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One Piece Chapter 1180 Review/Recap

On the last piece of One Piece, it looked as though the crisis in Elbaph was finally under control. The God’s Knights had been beaten, the kids, the school, and the library were safe. Suddenly, Imu announced that he (not they) were leaving Mariejois to handle things themselves, and the entire fandom wet themselves in terror. The king of the world’s arrival on Elbaph had us all thinking that we were in for an absolute beatdown, and you know what? We were right! This is what we nerds call a “one-winged angel” moment, and it is suitably terrifying to read! This is a bad omen!

Recap

After making his grand entrance to Elbaph, Imu wastes no time in getting down to business as he teleports to where Sommers is being held. Before we even realize it, he frees Sommers by slicing off the tips of Gerd’s fingers!

And then, he slices off Stansen’s leg!!

And when Zoro tries to attack him, Imu hits him point-blank with a fire attack called Omen, sending him reeling before doing the same to Hajrudin!

The carnage only continues from there. After freeing Sommers, Imu grows black wings and flies towards Qillingham’s location, pausing only to fire a blast to try and free Gunko. Everyone on the island is reeling, with Gaban saying he never felt Haki like this at God Valley. Then, when Imu arrives at the location of Sanji’s group and frees Qillingham, the Straw Hat Pirates’ chef tries to attack him. However, not only does it do no damage, but like Zoro, he gets hit by Imu’s attack. Except this one ends in an explosion!

Before anything can get worse, Loki, who had been eating some burnt food at the school with Luffy and Ratatoskr, appears before Imu. With the demon saying he was looking for the one who killed his servant Harald, Loki rebuts this by calling him his father and Elbaph’s king, and that he was the one he wanted!

Review

So, I don’t think anyone who read this chapter was surprised to see Imu give the protagonists a massive beatdown. We all knew that having one of the two candidates for the ultimate big bad of One Piece appear would be catastrophic. What I was really hoping for is to see if Imu is every bit as scary in-person as he has been using his servants. Needless to say, he didn’t disappoint.

We already got a brief look at Imu’s appearance in the last chapter, but this one gives us our first full look at him. And his design lives up to the hype. The tan skin, the tattoos on his shirtless body, the horns and tail, and the halo made of black fire. If Oda wanted us to associate Imu with the Devil, then he succeeded. And I know that even if he’s evil, there are going to be people who will simp over him for how handsome he looks!

Is Imu on a Time Limit?

The thing that I found to be most interesting about Imu, though, is something that a YouTuber by the name of GrandLineReview pointed out: he does t waste any time on anything. A lot of the antagonists in One Piece are prone to being either bombastic, scene-chewing individuals or completely serious and stoic, or some combination of both. The fact that Imu didn’t waste any time when fighting the Giants and Straw Hats places Imu in the latter category, but that isn’t what makes him different from guys like Akainu. For every attack he makes, he only uses the bare minimum of effort needed. Every move he makes is done with as little energy as possible. And then there is the fact that he told Sommers that “they had no time to waste.” That could be him being impatient, but from what I’ve seen, the fans don’t think that. What if Imu has a time limit on how much he can do outside of Mariejois? What if the reason he hasn’t left Mariejois in centuries isn’t just because he wanted to keep his existence a secret, but because leaving hurts him.

It makes sense why this would be the case. We saw how summoning himself to Elbaph caused Imu a great deal of pain. By that logic, it means that he can only leave Mariejois for so long before tbe pain becomes debilitating. Thus, he can only stay on the surface for a short time before having to return. What this means is that the heroes may not have to beat Imu in a fight. They just need to survive long enough to run down the clock.

As much as I want to see Luffy and Loki give Imu the beatdown he deserves for all the pain and suffering he’s inflicted on the world, even I have to admit that this fight might be beyond them right now. If they can defeat Imu, it won’t be on this day. I only hope that Loki can hold off Imu long enough for Luffy to re-enter Gear Five. Otherwise, there’s not much hope for anyone. Thankfully, we don’t have to wait long for the next chapter!

I Give “Omen” a 5/5

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One Piece Chapter 1178 Review/Recap

Ever since we learned about the existence of Imu, I have considered them one of the two contenders for the final antagonist of One Piece (the other is Blackbeard.) Considering how they are the shadow leader of the World Government, and thus all of its atrocities can be attributed to them, I’m justified to think that. That’s why seeing Luffy and Loki meet Imu while they’re possessing Gunko such a big deal: its a preview of the enemy that they will have to fight in the future. However, I wasn’t expecting things to go so quickly. And while I’ve seen some people think that the Elbaph Arc is winding down, I don’t buy it. Especially after what happens at the end of the chapter.

Recap

After seeingthe shape Brook and Usopp are in, the first thing Luffy does is get them to the others. He doesn’t want them to get caught in Loki’s reckless crossfire, and if Luffy thinks someone is reckless, that’s saying something!

Sure enough, Loki is blasting away at Imu-Gunko, who’s monologuing about rumors they heard. A few years ago, a ship of Giants started appearing out of the mists and attacking World Government ships. At the same time, there were rumors about a giant flying monster roaming the seas. Luffy comes back and says he’s going to make them pay for hurting his friends, but then Imu’s shadow jumps out of Gunko and attempts to use Domi Reversi on them! It doesn’t work.

