Discussion Wano, an arc filled with mistakes

Mizaistorm

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Wano went from underwhelming to bad as weeks passed by. I just reread the arc to try and get clear picture of what went wrong
I can confirm that even when you binge read it, you get the urge to skip the page, the pace is so slow and there is little to none valuable information or character development and the humour is one note.
Now that I look back, one piece always suffered from this issue. Oda has a formula, you can notice the pattern with every arc, it has its flow, after all a serie with 1000+ch and still far from the end, clearly there is an issue.
So we start with act 1 and we get to see wano for the first time the landscape is nothing mind blowing, it's Japan we are all familiar with it. The characters seem interesting at surface level, yasuie denjiro...
Then we get the oden flashback and this is how things start to go wrong.
The scabbars take so much space of wano, they are more important than the straw hats but you don't feel emotionally invested in them because oda failed to make us feel for oden. People loved the Roger vs Wb panels but really what did we learn about the one piece? What mystery did this flashback unravel? Nothing.
With the chapter oda start referencing prophecies and destiny more and more, with toki talking about the dawn and how oden said in 20 years the chosen one will liberate wano.
Finally we get to see oden vs kaido, how he got the scar and it turn oden death was as tragic as a car accident, he is just dumb.
Nobody care but the character are crying and you start second guessing yourself, maybe I missed something, so you read it again and nope still feel nothing.
So we move on to act 2 or the training arc, Queen clown behavior is one thing but he looked stupid letting luffy train under his eyes, it made one of the top 5 in wano look stupid and non threatening.
Let's skip past that, we spent too much time on preparation, the paper the sword the ship... And once we get to onigashima, kaido lift the island and we are on our way back to the flower capital, couldn't oda just have them fight in capital and cut the rubbish.
Anyway, we are at onigashima and they are supposed to sneak inside but we know that it s useless luffy and zoro blew it, again too much set up for little pay off.
Then again we waste a dozen chapter on scabbards mink vs kaido and Jack, meanwhile we get a virus plot to make queen look even dumber and throw chopper a bone because the mascot didn't do anything since punk hazard.
And we get a new addition to the oden wank club, yamato. Which bring me to the biggest issue is that the cast is bloated, luffy zoro law kidd killer hawking Drake sanji franky jinbei Robin nami usopp yamato tama momo the scabbars, each one of these character had their moment but its so crammed that the payoff feel lackluster. Too much noise and lack of focus, lead to lack of emotional investment. Since oda is trying to fit in all of these characters, they have to keep moving. First off you had the virus then the bomb then the fire and now onigashima is falling, then probably marines are coming. While he wrap up one thread he has to create another to give the cast something to do meanwhile.
Oda took more than he can chew and in the end botched the pace, we are still 4 years and counting with no conclusion and no payoff.
And finally the chosen one bullshit, not only is luffy one of the most privileged people in the universe he is the savior of the universe.
He can't lose, he lose his enemy throw him to the ocean he heal instantly and get back to the top, he lose again, suddenly his DF is the one even wg fear and literally turned him into a reincarnation of a god, then you got people df, omg oda is having so much fun drawing cartoons. Luffy vs kaido is so original it s like watching Tom and Jerry, oda is a genius.
Can you hear me shaking my head.
The climax of this war, 10 year in the making, is a joke.
And the oddest thing is how fans keep praising like we are in a cult.
 

everythingnice

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Hahahahahah! I think I did feel a little underwhelmed when the raid on Onigashima happened. Before that I think Wano was quite enjoyable. But right now I do feel like this part of the arc is more frustrating than the entirety of Whole Cake Island, and I used to think Whole Cake Island was the worst arc of One Piece. I wouldn't know the "mistakes", I'm not kind of an analyst. I review more based on my feelings. But really, I really really felt invested in One Piece back during Dressrosa. But Onigashima is angering me most because of Orochi, Kanjuro, and Zoro. I don't want to talk about Orochi or Kanjuro, but I don't like how many chapters are being spent on Franky carrying Zoro around with no end to it?! Dear God! It's boring me and boredom is so frustrating.

