[PATREON Content of the Day! - Apr 11!]
-- OP 1034 + 1035 --
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The Patreon reactions act as a watch-along being uncut with a timer on screen! This way, you can watch my full reaction by syncing up the show on an official platform on another device, another tab on your computer, etc.
Comments (11)
I think regardless of how people feel about it and what stories and cultures Wano is trying to draw inspiration from Kiku constantly comes across as pathetic. A real samurai would not hesitate to strike down a best friend or family member that has dishonored themself as much a Kanjuro has. Either she should have killed him in the first fight or died in the first fight, I didn't even care that she lost an arm cause that hit should have also just killed her regardless of how hardy One Piece characters are. All these characters having fake deaths and taking fake damage just make me not care about anything that's happening.
There is a lot going on with Kanjuro, and while I don't think it all works it's not as bad as these scenes make it out to be. More explanations will come in future episodes as well though they're not thorough enough to justify scenes like this one. The scene isn't great but at least it doesn't piss me off rewatching. Your experience may vary. Here is why I think this scene exists as it is: First the obvious, the anime massively drags out and repeats scenes, making snappy action scenes during a chaotic conflict more sappy, slow and definitive which drags out this whole plot point and puts extra emphasis on elements that, at least for that moment, should be glossed over. Then for the specifics here, it's not exactly a repeat. Kiku could cut down Kanjuro despite him being one of her best friends, but she couldn't cut down Oden right in front of Momo despite knowing he's fake. Identity is a major theme in this arc and this scene reinforces that. That doesn't mean it works but it is not without purpose. And at last is a meta reason. Oda decided to structure the Wano arc after a very specific and rigid japanese story structure (the name escapes me) and that structure involves a lot of fake endings and fake deaths. Again, questionable if it's a good choice but it would read less awkard to a Japanese audience, and once again reinforces the strong japanese cultural setting that the whole of Wano is going for. Weirdly enough this is the one that makes it work for me. All in all, I don't really mind the Kanjuro shenanigans, but in the manga this scene didn't even get my attention as something to be bothered by while I can barely even see the anime due to all the eye-rolling I'm doing during those scenes.
Imo it should have been all one fight. So skip the first encounter with Kanjuro, and the first time they meet Kanjuro again once they get to Onigashima is the scene where he impersonates Oden and keep it how it was with him killing Ashura- except get rid of the scene where Kanjuro stabs Kiku when she hesitates. Then, tbh I liked the snowy battleground from first encounter so the rest can take place outside. Kiku fights Kanjuro in much the same way as before, but then she gets stabbed. Then Kinemon kills him in the same way as before. Would have been better that way imo. The only thing you really miss out on this way is wondering how Oden was alive (it would be more obvious with Kanjuro alive), but I think it was kind of obvious anyway and not any kind of insane reveal.
people never seem to look at the other side of things. Fans continue to complaina bout plot developments of this arc that are still ongoing. Never considering the prospect of future story, fixing many of the issues that people have with the wano arc. Thats kind of the way I look at it. This arc is very much setup for many things in the future and that does even include to an extent Kanjuro and his legacy of his family's curse.
Who is "people", Jack? I like Kanjuro's character, but I agree with Jack that the fight vs Kanjuro should have been wrapped up all at once rather than being such a drawn out affair. It would have arguably flowed way better that way, too. I would have had Kanjuro meet them for the first time on Onigashima when he is impersonating Oden and then go from there, perhaps moving their fight outside to the snowy batteground at the back of the castle for Kiku's battle and then having Kinemon kill him. This "future story" would have been fine one way or another, even if things had to be slightly altered.
No yeah, I firmly believe this tired Kanjuro plot is literally the weakest, most disappointing part of the entire series. It pisses me off SO much. The whole stage play aesthetic thingy was actually beautiful and fit Kanjuro's end well, but it should have happened back in him and Kiku's battle in the snow. Kiku overcame her hesitation to kill her friend, did it, Kanjuro fell, and it should have been all over and wrapped up back then. Doing this whack fakeout death adds absolutely nothing of value to the story whatsoever, and is a huge disrespect to Kiku's character, so much that I try to forget it's even canon, it's that bad. Oda did her so unbelievably dirty. Honestly the way this was handled alone is enough to make Wano not a top arc for me.
Oda overcooked the storyline with Kiku and Kanjuro imo
He did a lot of that this arc some of his biggest sins stewed in this pile of feces, and somehow made it up with the next just past the line of, this is great again margin.
I think the Orochi fakeout was fine, makes sense, because of his zoan powers, he has multipley heads. Kanjuro... ist not as well made. Kiku cut him down, overcame her weakness and won the fight. And I'm not really against Kanjuro using his last breath to fuck with the other Akazaya, because it shows his dedication to the Kurozumi clan and to his craft. But doing the exact same thing with Kiku again, only with her losing this time, feels very cheap. Kinemon does the Job finally, but it kinda downplays Kiku's strenght and Character. If they had done it that Kiku cut Kanjuro down the first time, Kanjuro lives and Kinemon delivers the final blow, that would've been way better in my opinion.
https://imgur.com/a/X7w0L5p If the way I read this scene makes it any better - Kin not doing anything except shielding Momo from seeing his 'father' get cut down that's believable Maybe he didn't think Kiku would hesitate knowing its Kanjuro? BUT Kanjuro knows Kiku would now cut him down without hesitation so now he uses an Oden facade since she struggled to kill him earlier, and he knows Oden well so he can say stuff he knew would get to her just to get a second of reminiscing It's makes Kiku look extremely stupid but you can also see that Kanjuro is very emotionally smart I'm trying my best to defend the scene here but yeah Oda's handling of the scabbards as characters after Kaido is very poor sadly
Your devil's advocate makes sense realistically, but unfortunately it still makes Kiku look weaker than she should be no matter how you slice it. Seeing Kiku succumb to her emotions in a realistic way is not what we wanted for her character... we wanted her to overcome them and be amazed at her strength.