he hates the person he's helping.
As much as I likes Daniels, and appreciate how short his vids are. Thank you thank you so so so so so much, to let us know your thoughts in more details. A lot of the One Piece fandoms who review it weekly since one chapter came out per week. Some can go to the ridiculous length of like 40 minutes review a chapter. Often either not providing anything of substance, repeating things over and over, giving outlandish take that won't be true, or getting mad due to speculating over incomplete things. This is a nice medium in between.
Rip Sanji and Usopp are my fav strawhats...😅 I'll try and give some reasons for this point in the series For Sanji he comes across as this James Bond like character always going on his own cool little missions and at the end of the day being the "Clutch" strawhat who saves everyone but unlike James Bond Sanji actually treats women with respect. He really is Luffy's left hand man. For Usopp maybe I just just find his antics relatable and funny but at the end of the day more than any strawhat (even Zoro) he believes in Luffy. Also a little thing I don't know if you're picking up on is all his lies start to become true. Hopefully next arc both will grow on you but mad respect for loving Luffy as much as you do!
sanji and usopp are my second and third place after luffy, because i love this suprisingly complex and intelligent simple rubber idiot way too much. (or i am overanalysing his character way too much.) (its really weird, all the stuff i hated doing in english at school with the stuffy old books, poems about paper, or traumatising tales of insane children murdering each other on a desert island, i would happily do for hours if its one piece...)
These thing are a obvious to us that break down the series every week but for a first time reader these things fly right over your head before they're paid off, it definitely did for me...
I think its harder to tell what moments carry more weight in the manga because they’re just like a continuation or a happenstance. You can read through them really quick and just treat it as flavor more than something momentous. It’s definitely interesting to see this series from a fresh reader’s point of view
00:00:00 ⟾ Intro (audio, explanations)
00:00:38 ⟾ Overview, pronunciation
00:01:06 ⟾ Setup, log pose, Sky Island, Cricket
00:01:49 ⟾ Format, breakdown (Characters, World, Plot)
00:02:05 ⟾ Characters, general thoughts
00:02:16 ⟾ Characters - Luffy (Nola, comedy, Jaya, Bellamy)
00:05:20 ⟾ Characters - Zoro (cool head, Nola, 'sacrifight')
00:07:26 ⟾ Characters - Usopp (panic, critical eye)
00:09:35 ⟾ Characters - Sanji
00:10:48 ⟾ Characters - Nami
00:11:09 ⟾ Characters - Robin (Zoro and Nami chemistry)
00:12:20 ⟾ Characters - Chopper (sacrificial)
00:12:58 ⟾ World (cloud types, top-down control)
00:13:55 ⟾ Plot (maybe not, Upper Yard, Shandians/Shandorans, Skypieans, flashbacks, Kalgara, Noland)
00:15:00 ⟾ Fight scenes
00:15:36 ⟾ Fake-out Deaths: Successfully killing Tension and Stakes 【*sighs in frustration*】
00:17:41 ⟾ Motivation to read on, absurdism (low-level), intense combination
00:18:23 ⟾ Emotional Payoffs/Satisfaction (Luffy vs. Enel battle, Kalgara & Noland flashback, Cricket)
00:19:04 ⟾ Highlight scenes - Conis betrayal and reactions
00:20:29 ⟾ Crew's nature, sacrifices, moral code
00:21:39 ⟾ Overall Thoughts (Oda praise, imagination, portal fantasy, final battles, character work)
00:23:34 ⟾ Future hopes (Water setting, Characters)
00:24:24 ⟾ Outro
00:24:45 ⟾ [Promo]
Merphy: i love portal stories, like narnia
Me: ohhh an isekai fan, Re:Zero reviews next please!
👑
my favourite aspect of zoro is how he can manage to get lost in a straight corridor
The best joke about that is in chapter 387 imo :)
The one in Wano was also really good
Zoro is the best
Also, Zoro never uses stairs. It’s never pointed out, but he goes to pretty absurd lengths to avoid stairs, presumably because of what happened to Kuina.
@@shyguypro9876 omg I just realized that, damn
@@shyguypro9876 i guess i only remember him on stairs at the end of Ennies Lobby. he walks up the stair from that ship as they all wait.
Before they go to Sky Island, while they are trying to catch the South Bird, is one of my absolute favorite parts of the entire series. While looking for the South Bird, a large spider twice the size of her hand crawls onto Nami. Nami (a woman who steals from dangerous pirates and recently helped take down a dangerous crime syndicate run by one of the most dangerous pirates this side of the planet) and Sanji (a man who can kick a sea-cow so hard it flips over) both freak out, terrified of it. Usopp recognizes it as a tarantula and picks it up, telling them it won't bite if they don't scare it.
Fans frame Usopp as a coward, a guy who panics at everything and is frightened of everything but that isn't quite right. Usopp is a man of rational fear. When they meet a giant monster, he is scared, when they go up against extremely dangerous people who are willing to kill them, he's terrified, when they launch their ship into the sky with wings they built in an afternoon, he's horrified. Wouldn't you be? If you, a normal person, were dealing with any of these things? But when Sanji sees a single spider he is irrationally afraid when Usopp knows even if it tried to hurt them the worst it could do is a bite, and he's not scared of that. Usopp doesn't have irrational fears, the things he's afraid of are things people should be afraid of, it just makes him stick out as a worry-wart when he's surrounded by people who refuse to be frightened or intimidated by legitimate danger.
Excellent comment.
Well said
Ussop is scared but honestly we joke how much of a scared person he is like I'd do one of what he does and I don't consider myself that scared of a person.
Also Usopp is us, he is there for us to feel like we can also be part of that crew.
