Unrelenting Emotion | Reviewing One Piece: Arlong Park 

You can watch my review for the next arc RIGHT NOW on Patreon here (5$+): www.patreon.com/Aleczandxr To follow the readthroughs on stream, you can follow me on Twitch here: www.twitch.tv/Aleczandxr/ CURRENT TWITCH SCHEDULE: Mondays @ 10am EST: A Blind Playthrough of Ace Attorney Wednesdays @ 10am EST: Hunter x Hunter Weekly Arc Discussions Sundays @ 11am EST: Weekly reactions to Kaguya-sama: Love is War, Spy X Family and One Piece Chapter reads SOME FRIDAYS, I do full One Piece reading streams as well, starting from around 10-10:30am EST.

27:09 R.I.P. Garp, you were one hell of a one-off character.

To me, the moment where Luffy decides not to listen to Nami's backstory is one of the most important moments for establishing who he is. He doesn't care about the details of Nami's past because he has already made up his mind about who Nami is to him and what he needs to do to help her. It also shows that his emotional intelligence is deceptively high - he may not know exactly what happened to her, but he understands how she feels on a very deep fundamental level.

For most people this arc solidifies their love and interest for One Piece. This arc is nowadays heavily underrated for what it achieved in the story and I absolutely love it. Great video!

I LOVED your analysis of Usopps character. It feels like so many people miss the entire point of Usopp and it's always refreshing to hear when someone is a fan of Usopp because I know they are actually looking at the writing surrounding him and not just his goofy aesthetic and lower average cool factor.

A 4th meaning of Luffy giving his hat to Nami is that he is saying, "Don't worry, I'll be back". Nami was terrified of anyone dying to Arlong, thus why she didn't ask for help until her village started to charge Arlong Park.

You're doing an incredible job with these discussions. I noticed in the Baratie review you really didn't speak much about Luffy's fight with Don Krieg, which struck me considering Luffy's resolve against Don's tricks. But, in my opinion, One Piece isn't about the fights. It isn't about the power levels. It's about the themes, the characters, the philosophy, the adventure. You're catching on to some really deep, meaningful things that will blossom as you go deeper into the series that many people wouldn't notice for several rereads. Some never do. There are several moments during each review where I mutter "holy shit" as you highlight something small that actually feels huge in the grand scope of the series.

#AJPiece Arlong Park is considered to be the make or break, turning point arc for early One Piece basically because, like you guessed, it does everything good about One Piece in one arc. Future arcs will do it better, but this is a taste of basically all (or at least most of) the themes in the series, an example of great backstory implementation, drama, teamwork and bonds, and the emotionally-charged fights and climaxes. It's an encapsulation of Oda's storytelling in the purest form so even if it isn't one of the best arcs, it is so honest about One Piece's identity that if you don't vibe with it, it's probably safe to say the series isn't for you.

Bellemere's decision wasn't just out of pride. Genzo said later that their plan to send Nami and Nojiko out to sea was doomed to begin with since Arlong sunk all the boats and ships afterward.

I can't believe that you saying "Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, Usopp and Nami fight together" made me so emotional, I hope you enjoy your journey thoroughly, love your reviews ♥️

The time has come 😭 LETS GOOOOOOOOOO!

Honestly i think one of the main reasons people put Arlong park on such a pedestal is due to the fact a majority of people, at least from everything i personally have read and heard, watched the anime adaptation before eventually switching over to reading the manga at some point on the adventure. The anime has phenomenal voice talent and framing for alot of early scenes which add a real weight to the moments, fully bringing them to life. I am in no way discrediting the amazing work Oda did in the manga, however. Arlong Park is where we see for the first time what Oda is capable of in terms of emotional punches by taking full advantage of the set-up he did in prior arcs by slamming us with interesting twists and themes no one expected from the lighthearted manga it typically leans into being. Overall, i am truly enjoying the reviews so far, along with the unique perspective you seem to bring to the table compared to the countless other reviews i've seen tackle this series!