I didn't really like Tama as a character, Idk for the kids part Yasuie's daughter (Otoko?) was more interesting and her little arc was so heartbreaking. I donot understand Hiyori's relevance in the arc. Now Yamato is up against her as the "princess/lead female" character that Oda includes in almost every arc, and even Yamato is a bit irrelevant. Yamato trying to act like Oden in front of his child is the most embarrassing thing ever. If I was Momo, I would have ordered my scabbards to get the crazy lady away from me! It's an insult to use my dead father's name like that, especially when I (the actual child) am still alive!!! (I see it that way). englishissohardtotypeomgallthegrammarmistakes
 

Mizaistorm

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Dress Rosa was not great either but do flamingo was a cool villain, kaido is one dimensional muscle head, spamming thunder baguya. In dress Rosa the crew was separated and even the rest of the straw hats beside frankly and usopp didn't do anything. The focus was luffy law and the side characters,so it dragued for too long and the same problem is twice as big in this arc, too many fu*cking characters.
Since time skip the straw hats have been butchered, the crew take a back seat to the new character as if oda become bored of writing them or doesn't know what to do with them anymore.
If you think about zoro spent more time with mihawk and pirona than the strawhats.
 

Fanthasma

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I don't understard why people get mad with law and kid defeating BM as if they weren't the main supernovas on the luffy's side, they're supose to be luffy's rivals, equals with luffy like the relation with roger, withbeard and shiki.

It was necessary both of them kid and law to take down a yonkou without trully defeat her, meanwhile luffy went to get one shoted weeks ago to fight 1v1 ALONE against another yonko and yet I don't see anyone saying anything.

In the current scenario we have a luffy much more stronger than his rivals what make no sense to me once the history always gave us hints that there is a balance in every generation independent of how strong is his main pirates, nor even roger was alone in terms of strenght, whitebeard and garp were there and probably shiki as well.
 

Mizaistorm

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Law and kidd went from losing to cracker and Doffy, to defeating big mom.
In like two weeks
 

Core D. Roy

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Honestly Hiyori's entire character could be subtracted from the story and it would change very little. Her only role so far has been making other characters' stories more emotional, like Denjiro and Kawamatsu. I really, really hate her magically showing up to Onigashima, and magically healing the Scabbards, and having basically no play to kill Orochi beyond "somehow sneak-stab him with seastone nail -> ??? -> PROFIT"

Law and kidd went from losing to cracker and Doffy, to defeating big mom.
In like two weeks
I would've been fine with that if there was any indication beforehand that Law and Kidd had awakened. It's such a massive powerup for each of them and was so cinematic with Luffy and for them it was literally:
Kidd: Hey Trafalgar, have you awakened?
Law: Oh yeah that's right.
 

Mizaistorm

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If straw hat had and law had any sort of development In dressrosa and wci this arc could have been much better, nothing is earned, just dumb powerup.
Oda sole focus post time is luffy and the rest got neglected or regressed
 

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I dont know if i would call it mistakes or debatable choices but here some of the stuff Im not happy with :

-Toki Akuma no mi : Time travel is too convenient I usually dislike that.
-Tama's ability to change people and the Big Mom stuff ( she's officially the stronger character, what if she meets Kaido :arf )
- Momonosuke becoming adult, just no no.
- Tobi roppo, well, they could be crossed off the story it wouldnt change a lot.
- Big Mom performance/treatment
- Carrot wtf ???
- New Luffy, I have really hard times swallowing this, I really dont like it.
 

Raven

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One thing folks, Erinyes always right.
 