@@erradavid2 Usopp absolutely has an audience-insert element to him, though I do think his skills and talents put him beyond the average viewer. He's a decent handyman, an insightful tactician, a brilliant inventor and even back when he met Luffy he was already an AMAZINGLY skilled sharpshooter. Usopp's aim is almost on par with the likes of Deadshot.
So I think moreso than an audience surrogate, Usopp is a barometer for danger via his reactions. Though if Usopp's presence has made The Straw Hats feel more welcoming to a viewer that's wonderful.
Manga rule: no one dies until they absolutely die. You’ll know the difference.
One piece rule: no one dies
@@acurlyboi2944 couple people do
@@acurlyboi2944 In Backstory nobody is Safe....
@@acurlyboi2944 Riiight...
@@acurlyboi2944 It used be, until, you know...
Merphy: I want some death!!!
Me & the Boys: No, You don't!!
**Spoilers**
Because, whenever it will happen (*cough *cough M*r*n*for*), you will not be ready for it
no body is ever ready for it
Yeah. I totally get where she’s coming from with the death thing.. but I’m one of the boys. No you don’t want that!
I'm with Merphy in this one boys, especially some character like Pell, Conis Father, etc
True
"Didn't even know it because he's Luffy"
Yup.
That's pertty much sums up One piece...
My favourite thing about Zoro is that because he's so quiet and serious looking, he seems like to other people that he would be a voice of reason, whenever Luffy wants to do something insane, and the others are like “um, no”, Zoro is just like “yeah, sounds fun” and just goes along with everything Luffy wants to do 😂
This also applies to Robin as well
Although, to be fair, Zoro is the emotional anchor of Luffy and calls out when Luffy is about to make a mistake
@@christopherjimenez4578 yeah but then he goes along with Luffy when he does that mistake:))
@@123allecs I know, but I mean like with the whole water 7 thing
zoro being an absolute idiot is one of my favorite things about the series. i always go back to this time when he tried to navigate following the clouds not knowing that clouds can move, nami was desperate lmao. since luffy is my favorite character i always felt like his tandem with zoro was somehow unique.
Agree 💯
I actually really love Ussop because he's the most reletable guy, he doesn't wanna fight big monsters but run away, he doesn't have super abbilitties, he doesn't have a super tragic or complicated backstory. He's just there reacting as any of us would do in that situation. Also his friendship with Luffy is one of my favorite dynamics in the whole group.
Me: Cries In Water 7...
@@aronnemcsik I cried like 4 times in that saga
@@cecirapalini Filthy casual..
I cried through the saga...
Beyond the fact of being one of the most funny characthers in the crew along with Luffy, this aspect get better approached in the anime.
that is why nami, usopp and chopper call themself weakest trio
"I don't want to be a hero, a hero is someone who shares the Meat, I want all the Meat for myself"
-Monkey D. Luffy
That's a spoiler 😝😝
*Then proceeds to spend all his money to pay a party for all the people of a whole fucking island XDDD nah actually he's a free spirit so he will share as much as he wants WHEN he wants, but he won't do it if it's some kind of moral obligation
Then proceeds to give the food to the people of wano while eating a little for himself.
Yeah, Luffy sure you're not a hero.
Actually the man behind this is Eiichiro Goda, the man that can troll billions of people with his masterpiece, peace
@@TheDarkAdn starting to make me think the one piece will actually be the friends we made along the way xD
The fact that you and Daniel are reading One Piece and actually really enjoying it is my favourite thing that has happened this year. One Piece is my absolute favourite work of fiction and the fact that you like it makes me so incredibly happy, I grin like an idiot whenever watching your videos.
I hope that your reading experience continues to be a fun one! :)
Same here
Same! I was never into reactions and reviews until I caught up to one piece. I love it so much that I can’t help but watch people fall in love with it too. Also I’d give anything to be able to experience it for the first time again, but since I can’t this is the closest I can get
Who is Daniel?
@@johanbonaparta Daniel Greene, also a booktuber. He's friends with Merphy :)
I like OP too, but you should read Berserk, Kingdom, Vagabond, 20th century boys, Monster, Vinland Saga
Can I just say the bells ringing in this arc is one of the best moments in the whole series, it's mad underrated when people talk about the best moments
It's so epic and emotional
Skypeia in general underrated the Noland flashback was top tier, enel was one of the better pre timeskip villans, great themes of progress against tradition, cold fights and wyper was a great character
@@ninjadragon2081 Enel isn't really my favorite, but I don't hate him at all. Every other point is spot on though.
it is also the location of the fabled luffy thought bubble, the only one in the entire series. (all the other ones that people point out are actually him whispering). the only thing in the series that luffy said, but didn't actually say.
@@bethanybrookes8479 chapter or page?
Fun fact: Enel's (main villain of Sky Island Saga) appearance was based of Eminem.
Oh shit. I totally see it now.
Marusharu Mazorusu, Surim Shedi.... Eminemmu
I don’t think that’s confirmed
@@PrimexMaxusTitan yes it is
@@PrimexMaxusTitan yea it is
While it is tough to review so many chapter in one video, I think one major point that you missed was the theme of dreams. Everyone laughed at them but Luffy didn't let that phase him or his dreams. One of the best quotes from this section was "A man's dreams will never end!" Skypeia really is the embodiment of dreams and adventure in One Piece!
like, that entire page is nearly blank minus the characters for a reason... its kinda hard to miss how important that line is.
Would like to request volume rereads from her every once in a while😅 just so merphy can notice essential things she may have overlooked or underrated, like how we all did at one point
Never expected Merphy to say the word “simp”.
