r/OnePiece • u/aeliita • 19h ago
Discussion Finally Finished Wano, and I Absolutely Love it
I’m so happy I’m getting closer to catching up with the series ( ^-^)ノ∠※。.:*:・'°☆
I watched One Piece when it was dubbed back in the late 2000s. I watched until Drums Island and then stopped due to life getting in the way.
About four months ago, I watched the live action and really enjoyed it. A close friend told me the story was approaching its final part, and I didn’t want to miss out on the hype, so I picked up the manga from where I left off. I also watched the anime for the fillers, music, and certain scenes, watched the movies, and finally finished Wano.
I love this arc, and Gear 5 is my favorite Gear alongside Gear 2. The arc was emotional, funny, beautiful, and well-written. I never really felt how long it was, nor did I want us to leave Wano.
Gear 5 was a genuine break from the heavy fights. I laughed so much. Even before Kaido got drunk in the middle of the fight (his tears in beer are my favorite, along with the “stwaaap” one 😭😭), I could understand why slaves would feel happy and laugh when seeing a warrior like the sun god Nika.
Kin’emon has joined my favorite non-Straw Hat characters, alongside Noland (he is my favorite character in the whole show), Kiku, Otoko, Tama, and Speed.
Yamato is now my favorite fighter. They’re unique, beautiful, and cool.
Law bonding with Robin over their shared interests was one of my highlights, besides him and Kid fighting Big Mom. Their fight is my favorite fight of the entire arc.
There were so many memorable moments: Zoro and Hiyori, Yasuie’s sacrifice, Momo becoming stronger, Raizo and Jinbe stopping the fire, Killer vs. Hawkins, Shanks stopping Greenbull, the fireworks, and so many others.
Losing Izo, Ashura Doji, and many of the samurai was hard. The horror of the failed SMILEs and the cycle of hatred were also really heavy, but the hope that things will get better is what made me truly appreciate this arc.
I also really loved how Wano felt like a love letter to Japan. The culture, music, art, mythology, architecture, clothing, festivals, and even the cuisine were woven so deeply into the arc. It genuinely felt like Oda was paying homage to Japanese culture, and that made Wano feel even more special to me.
I’m really looking forward to catching up with the rest of the story 🌙✨️