English Professor’s Thoughts on the Fish-Man Island Saga

[@blackbladiz]

Honestly, one of the better if not best thoughts on the Fishman Island Saga, most people don't really see the themes on display until someone points them out. Most people see it as a boring part of the story but once they see the structure of it, they change their minds. While it's not the best arc/saga, it's still great. Enjoying seeing your Journey through One Piece, and can't wait to see more.

[@superfuss1984]

Problem with One Piece: There are no really bad Arcs! And some Filler is better than some other Animes...

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

Thanks so much! As a theme-driven reader (and writer), I loved Fish-Man Island. Oda is definitely exploring some very important questions here!

[@superfuss1984]

@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy People forget that Tales where a Way of the Past to pass knowledge on, since most (even Rulers!) where Illiterate....

[@fudgerrr9385]

I think most of the hate unfortunately comes from those who consumed this arc via the anime first.

[@superfuss1984]

@@fudgerrr9385 Problem with the Anime is the Pace! Its solved by a Project called : OnePace....I use it for Rewatching One Piece....

[@lobsterbisque333]

It is amazing how every arc has a character that is perfect thumbnail material

[@HaganeNoGijutsushi]

I look forward to the inevitable Ceasar Chase.

[@amirahani3196]

@@HaganeNoGijutsushidoflamingoat chase, big chase and kaido chase also

[@Omegateck16]

That scene with the blood was absolutely amazing. It tied everything together at the end.

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

It was a stroke of Oda-genius!

[@Mavuika_Gyaru]

Yes! Fishman, human, the same blood runs through their veins. Laying on the same sea floor. Basking under the same sun. Jinbei is also the GOAT

[@dantecrottogini529]

That's got to be one of the most under rated scenes in the entire series because it's incredible but i don't think it's usualy mentioned as one of the best

[@D__634]

​​@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy And it's more amazing when I learned that it's a reference to when Red Cross wouldn't allow black people to give blood transfusion to others during WW2 because they are said to be different from others. Oda really knows how to tackle real life issues.

[@BladeEdge86]

It is a powerful condemnation against racism, Oda may likely have been inspired by the "one drop" rule that was once commonplace in the US as he takes inspiration from a lot of historical events.

[@chrisguzman9724]

This review was such a breath of fresh air regarding this arc. It typically gets pushed away as a “bad arc” solely because the villains and characters aren’t loved like others in the story. Thank you for seeing that the themes and story components are just as good as they’ve ever been in the rest of the story.

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

Many thanks! 😊

[@Itoyokofan]

The major problem with timeskip is that before we saw how Strawhats grow and how powerful they were, but after the timeskip they met with fishmen and Luffy gets somewhat beaten again. And you're sitting there thinking, wth were you all training for for two years, guys? It took Oda several years until I got rid of that feeling.

[@sanji_joestar]

Fishman Island and Hody's story is such a great reflection on hatred, prejudice but also what happens to people when influenced by their environment Hody became the bottled embodiment of those concepts. He's often talked about in the fandom as a weak character who wouldn't work as an antagonist in other arcs And i'm like that's exactly why he's perfect for FMI He's completely void of real substance. Only powered by anger and hatred, his 'powerups' being artificial and ephemeral. And he ended all shrivelled and weak, consumed by that hatred. Even Arlong had compassion for his own crew and men he called brothers.

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

I concur, and I think you expressed Hody's purpose perfectly. Cheers!

[@sanji_joestar]

@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy 🎉

[@CMB505]

He's such a cautionary tale of what happens when unfounded prejudice and hate gets transferred to the younger generations. Like we see in Tiger's flashback he even had damn good reason to be prejudiced, but even he said "Nah. I may hate them, but I can't give that hate to the kids. It dies with me." That alone is such a nuanced take. And then Hordy becoming the result of that hatred that others passed down for him and it turned him into more of a monster than even Tiger's actual hate could create. Hordy is exactly the villain that this story needed to have. Because this thing is happening in real life and the quicker we learn to see it, the better we can try to stop it. I love Fishman Island

[@tsa1tama]

FMI themes forever peak

[@Highflyingartist]

The main reason i love this arc is because of jimbei. Giving his blood to Luffy and essentially becoming blood brothers is such a great moment that i dont think gets enough recognition. Excited to see your next one piece video!

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

@@Highflyingartist That is an iconic moment! Cheers!

