What They Say:
Shirahoshi and her family finally reach the Holyland of Mariejois! But all the unexpected attention confuses her. Meanwhile, Vivi from Alabasta meets Leo and Rebecca from Dressrosa, and tells them the story of her journey with the Straw Hats.
The Review:
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers)
The recap elements of the start of this arc haven’t worn thin for me just yet but going by general opinion it looks like it’s hitting the usual problems. Some really hate recap of any kind, others are enjoying reconnecting as we get back into these characters in the present, and a lot just avoiding the show or skipping the recap elements Focusing on Stelly so much last time was a bit rough simply because it was a relatively minor character overall but it just hints at a bigger role in this storyline. That said, if 80% of an episode is reworked footage from past episodes, there’s not a lot for people only interested in the new wanting to get a hold of.
But the episode does open well with the group making their way to the entrance of Mariejois and seeing what the Celestrials built in the past. It’s certainly impressive and sets a good tone for what’s here in terms of how different it works, such as with the Travelator, but it’s intriguing as we see Fukaboshi uncomfortable by it while not knowing why. When w see the reason in that it’s prison labor moving everything, it’s made clear why there will be issues with Mariejois in the future. The difference between the Fish-men and how Stelly handles it and interprets it all is amusing but unsurprising. Mariejois is not what it seems and that was going to be a given going into it, but I’m already enjoying exploring some of those reasons why and who is becoming unnerved by it.
For this episode, the main character focus in the back half of the episode is on Vivi, which I definitely like since her storyline was the one that cemented my interest in this series more fully.
In Summary:
Getting a little time in the present with Vivi meeting Leo and Rebecca is delightful and I enjoyed revisiting parts of the past with Vivi’s story as it has been a long time. I have a certain fondness for the character and her return recently in the present day is probably one of the bigger reasons I was looking forward to this arc just to see how she interacts with so many people and events after all that she survived and achieved. I totally get all the issues folks have with these episodes and I’m sure I’ll get worn down at some point, but I’m still enjoying it.
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.