26:20 " I don't know if Garp was just a one off character" this is so precious x) this is amazing

I'm absolutely amazed by the fact that you recognized and discussed the fixation of bloodlines/race and blood as a theme in general in combination with bonds when looking at Arlong and Nami in contrast. Without spoiling, this is some masterful foreshadowing.

Nami clutching her arm, fingernails digging into her skin and then that effing knife… A tearful cry for help, followed by the hat gesture. One of the very few scenes in anime, that to this day can make me tear up. On par with Meruems goodbye. Highly recommened watching that particular scene in the anime. Thanks for the review.

I remember reading and thinking Garp was someone we'd learn more about, I was confused why oda would bring him to focus like that then use him only as a device to develop axehand morgan

Great review as always! I think the reason this arc is "make or break" for so many is because this arc gives a great taste of the emotional highs, clever writing, intentionality and tragedy that can really be seen as what makes one piece, one piece. I think a reason people say that is because if you're not interested or really enjoying oda's writing at this point, the series isn't for you. Great analysis as always, you really manage to pull out new meaning from scenes I've seen so many times, it's part of what makes the series so great. Glad you're enjoying your journey at your own pace :)

#AJPiece You were spot on with your analysis of Arlong, but the fishman who really stands out to me in this arc is Hatchan (Hachi). While every other Fishman is rude, mean, or oppressive, espousing Arlong's beliefs of their superiority, Hatchan is just a friendly, dim witted guy who happens to be fighting for the wrong side. I think that's a big part of why people remember him more than they do Chew or Kuroobi.

Your attitude about finishing is EXACTLY the “best” way to experience One Piece. Enjoying every part of the journey as it goes is kind of the point of the story. Also, as long as you read more than one chapter a week you’ll make “progress” so just sit back and enjoy the cruise.

This arc is also a textbook example of Oda's long term story building. Arlong Park is a fairly straightforward arc at first, but it forces us - the reader - to ask many questions. Like the Warlord thing. Or wanting to learn more about some of the names mentioned. It's something that is slowly explained throughout the rest of the story, to the point that going back to read earlier arcs becomes a rewarding experience. Like...chapters that are being released after One Piece passed the 1000 chapter mark, enhance the story of the very first two arcs.

Luffy liking and imitating the windmill is fitting to his personality and character in so many ways! Maybe Oda chose the name of his home town „windmill town“ partly because of that? Even if it‘s just coincidence I somehow like this little detail!

After a long time of having One Piece in my life, Luffy has become my favorite character in the series. Probably top 5 in all of media. Something about him is so charming. One of the moments that always stands out to me when re-reading is when he tells Coby that he hates him, after learning how pathetic Coby is acting. Always makes me laugh. A lot of people tend to write him off as generic, boring, or uninteresting. Not much different from a Goku, Naruto, or a Natsu (though Naruto is a great character too). Hell, I thought the same way too for a while. But he has stuck with me as opposed to many other protagonists. And I don't necessarily know why. The way he approaches life? The way he carries himself? How he rarely concerns himself with frivolous details and refuses to get bogged down because of them? How he wears his heart on his sleeve? His ability to cut through any of the little things that can plague an overthinking mind like mine? I think he is a deceitfully unique character, and I don't think most authors could write a character like him.

Absolutely agree with the second comment. I love your analysis and deep thought of this so far. Its super refreshing. Ive been in the community for 9 years now and am loving reliving this series that means so much to me again. Bicariously through you

Nami's new tattoo can have two meanings, actually. The most obvious one is Bellemere and Genzo. But the second one is Nami and Luffy. Because Luffy is from Windmill Village, and the tangerine also represents Nami.

If anyone says it was out of character and incongruent for Nami to still be a thief. The first flashback scene we get from her, is her stealing a book... Which happened before she knew Arlong even existed (if i have to point that out)

Arlong is - to me - the first truly fantastic One Piece villain and still one of the series' best to its day. On my latest reread of this arc I loved how bigotry is explored through his character. As in: he believes really strongly in the superiority of fishmen over humans yet he's introduced bribing a Marine and will rely on the skill of a human cartographer/navigator (i.e. Nami) to realize his ambitions. What's even better is that later arcs build on those tensions and conflicts. I don't want to spoil anything even accidentally; but I will say that in a later arc, "Nothing" says everything.