To be fair it sums up Sanji fairly well
I didn't either, I lost it
Its very fitting tho 😂
@@philbox3productions Simp-ji
Yes! That little moment with Sanji and Luffy berating Conis for NOT betraying them is one of my favorite character moments and im shocked people dont bring it up more.
If it isn’t clear already, I think it’s fair to say Oda has a Tolkien level of love for the world he’s created.
I think that's a really bad comparison. Tolkien's world was special in how far Back his world goes, but Oda's world is special in the new and absurd ways his world can grow. Oda also never really does anything with his old worlds like Tolkien does. There's nothing in one piece that suggests Oda particularly loves his world more than the any other author.
@@DoggyP00 This is a bit meta perhaps but the way he works on One Piece is ridiculous, and how structures his schedule, even after 20 years, and I think that speaks to his love of his world. I'm guessing you're not reading it actively since you said he's not doing much with the "old world" (I'm guessing you mean history?) It's pretty clear that he knows the events of the world's past. It's a major part of the mystery element in One Piece, and we're always shown hints about the way the world once was. We know we're going to learn what happened eventually (this is not a guess, it's very explicit both in the manga and in interviews) so I'm not sure if saying the world building doesn't have enough history is a statement made after actually reading the story so far...
@@AnimatingClass101 I think it's clear he doesn't know exactly what happened in the past. At most he had some general outline that he made at one point.
Even if we assume he does have all of that, in the absolute edge case for Oda, it still doesn't even come close to Lord of the Rings. It's frankly silly to compare One Piece's world building to Lord of the Rings' equally.
One Piece has it's strengths and has things that it does better than lotr, but this is not a fair comparison.
@@DoggyP00 I think what the first comment tries to emphasise is the love and care he puts into everything even to many things that are insignificant to the main plot
@@DoggyP00 (WARNING: SPOILERS) (SERIOUSLY, SPOILERS, IF YOU HAVEN'T READ AND FINISHED THE MANGA, DON'T READ THIS COMMENT ANY FURTHER) I definitely vehemently disagree. I think it's strange to assume he only has a rough outline of the past given what we've been shown, and given the kinds of set-ups he's paid off after more than a decade. I honestly can't understand any world in which Oda introduces (SERIOUSLY, SPOILERS, IF YOU HAVEN'T READ AND FINISHED THE MANGA, DON'T READ THIS COMMENT ANY FURTHER, I TRIED TO KEEP THINGS VAGUE IN CASE YOU PRESSED READ MORE BUT DON'T PRESS IT IF YOU HAVEN'T FINISHED THE MANGA) the great weapons, Joyboy, Noah, Adam & Eve trees, the different poneglyphs, Toki in Wano, Tequila Wolf, the 20 kings, the significance of the Nefeltari line, the "dawn of the world", the will of D, the celestial dragons, the Empty Throne, Imu, characters who have actually gone to the last island and then made the decision to wait 20 years for a specific event related to Joyboy's return in some way, the straw hat in Mariejois, "the light to be extinguished from history", the "treasure" in Mariejois that can "destroy" the world of the celestial dragons, the unknown kingdom that was fighting what became the world government, the void century, the 800 year long propaganda campaign to hide what happened during that gap in history, or God Valley, Rocks D. Xebec, and so much more. It's fair to like Tolkien's work more, it's a matter of taste. I prefer One Piece's world building because all of it is given to us through the main narrative, and I think that adds a lot more impact to its delivery than the Silmarilion and all the other books did for me. But I think it's giving Oda a bit *too much* credit to say he doesn't actually plan things out, and somehow still manages to tie things like this together on the go. However, I think every bit of his story telling style points to the exact opposite being true. Even with set ups with the main plot that most people think are just him adding stuff in because he regretted x, you can usually find set up for it LONG before it happened: (I'm not elaborating on it much in case someone who hasn't read the manga or watched the anime stumbles on this: if you read it, you know what I'm talking about) A S C E is a really good example. Or Jimbei's connection to Arlong being mentioned around the Baratie arc. Or just about a dozen more things, and probably more that we have yet to see be paid off.
As a long time fan, seeing people get into One Piece nowadays despite the intimidating length of the series genuinely makes me so happy. The fact that you aren't even part of the anime community makes it even more impressive! Looking forward to future reviews.
Ah, Hopper. Yes, the cop from Stranger things truly shines in One Piece.
Edit: Not trying to make fun of you, love your One Piece reviews :)
When she first said that I was like “who TF is Hopper?”
Ony Ony Hopper is the best
Tony Tony C. Hopper
@@CM-ss5pe The will of A-Z
The C is silent of course
I think the unsung hero of the Sky Island Saga is the Jaya Arc, which is, in my opinion, significantly better than the Skypeia Arc.
The Jaya Arc introduces and reaffirms the major “themes,” if you will, of the series. ‘One Piece’ is a modern odyssey, where pirates are selfishly guided by their dreams - in a world where would-be conquerors and the World Government fear the power of dreams.
Man Luffy one-shoting Bellamy and then they learn about his new bounty is, And how the whole thing ties into "a man's dream will never die", how Skypea is basically miniature version of the story of One Piece and whole lot of other foreshadowing stuff is just so awesome in this arc.
Yeah, but we realize it only after we had gone further down in the story, of how Skypiea was a miniature version of the story of one piece to an extent. Also pretty sure Skypiea arc exists to set up the existence of sky islands and the system and environment above so oda doesn't have to dump it later
I think Nami had some great moments of handling herself in high pressure situations. She was Luffy's main assist in finishing up the battle, and had to be brave in the face of Eneru.
Just as a reminder, don't forget to read Enel's cover page story.