Luffy then pummels the shadow of Imu into Swiss cheese, before Loki turns back to normal, grabs Ragnir, and hits them with the Nibelheim, freezing them and Gunko in a block of ice.

All over Elbaph, the chaos is beginning to wind down. The last of the nightmares is eliminated. Chopper restore the remaining DO’d Giants. The fires are being put out, and Robin and Saul head inside the Owl Library and find it empty with Biblo gone. Luffy, meanwhile, has turned into his old man form and is left begging for food. It looks like everything is under control…or is it? Luffy and Loki don’t notice it, but Imu’s shadow disappears from the ice block.

Back in Mariejois, Imu calls the Gorosei to tell them something: they’re leaving Mariejois for a bit.

…Uh-oh.

Review

Guys, my spider-sense is going off like crazy right now! The fighting in Elbaph isn’t over; not by a long shot! If anything, there’s a good chance it’s only getting started if Imu is about to do what I think they are! But first things first, we need to break down and review the chapter.

The first big thing of note is that we learned what Loki did after leaving Elbaph. He and what was left of the Royal Guard did what Harald did and started attacking ships at sea. The only difference is that Loki targeted World Government ships exclusively. My takeaway from this, and what a few YouTubers pointed out, is how smart Loki was doing this. He only went after the people who directly served the World Government while sparing everyone else. More importantly, he did it as discreetly as possible because he knew if he did it in the open, it would make all of his father’s efforts for naught. He may not have approved of what Harald did, but he did love his dad enough to not let the dream he died for be in vain.  

It does beg the question, though: why did Shanks have to capture Loki and drag him back to Elbaph? A few of those YouTubers that I follow actually came up with a good theory. According to them, Loki was gearing up for an all-out assault on Mariejois. Shanks knew that as strong as Loki was, he was likely going to get himself captured or killed while also revealing the powerful Nidhogg had returned. Shanks couldn’t let that happen until the time was right, so he dragged Loki back to Elbaph by force.

Hearing this theory, I think it makes a lot of sense. If Loki is supposed to be the successor to the God of War from ancient times, then he will have a major role to play in the final war for the fate of the world, just like Luffy. More importantly, this arc has left me thinking that the only way to save Elbaph is for Luffy and Loki to work together on this. We don’t know enough about Imu to say whether or not Luffy can handle them at this point. And if I’m right about their next move, Elbaph isn’t out of danger.

How Elbaph is Dealing With Everything that’s Happened

For the moment, though, everyone on Elbaph seems to be in the cooldown phase of things. All of the threats they know about have been pacified for the time being. The God’s Knights are incapacitated for the moment. And they’re all coming to terms with the fact that Loki didn’t kill his dad. Granted, he did, but we know Elbaph isn’t ready for the whole truth yet, so this is good enough.

I found it very funny that despite knowing that Loki is innocent of his biggest crime, that doesn’t change how his countrymen see him. They’re still mad about Loki still did a number on them while trying to save them. Best-case scenario, they will only tolerate him once this is all over because they need his power to protect them from the World Government.

The big surprise for me, though, was the fact that the Owl Library is completely empty. And Biblo, it’s guardian is nowhere to be found. The best guess is that when the attack began, Biblo realized the library contents would be a target, so he got them all out. I guess, in all the chaos taking place, we forgot about that. The only question is where Biblo could have taken all the books? One YouTuber thinks that the owl took them to the tallest point of the Adam Tree where the Knights couldn’t get to them. Thats not a bad idea, in my opinion, as that would give the story a reason to take us to the upper levels of Elbaph. Then again, he thinks that the Straw Hats are going to use it to travel to the moon and that Laugh Tale is there. It’s cool and I have no doubt that the Straw Hats could travel there if they wanted…but I don’t think it’s going to happen just yet.

Also, I don’t agree with the idea that the Straw Hats might have to abandon Elbaph to Imu, even if they don’t have a choice.

Imu is Coming to Elbaph. There’s no Other Place They’d Go.

And now, we come to the big thing about the chapter: Imu is on the move.

This is absolutely massive news for the story. To the best of our knowledge, Imu hasn’t left Mariejois in centuries. It’s likely they’ve never left their secluded location in Mariejois since the Void Century. They’ve kept their existence a secret that only the Gorosei and the God’s Knights know about. So why leave now, and where are they going?

We already know the answer: it’s because of Luffy and Loki, and they’re headed to Elbaph.

Even before we learned how Imu tried to use Harald as their pawn to control Elbaph, I pegged them sending the God’s Knights to conquer it as an act of desperation. They rightfully saw the power of the Giants as what could decide who wins the final war, and with it now inevitable, they wanted it on their side. And once again, Luffy and the Straw Hats managed to get in their way. So, Imu has decided that enough is enough and pulled a Thanos by saying “Fine. I’ll do it myself.”