#AJPiece Since Shanks is a character you consider among the best in the series even after so less screentime, I thought I should share this little bit of trivia. Shank is that part of an anchor which provides stability and direction to it. Now go and check Luffy's first appearance, all the way back in chapter one.

#AJPiece This arc is my favourite because of what it does for Nami. Nami is a very closed off character who very rarely says what she actually means, even later on in the series, and even other fans of the series get deceived by her surface materialistic nature. Getting Nami's backstory and understanding what money represents to her completely reframes everything she does before Arlong Park and afterwards. For Nami money represents the possibility of safety, security, and even the love she has for those she cares about. Bellemere's final act was to use her meager wealth to save Nami's life . For most of her life money was the means to find salvation and to free her entire village. That sort of deep association doesn't go away. As I understand it, Nami prioritizes the finances of the crew throughout the series, not just because she likes money but because for her that is the best ways she knows to support the people she cares for most deeply. She is able to be herself with the crew because they all know that beneath the surface she is always looking out for them in her own way.

And now from the words of a Patron - for anyone interested, early access for Loguetown is up and it's 1 hour and 11 minutes :)

Regarding Gum Gum Pinwheel being inspired by Genzo, while I definitely do think that Luffy respects Genzo, having future knowledge I think it more speaks to how truly observant Luffy is. While Luffy is often very simple minded and straightforward, he’s incredibly observant and pays a lot of attention to the world around him. Luffy’s attacks and techniques being inspired by what he observes is simply another way Oda continues to show the audience this side of Luffy. #AJPiece

Nami stabbing her arlong tattoo is still one of my favorite scene in one piece to this day i love the raw emotion shown on that scene love the video man

ARLONG PARK! This is the arc when One Piece truly becomes showing signs of greatness, I'm so happy you liked it (I'm assuming you liked it given the video length)

#AJPiece right up front: I love your reviews of One Piece so far. I actually love that you don't talk a lot about the fights themselves, but lean heavily into the themes behind those fight and what they represent. I'm very much looking forward to this in the future, mainly because there are some truly spectacular thematic finishing moves especially by Luffy. And you really don't have to worry about the length of those videos. One of the biggest One Piece content creators puts up at least half on hour review PER CHAPTER and if he has topics he want to ellaborate further and theorise on, two hours of content per Chapter isn't rare for him. But enough of the praise and warm words about you (for now), because I'm here to talk about one of my favourite scenes in all of One Piece wich happened to be in Arlong Park. To this day almost a thousand chapters later, it's still a very rare occasion that Luffy puts his straw hat into the hand of others. Seeing him here just put the hat directly on Namis head without hesitation will never stop being special to me. It's the highest gesture in Luffys mind anyone could ever make. He values this hat and the ideas and dreams behind it way above his own life. Luffy often puts his life on the line and he often trusts that his Crew will do the same for him, but the hat is a grander gesture than even that. It also showcases why I will never understand anyone who says Luffy is an idiot. He's by no means book smart nor does he strive to be a logical thinker, but his empathy is unmatched in every work of fiction I ever read. He gets fooled by the simplest of physical disguises, but he's never fooled for a blink of an eye when it comes to mental disguises. He doesn't even put the effort in to understand Namis backstory even though it's presented to him, because he wouldn't learn anything new that matters to him. He probably can't read, but he reads the emotions in astonishing speed. In this particular scene, Luffy acts exactly the way Nami needed and he knew it. It was completely intentional and even though it's a genius move by a simple character like Luffy, Oda delivers this naturally. It doesn't feel unbelievable or staged, it just feels like something Luffy would do. Not only is it expert level writing skills, but it's also something I strive to do myself because of One Piece and it helped me a ton in building meaningful and long lasting friendships. You don't need long texts to prove that you understand someone. A small gesture can mean the world for someone in a different situation and I have to thank Oda every day for teaching me this with this exact scene. When I saw it the first time, I was thirteen and got massively bullied in school. I was the typical introverted outcast. With my new found way of showing my understanding of situations with gestures, I was not only able to pull myself out of being bullied by the age of 15, but I never struggled to quickly form real friendships. Friendships that remain with me to this very day 18 years later. Friendships that often safed in turn my own mental health. So I have to thank Luffy and Oda for this amazing gift that changed my life completely. This is probably way to long to be featured in a video, but this is a very emotional scene for me and I wanted to share why exactly that's the case.