Actually yeah, I wonder what she thinks about those. Guess we'll know for sure after Enies Lobby
Yessss
@@MagillanicaLouM Space furries
Sanji is a character who when he shines, he is one of my favourite characters in the series. When he is at his worst though, I really could care less. But he has some of my favourite moments throughout the series.
Oftentimes stakes come in the terms of the people of the islands they visit moreso than the crew and how they push past the things that stop them to achieve their dreams.
Speaking of the crew and how they do things for people, a great moment at the end of this arc is them attempting to steal all the treasure and leave because they don't want to be known as the good guys. They want to be pirates not heroes.
fake out death are really annoying
but it is so nice to see you smile when talking about luffy, zoro, and best girl Robin
Well a lot of people just died in the civil war in Alabasta and Enel for being super powerful is kind of an idiot, all he ever did was up the voltage of his attacks, it's the amperage that kills you.
@@fictionjunkie Voltage and current have a direct relationship so increasing Voltage also increases current
@@SilverRyuu voltage is the force of the charge joules per coloumb and amperage is the speed of the current coloumbs per second.
Skypeia is super important to one of the main themes of One Piece. It’s unique in that it’s an arc that takes place completely away from everything else happening in the world. Which is weird bc we learned some really interesting things were taking place while the Straw Hats were away, but they were just having a fun adventure doing the things they wanted with their friends, and there’s nothing wrong with that. It’s not the destination, it’s the journey.
Next saga is when One Piece writing kicks up to eleven. Characters you think you don’t like will start to really grow on you.
Next saga arguably has a place in the talks for best Shonen arc across all manga
@@johnmartin9846 Honestly still my favorite one piece arc to this day, and certain scene from it just hit different even after seeing them a lot
@@hopecaster98 skypeia is mine but water 7 definitely hits just right on some rereads
Indeed. Water 7 feels so good because there’s so much more character driven conflict then we’ve ever gotten in One Piece. Don’t get me wrong, I actually really like a lot of the plots of various arcs, but seeing a saga that focuses so heavily on the characters is see incredible. It’s also why the first half of Whole Cake Island is spoken of so positively.
@@johnmartin9846 still has to get through Long Ring Long Land arc.. Urgh
But Water 7 and what follows is just amazing
I just started reading One Piece and I'm on chapter 70-something. It never appealed to me when I was in high school and more into manga, but with all of my extra quarantine time and your videos I decided I would jump in. It's so good! Thanks for convincing me to give it a shot.
Have fun with the journey! It's a beautiful story
Please tell me you're not yet caught up with the latest chapter, cause the one month break is making all of us suffer right now😅 although it's great news that Oda had a succesful eye surgery 😇
The next saga will give you everything you want. I’m excited to see what you think.
That's when the series gets really fun
Foxy arc?
@@Aggna_re Water 7
@@Aggna_re the Foxy Arc is a masterpiece. The best arc in anime/manga history!
But seriously, I think it gets a little bit too much hate
@@rexpeter1679 but after skypiea is foxy arc
The brilliant thing about One Piece is how the world is designed.
Each island is basically a world unto itself, with some of the latter ones having their own cultures, customs, races, cultural and racial divides, politcs, scheming, etc. Because of this, there really isn't a limit to the kind of stories Oda can tell in this world, and it keeps the world feeling fresh as well. It's pure genius.
I can't wait until you finish the next arc. You're going to love it.
yeah, they are really different, but interconected. when we go to another island, the one before is still relevant. the island are a world into itself, but the world feel like a world, with the island "talking" with each other, affecting each other.
the harder it gets to travel between isands, the more unique and distinctive the cultures are. even if it was unintentional on oda's part (which is sometime hard to tell, looking at what he writes in the series compared to what he says in interviews.), it just makes sense.
as outlandish one piece can be, the worldbuilding is one of its most realistic aspect, both in terms of operating under similar rules of our world as well as operating under specific rules set up for the one piece world.
like every region/island having a different culture, customs, and history both mirrors how it is in our world _and_ makes sense for the world of one piece, as mentioned by the commenter above me. and honestly it's much appreciated, especially with the amount of scifi/fantasy space stories out there, where a planet somehow operates more like a singular unified country, lol.
@@mophead_xu If you like to read, give Christopher Ruocchio’s Sun Eater a try. It’s sci-fantasy space opera basically, and I’ve heard nothing but glowing praise for it. I’ve only read the first two books and novella, but the second book had the most exciting climax and ending I’ve read in a long time.
On the world building front, I think he’s somewhat better in that regard, even if we may only see part of a planet. I’ve heard him say that the 4th book visits more planets than the first three combined too, so that’s pretty exciting.
Water 7 is next OMG! I really enjoyed your analysis. To me, this next Saga is the one that really solidified my love for One Piece. Hope you enjoy it as well!
Same. I was recently getting into manga a little over a decade ago when I started one piece (just got caught up on Naruto and bleach). One piece was the obvious next choice. Loved it initially, but skypiea made me question my fandom. Water 7 is where this manga morphed into my favorite and still holds the crown to this day. The jovial comedy mixed with some of the darkest histories with just the right amount of seriousness... i feel like it was drawn for me lol.
Actually *sigh* we have an obstacle before water 7.... We have to get trough Foxy first 🤦♂️
Oh I forgot about foxy. But yeah water 7 is one of my favourites too.
Cough Cough, Long Ring Long Land Arc
@@blackice1796 Skypiea made you question your fandom? Why is that?