I don’t think I need to tell you guys just how bad this is. We have yet to learn just how powerful Imu is, but we know they’re even stronger than the Five Elders. When Luffy and the others fought them, they couldn’t put them down for good! Their Haki was just not strong enough to cause permanent damage. And with how tired and scattered everyone is, they’re in no shape to fight. But…they also don’t have a choice. Imu cannot be allowed to take control of Elbaph and enslave it’s people. It will be the end of everything if they do!

The Elbaph Arc Isn’t Over. Not by a Long Shot

I know that some people might see this is as the beginning of the end of the Elbaph arc, but I just dont see that happening yet. Oda has waited decades to give us Elbaph, and I don’t think he wants to end it so soon. Nor do I want it to end so soon, as it’s likely that after we leave Elbaph, we’re headed into the final war. I’m not ready for that. At the same time though, if Imu is coming, I want to see Luffy beat the shit out of them for all their evil!

I Give “Waking from a Nightmare” a 3.5/5

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My Hero Academia: Vigilantes S2 Ep 9 Review

Don’t you just love parties? I may not be the most social of people in real life, but I’ve grown to appreciate the value of parties. People coming together to eat, drink, and celebrate while forgetting about their problems and stress! And it looks like Captain Celebrity is planning to end his time in Japan with a great big party, courtesy of Makoto and the Narufest folks! But there might be trouble in paradise.

Captain Celebrity is Going Home Soon

It’s already Christmas in Japan, and Koichi, Pop, Makoto, CC and the other Narufest folks all get together for a nice party. I just love seeing people enjoying themselves like this! But it’s also a sign of the beginning of the end for Captain Celebrity. In Japan, that is.

If you recall, the whole reason Captain Celebrity left America is because he was dealing with a ton of lawsuits. The good news is that Makoto and his legal team discovered that most of them were just people taking advantage of him and his good-nature. What a bunch of scumbags. More importantly, though, Makoto was able to smooth things over with his wife. Even better, the Captain had found out that he’s about to become a father! Life is good!

But then a monster controlled by the Scarred Man shows up and tries to abduct the three little girls that are part of the Narufest group. He saves them, but he takes the brunt of the attack to save the girls. As a result, his popularity skyrockets! He starts trending online like crazy, all his merch sells out, everything! That inspires Makoto to turn his farewell party into a big event at the Tokyo Sky Egg, a venue capable of holding 50,000 people at once! There will be a massive stage for Pop and the others to perform, and as we see in a montage, a bunch of Pro Heroes that we know get invites!

But there’s a problem that no one realizes: the Scarred Man figured out Captain Celebrity’s weakness.

CC Has a Weakness, After All!

As CC revealed in private, the main thing about his Quirk is that it creates a barrier around him to protect himself while he’s flying. That’s why he’s not affected by bad weather. In addition, he can extend this barrier to other people to protect them, but he has a limit. Keeping those girls safe meant he had to get himself injured in the process. And the Scarred Man figured all of that out.

The one upside to all of this is that Tsukauchi and Eraser Head’s investigation into the Villain Factory gets a major break. Thanks to Knuckleduster’s intel and records that Koichi and Pop provide anonymously, they learn more about the organization. It’s also nice to know that Midnight and Eraser are willing to cover for the two using legal loopholes like citizens’ arrest. They know they mean well and do good. Hopefully, that will stick for the time being!

I Give “Farewell Party!” a 3/5

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My Hero Academia: Vigilantes S2 Ep 8 Review

Remember how Beyond the Spider-Verse coined the term “canon event?” A moment in a story where something happens that defines a character from that point forward. Most often, it’s a very traumatic event that can scar a character for the remainder of their story. And we’ve come to the moment where Aizawa experiences his own canon event: the day he lost his best friend, Shirakumo.

NO OP Is Serious Business

A great way to tell when things are about to get real in an anime is when it chooses to skip the OP or ED. That means that it needs the extra run time for whatever’s about to happen. And this episode seems to get this, as it opens up on as the Heroes of Present Mic’s work study are flying to fight a giant frog villain. And it manages to swallow all of their attacks and throw them right back at them like he’s Kirby!

The Canon Event

Things get worse from there as the sky darkens from storm clouds. Rain is often used to symbolize something very bad is about to happen, and the fact that it starts right after Aizawa and Shirakumo have what will be their final conversation is a great way of showing just how bad things are about to get. Sure enough, His Purple Highness and Midnight warm Eraser and Loud Cloud about the frog villains Garvey. And then things go to hell.

What follows next I can only describe as the equivalent of Batman taking on a Kaiju on his own. We know he’s going to win despite not having any powers, but it’s still scary to watch. And Eraser Head is having to fight this villain on his own, without any backup. But despite not having a flashy power or moves, he proves to be the right person for the job. Seeing him take down the frog villain is like something straight out of a video game, and I loved it.  

But once th dust settles, and the adrenaline wears off, the true cost of victory becomes clear. Canon event completed.

Aizawa Has Untreated Trauma

We knew that Shirakumo ended up getting crushed to death saving those preschoolers and their teacher. We knew that Aizawa had lost his best friend. But I think what makes this hard to watch is the fact that Aizawa tries to deny that Shirakumo is dead. He was imagining his voice cheering him on the entire time, telling him what he needed to hear. But that was all that it was; his imagination. And it hurts like crazy.