Easily one of best One Piece RU-vidr now, quality wise! Your character analysis stands out among the bunch.

For me, Arlong Park was the arc that hooked me. The fixation on found family, the character building, the world building in the background were all on full display. You can see that Oda really found his flow with this arc and flexed his creative muscles but what solidified it as my favorite was that powerful panel of Nami with Luffys hat on, tears streaming down her face as she says "Luffy, help me" as she finally breaks and asks someone for help. The entire arc she's turning the straw hats away, denying their aid until the weight of Arlongs deception finally breaks her and she asks her captain to save her. The power in that one panel is enough to make me tear up every time I talk about it.

Can't wait for Loguetown, one of my favorite smaller arcs in One Piece

Funny that people told you Arlong Park is the make or break point for One Piece. Even though it's my favorite story of all time, along with Berserk, HxH & FFXIV, OP didn't became my favorite until waaaaay later, when I got to W7 arc. Then I watched/read previous arcs retroactively and came to appreciate them more. Although I do consider Arlong Park the best of the East Blue arcs, along with Baratie and I loved it the first time.

I love that you use “darkness” as a way to rate villains. It’s very thematically appropriate for One Piece. #ajpiece

Notice How funds or taxes collected by Arlong Crew are called Tributes as if they are offered to him and not Taxes. These words will be mentioned later in the story and these small details are what make OP worldbuilding so great

I'm just loving these reviews man. You really eloquently put into words all the feelings I have about Arlong Park. Love it love it love it, and I cant wait for you to continue on this journey!

Thank you for the upload, was waiting for it. Really looking forward to you reviewing all the arcs. Good luck Alec ❤

Really loving the long in depth talks, and it's great to see you like the series. It definitely has it's flaws, but it is a great ride most of the time despite them. Looking forward to the next videos!

Let's gooo! It's so nice hearing your thoughts, I'm excited for tomorrow's stream as well.

I have a prediction: Arlong will become a favourite antagonist of yours.

Man we came a long way. You were not an anime fan when I saw your first few videos. Now I am enjoying these little less than 2 hours worth of you experiencing One Piece. Love you.

Your voice has always had a supreme calming effect on me. It's nice to have a face to go with it. I have watched tekking101 vids more and more as someone who once hated one piece and become a fan tho my enjoyment of the series really had been limited to a second hand osmosis through tek. Now going through it in depth with you is really fun. Thanks for the content. Without wishing to get sappy, its helping me get through some rough seas. Best of luck.

I can see this man video about OnePiece is getting longer and longer. And i'm down for that 👍👍

“Oh man I’m welling up just thinking about it.” Me too man. Bellmere is such a tragic character.

Was finally able to grab the time to watch this. Awesome as always :)

I don't think I remember you discussing the themes of Luffy vs Don Krieg in the last one so I'll just mention it here. Luffy vs Don Krieg is about answering the question: "What does it take to enter the Grand line?" each character has their own answer. It's Don Krieg's Metal vs Luffy's Mettle. The thematic conflict shows how sheer strength of spirit and grit will take you much farther than all the weapons in the world ever could. Which is why Krieg fails having his "unbreakable" armor shattered by Luffy's "spear of grit". Zoro vs Mihawk was also a showcase of what it takes to survive on the Grandline. That fight shows us the strength that they lack but also reminds us of the spirit that they actually need to make it far on that sea.

RIP Garp

Idk how to explain it other than your videos feel very wholesome and innocent. The relaxing bgm and the cadence and softness of your voice really helps. Thank you for the Arlong Park arc review Alecz!!

Personally, it was the saga after next that really hooked me. It is one that most people actually prefer less than most sagas, but for me, it made me realize the scale of what Oda was building, and blew my mind. I can't wait to see you get there, since you tend to appreciate the underappeciated stories! Much love.