For Sanji's character, I will give you a hint, he is the 'savior' of the group more so than a 'I am gonna kick you as*'. Since his introduction, he is always getting a hidden savior role, In Arlong park he is the one got the job to save Luffy underwater, In Little garden, he is the one who saved SHs from their biggest problem, to go to next island (finding Alabasta's Eternal pose), In Alabasta when everyone was in dire situation with no way out, Mr. Prince was again the one saving them from Crocodile jail, On Skypiea even though Luffy went on the Ship with Enel still it was Sanji who saved Nami. It's easy to get into the most obvious flaw of Sanji as being a Simp but He is the 'Mr. Prince the savior' of Strawhats
Yeh i noticed his role as a saviour as well even in future arcs
Dude, this was Sanjis whole arc from Dressrosa to Whole Cake! He literally tried to be the savior/martyr 3 times in the span of those arcs. Ex. Wanting to sacrifice himself against Doffy, saving the crew on Zou against Bege and going by himself to WC, and fighting Luffy on WC so that he wouldn’t try to save him. They’ve all been selfless acts to protect his crew, but it also showed the lack of trust or the “selfishness” in his acts. This all culminated in the moment between him and Luffy where he finally admits that he wants to go back to the Sunny with his friends. And the progression of his character is seen on Onigashima when he asks Robin for help against Black Maria. Instead of taking on the burden by himself like he’s done over and over again, he decided to rely on his crewmates. It’s honestly one of the best moments he’s ever had till this point in the story.
You are right Iam soo dumb i never made the connection between the conclusion of wci and him asking robin for help
Sanji many times during a fight is off doing other useful things. In a different story he'd be a spy like character
@@pubixcube27 honestly, i think the guy has some kind of self worth issues. which is understandable, seeing how he spent the first 8 years of his life being called a failure by almst everone around him.
This island was sooo cool, one of my favorite settings of One Piece Imo. The adventure and magical feeling when the ship got there "THIS SHIP IS FLYING". ahh so good, I teared a little bit.
Sanji is one of the most developed members of the crew at this point in the story. His utility as a character and how Oda uses him in the story sets him apart from the rest. If you overlook his gag you’ll see a solid gem of a character.
She was really over simplifying his character
@@gamerdude5997 ngl I got a little heated from that haha
@@tenenbaummark I was mad too. Like unreasonably mad
@@gamerdude5997 I had to wait a bit and cool down before I commented haha
@@tenenbaummark I think its cause we already have all this information about him because we are caught up.
Skypia is an Arc that gets recognition after time pass and reading. There is so much information about the world and of course roger haha particularly is my favorite pre timeskip arc and have one of the best flashbacks of the whole series. Norland 😭
The thing is with this saga, that this one is not technically a part of the whole narrative of the in total because this saga is a treasure Hunt with some world building sprinkled between
Some big theorists say Its the most important arc foreshadowing Laftale... Since its the only place in entire one piece where even the normal scriptures were written in same language as ponyglifs... Plus that one line robin read "we are the ones who write history" is bugging me a lot... Plus where is the Left eye of the island??? Its all really a huge mystery and i believe people will realise its importance when some random YT theorists 😂 is gonna connect these dots after the end of OP
I think my favorite thing about One Piece's storytelling is that the little moments are enjoyable leading up to the big moments.
There are so many stories where I'm essentially just waiting for the BIG moment to happen, not caring much about the little moments building up to it.
But with One Piece, I genuinely enjoy seeing the characters interact with each other. I can be entertained by the straw hats simply hanging out and having a good time.
Don't worry. The next arc will make you like Usopp more, 100%. The next arc is when Usopp becomes great.
Saga*
Next Arc is Foxy.... and You're talking about Water 7
Water 7 made many People liked Usopp but it can also do the Reverse for other People.....
@@nevergonnagiveupuntilibeco5690 Oh you're right, Foxy exists. I forgot lmao
@@aneonfoxtribute I forgot it too until someone in a Reply in another comment Pointed it out.....
She's gonna read IT, boys and girls. Water Seven is beautiful, Merphy. I hope you enjoy it as much as us all.
I'm so excited to see the next video. Also a Luffy video? Yes, please.
Just casually mentioning the pirate island and meeting “some people” -laughing knowingly
When I get that point I saw the subtle hint in the dialogues. My brain fit it into its slot when it is finally revealed. The character work of Oda is somehing magical.
laughs in marineford arc
@@mist7295 zehaha
Zehahahahaha
"A man's dream will never die!"
Odas ability as a mystery writer is seriously underrated in the fandom. In retrospect a lot of the twists seem obvious, but Oda is just so good at crafting all the pieces in such a way that it hits like a brick when it all comes together. The map reveal still amazes me
i dont think its that underrated, just look at all the theories, and people desperately trying to unravel his mysteries... (some of this results in pretty hilarious theories, like crocomom and blackbeard trenchcoat, but other times, people straight up act like detectives and turn out some pretty interesting stuff, like Done piece)
A lot of really important characters were introduced in this saga. Blackbeard, whitebeard, Doflamingo, kuma and sengoku.
What not tell her the whole story and spoil it?
@@christiantitus11 Man legit said they were important characters, that's all. Those aren't spoilers.
@@remonhidding Really??!! Telling that small screen time characters like Blackbeard and Doflamingo and Kuma at that time are very important characters is not a spoiler, please
@@christiantitus11 How is it a spoiler, Doffy and Kuma are literally warlords of the sea, same rank as Crocodile, of course they're important. Blackbeard is an obvious returning character so once again from a story telling perspective it is rather clear they're important to the world. Shanks has had small screen time but everyone knows he is an important character. It's not as if he said, why they're important, or what they're important for, or when they'll be more present in the story.