This actually makes what happens in the main series feel even worse. Knowing that Dr Garaki and All for One steal Shirakumo’s body and turn him into Kurogiri was a truly unholy action. I know it will be years before Eraser Head and Present Mic get closure, but even knowing that they will doesn’t exactly make me feel any better about Aizawa’s canon event.

Everything changed for Aizawa after his canon event. He had spent his entire life guarding himself from others, thinking that he was better off alone. But then Shirakumo started to pull him out of his shell, and he started to think that maybe he could open up to others. But the pain of losing Shirakumo made him backtrack, thinking once again that, “no, I’m better off a loner.” So despite his teacher’s objections and despite Present trying to reach out to him, as soon as he graduates, he leaves.

We get a montage of his life as the Pro Hero Eraser Head, and while he’s undeniably incredible as a hero, the show bares no bones when it comes to showing how lonely it is, and how it’s not doing him any good. Until the day he meets Knuckle, Koichi, and Pop.

The Naruhata Crew Helped him Heal

The episode ends back in the present day, as Koichi meet the Hotta brothers along with the reformed Kirihiton and that Octoid guy. They all decide to take the cat in as part of a cat cafe they’re planning on opening! And as they’re doing so, Eraser remembers back to his school days and how he started to open up to others. I like how the show uses this moment to tell viewers that this is when it hits for Aizawa. Without even realizing it, Koichi and the other goofballs got him to open up again. He’s starting to heal.

I haven’t read the whole ending to Vigilantes, as I want to enjoy the anime. However, I’m hoping that by the time it does end, Aizawa will be on track to becoming the teacher we will know him as in the main series. He deserves this happiness.  

I Give “A Sky With No Rain Left” a 4.5/5

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My Hero Academia: Vigilantes S2 Ep 7 Review

Our look at the school days of Aizawa continues in part two of what, in all honesty, should have been an OVA or special. Those who watch My Hero Academia know that Aizawa will become a teacher at his Alma mater of UA High, but at the time that Vigilantes take place, he’s in the middle of his lone Batman era. That is to say, he’s keeping everyone at a distance. This school days arc is meant to show why he ends up like this, and so far, it’s been very interesting.

His Purple Highness is Nice

Thanks to the help of their senpai Kayama, aka Midnight, Aizawa and Shirakumo were able to find a work study with her boss, His Purple Highness. Now, I know next to nothing about him as I’m more of a Michael Jackson fan, but even I know this Pro Hero is a tribute to the late Prince. Again, don’t know how spot-on it is, but if the real Prince was as flamboyant as this guy is, then the writer for Vigilantes nailed the character. Unfortunately for Aizawa, HPH keeps taking issue with his attitude. He says his solemn nature doesn’t inspire hope or confidence in the people they’re supposed to save.

To be fair, HPH is not wrong, but he’s not right, either. Aizawa has always been an introverted and socially awkward person. He can work with others, but it takes more effort on his part. And he can genuinely smile, as Shirakumo sees when Kayama sends him a bunch of cat pics. But that’s why this arc works so well. It’s showing us how much of a positive influence Shirakumo was on him. Case in point, he was the one who gave Aizawa those iconic goggles he wears. Thanks to that, he’s able to use his Quirk far more effectively!

Aizawa Does Care, No Matter What He Says

Aizawa can deny it all he wants, but deep down, he really did enjoy the life that he had in high school with Mic and Loud Cloud. They’re such an odd pair, but they bring out the best in each other. So much so that Shirakumo proposed that once they graduated, they start their own hero agency together. I think that would have been incredible to see. Also, we learn what Midnight’s plan was once she went indie: use her agency to surround herself with hot boys. Why am I not surprised?

The hard part about this being a flashback, though, is the fact that we know how this will not end well. The episode pretends to end on a positive note as Aizawa starts to think that the possibilities in his life are starting to open up. However, after the ED, we get another scene. One of destruction as a villain goes on a rampage, and His Purple Highness is out cold, and it makes my heart sink. We know what’s about to happen.

I Give “Glass Sky” a 3.5/5

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One Piece Chapter 1176 Review/Recap

Domi Reversi has got to be one of the most terrifying techniques that we’ve seen in One Piece, and for good reason. Imu can use it to turn anyone who opposes them into immortal, demonic versions of themselves physically under their control. We all knew that it would end up being undone, but many of us assumed that it would be thanks to Luffy’s Gear Five and Haki. As it turns out, though, the Giants and Straw Hats dont need Luffy’s help. All they need is their own will and pride! And a lot of punching!

Recap

Thanks to Sanji freeing his comrades, Nami, Jinbei, Usopp, and Robin are able to rush to Saul and then to the burning library. Nami tries to use Zeus to put out the fires, but suddenly, Qillingham shows up and has one of his nightmares devour Zeus!

Just when it looks like all hope is lost for the library, Franky and Lillith come in clutch! Using these inventions called Omni-Drain Converters, they’re able to suck all the heat out of the fire, freezing it solid! And it gets better. Lilith gives Franky a souped-up version of his cola that she says will make his power skyrocket. And she’s right! Franky jumps high into the air!