These keep getting longer but I don't mind. Keep'em coming

the hat moment for me is glorious bc I see it as Luffy entrusting her with his treasure after she entrusted him with hers(the village and its people)

This was the arc that really hooked me. I experienced it in the anime first, and this arc really just blew me away at the time. The manga at this point feels so timeless. Love rereading Arlong Park!

This has now become my favourite ongoing series on RU-vid, thank you for your thoughts AJ

Nani no Anime "One Piece Manga Bros Podcast" They discuss the manga as they go along and they just passed the Baratie arc even though as reaction channels all of them are 650 episodes+ but they are great at avoiding spoilers when discussing specific arcs as they go through the manga the first time.

#AJPiece not sure if you explicitly said it but the whole town knew all along what Nami was doing (gathering money to free them) but they still called her a witch and pretended to hate her so that if the burden ever became too much for her to bear she could run away and not feel as much guilt. They didn't want her to know that all their hopes were riding on her. Absolutely love your reviews. I can only imagine how long some of your later ones will be! One Piece is a story that unfolds slowly but becomes something else. And then something else again. It is always One Piece but the scope and direction may surprise you.

Thankyou for your insights on One Piece. Loving these long duration videos because I love your voice and the way you analyze things. I always learn new things and new perspectives from your videos. Keep it up. You're the best :)

Always love watching these reviews and love your hat too!

R.I.P Vice Admiral Garp, we hardly knew ya!

I love the pace you’re taking it

#AJPiece I wanted to appreciate that you seem really comfortable with tropes that others might call overdone or generic. For example, Luffy pretty comfortably fits the mold for an extroverted, confident shonen protagonist that you see in a lot of jump series, without the benefit of a deconstruction of the trope that a protagonist like Gon might have. Despite that, it's clear that you can see what makes Luffy unique and what differentiates his character from other protagonists of a similar archetype. I feel like a lot of people would view Luffy's simple personality as a negative for the series, but the fact that you have so much to say about him is evidence of the fact there's a lot to him that some just don't see.

Thank you for the upload.

I can’t get enough of these videos!

I can't explain the joy I get that you're covering One Piece now. Been a fan of yours ever since I stumbled upon your video about Boromir. The way you analyze a story has always been the most unique to me on RU-vid. Keep up the good work as always.

#AJPiece On watching this video, I realized another meaning to Luffy putting the Straw Hat on Nami, it is him saying we will temporarily swap treasures, you look after my treasure, and I will look after yours.

I really love these reviews. U probably don’t remember, but I said in your stream that I’m trying to read OP from the start, but it’s difficult since I’ve already watched the anime. Seeing your reviews makes me wanna read more since u point out things I don’t remember or didn’t even notice when I watched it, I also just wanna experience OP again and all the emotions I got while watching it.

When you were going over Bell-mère I started getting emotional just listening to your masterful explanation of her ideals and what being a family meant to her. Thank you for the amazing analysis it's been a delight to listen to these.

I think the reason why people say this is make or break arc is because it is the first arc that encapsulates everything that odas storytelling style is. Other arcs show these too but this one bring everything together. For me personally while I was enjoying the series up till this point Arlong park was what catapulted it into my favorites. This was because of how the story has been building up to this point and combined with great voice acting and OST really gets you hyped. The scenes with Nami stabbing herself and the walk to Arlong Park in the anime are still some of my favorite scenes.

Fantastic analysis. Can't wait to see more from you.

Let's goooo! I am looking so forward to this!

First video on your channel I’ve seen. This was a great video and I’m looking forward to checking out more of your content. I appreciate you giving One Piece a chance and I hope you continue to enjoy it.

You’ve done it again man, I love your videos and the insight you have. You get it, for an early one piece fan you are picking up things even some seasoned fans don’t. Your understanding of usopp is amazing most people hate him early and think he’s a coward. Keep up the good work

This is the best. There were many things I didn't notice. So thank you for this amazing video.