@@remonhidding on some level I do agree with you but for someone who is reading/watching One Piece for the first time the experience to find this out on there own is a whole different experience. That is one of the like..... Beautiful thing of One Piece. There was no reason for him to say that, so that is why it ticked me off a bit
19:20 I loved that you brought this up, because a lot of people never talk about it and it was one of my favorite moments in the series.
Honestly I think you should save your Luffy video for after next arc. We see how far he will go for his crew and friends, and who he is as leader. I know there’s plenty of examples to pull from already, but in Water 7 we see some growth and character development from him that we haven’t seen so far.
Yep water seven and next elevates that kinda selfish yet selfless justice , and anarchism, to a new level. And injustices muhahaha. And one of the best moments.
Imo opinion luffy truly fleshed out after his flashback with ace, I would say wait until then
Cough Cough, Long Ring Long Land Arc
@@dpseven375 i agree, the asl flashback is VERY effective! it actually does a full circle on his character and it becomes easier to get him (so much easier to understand certain pieces of dialogue throughout pre-timeskip!)
@@nineninesixteensixteen9955 also don't forget, the moment leading up to that we'll see a circumstances that Luffy never experienced, that we haven't see since chapter 1-2
I loved the moment when Bellamy was insulting Luffy, Zoro, and Nami and Luffy chose not to fight. It shows that he actually grew up a little and learned from Shanks. Remember when Shanks did the same thing back in literally the first chapter of One Piece? It shows how Luffy looks up to Shanks.
First the anime community, now the booktube community talking about manga, talking about characters i really love is just amazing....
ps: your reviews are great and at a great pace too...we one piece fans have mastered patience
"we one piece fans have mastered patience" I've watched the anime all the way through, up to Dressrosa, twice. I don't even like the anime.
Wait, maybe that isn't patience, maybe I have brain problems...
@@ansalem12 You should've seen One Pace instead of going through the struggle of watching every episode as it is.
@@sericsson1996 Seen that too, actually. lol
i love watching people talk about one piece with a smile on their faces. you can just see them thinking back on something that happened that makes them happy :)
Next saga is one of the best so I hope you enjoy it :)
Also dreams never die!!!!
Yeah i love foxy!
@@edwardboiling4111 Saga not Arc..... Foxy Sucks.... its just in a Great Saga...
@@nevergonnagiveupuntilibeco5690 Foxy is great!
Davy Back! Let’s go!!
@@nevergonnagiveupuntilibeco5690
Foxy is a lot shorter in the manga like A LOT
you hit the nail on the head for zoro- he’s almost never center stage, and it honestly feels like Oda tries his hardest to keep him lost and busy for most of every saga because he’s TOO reliable and competent- problems get solved when Zoro’s around to chop it up.
I would say wait at least 2 more sagas before making character videos.
Absolutely love your OP reviews.
I would say even 3. Basically after around chapter 600.
I think the "stakes" of one piece fights are the lives that are in the hands of the crew. They fight villains to liberate an island and if they fail, hundreds of people will continue to be subjugated or worse
I get so excited every time you upload a One Piece video!! the next saga is a fan favourite, hope u enjoy it!
"I'm not a Shipper" said by every shipper ever XD
You are like i don't ship them. Then they throw two character with great chemistry and force you to ship them
@@jlassijlali290 Facts
Usopp is definitely one of the frailest characters in the story, while also having probably the most undying sense of commitment to his personal motivation and pre-established loyalties. He's the only one who thinks realistically when the going gets tough, and I'm glad you highlighted that.
His character really shines for me because of the jarring contrast we see in him depending on the circumstance. Where Luffy is unwaveringly brave and dedicated to his goal of becoming the pirate king, Usopp's goal is much less clear. 'To become a brave warrior of the Sea" is not only a vague goal for him to achieve, it is also up to his own self-interpretation. He wants to become a brave warrior like his father sought to do, even though he has no idea what that really means. He just knows that he isn't one, and he fantasizes about being somebody other than himself. It's this really delicate commentary on idolization, and how easily we can dissociate from our own selves if we get too caught up in imagination.
Even so, he does not forego his archetypal wimpiness at any point, rather his bravery is embodied by his commitment to strategy - fighting battles from a distance as the great sniper he is. Truly one of the gems in One Piece that never stops getting better. He's a slow burn (unlike a lot of other characters) but man, is he worth it.
16:30 I recently decided to rewatch one piece from the first episode and as a guy who have been watching one piece for idk half of my life I was really surprised that so many people survived during this arc I remember being so sad about that girl dad
And idk founding that nobody died after all Enel big talk and big actions to make us believe he was a really scary dangerous guy made him look like a clown and the whole arc a joke
And I really love that you're already understanding and getting our main cast really well, a lot of ppl who have been reading for years and are caught up still don't, so kudos to you Merphy lol. Looking forward to those character videos
21:21 its less putting their own goals on hold, and more just another stop on their thrilling tale of adventure. they all know their journeys are long and treacherous, and this series especially is less about the goal but more how they got there.
You have really convinced me to check out this Manga!! I have really been itching to start reading Mangas in general. Based off of your reviews and the comments, this seems like a Manga series that I definitely need to add to my Manga TBR. Great video!
@Hala Madrid Thank you!! I am ordering it today!
@@AmberAlise honesty the jokes very early on may be really silly (10 year old japanese boy jokes) and it is a bit slow early. As the series goes on, it gets more mature so I hope you can buckle on
@@inspiringer6418 Thank you for letting me know this!! I went ahead and ordered volumes 1-6! I can't wait to get started!
@@AmberAlise Let us know what you think later on👍 I might order the physical copies as well
@@kaleomungin I certainly will! My physical copies should arrive on Monday and I am so excited!