After that, everyone begins to counterattack. Jinbei makes to free Zeus, and when Qillingham makes a racist remark towards the Fishman, Sanji is outraged. That leads to this incredible double-page spread as Franky and Jinbei destroy the monster while Sanji kicks Qillingham so hard, his mask breaks!!

Meanwhile, in the West Village, the Giants and Zoro can barely hold back the demons. Suddenly, Dorry and Brogy regain control of themselves, but barely. Rather than shame themselves by killing Jarul, the two captains choose to die with pride, each of them using their weapons to decapitate each other. But…they dont die.

Dorry and Brogy found a fatal flaw in the curse of Domi Reversi. Killing someone under its effects will return them back to normal, with all their injuries healed to boot. In other words, they dont need to hold back or consider their comrades’ well-being, and they start grinning like madmen.

Review

Wow, what an amazing chapter! I thought that seeing Loki’s dragon form was crazy, but this is just as awesome!

First of all, I am so glad that Lillith is finally playing an active role in the story again. She was my favorite of the Satelites for a reason, and this is part of it. Thanks to her, Franky just got a massive upgrade!

It never occurred to me before, but Franky has likely been holding himself back for a very long time. He’s already on par with a Pacifista with just regular cola, but look at what he’s able to do with something stronger. This power-up might temporary, but if it’s permanent, then he could become as strong as the Seraphim’s!

Speaking of permanent, though, I hope that the marks that Sanji left on Qillingham are permanent. I already hated him before, but that racist remark towards Jinbei put him on my s*it list alongside Sommers and Imu. His punishment has just begun, though. I’m willing to bet that this entire contingent of the Straw Hats is about to jump him and give him an oh-so-glorious beatdown. It would be a nice change of pace having more than one crew member teaming up to take down one of the big bads of the arc! At the very least, though, the library, and Ohara’s legacy, is safe for now.

Now, though, we need to talk about the big reveal of the chapter: how to undo Domi Reversi.

Reversing of Domi Reversi

After seeing how someone as powerful as Rocks D. Xebec was unable to fight off Imu’s demonic powers, I, like many other fans, assumed that there was only one way to do so: Luffy. Given how Luffy is the new Joy Boy and has Nika’s powers, it only makes sense he could reverse what his apparent polar opposite, Imu, can do. However, the whole “dying and respawn” thing has thrown me for a loop. This basically means that the heroes just have to hit their friends as hard as they can, and they’ll snap out of it.

It does make some sense. Remember, after Roger and Garp beat Rocks, he reverted back to his human form. However, as YouTuber AnimeUproar pointed out, there’s a discrepancy. By this chapter’s logic, shouldn’t Rocks have returned to full strength instead of being left weak enough to the Knight’s to kill him? Or maybe he just decided that he was tired and wanted to die already. The fact is that I still think that Rocks is dead. No one should be denied a death so epic, in my opinion.

Zoro is Looking Forward to This

As for the implications, though, you can tell how that despite saying they’re upset, Zoro and the others are thrilled at the prospect of what’s about to happen. I would be too, to be honest. They have the chance to cut loose and show us what they can really do, and with the enemies that they are going to have to face beyond Elbaph, they need to break whatever limits they still have. The fate of the entire world hinges on their success.

The bad news is that the next chapter won’t come out until next week. However, that’s not really a problem, considering how this week marks the release of the second season of Netflix’s live-action adaptation of One Piece. Given how great the first season did, expectations remain high for the second one. So DON’T SCREW THIS UP NETFLIX!!

I Give “With Pride” a 4/5

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My Hero Academia S2 Ep 4 Review

When you’re a hero in a place full of heroes, team-ups happen pretty often. It’s what they do. When you’re a vigilante, and you have to team up with a licensed hero, though, things can get complicated. By this point, several pro heroes know about Koichi and Kazuho’s vigilante activities. However, since they’re relatively responsible with their Quirks and help cover places they can’t, the pros have let them do what they want. Until, that is, Koichi almost crosses a line to becoming a threat to public safety with his Quirk. And in front of Eraser Head, no less. He’s lucky that the newest experiment of the Villain Factory shows up, or he would be in huge trouble!

Koichi, Why?

In the last episode, Koichi discovered something cool about his Quirk: he can use it to fire repulsion blasts. Since that led him to break his own window, he and Pop agreed he shouldn’t do that again…is what Pop thought! In reality, Koichi keeps practicing this new move in secret until Kazuho busts him and gives him another scolding. And I’m with Pop on this one; he shouldn’t use his Quirk like that!

In the world of MHA, you need an actual license to fire Quirk-based projectiles. Heroes like Eraser Head, Midnight, and Ingenium have been willing to look the other way with the duo because of how helpful they’ve been, but this is a step too far. Koichi could end up in jail for this. Unfortunately for him, he’s forced into a solo situation where he has no choice but to use this new talent: another next-level villain shows up. And then Eraser Head.

