One Piece Anime, Wano Arc: Episodes 1082-1085

And finally... we close off the Wano arc! These episode review/reactions are really understandably a lot less robust than the actual action scenes, but I really did want to end off my Wano watch-through with a completed version. It's been a fun ride, even if it went probably a whole dang year longer than how I thought it would go. 

Episode 1082:

• You know what? Normally I'd complain about the filler scenes, but Tama and Chopper reacting to Nami and Usopp playing with the little carnival game is pretty adorable. 
• It's all admittedly just slashing (and some typical Wano-arc 'cubing' on Denjiro's part) but it is pretty cool seeing the Akazaya samurai fighting against Groot. I mean, Ryokugyu. 
• It lasted a couple of chapters in the manga, but I really do like that the anime gave Raizo and his fireball jutsu a bit more of an oomph in the anime, as does Ryokugyu pretending briefly to be hurt before ranting about how admirals wouldn't have such an obvious weakness. 
• Jack the half-fishman helped them hunt for the underwater Poneglyph. But I do wonder how that works, since we saw that Jack's still weakened underwater. I guess they tied a rope to him while he shambled in pain?
• I really don't have much to say about the Robin, Law and Sukiyaki scene. It's paced perfectly, but even in the source material it's mostly just exposition. 
• Killer eating noodles through the holes in his mask is always a gloriously fun little detail. I don't actually remember when he first does this (I think it's the meeting with Hawkins and Apoo?) but that's hilarious. 
• 
  Momonosuke giving this whole big speech about how the people of Wano need to protect Wano gets a great bit where the music swells up... and cuts off pathetically when his fireballs refuse to come out.
• It's still one of the more poorly-handled retcons even with the added pacing of the anime, but at least there's still a bit of a foreshadowing to Yamato being inspired by Momo's words. 
  
• Okay, to be fair, Momonosuke's Boro Breath is pretty badass. The DBZ sound effects and the giant flames and all the seemingly-desperate buildup of the wooden vines about to pierce him and all. They do a lot of great angles with how Momonosuke's constantly shooting this stream of flames without having the proper ability or training to control the blast. 
• The half-formed mouthless Aramaki as he resurrects from the seed is pretty creepy. 
• Oh fuck yeah, Shanks. That's a badass animation, though if you don't know it's supposed to be pure Haki (which takes a while before Ryokugyu confirms it), you'd be forgiven for thinking that Shanks shoots literal, directed red lightning. Or Omega Beams or something for all you DC fans out there.
• Man, Ryokugyu's a chump. 

Episode 1083:

• I do actually like the little nod that the other Akazaya members allowed the two most grievously wounded -- Kin'emon and Kuki -- to heal in the city and enjoy the victory. 
• Ah, dessiccated Raizou and Shinobu. The music does imply that this would be a bit more serious, and honestly I really wouldn't have minded if Shinobu or Raizou are just in a coma for the forseeable future or something... but it'd really put a dampener on Momonosuke's victory and their exit. So. 
• O-Tsuru's survival is given a bit more of an extended scene, though her 'badly burned' face is basically just an eyepatch.  
• Yeah, this is the 'no one's following the Straw Hats' episode, huh? Carrot's moment is still a bit random and jarring, though obviously not as abrupt as Yamato's. Her being absent for the last 30 episodes or so probably helped.
• I love that we get another '10000000 IQ Kin'emon' moment as he thinks to himself about his surprise that Tenguyama is Sukiyaki. And, of course, the glorious reply that Kawamatsu, Kiku and Denjiro all already figured it out. 
• I love the reactions that our heroes have towards Robin's revelation about Pluton. The fandom are all excited about it, but Franky's more baffled than horrified, while Luffy and Chopper are more like 'oh, that thing Franky talked about in Enies' Lobby'. Brook doesn't even know what's going on, even when more serious characters like Jinbe and Sanji acknowledge it. 
• Ah, yes, Caribou overhearing about Pluton in Wano. I forgot about that. I really kind of forget about Caribou a lot. Which I suppose is Oda's whole point. 
• I also really like the brief scene of Momonosuke having to channel his inner 'badass shogun' and going 'good.' 'mm.' 'yes.' to all of the people around him, while his heart wants to party with the Straw Hats and his samurai, and he breaks character almost immediately when he's out of earshot. 
• It is really cruel for the writers to put Yamato in the same list of names as the rest of the Straw Hats...
• Love the little petty argument between Luffy, Kid and Law. Man, poor Kid and Law... the best part is the little smirk that Law, all pretending to be super-mature and shit, makes when he says 'what are you, kids?'
• "I'm a Yonko, but I lost a raffle!"
• I absolutely love how Luffy's reaction to the Cross Guild poster... probably mirrors us fans, who take a look at Buggy, and then our mind registers Mihawk and Crocodile, and the "Cross Guild" name.
• I also love that Law, in all seriousness, goes, 'what a formidable Emperor, he has Hawk-Eyes and Crocodile under his control.'
• There is a bit of a zoom-in onto Law as he walks away, which Robin takes note about, right around the time Kid and Luffy argue about the man with the burned scar. I don't know if this is just the anime taking some liberties, or if the burn-scar man is actually straight-up connected to Law. 