There is a filler arc in anime. it is called G8 which is very funny and a great arc. Don't miss it. then there is another funny, short, canon arc called davy back fight. Water 7 starts after that one of the longest and best saga in the pre-time skip period. This arc has real stakes, best emotional moments, best character development especially ussop.
Cant wait for the next saga. It is interesting hearing the thoughts of someone going through the series for the first time. So many people are overwhelmed by how much story is in one piece, that its hard to get anyone to actually read it. So when you said you were picking it up and so far are enjoying it, it feels great.
Surprisingly Sanji has the most amount of story moments out of all mugiwaras.
I’m so excited for you to get to the next saga. It’s where the series I think becomes something MORE. Can’t wait.
So happy you've been enjoying the series. It's great to hear a positive and critical point of view from someone who may not know all of the tropes of this particular genre of manga. It's really very interesting to see what a first-time reader of One Piece focuses on. Incredibly excited for the Luffy video as he's such a wonderful character! Also, please take however long you need for the next saga, it's a long one and dense with information.
I am really interested to see your reaction to the next saga, it's really different from the previous ones in a lot of ways, and my personal favorite...
Looking forward to your review of the next Saga!
Water 7 Saga is Volume 32-46, and boy is it a doozy.
Can't wait!
If Zoro is one of your favourites then you will only be more and more in awe the longer the series goes! Oh and Usopp will be one of your favourites afte the next big saga I guarantee it! :)
Sanji will end up being the most fleshed out character among the strawhats. There's just a lot of chapters before we get there
It's not just you. Fake out deaths are the most criticized aspect of the series in the community, having said that, the Sky Island saga is one of the worst offenders when it comes to fakeouts.
Amazing review as always.
You saying that like we didn't cry enough those arcs...
And that moment in impel down.
@@marocat4749 That moment makes more sense, It's not as nearly as bad as Pell.
@@marocat4749 the one with Luffy and poison or Bon Clay and poison?
@Tom Ffrench Nah there are way more manga with deaths, have you read Chainsaw Man?
I’ve been reading one piece for so long and the characters have been around for so many years of my life I can’t help but think fondly on them. I love to see new people experience one piece for the first time Please keep this up!!!!
In defense of Sanji, while he is also all of the things you said, don’t forget all he did during Alabasta. He rounds out “the Big 3” by being the critical thinker during tense situations and planning ahead. This will come into play big time in the next saga.
Sanji really doesn't shine until Whole Cake Island
@@inspiringer6418 Alright what about Water 7 or when he stands up to Enel covered in bandages only to kill himself more
Mr prince, his batre with zorro, that he really is nice and sawy and tactical.
@@inspiringer6418 not true sea train, took down top 3 cp9 member
I’m just appalled by how she oversimplified his character so much. But then described zoro a plainer character in such detail
I love your reaction to One Piece. It has inspired me to read it again.
Yes, soooooo patient! 🙄😂
I can’t wait for the next saga. It’s some of oda’s best writing from a character perspective. The conflict / dialogue is so realistic that it’s easy to forget you’re not there. Also: Stakes Incoming
Zoro stans rise up 😂😂 also, sanji gets better and better, then worse, then astronomically better.
Then worse again.
As much as I love Thriller Bark... Man, did it ever do some character assassination to Sanji
@@sabitsuita 😩😩 you right
Why? I read it long time ago so I can't remember.
@@nottherey4333 i dont want to put spoilers in the comments 😩 but the whole sanji wanting invisibility thing from thiller bark... and sanji right after saboady
About Oda and death of characters, he has said in the past that when characters fight to the bitter end, theyre basically putting their dreams on the line. When one gets defeated their dream kinda "dies" and Oda thinks thats enough of a defeat for a character of the world he has created. Not trying to change your mind about it because it is a big, fair critic on Oda, just wanted to tell you so you can maybe understand his way of thinking.
Really enjoyed the video, cant wait for more!
I really love your one piece reviews so much
Oh you sweet summer child!
It's really funny to watch because so much of the things you said were things I also thought the first time reading it. I think you will really enjoy the plot of the next saga.
Sanji is... Basically a simp, but I'll disagree that he's not layered and that's he's one note. He's actually quite a good character, even right now. He's always been a more subtle character, and he remains that way, but that subtlety is very good
Merphi now (on Sanji): "I'm not gonna get attached to this character"
Merphi from the future (Ennies Lobby): "I LOVE THIS CREW SO MUCH I DONT WANT ONE PIECE TO END!"
Totaly loving she getting in love with One Piece!
Especially when she reads Sanji’s true past.
Honestly you're going at a good pace. You don't want to catch up lol
Love that you are keeping up with One Piece, hope you feel better soon and keep enjoying the story
Eneru face makes its appearance in this saga. Zoro "ahahahaha" that was so funny to me. Usopp a brave man amongst monsters, and you're going through it at a very good pace. Amazing, yes character development will happen. For me the fights aren't what's compelling, it's what they're fighting for. Water 7 next...... It'll be very interesting to hear your thoughts on that one :O
Happy to see your enjoying One Piece. I hope you go back one day to watch the Anime (in Sub lol). You gotta hear how all the straw hats sound and interact. Luffys yelling in Water 7 gives me chills too this day.
Happy to see you keeping up with One Piece! Hope you're able to get some cold medicine and back to feeling better soon!
It really makes me happy to see someone share their first experiences. This series is my favorite piece of media pretty much period, and I love to see people experience it for the first time. Just sitting here like “oh this person has no idea where this is all going”.