[@aysseralwan]

The thumbnail is perfection. It's so good I didn’t notice at first that you edited it😂😂

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

Cheers!

[@RhiannonSenpai]

7:33 The stepping on the photo of Queen Otohime is a reference to the practice of fumi-e, which was the practice of stepping on Christian icons of either Jesus or Virgin Mary during the Tokugawa shogunate (1603-1868). This lead to Kakure Kirishitans (literally hidden Christians) that disguised them praying to Christian statues of Virgin Mary as praying to Buddhist deities like Kannon/ Guanyin. Christianity got spread during Oda Nobunaga's time and became a perceived danger to the authority of the noble class that practiced Shintoism and Buddhism. The spread of Christianity was also one of the main reasons Japan became isolated for 250+ years with the isolationist policy named Sakoku (literally chained/closed country) during the Tokugawa shogunate. Oda is referencing the practice of fumi-e to show that Queen Otohime's kindness and innocence isn't ordinary but on another level, a saint-like level.

[@sanji_joestar]

Something that isn't discussed enough to me is Sanji (and Nami's) reaction to Jinbe and his story. What Sanji's doing is basically a response to his family being hurt, and I don't think that would be a bad thing, he's an emotional and reactionary character by nature. But the discourse around is just ignored because of the nosebleed gag earlier making his character less bearable. I think it's important to make a distinction between that and this moment. And this isn't the first time it happens either. When Usopp was captured in the Sea train, right after Sanji met him and Franky, he called Usopp an ''Ex Friend''. Yet in the next panel, he kicks Franky for the pain he put Usopp through, calling him ''Our Long nose''. So it's not a 'defending woman' thing. He cares deeply about them and in this case He's aware of the help Jinbe gave to Luffy so he didn't go directly for the kick and let him explain himself. Jinbe was ready to pay for forgiveness and Sanji reacted with asking him to '' kill himself ''. Big cultural context lost there. Sanji specifically asks him tp ''commit Seppuku''. Which is quite radical i agree, but knowing the meaning of that act, which is a sacrifice to restore one's honour, i think it fits in terms of honesty, especially from a japanese audience. And i'm certain Sanji wouldn't watch Jinbe commit to it and just wanted to be sure he was sincere. But the main target of such an apology being Nami, it's directly redirected to her and how SHE's the one having the word regarding Jinbe. And she, of course, forgives him. Which puts back everyone back in the same boat. It's like Oda was addressing two sides of the argument, the sincerity of Jinbe through such act and Nami's forgiveness and growth from her experience with Arlong and her newfound family. And i'm again convinced of that being the goal because Oda puts Sanji and Jinbe together to defeat Wadatsumi right after that, showing there's no resentment and that Everything's fine now between all of them.

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

Excellent points here! Thank you!

[@sanji_joestar]

@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy 👌🏾❤️

[@tsa1tama]

hello there blue majin lololol well said!!

[@sanji_joestar]

@@tsa1tama hello😂funny seeing you here

[@Mavuika_Gyaru]

Ngl this arc until Wano is when I looked down on Sanji 😅 telling the GOAT Jinbei to sepoku was wild

[@nixnax]

You do much better with the name pronunciation than a lot of others I’ve seen, so don’t worry! Love your videos, can’t wait for you to get into some of the later sagas.

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

Thank you so much! I appreciate the kind and encouraging words!

[@critica77y77]

Something important about Hody’s story that too many people in society could learn from is that _no,_ being a “victim” does _not_ mean you can discriminate and hate without consequence. No matter where you stand in society, prejudice and hate only creates harm, in your community and elsewhere alike.

[@InRealTime769]

Nami's line about not being sad about her past because it lead to her happy present is such an amazing line. It helped me to really come to terms with some past trauma.

[@sanji_joestar]

@@InRealTime769 I feel the same! She's such an amazing character ❤️

[@myroomisblue2679]

One of my favorite lighter moments of this arc is luffys reasoning for not wanting to be a hero and zoros ironically similar reasoning without knowing luffys reasoning

[@Mavuika_Gyaru]

Which is funny because of the places and people that he has saved. He fought crocodile 3 times specifically, and I quote, "You [Crocodile] stole Vivi's country". He dove into raigoh and destroyed it, saving Skypea. If that's not heroic, I don't know what is

[@BladeEdge86]

It all goes to what Luffy's definition of hero is. Some of the people Luffy has helped would view him as heroic, and he has done heroic deeds, but sees himself primarily as someone who just looks out for himself and those he cares about. This is yet another example of Oda taking inspiration from Dragon Ball as Goku never really saw himself as a hero either for similar reasons.

