BOOK 118
One Piece Water Seven 43-44-45 by Eiichiro Oda.
So, here I come to the conclusion of the Water Seven arc of One Piece. But how would this arc, the best of the series so far, conclude? Let’s find out…
The Strawhat Pirates and their allies are facing the elite assassins of Cipher Pol 9 in their quest to rescue Robin. But the deranged Spandam has triggered the Buster Call, adding more urgency to their mission. And even if they escape the Buster Call called down on Enies Lobby, one of their own will make the ultimate sacrifice…
After the dizzying heights of the past couple of volumes, this volume is a bit of a letdown. It’s unrelenting battles that end up at times being more surreal than exciting, and One Piece’s surreal nature does often work against it. Hell, it also feels padded to some degree, and it feels like the arc has overstayed its welcome, as much as I enjoyed it.
Yet it still does pretty well. Spandam’s final humiliations are very satisfying to watch, the Merry’s last voyage and her funeral is a thing of tragic beauty, and we get a proper introduction for Luffy’s grandfather and father, as well as a return of a couple of characters. Plus, we have some promising moments for future arcs.
Overall, while not as superlative as previous volumes, this omnibus of One Piece was an enjoyable end to its best arc so far. A delight to behold…
****
One Piece Water Seven 43-44-45 by Eiichiro Oda.
So, here I come to the conclusion of the Water Seven arc of One Piece. But how would this arc, the best of the series so far, conclude? Let’s find out…
The Strawhat Pirates and their allies are facing the elite assassins of Cipher Pol 9 in their quest to rescue Robin. But the deranged Spandam has triggered the Buster Call, adding more urgency to their mission. And even if they escape the Buster Call called down on Enies Lobby, one of their own will make the ultimate sacrifice…
After the dizzying heights of the past couple of volumes, this volume is a bit of a letdown. It’s unrelenting battles that end up at times being more surreal than exciting, and One Piece’s surreal nature does often work against it. Hell, it also feels padded to some degree, and it feels like the arc has overstayed its welcome, as much as I enjoyed it.
Yet it still does pretty well. Spandam’s final humiliations are very satisfying to watch, the Merry’s last voyage and her funeral is a thing of tragic beauty, and we get a proper introduction for Luffy’s grandfather and father, as well as a return of a couple of characters. Plus, we have some promising moments for future arcs.
Overall, while not as superlative as previous volumes, this omnibus of One Piece was an enjoyable end to its best arc so far. A delight to behold…
****
