The value of blood over loyalty is tested for Doflamingo when he discovers the depth of his brother's betrayal.
The Good
Although it's pretty much a standard at this point, these emotional ends to ONE PIECE flashbacks can really hit the heartstrings. The strength of this series has always been the character work that Oda does. There are very few writers in manga that can really flesh someone out in this way. Sure, some other creators may hit the mark occasionally, but Oda is batting a thousand to date.
One of my favorite moments has to be the quiet apology Rocinante gives to Law for lying to him about being deep cover Navy. Later, he's holding on to his own life as long as he can to keep Law's location a secret with his power. If it's all this strong on the page, this is going to make a real heartbreaking moment when it gets animated and voiced a year from now.
The Bad
Some of the more recent chapters have attempted to make us see Doflamingo as nothing more than evil, but I'm not sure they really succeeded at that. Mostly, what I can remember is a bunch of ravenous civilians crucifying him and his father to a wall for crimes committed by other the other Celestial Dragons. If anything, I feel more sympathetic toward Doflamingo after that. That's not an excuse for his more recent actions. This aspect of the story just seems out of balance.
I would say that this chapter holds a better scene of his father's execution that does the job of showing an affinity toward violence.
Verdict 4/5
Some may be getting tired of this look back. I can't say that I blame anyone, but it's pretty obvious that it's coming to a close very soon. If not next week, then the one following. I think it's lasted just as long as it should have. It certainly can't be said that the flashback hasn't served its purpose. We finally understand the relationship between Cora, Trafalgar, and Doflamingo.
The only thing that concerns me at this point. What will be the value of this better understanding of Law if he's going to just disappear to the background for a while upon the conclusion of the Dressrosa Arc? However, wasn't he teaming up with Luffy to take down one of the Four Emperors? Doflamingo is just part two of that plot. More adventures await us on the horizon. I hope.
Follow along with the latest ONE PIECE chapters yourself, tune in for the SJ Podcast, and check out the free starter pack sampler at ShonenJump.com here. You can download the free app for both iOS and Android devices.
About the Author
 | Kristoffer Remmell (FoxxFireArt) is a freelance graphic artist, writer, and over all mystery geek. Follow for news updates:@AnimeVicers/@FoxxFireArt / http://kristofferremmell.tumblr.com/ |
No comments:
Post a Comment