[@tabo51]

What I like most about this arc is that Oda was able to create a conflict that put Luffy in a crisis despite quite easily overpowering his opponent even in their element. I don't think it would have been effective if fishman island had a formidable opponent, regardless of being jacked up on drugs, since the reason they separated for 2 years was to build the strength and maturity to make it in the New World. Had they struggled mightily then their training could have been considered moot.

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

That's a great point!

[@hakeem311]

One of the parts that i like on reread is seeing the way luffy treats shirahoshi is the same way Ace treated luffy when they first met

[@thiccrick1376]

I've been so excited for your analysis of this arc. So many people don't like this saga or disregard it for whatever reason, but I think it cements some of the core ideas of the series in such an effective way. The actual location of fishman island allows for so much creativity too that this saga is still one of my favorites, up there with skypiea.

[@kf7902]

One of my favorite scenes is when Luffy relates to the Kraken wanting to protect its brother by asking "Is he younger or older than you? Why don't you let me protect him too?!" 😭 I was worried as the video was wrapping up that there would be no mention but then 27:02 came and my heart was full

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

The kraken is lovable!

[@strylerysin2875]

Fisher Tiger was one of the most realistic characters in the series. He was so flawed, but fought against those flaws for a better tomorrow. A real GOAT.

[@ByrneBaby]

My favorite moment in all of One Piece is in this arc, and it's when Luffy is playfully observing the fish-men and mermaids and their distinctions, remarking that their vibrant colors and varied shapes are "fun." And like first of all, it's rare for Luffy to be so calm, it's such a stark contrast that's nice to see, but second it's such a strong display of character on his part. The differences that other characters will often find revolting or a point of inferiority are just fun additions in Luffy's eyes. They're people like anyone else in the world with differences to be celebrated and appreciated. Really sets him apart from everyone else, I think.

[@Muz.Writes]

Fantastic video, Dr. Chase! This is as far as I got into One Piece when I used to read it as a teenager. I had caught up with everything that was out in the manga at the time and told myself I'd continue after building up a good stockpile of chapters to binge. Now i’m left with an intimidating 10+ years of chapters to catch up on if I want to continue following your One Piece journey. But if you can do it, maybe so can I! Thank you for your balanced and thoughtful analysis, and for helping me appreciate aspects of the series I hadn’t considered before. PS: Loved your recent(ish) One Piece chat with Allen and Jimmy and hope you get a chance to have many more manga discussions with other youtubers in the future!

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

Thank you so much! It would be great to have you along on this journey! I definitely hope to do more chats with people here on KZbin. All the best!

[@TheMrEpiphany]

I'm a little late to the party this time around, but well summarized as usual. This is one of the best arcs in the series not for it's immediate plot or for action, but for the motifs and themes and ideas addressed. You covered them excellently. I personally love fisher tiger and his character arc because of the struggle and internal strife he faced in the wake of the worst the world had to offer, and choosing to take up arms but maintaining his sense of "understanding the other' as you eloquently put it. Koala is the primo example here, best manifested when saying after throwing his gun to the ocean "we're not those animals, the celestial dragons. We won't kill you for crying. *Grabs her* ITS OKAY TO CRY!". That part gets me every time.

[@tacorrific]

When Shanks and Whitebeard met face to face Whitebeard asked what enemy he lost his arm to. Shanks replied that he gave it to the next generation. As you pointed out Shanks handed down his straw hat as part of a legacy or inherited will to Luffy. Shanks mentioned to Rayleigh that Luffy was saying the same things that Gol D Roger used to say. It also gives a little more weight and meaning behind Shanks leaving his treasured straw hat with Luffy.

[@superfuss1984]

The Prof will be awed about how that "Will" Thing will Snowball....🤔

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

Oda is definitely playing the long game with these symbols and themes!