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This arc has had a fundamental problem ever since Luffy and Law decided to go to the island to fight Kaido.In the first place, that alliance between Law and Luffy to take him down was a hoax. The real reason Law asked for Luffy's help is because he wanted to take down Doffy.
After seeing how much Luffy struggled to take down Doffy, and they even ran away from WCI since they couldnt fight Mama, going from that to fighting the strongest character in the series currently wasn't goin to end in any other way rather than disappointment.
I would honestly have saved Kaido for later in the story and had Wano be its own arc. That way the samurai would have gotten adequate focus rather than having them turn into the worst supporting characters in any arc this series. Heck, you could have had Orochi be the main villain.
Law and Kidd defeating Mama as well? Just pathetic writing. Mama this whole arc has just been severely disappointing, and she's supposed to be a Yonko. Just try imagining Shanks being treated like she has been. Or even a dying Whitebeard. The way Oda has handled Mama in this arc has just been extremely annoying, and WCI had some great character writing in regards to her.
--
I used to rank Dressrosa as the worst New World arc a year ago. Currently that honor has been taken by Wano arc.
 

grey matter

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This arc has had a fundamental problem ever since Luffy and Law decided to go to the island to fight Kaido.In the first place, that alliance between Law and Luffy to take him down was a hoax. The real reason Law asked for Luffy's help is because he wanted to take down Doffy.
After seeing how much Luffy struggled to take down Doffy, and they even ran away from WCI since they couldnt fight Mama, going from that to fighting the strongest character in the series currently wasn't goin to end in any other way rather than disappointment.
I would honestly have saved Kaido for later in the story and had Wano be its own arc. That way the samurai would have gotten adequate focus rather than having them turn into the worst supporting characters in any arc this series. Heck, you could have had Orochi be the main villain.
Law and Kidd defeating Mama as well? Just pathetic writing. Mama this whole arc has just been severely disappointing, and she's supposed to be a Yonko. Just try imagining Shanks being treated like she has been. Or even a dying Whitebeard. The way Oda has handled Mama in this arc has just been extremely annoying, and WCI had some great character writing in regards to her.
--
I used to rank Dressrosa as the worst New World arc a year ago. Currently that honor has been taken by Wano arc.
I think the next step after beating the right hand man of one of the Yonkos, is to beat a Yonko himself.

Consider Marco. He's someone who is strong enough to give a good challenge to admirals (based on portrayal, vivre card etc), and admirals can give Yonkos a good challenge.
Marco also fought BM for almost as long as Scabbards vs Kaido, and came out of the fight unscathed, with BM commenting that she doesn't have energy (souls) to spend on him.

Now, it's possible that Marco is a decent cut above Katakuri (I believe that to be the case). It is also definitely the case that each right hand commander has their strength and is special in their own way (Katakuri - future sight. Marco and King high stats in general with Marco - durability, King - defense).

But the point is that, there aren't really other characters in the pirate world on/above the level of Yonko's right hand men, it's just Yonkos after them.
We can argue whether or not Luffy was actually on the level of Katauri, post WCI/beginning of Wano (many arguments such as Katakuri's CIS, Katakuri eventually giving up, Katakuri's mochi body syncs far better with future sight etc).
Regardless, from a narrative standpoint, there is no way Luffy would be fighting another right hand man as the final boss after WCI. The next major narrative step for Luffy after defeating Katakuri is definitely taking down a Yonko.

The issue however is that Oda COMPLETELY MISHANDLED the initial fight between Luffy and Kaido, in beginning of Wano.
I think he wanted to hype up Kaido, and overdid the entire thing! Base Kaido instantly blitz and one shot G4 Luffy - that should have never happened. It is this very single feat that makes everything that happened in the raid seem absolutely absurd.

Consider a scenario where that one shot didn't happen.
Now, what happened in the raid is a lot easier to digest - the Scabbard fight, the Supernova vs Yonkos rooftop, Law/Kid vs BM, Luffy vs Kaido. Right?
Especially considering that this arc will be ~ 5 year (200 chapters) IRL, and ~1 month long within OP verse. This is something we expect to be the time required from WCI arc, to take Luffy to " at/almost Yonko level", and Law/Kid/Zoro to "close to there, but not quite"


I definitely agree that the powerscaling in this arc is wack. As is the insane powerspike amongst the "good guys", especially Law, Franky and Robin. (saying this even as a big Law fan). I have listed them as my personal negatives for Wano as well.
Just saying that the initial one shot of Luffy makes it look far worse than it really is, especially concerning the three Supernova captains (Luffy, Kid, Law).



