(945-word review) Despite only reaching CH.185 of the manga years ago, meaning mostly everything in all those chapters is a blur (and I mean EVERYTHING), I still remembered the Zoro vs. Mihawk decimation. It's iconic and easily memorable; plus, Mihawk has such a distinctive aesthetic and air about him, even in manga form, almost to the point of seeming cocky and smug but managing to walk a thin line between that and simply being HIM; he's an absolute menace, and he pulls it off exquisitely. He also accomplishes fraudulent status. That's when you know he's a god-tier character - Fraudhawk, the GOAT.
But, in terms of the show, I already knew that this was THAT episode, the one with that fight, so naturally, I had high expectations going in, which further stemmed from knowing that reaction videos to this episode on YouTube are receiving an increased influx of views than previous and subsequent ones. I'm happy to say that I wasn't disappointed, and the fight sequence itself was well done and efficiently depicted the beyond-vast gap between Zoro and him, stretching that dream of becoming the world's greatest swordsman to even higher, unimaginable heights, which followed the manga's lead. It's not even close: this is the finest one of the season so far.
Everything that mattered most was perfect, from Mihawk's introduction/Steven John Ward's flawless performance to all of the scenes at The Baratie, especially the one with Zoro and Nami: both of whom, specifically him, let down their walls a bit, connecting to an extent and giving us some character development, resulting in them feeling more like proper characters. He displayed genuine emotion for once during that brief interaction with Nami and after challenging Mihawk. That other interaction with her concerning the approaching battle, including his declaration at the end of this episode after its conclusion, were both brimming with more emotion than he's revealed up to this point, except for when he was younger in the backstory flashback.
Furthermore, I liked the parallel there, between his emotional showing in the past and during his fight; he was acting the same way he did against Kuina, with aggression, in addition to the other parallel between Luffy and Sanji regarding their parental figures - how Luffy's been in a similar enough scenario with Garp, only he has already stood up for himself and his dream, going against Garp's wishes, while telling Sanji to do the same, who hasn't done that. There are complexities involved, for sure. But, as I said earlier, about 99% of everything up to the point where I unintentionally began a hiatus that turned indefinite while reading the manga is a blur. I don't remember what's up with Zeff (otherwise known as Ghost - but also Gaz and Wallcroft; Craig Fairbrass has a distinctive voice) and the dynamic there with Sanji, though it's still noticeable that Zeff cares about him, as does Garp care about Luffy.
Another thing I liked a lot was Garp's reaction to Luffy's cannonball deflection, which was an assortment of emotions: a concoction of anger, frustration, his fighting spirit/yearning for battle rising to the surface, and being proud of him. That show of those things reminded me of Walter White's reaction in the car after his interaction/deal with Tuco in Breaking Bad: a palpable surge of life, excitement, and LOVING it.
And, of course, there was Sanji's introduction to the show. Besides the fact that he's already likable in such little screen time, in addition to being wonderfully portrayed, and wanting to see more of him right away, particularly as a member of the crew and his interactions with everyone else, most notably Zoro, I immediately fixated on Taz Skylar's accent, which is discernably British but often sounded way different; it even had Jamaican similarities or something along those lines at the end of his first dialogs to the two guys who were arguing and how he pronounced the name of the restaurant: "Now, now, gentlemen. You know the rules here. We don't waste food, and there is no fighting at Baratie." That's the Canary Islands side of it, and it's an unusual mixture - in a good and oddly well-resulted way. I've never heard anything like it. His deep-ish voice/accent also sounded black to me in his first scene, like those in England who say "bruv," wherever in England that is; maybe that's where he grew up. Taz is HIM; he's Sanji, 100%.
An unexpected and effectively hilarious moment that deserves attention and a mention was when Zoro was struggling to sit down with the swords. While it was one of those things that usually brings immediate second-hand embarrassment for me, it quickly faded and turned into something funny. I like the moments like that and similar subtle instances the writers are doing with his character, like the drinking habit and the one-liners relating to it; "That fish better have a bar" was another great one-liner.
Lastly, the score cue during the surgical cutting-down-to-size operation on Zoro, "Wounds On The Back Are A Swordsman's Greatest Shame," was good; however, the one during the credits was absolute bananas. The guy on the guitar was going ham; those strings must've been on fire. That track, "Zoro vs Mihawk," featuring the godly fingers of Marcin, is easily up there in the Top 5 score cues of this season's soundtrack. "Smells Like Butter, Soy Sauce And Meat" was another enjoyable track, especially the last section as The Baratie came into sight.
