The Epic Failure That Almost Destroyed Gear 5's Grand Debut in the One Piece Anime

Summary

Episode #1071 of One Piece disappoints with frustrating pacing and fails to meet the high expectations set by previous episodes centered on Zoro and Big Mom.

The flashbacks in this episode, along with the repetitive animation and slow storytelling, unnecessarily prolong the episode and take away from the excitement of Luffy's Gear 5th transformation.

The action scenes featuring Luffy's Gear 5th in the battle against Kaido are difficult to comprehend due to rapid transitions that don't allow enough time for viewers to fully understand what is occurring. Allowing more space in the animation could have enhanced the overall viewing experience.

Warning: Spoilers for One Piece Anime #1071

Episode #1071 of One Piece showcased Luffy's highly anticipated Fifth Gear transformation, but unfortunately, the episode fell short due to recurring issues with the series, such as slow pacing. Fans had been eagerly waiting for Luffy to awaken his Devil Fruit abilities, especially after the recent impressive episodes featuring Zoro and Big Mom.

The first half of Episode #1071 continued from the exciting cliffhanger in Episode #1070, where Luffy began transforming into a mysterious new form, sporting a wide smile. After his resurrection, Luffy starts joyfully dancing and bouncing around Onigashima's Skull Dome. Each bounce creates ripples in the stone, beautifully animated and captivating. However, the episode reuses this animation three times within a short span, adding unnecessary padding to the episode's runtime.

Kozuki Hiyori's Moment Was Crucial But Its Flashbacks Were Not

Flashbacks can be a valuable tool for anime to evoke specific emotions. Unfortunately, the use of flashbacks in One Piece episode #1071 did not enhance the storytelling effectively. Hiyori's recollection of her father Oden's life and Kaido's recent defeat of Luffy was still fresh in viewers' minds. The repeated depiction of Kaido smashing Luffy in the same manner as in episodes #1069 and #1070 felt slow and repetitive. The Wano arc has previously succeeded in delivering meaningful content without wasting the viewer's time. While the anime has struggled with slow pacing in the past, episodes like #1062 and #1066 showcased Zoro and Big Mom's battles with skillful direction and pacing that made them feel like captivating short films. One of the show's standout episodes, episode #1015, skillfully portrayed Yamato and Ace's relationship while highlighting Luffy's growth as a powerful pirate capable of defeating Kaido with the Gum-Gum Red Roc Fist. Unfortunately, One Piece episode #1071 relied too heavily on content from previous episodes instead of delivering a compelling self-contained narrative like Wano's best episodes.

Moments Of Luffy's Gear 5th Action Were Hard To Follow

During Luffy's battle with Kaido, there were several instances in his impressive Gear 5th onslaught that happened so quickly, viewers barely had a chance to see them. While hidden impact frames have added an extra layer of emotion in the past, they weren't essential for enjoying the thrilling action. However, in episode #1071, a few crucial moments, such as Luffy's reaction to Kaido's incoming blast breath attack and his swift transition to the ground, were not given enough time to register with many viewers. By removing one repeated animation from the episode, these moments could have been given the slight pause they needed to make an impact.

One Piece's anime has the opportunity to enhance moments in the manga with additional context and dramatic impact. Currently, the show adapts approximately one chapter per episode, allowing manga readers to anticipate the anime's interpretation of the 5th Gear's chapter #1044 debut. Hiyori's significant moment as she confronts Orochi and her character development align thematically with Luffy's journey. However, episode #1071's pacing in presenting the manga's story fell short of expectations despite its highly anticipated nature. Nevertheless, this episode merely marked the initiation of Luffy's first Gear Fifth battle, leaving room for improvement in the upcoming episodes, which hold the potential to deliver the desired action and pacing. Don't miss out on the latest episodes of One Piece available on Crunchyroll and Funimation.

Sources: PokemanZ0N6, Sanjistars_/Twitter