- New Luffy, I have really hard times swallowing this, I really dont like it.
How did I miss it!!

That definitely should've been one of my top point lol. Not a fan of the whole mythical Zoan Nika either
 

Mizaistorm

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I don't know why oda can't let things simmer down, if the strawhats settled in dressrosa for exemple then we had a half year time skip, at least it can explain luffy matching kaido.
But he can't help himself it s one after another island, luffy is going to become PK at age 19,basicaly he speed run the grandline.
What's next mars
 

XXGenesis

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Wano is finally Over. Opinions??

I’m honestly disappointed with this arc and how it all went down.

It’s hurts to say Wano is the worst arc; because so many pivotal things happened. But we have so many valid complaints about the twist & turns of this arcs plot.

I think it’s going to be looked as the arc that dropped the story’s quality; because there are so many valid criticisms.

Not until The Yonkou Saga have I seen so much criticism about OP. It’s a shame to say Wano’s may have the most and the most valid.

Unfortunately The ebb & flow of Good chapters; Doesn’t make up for it all. Like it did in other arcs.
 

Brandish μ

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Personally, Wano was the light at the end of the tunnel for the times when the series tested me. There have been some dry spells, large parts of Dressrosa and WCI to name a few. And Wano had flat sections. But the promise of Wano - or at least my expectations - kept me going. So yea, the latter stages of Wano were like a punch to the kidneys. On an emotional basis, Wano is the worst arc I have experienced. Not saying it's the worst writing or even bad writing, I am just struggling to get off the canvas with it is all.
 

Uriel

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In the end, I did like the arc.

Enjoyed:
- Narrative structure reflecting a Kabuki play. Brilliant, Oda.
- Kaido's fight. That man is a legend.
- Nami stealing Big Mom soul. Can't wait to see how she will face enemies now with the new staff.
- Kinemon
- Yamato
- Worldbuilding bits
- Buffy being an Emperor and putting bounties on marines

I didn't enjoy it that much:
- Luffy having a different fruit all along. Although I do like the design
- At times, it was weirdly paced. This is related to the structure, I know.
- Sometimes it was hard to keep on with the characters, as I did not care that much for half of them. And I don't know some of the names of the scabbards. I know, heresy.
 

weixiaobao

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-The large cast/deaths- Hunter x Hunter tend to introduce a big cast at the beginning of every arc. So that over the course of the story, many of them got kill off. The irony is that this is one of the few arcs where Oda kill quite a bit of characters but he didn't kill enough. And or make the deaths hit heavier. And we know he can do it well too like the CP0 death. That was pretty great. Hyogoro should have die. Or even better, his Yakuza leaders didn't kill him when ask. And that letting him to kill a few of these leaders instead when turned into Ice Oni. That would have quite the gut punch for Hyogoro and Chopper as characters and made Queen more menacing. One of the Scabbards should have kill killed off by Kaido. If Kinemon didn't die, that is fine but he could be so heavily injured like a collapsed lungs that he was force to retired or something giving Yamato reasons to stay behind. This also show case how wonderful Chopper is to keep him alive but barely. Shutenmaru's death should have drawn in a way where it is a good send off to him making it more definite that what it was. Of all the fake out deaths of Kanjuro, I probably would skipped the first one even though it was set up for the fake Oden thing. But we didn't need it. Orochi's death, should have giving a tad more to Hyori. Let her suffered a scar or a burn or something so that at the end closing thing, it hits a bit more.