Episode 1084:

• And this episode takes place as a little bit of a closure for some minor plot points, and even gets to cheat about screentime too by reusing footage from Wano's first act. Luffy goes to visit the remnants of Oden's castle that Kaido blew up with his gigantic Blast Breath, and gets to see a vision of Oden.
• Then the rest of the Akazaya Samurai show up to pay their respects. All their dialogue are honestly pretty generic and they just have quiet, solemn reactions... but it's really very nice and acknowledging Oden, who despite being dead is such a huge presence in the Wano arc, is much appreciated. 
• We also get to see Carrot saying goodbye and getting all teary-eyed as she talks to Nami and Chopper specifically, and that's another scene that I felt was lacking in the source material even if Oda did intend to phase Carrot out. 
• And the most important scene here? Zoro visiting graves. He doesn't actually know Pedro all that well, I don't think, but pouring a drink of sake in front of Yasuie and Pedro's graves, and being all solemn with his swords and sake cups is very nice and appreciated. Having Toko show up to her father's grave, and letting Hiyori and Zoro share a brief moment to share a personal farewell, is also a nice touch.
• While there are some obvious shipping elements to it, I really don't think Zoro cares all that much about women to see Hiyori in that way. 
• I absolutely love Zoro going "you can't have it back!" in regards to Enma.
• Zoro gets to reflect on his own comparison to Oden, on how Kaido was able to sense Oden's will on the sword, and vows to get stronger to be worthier of Enma. That's pretty nice. 
• I would've really liked another scene with him laying Shusui on Ryuma's grave, but that's just nitpicking; and Yasuie, Pedro and Oden are more narratively important anyway. 
• Franky and the angry carpenter boss get a rather weird farewell, but I like it. Usopp getting the material to make the flag (which I 100% forgot about) is also cute.
• Sanji also gets to properly sell some of his Sangoro Soba from earlier on in the arc, which is nicely appreciated. He gets to hang out with the one geisha with Chuuji the rat. That's kind of nice! 
• Seeing O-Tsuru give out some oshiruko to the villagers rebuilding Kuri is also a nice scene, again, even if it's pretty simple. I think with how much the arc has been building up to it, seeing Luffy and Tama eat the red bean soup is very cute. Having Luffy and Tama actually say goodbye, and Luffy being a good big brother to Tama is adorable. 
  
• A nice little scene is Chopper giving Bepo the sulong rumble balls, which is a nice foreshadowing to... well, to what would be a tragic scene later on. 

Episode 1085:

• We end the arc with an episode that starts with someone singing in the traditional Japanese opera style. Love it. 
• What I love more? Seeing the Wano characters drawn in traditional Japanese art style. Obviously it doesn't work that well for the Minks, but I really like how the humans end up. 
  
• Yeah, Yamato deciding to stay in Wano... still really comes out very abruptly. There's that very brief scene of foreshadowing during the Aramaki fight, but I really wished 1084 gave us like a scene of Yamato meditating about Oden or something.
• Love the little 'eeeh' that Chopper makes when Law brushes him off. 
• Yeah, Momonosuke at least got a nice little speech to send him off from Luffy. I do find him breaking down in tears and begging for big brother Luffy to stay is very nice. Honestly, the execution of Momonosuke is a wonderful way of taking a character I truly despised when he first showed up in Punk Hazard into someone I actually care about. 
• Usopp getting a flag ready and giving it to Momonosuke, and telling Momonosuke to fly that flag over Wano... yeah, I actually forgot this scene from the source material, but having this to basically let Luffy slowly show that he's a proper Yonko? I don't know if it's intentional or just for narrative's sake, but the fact that Kid and Law never tried to be an Emperor in terms of claiming the territory (friendly-wise or otherwise) is probably an indication as to why they ultimately would drop out of the race. 
• Seeing Luffy call Momonosuke his 'little brother' hits extra hard considering how we know what Luffy actually means since he's already adopted two elder brothers before. 
  
• Yeah, Luffy acknowledging Kin'emon, Momonosuke and Yamato as honourary Straw Hats... it's a nice moment. 
• Love the little chibi Yamato going 'surpass me?' in the midst of a dramatic scene where Momonosuke wants to surpass Kozuki Oden. 
• Oh, I love how we get a whole scene to showing how the Straw Hat crew are happy to use the proper, official port... and one taunt from Kid and not only Luffy, but even Law gets ticked off and decides to go the yolo way. God bless these three morons. 
• Okay, and as Wano closes with the song detailing the defeat of the tormentors of the land, with the badass music going to a crescendo, Momonosuke walking back into the city, the curtains close... and it's the end of Wano.