Ever since Narufest, Eraser Head has been regularly patrolling Naruhata to find the source of Trigger, much to the dismay of the small-time crooks turned pharmacists known as the Hotta Brothers. I couldn’t resist letting out a giggle seeing him show up just to drink coffee. Either he’s really that inconsiderate, or he’s doing it just to annoy them, and I’m pretty sure it’s the latter. Fortunately, that means when this new villain, Octoid, shows up and sends Koichi running, Eraser Head is there to help.

The bad news? Not only does Aizawa see Koichi use that “shooty go blam” power, as Koichi puts it, but his own powers don’t stop Octoid. It’s all physical. Thus, their only option is to team up to take down this threat.

Another Team-up of Heroes

Having read a lot of comics growing up, I know for a fact that a team-up between street-level heroes is pretty common. In most cases, it helps them take down much larger and more powerful enemies. And seeing the four, plus that other mantis guy, Kirihito, team up to fight Octoid feels a lot like one of those comics. Unfortunately, their efforts almost end up being in vain when Octoid manages to escape from their trap. And as it turns out, Koichi’s new move isn’t that effective. All it did was make the villain angry and make Eraser Head want to bring him in. This should be an important lesson, Koichi: either get good and responsible with that move, or don’t use it.

In the end, it’s not even the group that stops Octoid. It’s the Scarred Man (or Scarred Speedster, as I call him.) We could already tell that this mystery man was dangerous and bloodthirsty, but he takes it up a notch in this episode. When Octoid cuts his face, he crashes out and almost beats the villain to death in response! That is the kind of behavior you see from an unhinged serial killer! Octoid is lucky that he’s alive to be taken to jail!

In the end, Koichi manages to walk away from his team-up with Eraser Head, with the hero deciding not to take him in. He even covers for him by saying he doesn’t know Koichi when they run into each other alongside Tsukauchi. Such is the life of a hero, though. I’m looking forward to seeing Koichi develop further as he continues to go beyond, PLUS ULTRA!!!

I Give “A Rational Man” a 3/5

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My Hero Academia Vigilantes S2 Ep 2 Review

Even when they’re not trying to find it, it seems like trouble seems to find Koichi and Kazuho. All they wanted was to have a nice day trip to do some idol stuff to promote Kazuho as Pop☆Step. Instead, this crab girl cop managed to drag right into the middle of a sting op looking for Trigger being sold using the venue as cover! But since they were just caught up in everything for once, this episode doesn’t really focus on our two vigilantes. Instead, our attention lies firmly with the heroes and cops sting op, and the member of the organization that’s distributing Trigger.

Crab Girl Almost Ruins Everything

As we learned at the end of the last episode, Monika Kaniyashiki, the idol that Koichi and Pop met at the idol event, is actually an undercover cop. And honestly, I can totally understand why she was chosen for the job. Being an undercover cop requires a fair amount of acting skills and charisma to pull off, and Monika’s goofy nature makes it easy for her to win the confidence of strangers. She was able to talk the seafood workers into letting her inspect their goods with no effort. On top of that, she’s a good detective. She was able to figure out that the Villain Factory was using cooling packs in the packages to smuggle Trigger. Unfortunately, it seems her goofiness is genuine, as it ends up putting Pop in danger once she blows the cover on the Villain Factory’s agent.

Who is this Guy?

The scarred man that Fat and the police face is someone we’ve seen before. He was the one who retrieved that last bee from Queen Bee’s hive after Knuckleduster killed them. At the time, it looked like he was some kind of speedster, which seems pretty rare in the MHA-verse. As this episode shows, however, it’s not actually a speedster power. Instead of providing raw speed, the man’s Quirk lets him speed up his brain and perception of time to the point where they can think and react faster than everyone around him, to the point where everyone else is moving in slow-motion. In other words, he just thinks and acts faster than everyone else than actually being faster.

As if to emphasize this, Tsukauchi manages to get a shot off on the Scarred Man that someone like Flash or Quicksilver could avoid. They don’t need a cooldown, which means it’s not a true speedster power. But even so, this guy was able to get away with a classic villain move: distraction. He makes the crab robots the workers were using go berserk and self-destruct, destroying all the evidence of the Villain Factory’s ops. More importantly, it puts Pop☆Step in danger since she’s piloting one of them due to Monika bailing to do her actual job.

Koichi Saves the Day

Good going, crab girl! You almost got an innocent bystander killed! Thankfully, she, Fat Gum, and Koichi were able to prevent a tragedy from unfolding.

As a lover of superheroes, I have to give the anime props for having Fat Gum and Monika perform a fastball special. However, they wouldn’t have been able to save Pop in time if Koichi hadn’t used his new ability to get to her in time. Granted, Monika the crab girl was the one who saved her, and Fat was able to tank the damage. But Crawler was able to get Pop clear of the blast. So, I’d say it was a team effort. And Kazuho did thank him afterwards.

So, the heroes and police didn’t get anything useful, and the villain got away, but no lives were lost. Koichi and Kazuho were able to fly under the radar once again, but their luck might not last much longer. Tsukauchi learned that his sister is acting as their agent/manager. And given how she’s knowingly aiding two vigilantes, that puts him in a bit of a bind. The next episode is going to be plenty awkward.

