What They Say:
The Straw Hats and Germa 66 are cornered in Bege’s stronghold – with the full force of the Big Mom Pirates pinning them down, it’s only a matter of time before their defenses crack. The only way out seems to be to make a break for it.
The Review:
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers)
The backstory for Linlin has been the main focus in the last few episodes with some nods in the present that worked well but it started to shift more the last time around. While we did dig into more of her past and interactions with others we also had some bigger movements in the present with the retreat into Bege’s stronghold by the Straw Hats. What really defined the episode, at least for me, was seeing the way that the Germa 66 crew got to make their move which came in the form of standing up and going through essentially a transformation sequence. It worked well to get a look at them in this way because they have a sense of power and purpose beyond just the cruelty that we usually saw from them toward Sanji, which was understandable but a one-not event for much of the arc overall.
There’s a lot of tension here as things sink in for the Straw Hats with how precarious their situation is as the castle isn’t indestructible and if it goes, Bege dies and they get thrown out into the waiting monsters of Big Mom’s. Chiffon at least tries to tamp things down since she’s married to Bege but it’s just another betrayal in Big Mom’s view that infuriates her even more. The first half works a lot of this stuff well in seeing the dynamics between characters and I really liked how Big Mom sees Chiffon as having fallen in with this lot. There’s some good intensity to what’s happening and concern from the Straw Hats amid all of it. But, to my surprise still, Bege’s the character that I’m enjoying the most in this arc because he’s playing it as cool as he can even as he takes such immense damage from Big Mom’s attacks while in castle mode.
We do get some interesting ideas on how to fix things in the short term with an escape plan, which involves a less than willing participant in Caesar, but that’s just deferring momentarily what’s going on. What I do like is the segment that involves Sanji confronting his father over everything in simple form in front of everyone else. The nature of this family relationship is problematic as we’ve been shown how things aren’t as clear and simple as perhaps once presented with motivations and why, but it it’s engaging to watch Sanji make his stand and having the backing to really pull it off – much to the quiet pride of his sister. The group that’s now operating here as Bege gets hit harder and harder is an interesting one and that “strange bedfellows” aspect of this series is one of the reasons it continues to be a delight.
In Summary:
While the episode is focused on trying to figure out the best thing to do to survive what’s coming for them, with Bege taking the brunt of the damage, it does some good character stuff along the way too. It’s well done in showing off the dynamics of those involved that are now aligned against Big Mom while reminding us of just what kind of craziness is outside of there. Bege steals a lot of the show for me, though the Vinsmoke family definitely steps up toward the end to gain more prominence, but it’s a great ensemble piece overall and even made me like Chiffon a whole lot more.
Grade: B+
Streamed By: Crunchyroll
Review Equipment:
Sony KDL70R550A 70″ LED 1080P HDTV, Apple TV via HDMI set to 1080p, Onkyo TX-SR605 Receiver and Panasonic SB-TP20S Multi-Channel Speaker System With 100-Watt Subwoofer.