Skypeia!!!! This is one of my favourite One Piece arcs, I loved it so much. I remember watching this and just having so much fun because I didn't expect Oda to take us to a Sky Island 😂 this is when I understood that we were just getting started with the world building in this story. I also loved the concept of dials and the different way of fighting we were introduced to. Love these characters and this world so much 🥰 this crew really is amazing. I love how much they trust each other. One of my favourite things about Luffy is he trusts his crew and their capabilities completely, if there's danger he doesn't worry about his crew bc he knows and trusts that they cna take care of themselves and handle the situation. And yes, one piece hits right in the feels at times, I love how the story takes care to give us those emotional moments and tie back storylines and character moments (ie. Luffy's shadow in the sky)
excited for your character videos and future reviews!
Yeah fakeouts deaths are the biggest problem in One Piece for a lot of us. It isn't THAT bad from this point on tho. I missed you talking about the worldbuilding you get at the Jaya arc, with the highranking pirates and government. You probably forgot about it since you read it a while ago, understandable. Also, in my opinion, the art in this arc is peak One Piece, it really has a unique style even within One Piece for me.
Great video!
The next saga is often considered a high point of the series, and is definitely one of Oda's finest pieces of writing. Almost the entire fanbase has this saga as at least their second favorite, if it's not their favorite, and it's not hard to see why :)
i dont know if you are gonna see this comment but cover page are also story and explains and introduces new setups to story and are short arcs on itself. So, pls pls read it as it serves the story later and is very important.
So Water 7 is next... damn I'm excited. I remember watching it on TV when I was young. That was when I fell in love with One Piece as a kid. Btw, if the whole saga seems a bit too long for you, you can make seperate videos for the Water 7 and Enies Lobby story arcs, though they are defenitely best enjoyed when viewed as one continuous story.
"Its a pretty overpowered world" is really good way of summing up Onepiece progression. From the start, it seems like everyone is so strong and as you go...you learn just how much stronger everyone else is...and everyone else...and so on. Its a pretty fun adventure and seeing the journey / progression of the crew has been a great joy for me and sounds like you're enjoying it too!
Thanks for posting! As detailed as this saga is, it’s basically the last one-off adventure before the main story goes into overdrive.
Also, the bar scene in Jaya is a callback to the first chapter with Shanks taking a beating from someone weaker.
I like to think of this as the adventure saga that doesn’t have a ton of plot development. There’s some world building, but most sagas build onto the greater conflict that takes place across the whole story. Also, yeah the fake out deaths are so annoying. Basically unless the character straight up dies in front of your eyes AND it’s acknowledged that they’re dead then they’re probably not dead. Unless it’s a flashback.
Merphy I'm so happy that you give One piece a chance and I enjoy so much your reactions! Believe me after this saga, we'll have some more deep situations (even some sad ones) for all the crew, and everybody will start to shine even more! I'm sure you'll love it!
8:40
"This is a thing we're doing now." Is a theme with the crew and parts of the anime/Manga with other people. Even some of the villains hint at the lack of awareness Luffy has for dangers that later extends to the crew bar Ussop and Chopper. For the most part, though chopper is a doctor so health is his occupation.
I'm so happy we got this , but even more happy about the next video ,but I'll be patient
Waiting for her to reach the darker themes waiting ahead, also save the Luffy video till you reach the midpoint(you will know when you have reached the midpoint). It's the perfect point in the story to reflect on the story so far.
Oh, I don't know if you're gonna love it or not but we're gonna love seeing your reaction for the next arc. And I'm sure everyone has already told you but it's Chopper, not Hooper. About Ussop, he's the only human here, others are referred to as Monsters, demon child, nami has been mentioned as a witch. And Sanji other than being a simp, a cook, a monster in strength he is a kind guy. The difference between his and Luffy kindness seems like is he will still help even though he hates the person he's helping.
As much as I likes Daniels, and appreciate how short his vids are. Thank you thank you so so so so so much, to let us know your thoughts in more details. A lot of the One Piece fandoms who review it weekly since one chapter came out per week. Some can go to the ridiculous length of like 40 minutes review a chapter. Often either not providing anything of substance, repeating things over and over, giving outlandish take that won't be true, or getting mad due to speculating over incomplete things. This is a nice medium in between.
Rip Sanji and Usopp are my fav strawhats...😅 I'll try and give some reasons for this point in the series
For Sanji he comes across as this James Bond like character always going on his own cool little missions and at the end of the day being the "Clutch" strawhat who saves everyone but unlike James Bond Sanji actually treats women with respect. He really is Luffy's left hand man.
For Usopp maybe I just just find his antics relatable and funny but at the end of the day more than any strawhat (even Zoro) he believes in Luffy. Also a little thing I don't know if you're picking up on is all his lies start to become true.
Hopefully next arc both will grow on you but mad respect for loving Luffy as much as you do!
Double rip I don't ont think she will read this 🙃
sanji and usopp are my second and third place after luffy, because i love this suprisingly complex and intelligent simple rubber idiot way too much. (or i am overanalysing his character way too much.) (its really weird, all the stuff i hated doing in english at school with the stuffy old books, poems about paper, or traumatising tales of insane children murdering each other on a desert island, i would happily do for hours if its one piece...)
I love hearing people talk about one piece for the first time. The incoming satisfaction in the storytelling/plot reveals is sooooooo good!
I was waiting for a mention of Whitebeard, Shanks, The Watlords, Blackbeard😭
Not every one can notice talk in every character.
These thing are a obvious to us that break down the series every week but for a first time reader these things fly right over your head before they're paid off, it definitely did for me...
You want stakes to be higher,
Me...orders 🍺....
I think its harder to tell what moments carry more weight in the manga because they’re just like a continuation or a happenstance. You can read through them really quick and just treat it as flavor more than something momentous. It’s definitely interesting to see this series from a fresh reader’s point of view