I Give “Crabtastic Rampage!” a 3/5

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One Piece Chapter 1172 Review/Recap

The God’s Knights are so screwed. If I could have the displeasure of talking to them right now, I couldn’t begin to tell them how screened they are. Now that Luffy and Hadrujin know the real reasons behind King Harald’s death and the flashback is over, now comes the part of the story where the Straw Hats start hitting back. It’s a very formulaic type of storytelling, but Oda makes it so spectacular that I can’t even complain. And the best part is that it’s not just the Straw Hats Imu has to worry about. They’ve managed to awaken not just one sleeping giant, but an entire nation of them.

Recap

As the group minus Luffy and Loki makes their way up to the sunland, Scopper explains the situation. There are three enemies in the form of the God’s Knights trying to kidnap the Giant children. If they get to the ship, it’s over. Gunko’s guiding them with her arrows, Sommers is guarding them with his thorns, and Qillingham’s nightmares are preventing anyone from getting near them. When they get up there, though, it’s even worse than they thought: it’s chaos. The school and library are on fire, Dorry and Brogy are possessed, Nami and half the crew are captured, and Brook’s up and disappeared!

The group decides to divide and conquer. Part of them heads to rescue the Straw Hats, others to protect Jarul, and the rest to save the kids. And that is when Jarul decides to make a speech to all of Elbaph. A speech so epic that I have to explain it in my own words.

Harald’s Speech in Jay’s own Words

“Listen up, young’guns, because I’ve got some things to say before I die. King Harald was a great man who wanted us to join the World Government and show everyone that us Giants of Elbaph aren’t so scary. But he was betrayed by monsters who only sought to use him and our country as weapons. And on a fateful day fourteen years ago, I saw those monsters send a demon to make him bend the knee and slaughtered all his guards when he refused. Harald gave his life to protect Elbaph, but not before he gave Loki the chance to strike down this evil before it could enslave us all!

We could have told everyone the truth of what happened, but Loki knew that this would make us cry out for blood and become the warmongering nation we once were. So I kept silent while Loki bore the rage of our nation on his back as he set out to sea to avenge his father. He may be tactless and has given us a lot of grief over the years, but he ain’t no patricidal punk!

We thought that it was all over that day, but on this day, fourteen years later, the World Government has sent three more demons to our home to enslave us by taking our children hostage. And they did all of this because they thought Harald being a reasonable guy meant that we would roll over like B*****! But they ****** up, because they have no idea who they’re messing with!

Listen up, Demons! You can make us burn our schools, our libraries, and try to erase who we are, but if you think that we’re going to submit and be patient like Harald, you’re wrong. If you think that your thorns, arrows, demons, and nightmare illusions would be enough to break us, then you bastards have no idea who you’re messing with! If the ancient prophecies say that the world will one day be split in two, then so be it! We will never bow or bend to their authority, and we will protect the peaceful world that Harald dreamed of. From this day forth, the World Government is the enemy of ALL ELBAPH! WHAT SAY YOU, WARRIORS OF ELBAPH?”

Elbaph Declares War

All of Elbaph erupts into cheers and cries of defiance as the Giants begin to take up their weapons. The warrior spirit of Elbaph has reawakened, leaving everyone fired up (and Usopp in tears!) At that moment, Dorry and Brogy reach Jarul, but so do Hadrujin and Zoro’s group…and Zoro has a plan!

Review

The following basically sums up my reaction to this chapter:

Haven’t I been saying it since the Knights appeared in Elbaph? They came to do some BS to make the Giants of Elbaph submit and become their warrior slaves for the final war that’s fast approaching. Not only was it not going to work, but I said that it was going to reignite the Giants warrior spirit and make them take up arms once more. Of course, I think people who have come to understand Oda’s writing style by now likely thought the same thing, so I can’t be smug about it. And while I’ve heard that some people are saying this chapter sucks, I want to explain why I think it’s the opposite.

Firstly, there’s the map Oda drew showing the current situation. As this person on Twitter pointed out, having a map drawn means that Oda is taking us on a long ride. This is going to be a battle fought on multiple fronts, which means that the Straw Hats and New Giant Warrior Pirates ha E to divide and conquer. Which, of course, means we can expect a lot of big fights going forward. We’ve got Zoro and Hadrujin’s group fighting Dorry and Brogy, Road and Gerd are going to try and rescue the kids, and the rest are likely going to save the others and the school and library. And that’s not even getting into Luffy and Loki’s inevitable arrival.

Speaking of Loki, I’m so glad that Jarul decided to clear his name. He may be a trouble-making delinquent, but he does love Elbaph in his own way, and genuinely regrets having to kill his own father. Even better, Jarul was able to keep Harald’s good name intact with the way that he phrased the truth of the massacre. As much as I think the whole truth should be known by all, now is not the right time to reveal that. It would just confuse everyone, and that is not what Elbaph needs. It needs to be focused on going to war.

