One Piece episode 1095 easily crowns itself as one of my favorite episodes of the arc thus far - and not just because I'm a huge mark for Robin.
I think the setup for this week's events is simple yet very effective. Most of the runtime centers around the Straw Hats facing down the Not-Jimbei pacifista child. This is simply a team fight with the Straw Hats versus one big villain, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. I like seeing the Straw Hats fight big villains! That's a huge part of why my butt is in the seat after all. The setup is simple and the attacks are relatively basic - mostly amounting to a round Robin (snarf) showcase where each crew member gets to do one cool attack - but it works. The Toei team once again shows their incredible knack for not only high energy effects by swift camera movement. All of the shots of Robin attacking the pacifista were particularly well done, especially the shots of the water coalescing into a shield around Great Value Jimbei and weathering the storm of her slaps.
What helped this episode a ton was that the character moments worked well too. Much of it focused on the Vegapunks and their reactions as they watched the battle unfold. We don't get a lot of depth and none of the individual Vegapunks revealed any deep nuance or heart-string-pulling backstories. But watching them so compelled to observe and collect data regardless of danger or side effects or even the fear that they might poop their pants was good stuff! It sheds light on their desire to know more about everything, especially projects that they are passionate about, and in many subtle ways explains away a lot of questions the audience might have about the Vegapunks' work. The interconnectivity with physiological effects like hunger and eating is also a very interesting character concept, a fun twist on the psychic connection similar characters have in other works.
Interesting sci-fi concepts, cool action, and Nico Robin. That's the trifecta as far as I'm concerned.
Rating:
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