My initial rating for this episode was an eight out of ten, but a nine was more appropriate. It was top-tier: a popular opinion from the appearance of things, and rightfully so.
But, in terms of the show, I already knew that this was THAT episode, the one with that fight, so naturally, I had high expectations going in, which further stemmed from knowing that reaction videos to this episode on YouTube are receiving an increased influx of views than previous and subsequent ones. I'm happy to say that I wasn't disappointed, and the fight sequence itself was well done and efficiently depicted the beyond-vast gap between Zoro and him, stretching that dream of becoming the world's greatest swordsman to even higher, unimaginable heights, which followed the manga's lead. It's not even close: this is the finest one of the season so far.
Everything that mattered most was perfect, from Mihawk's introduction/Steven John Ward's flawless performance to all of the scenes at The Baratie, especially the one with Zoro and Nami: both of whom, specifically him, let down their walls a bit, connecting to an extent and giving us some character development, resulting in them feeling more like proper characters. He displayed genuine emotion for once during that brief interaction with Nami and after challenging Mihawk. That other interaction with her concerning the approaching battle, including his declaration at the end of this episode after its conclusion, were both brimming with more emotion than he's revealed up to this point, except for when he was younger in the backstory flashback.
Furthermore, I liked the parallel there, between his emotional showing in the past and during his fight; he was acting the same way he did against Kuina, with aggression, in addition to the other parallel between Luffy and Sanji regarding their parental figures - how Luffy's been in a similar enough scenario with Garp, only he has already stood up for himself and his dream, going against Garp's wishes, while telling Sanji to do the same, who hasn't done that. There are complexities involved, for sure. But, as I said earlier, about 99% of everything up to the point where I unintentionally began a hiatus that turned indefinite while reading the manga is a blur. I don't remember what's up with Zeff (otherwise known as Ghost - but also Gaz and Wallcroft; Craig Fairbrass has a distinctive voice) and the dynamic there with Sanji, though it's still noticeable that Zeff cares about him, as does Garp care about Luffy.
Another thing I liked a lot was Garp's reaction to Luffy's cannonball deflection, which was an assortment of emotions: a concoction of anger, frustration, his fighting spirit/yearning for battle rising to the surface, and being proud of him. That show of those things reminded me of Walter White's reaction in the car after his interaction/deal with Tuco in Breaking Bad: a palpable surge of life, excitement, and LOVING it.
And, of course, there was Sanji's introduction to the show. Besides the fact that he's already likable in such little screen time, in addition to being wonderfully portrayed, and wanting to see more of him right away, particularly as a member of the crew and his interactions with everyone else, most notably Zoro, I immediately fixated on Taz Skylar's accent, which is discernably British but often sounded way different; it even had Jamaican similarities or something along those lines at the end of his first dialogs to the two guys who were arguing and how he pronounced the name of the restaurant: "Now, now, gentlemen. You know the rules here. We don't waste food, and there is no fighting at Baratie." That's the Canary Islands side of it, and it's an unusual mixture - in a good and oddly well-resulted way. I've never heard anything like it. His deep-ish voice/accent also sounded black to me in his first scene, like those in England who say "bruv," wherever in England that is; maybe that's where he grew up. Taz is HIM; he's Sanji, 100%.
An unexpected and effectively hilarious moment that deserves attention and a mention was when Zoro was struggling to sit down with the swords. While it was one of those things that usually brings immediate second-hand embarrassment for me, it quickly faded and turned into something funny. I like the moments like that and similar subtle instances the writers are doing with his character, like the drinking habit and the one-liners relating to it; "That fish better have a bar" was another great one-liner.
Lastly, the score cue during the surgical cutting-down-to-size operation on Zoro, "Wounds On The Back Are A Swordsman's Greatest Shame," was good; however, the one during the credits was absolute bananas. The guy on the guitar was going ham; those strings must've been on fire. That track, "Zoro vs Mihawk," featuring the godly fingers of Marcin, is easily up there in the Top 5 score cues of this season's soundtrack. "Smells Like Butter, Soy Sauce And Meat" was another enjoyable track, especially the last section as The Baratie came into sight.
My initial rating for this episode was an eight out of ten, but a nine was more appropriate. It was top-tier: a popular opinion from the appearance of things, and rightfully so.