This is the best of What Harald and Ida wanted for Elbaph

Having gotten to know Harald and what he stood for, you would think that the Giants taking up arms again would spit in his memory. However, it’s the opposite. Before Harald changed his ways, the Giants of Elbaph ran around picking fights with everyone for the love of the game. Thanks to Ida, Harald saw how messed up that was and how there was more his people could offer the world than violence. At the end of her life, though, Ida had realized that the warrior ways of Elbaph were not inherently evil, and could be used for good. Say, some jerkwads come barging into your home, kidnap your kids, and try to make you do what they say.

What we’re seeing is the fusion of the ideals of Harald and Ida in the best way possible. Instead of fighting each other or fighting a war for tyranny, the Giants are fighting to defend themselves from it. And once the Knights are dealt with, they’re undoubtedly going to throw their support behind Luffy in the final war. Loki will get his wish to destroy the world. Or rather, the World Government, which needs to go!

Speaking of Loki, I can’t wait to see what he and Luffy can do teamed up. Between them both, I dont think the God’s Knights stand a chance. In addition, I think Zoro’s plan is to have Dorry and Brogy restart their rivalry and get them to fight each other. As for Brook, it’s looking more and more like the theory that Gunko knew him when he was alive is right. Maybe they were friends before Gunko became Imu’s servant. If that’s true, then even the Covenant with Imu can’t fully break someone.

I dont care what anyone says about this chapter. It was meant to set us up for the rollercoaster ride we’re about to ride. And that epic speech (which I urge you to read) made it all worthwhile. The Giants are about to bring Ragnarok down on Imu, and it’s gonna be epic!!!

I Give “The Elbaph I dreamed of” a 4/5

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My Hero Academia S2 Ep 1 Review

My Hero Academia may be over, but we still got a few years and a few more seasons of the spin-off prequel, Vigilantes. I know it wasn’t written directly by Horikoshi, but like the man himself, Vigilantes shows that it understands the superhero genre pretty well. In this case, it’s through the eyes of heroes who work closer to the streets, given in the form of Knuckleduster, Koichi, and Pop☆Step. As someone who grew up adoring street-level heroes like Spider-Man, the show really captures what it’s like to be a friendly neighborhood hero, and I’m looking forward to seeing what comes next. As it turns out, Koichi and Kazuhiro can’t stay out of trouble even when they try, as they’re about to get roped back into the conflict over Trigger.

Koichi is a Wall Crawler Now

It’s been a while now since Knuckleduster up and left Koichi and Pop☆Step, but the two have been getting by well on their own. Koichi is continuing his unauthorized hero work as the Crawler, but publicly, he’s acting as Pop’s manager. In this case, he’s acting as Pop’s manager, as she’s been asked to appear at a local idol event in Naniwa, but he ends up missing the train. Until, that is, he discovers another application for his Quirk: he can stick to surfaces.

Once again, I love how My Hero Academia wears its influences on its sleeve. If Deku was inspired by the likes of Spider-Man, but on a global scale, then Koichi is inspired by the friendly neighborhood aspects as well as his powers. That second part becomes all the more blatant with Koichi’s new ability directly mimicking the webhead’s wall-crawling abilities. That, and Koichi seems to have the infamous Parker luck, as he winds up having to intervene when he runs into another familiar Pro Hero, Fat Gum. He wins him over by saving his takoyaki, but what neither realize is that they’re both going to be at the same venue. The difference is that Fat Gum is part of a sting operation involving Trigger.

Why can’t they stay out of Trouble?

Even though Knuckleduster managed to stop Queen Bee, the distribution of Trigger hasn’t let up in Naruhata. In fact, doses that turn users into stronger Instant Villains, dubbed “Next Level Villains” are making the rounds. And while Koichi and Pop are at Naniwa, Eraser Head gathers info from some low-level dealers. Meanwhile, its revealed that Fat Gum and Tsukauchi (Makoto’s brother) are surveilling the idol event, convinced that it’s being used as a front to sell Trigger by this “Villain Factory.” To make matters worse, Tsukauchi can’t help but feel that Koichi and Pop look familiar.

At this point, there are several heroes who already know what the Naruhata Vigilantes are doing: Midnight, Eraser Head, and Ingenium. They’ve looked the other way because they aren’t doing anything too reckless and are just trying to help, which they need. Tsukauchi, though, is an officer of the law. He is supposed to arrest them for vigilantism. Plenty of cops in fiction dont do this because the heroes make their jobs easier, but this isn’t always the case. Fingers crossed that Tsukauchi is one of the former.

Parker Luck in another Universe

What makes this funny, though, is that even when they’re trying to have a day off, Koichi and Pop still get dragged into hero stuff. One of the performers they meet, Monika, is an undercover cop. And when she goes to do her actual job, Pop has to step in to cover for her. Thus, they’ve been dragged into this mess without even meaning to!

Like I said, Parker luck.

This was a soft way to start the next season of Vigilantes, in my opinion. I know this show isn’t for everyone, but for those not ready to say goodbye to MHA, I think this show will serve as a good way to enjoy it for a little longer. That being said, Im looking forward to seeing how Koichi and Pop handle themselves without Knuckleduster to back them up.

I Give “Day-Tripping to Naniwa” a 3/5

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