Neo Ultra Mike
Creeping Shadow of "15000"+ Posts
OP 880 is out and here are my thoughts.
Cover Page: Lest you feel too bad for Uhola for Sai breaking things off with her for Baby 5 we find out she has her own personal guy club of admirers/lackeys called "The Husband Club" and Sai would of been her 26th "member" of said club. What this says to me is that though there are a lot of very attractive and gorgeous girls in the OP world (a lot of which some people say look alike) beauty is also in the eye of the beholder and traditionally what many would say are "ugly" people can still easily find someone through sheer force of will. Big Mom and now this Uhola chick have had like multiple men just probably based on their own power and... okay both are also evil but I think this is honestly sort of progressive in "oh hey people deemed my normal society to be "ugly" can still have a harem of lovers and people who fawn over them for other reasons." Which is weird to say here but true.
Review: I admit I was annoyed Sanji was roped in at first at the whole "having to make a cake to appease Big Mom" plan but I think I'm warming up to it since it's more a chance to show off some of his apparent attack chef training he learned at Ikanvov's island. Which yeah there was that whole thing of learning 99 special reciepes so I'm sure desert was one of them so I guess it makes sense for that to get a big focus. And I do admit though part of me wonders if all the detail of getting this room is technically necessary it does show Oda is not skipping steps to make this. You have Pudding making this big speech to everyone to make sure they don't peak for their own safety and then one by one takes away all the chef's memories of the last 24 hours just so they won't freak out seeing Sanji there and you have Sanji's skills as a chef through smell and taste remembering the cake play out to be important. And though kind of standard comedy of Pudding flip flopping emotions and Sanji going gaga in her in a chef outfit it works and it does feel this whole plan is honestly really important in helping everyone escape the wrath of Big Mom.
Especially since the last chapter shows just how screwed everyone else is. Luffy's pinned to the ground by Dogtooth (and I did see someone point out why he isn't using Gear fourth now: Luffy knows it won't be enough to beat Dogtooth one on one in the allotted time so is obviously saving it since once he uses it he'll be down for like 10 minutes and easy pickings so at least that makes sense) who is still trying to get troops to go into the ship to burn it and forcing Luffy to focus on fighting him and getting the others to smash the mirrors in the ship thus trapping him more in the mirror world. And if that isn't bad enough Big Mom made another homie which is a massive tidal wave looking to blow them all over. Maybe Jinbe can like split it somewhat to reduce damage but I do like how this second part shows how hosed the crew is even escaping Big Mom. Again this is showing at this point how fruitless it is going up against a Yonko's forces even when trying just to leave and I do like showing even with every seemingly lucky break the team is getting they are still getting pinned down. I've said this before but OP is good when it keeps up a relentless pace and shows the sheer hopelessness of a situation to make the break out moments mean more. Obviously the Straw Hats will find some way to survive but this isn't a Fairy Tail kind of series where the manga ka constantly has to spoil that in the ending of the chapter for... fear of the characters or something.
So yeah solid chapter. I guess I could complain more how as this goes on there's less and less chance of getting to Zou anytime soon but I'm getting into the escape and the crew's struggles against it more and there is a pulse pounding "how are they going to get out of this one" feel now which makes for an exciting read so... solid chapter. If you've actually got me feeling nervous for our heroes and unsure how they'll make it out (especally if it's going to take 3 hours to make the cake so how will the crew stay on the ropes for that long) that's the feeling you should go for and I do appreciate that.
Review: I admit I was annoyed Sanji was roped in at first at the whole "having to make a cake to appease Big Mom" plan but I think I'm warming up to it since it's more a chance to show off some of his apparent attack chef training he learned at Ikanvov's island. Which yeah there was that whole thing of learning 99 special reciepes so I'm sure desert was one of them so I guess it makes sense for that to get a big focus. And I do admit though part of me wonders if all the detail of getting this room is technically necessary it does show Oda is not skipping steps to make this. You have Pudding making this big speech to everyone to make sure they don't peak for their own safety and then one by one takes away all the chef's memories of the last 24 hours just so they won't freak out seeing Sanji there and you have Sanji's skills as a chef through smell and taste remembering the cake play out to be important. And though kind of standard comedy of Pudding flip flopping emotions and Sanji going gaga in her in a chef outfit it works and it does feel this whole plan is honestly really important in helping everyone escape the wrath of Big Mom.
Especially since the last chapter shows just how screwed everyone else is. Luffy's pinned to the ground by Dogtooth (and I did see someone point out why he isn't using Gear fourth now: Luffy knows it won't be enough to beat Dogtooth one on one in the allotted time so is obviously saving it since once he uses it he'll be down for like 10 minutes and easy pickings so at least that makes sense) who is still trying to get troops to go into the ship to burn it and forcing Luffy to focus on fighting him and getting the others to smash the mirrors in the ship thus trapping him more in the mirror world. And if that isn't bad enough Big Mom made another homie which is a massive tidal wave looking to blow them all over. Maybe Jinbe can like split it somewhat to reduce damage but I do like how this second part shows how hosed the crew is even escaping Big Mom. Again this is showing at this point how fruitless it is going up against a Yonko's forces even when trying just to leave and I do like showing even with every seemingly lucky break the team is getting they are still getting pinned down. I've said this before but OP is good when it keeps up a relentless pace and shows the sheer hopelessness of a situation to make the break out moments mean more. Obviously the Straw Hats will find some way to survive but this isn't a Fairy Tail kind of series where the manga ka constantly has to spoil that in the ending of the chapter for... fear of the characters or something.
So yeah solid chapter. I guess I could complain more how as this goes on there's less and less chance of getting to Zou anytime soon but I'm getting into the escape and the crew's struggles against it more and there is a pulse pounding "how are they going to get out of this one" feel now which makes for an exciting read so... solid chapter. If you've actually got me feeling nervous for our heroes and unsure how they'll make it out (especally if it's going to take 3 hours to make the cake so how will the crew stay on the ropes for that long) that's the feeling you should go for and I do appreciate that.