-Scale- Every time, a manga got too big, too grand, too many moving components. It is hard to read weekly. Naruto's wars and many of Bleach's arcs. Marineford was too hectic to read weekly. Dressrosa was Oda's experimenting in post skipped. The beginning of Dressrosa was surprisingly tension filled, especially leading up to Green Bits and the showdown between Law/Fujitora/Doflamingo. But to show scale and aware of the logistic logic, a story that to be coherent does impact its quality. To escape Whole Cake Island a grand vast territory of a Yonko, took considerable amount of sailing time. Hence Luffy had to be bogged down with Katakuri for a great length of time. To show the Bird Cage slowly cornering the entire of Dressrosa took a lot of chapters. Like wise, moving components from x location to x location in Onigashima. Or the logistic of fighting against the Yonko require ships/swords etc. To be honest, I am actually fine with that, it gave characters something to do. And it actually give away hint of who the traitor was. It showed Orochi was a competent villains banning swords and took precaution against a revolt. And it justify a lot of the Scabbards. Kawamatsu collecting swords of the dead. Shutenmaru collecting boats. These things are not just ass pulled. But as the story got grander and grander and logistics had to be consider. It will become noticable. The Marineford war for example got away with it because what leading up to the war was in the background. Shichibukai meeting when Crocodile's fell from grace. Opening up a spot for Blackbeard. Whitebeared meeting Shanks. Blackbeard vs Ace. By the time of Thriller Bark, wheels already in place. Kuma went to get Moria. While Whitebeard/Marines grathering their forces through Thrillerbark/Sabaody/Amazon Lily/Impel Down. Multiple arcs. But that mostly happened offscreen. This also affecting the strawhats crew, as the crew got bigger, they force to split up. This is to give different combination of personality and relationship. And to explore an island/story/conflict from different views. In a different story usually you 2-4 core characters with a rotating casts (Fairy Tail, Naruto, Black Clover). Or you risk characters fading into the background like the Hobbits. Hell, even the fellowship of the Rings got disbanded by the end of book 1. So the formula/pattern that people picking up is a necessary due to the nature of what it is.

-Drama queens- Probably the worst saga to skim through weekly. Through out my 23 years of reading One Piece which most of the early day wasn't' week to week. When I first read One Piece, the story just finished up East Blue and began Arabasta. I was fortunate that my country published one collected volume per week. So that was 9-11 chapters a week. I caught up to the end of Water7 during the internet age. But Thriller Bark was the first full saga that I have to read weekly and I dropped the series then. Sabaody and Impel Down was much easy read. But Marineford began my practice of skimming through weekly and only read thoroughly when the arc end. Since it was hectic and hard to know what the heck going on weekly. Reading weekly always painful for binge readers to do when they caught up. That is why Fishman Island was the WORST arc for the people who caught up at that arc. Then Punk Hazard was the worst. Then Dressrosa was the worst. And WCI was the worst. And then Wano was the worst. Whatever arc that people had to read from the beginning week to week is the WORST for them. Just as I had to dropped Thriller Bark, a much much much shorter story arc compare to these much longer latter one. But people are getting extremely extremely entited. There are plenty of bad writer out there. There are plenty of bad stories by good writers. To some an author cannot made mistake or be incompetent. Now, fans are getting toxic. That Oda must be the most morally bankrupt sort of a person. Destroying their childhood, bullying them, and steal their lunch money or something. I have less of a problem of people calling GODA or whatever. Like I don't have a problem if people are enjoying watching paint dry. Hell if people found joy out of a piece of rock. Good for them, I envy them. But the toxic people really bringing me down. EDIT: I don't mind people have problems with this arc or even think it is terrible. But some of you guys are getting way too far. So much so, that I just want Oda to just retired. And leave the story unfinished and enjoy his million upon million of dollars rather than being accuse of milking/stealing your lunch money.

Then again, my views had always been contrarian to people. I Always LOVED Skypiea and Fishman Island. Skypiea due to my love of Doreamon long stories and how it reminded me of that. And Fishman Island due to my favorite discussion of ethnicity/racial conflict and also the descend down to Fishman Island is very much like reading Doreamon as a child. For ages the FANS hated hated hated those arcs. Now that found new love for Skypiea due Gear 5. And Fishman Island due to Merphy Napier covering One Piece. Mr Morj got people to like Dressrosa/WCI. Sooner or latter, people's opinions gonna changed once again. Hell even I had changed my opinion of Thriller Bark once I watch One Pace version of Thriller Bark.
 
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