I've been loving these reviews so much and literally the only thing I've been watching on RU-vid the last two days (literally fell asleep to your Syrup Village review last night 💀). I started One Piece around end of August because my boyfriend finally convinced me to put in that effort and time into such a long series which is honestly the only reason i put it off so far. Sadly i had to drop it for a while because i had mid terms for basically all of September so I'm going to be picking it up again now and i appreciate this review series because it provides a recap of events and reminds of any details i migt have forgotten. And of course i just love your videos in general so that is always a plus. I did forget some details from Syrup Village and Baratie (no idea if the spelling is right) but spam reading like 145 chapters in around two weeks will do that to you 💀

Loved this analysis! RIP Admiral Garp!

Barartie got me to keep up One piece, Arlong Park got me sunk. I absolutely love your analysis videos. I’m super excited to watch your journey and see your insights at a level I haven’t experienced by other first time watch/read videos. Can’t wait for more!!

I like how every new video so far is just so ever slightly longer than the last.

1:36:45 lemme add that he also does not need it because he knows Luffy can make her smile, which is why I love the promise he makes Luffy make with him to always make her smile or else he'll kill Luffy.

This was where I was officially hooked in and where my addiction began. I used to be intimidated by this story’s size, now I don’t want it to ever end.

Hope the Vagabond read is going well. I'll check this out later tonight when I have some time and I'll try to catch the stream tomorrow (won't be active in chat though because anxiety lol). All the best to you!

You talking about the whole “one piece gets good later” thing felt very gratifying because I always felt like that sort of sentiment fundamentally misunderstood how oda writes stories and how deliberate he is, Arlong park is so good because he had it planned out as he was drawing syrup village, it’s as if people misunderstand how the story is structured and think oda makes up each arc as he goes but no, arlong park is the satisfying conclusion to what arcs like syrup village and baratei set up and that’s a sort of impatient mindset, it’s my firm belief that one piece doesn’t “get good” it simply IS good because oda had a great story in mind from the very beginning

I very much look forward to your review of alabasta, your reviews are extremely well fleshed out. Alabasta is an arc that would benefit greatly from that kind of review.

I love that the videos keep getting longer

you make me love one piece more more each video and i thank you for that

#AJPiece Arlong is - to me - the first truly fantastic One Piece villain and still one of the series' best to its day. On my latest reread of this arc I loved how bigotry is explored through his character. As in: he believes really strongly in the superiority of fishmen over humans yet he's introduced bribing a Marine and will rely on the skill of a human cartographer/navigator (i.e. Nami) to realize his ambitions. What's even better is that later arcs build on those tensions and conflicts. I don't want to spoil anything even accidentally; but I will say that in a later arc, "Nothing" says everything.

Man got me addicted with his analysis. And his soothing voice

59:22 Jesus, just hearing you talk about this makes me very emotional as well. Lots of feeling on that one scene...

This is the first arc that made me cry, and cry a lot. Baratie got close but this is the first one to do it for real.

This was the arc that solidified my love for this series, hope you enjoyed this!

It's funny because I think Mihawk is one of these least piratey pirates in the series.

Every single time I watch this flash back in the anime or watch a video of one of these first reaction videos and when this part about how she chooses to say yes I have two kids knowing what is about to happen I start to tear up. It's just so beautiful. Oda is so good. That and the help me moment.

Thanks for this, a lovely reaction.

Glad you're enjoying Usopp so much. He's probably the character who has the most character progression throughout the series.

#AJPiece I don't know if anybody has told you this yet, but the situation between fishmen and humans gets expanded upon in the future. I'm obviously not going to spoil anything, but there is a lot more information presented on Arlong's motives in one of the other arcs. Anyway, I really love your analysis videos and how you discuss One Piece. You have a lot more of a comprehensive understanding than other youtubers who discuss the story, and hearing your takes in these arc reviews is really entertaining.

You got a new sub here! thank you for covering one of my favourites series! I really like your thoughts on one piece!

A lot of reviewers just simply give a plot synopsis with commentary. Your reviews are amazing because they actually go into depth on theme analysis. Youre easily one of the best One Piece reviewers I've watch so far

Luffy talking about how he can't do anything on his own but he can beat Arlong is such a good scene. That a Nami asking for help. Arlong park is just a great arc that only gets better as the story progesses.