[@arthurmeyer2977]

Shanks lost his arm and that's a plot hole. Do not misunderstand me, I find it completely ok, considering how long and complex the story is, it needs to happen. Especially that the creators of manga have little time and a lot of work to constantly keep making new chapters. The only thing I do not like is trying to explain everything by hardcore fans. More plot holes: Even very strong characters which appear also in the early period of the story never use haki, no one ever mentions it. The moment it came up, immediately it's one of the main subjects, constantly coming up everywhere. Just creator got a nice idea how to create a new power up and implemented it. Early power ups of Luffy are very harmful, and they slowly destroy him, however it gets forgotten and he gets new power ups from nowhere, whenever it is 'time' for it. There are more plot holes, but still it's a great story, just please, do not try to explain everything. Oda is just a human and he creates a lot spontaneously which affects what was created before. The huge difference of powers between marine pirates, Crocodile was very weak only because he was the enemy of Luffy early, that is all, nothing more. I haven't read the manga after the anime but if he gets back into fighting, I'm sure he will now be using haki, despite his age almost didn't age. Powering up characters makes no sense, a simple example, for about 15 years they became only 'that' strong, and then immediately in 2 months they became 10x stronger, and in 2 years 10000x stronger.

[@tehSunBro]

@@arthurmeyer2977 Well for starters, the "price" for Luffy's powerups still comes in regularily, even after the timeskip, at least for the first one. The revelation that Shanks actually let it happen is also something that is heavily implied. We may not have known it in Chapter 1, but it is very obvious once we learned about it, that Shanks use conquerers haki to get rid of the lord of the coast. Shanks didn't forget about using armament, he deliberately chose to let it happen, to teach Luffy a very important lession. Being a pirate means business, it's not just fun and games with your friends drinking in a bar telling fun stories. For Luffy thats all he knew. And then Shanks showed him, that even a godlike pirate like him could easily be in trouble if he got too careless.

[@arthurmeyer2977]

@@tehSunBro This is exactly what I was talking about. Completely meaningless and illogical fan made arguments of why something happened. Another plot hole, Sabo was never mentioned before in remininscence of Luffy and Ace brotherhood. The moment Sabo appeared for the first time, every time the story Got back to the early years of Luffy and Ace, Sabo was there. Before never.

[@mvaf3513]

always enjoy hearing your thoughts on the story! particularly for fisher tiger, i love how the narrative highlights that his inability to forgive wholly isn't based on pure hatred but more so resentment for the suffering he was caused. his character is one of the greatest in the story to me, because he is fully aware of how these feelings go against what he stands for. when arlong urges him to kill humans, he explains that the sun pirates' goal isnt to take revenge on them, but to achieve liberation for the oppressed, human or fishman, as its shown with koala. he knows that liberation and hatred cannot coexist, yet he is a person with feelings, after all, and it is not so easy to let go and forgive the trauma he was put through. while he couldn't accept the human's blood and felt ashamed of himself for it, he fought until the end to avoid passing those feelings of resentment to his crew, and his message always remained as one of freedom for all. his death is so tragic because he couldn't overcome this resentment, yet it speaks of an admirable strength in his character: he knows his goal, his will to live freely will only carry in the hearts of those who seek it without hatred, that it is greater than his personal feelings, and so this is the message he gives them, to not let their hatred be the cause for their death as it was being his, and instead make freedom (from both hatred and oppression, either towards them or others) their driving force to live

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

Excellent thoughts here - thanks so much!

[@HaganeNoGijutsushi]

Yeah, and it's also great how this recontextualises Arlong too. We basically see three generations: Fisher Tiger, has suffered first hand and been broken. He still tries to do the right thing but understandably is unable to let go of his hatred. Arlong, has seen first hand the evils and has seen them affect people he respects and cares about. Still has taken the weaker path of simply becoming a smaller bully unleashing his frustrations on those even weaker while deluding himself that he's somehow getting back at those he hates. Hody, has seen nothing, he's basically just larping the stuff he heard the adults talk about without understanding any of it. Just a thug looking for an excuse to be violent.

[@fourcornersofthepage]

I made it my NY’s resolution to start my own (very stodgy) channel this year - your open, chatty and enthusiastic style was the big reason that I finally decided to go for it! You make Booktube feel like a cosy conversation rather than a scary and judgmental place. Thanks Philip :) all the best and happy new year.

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

That makes me so happy to hear! Thank you for telling me, and my very best wishes to you for much fulfillment as you learn and grow with your channel!

[@fourcornersofthepage]

@ thanks! I’ll send you a link when I get round to discussing Way of Edan :)

[@cobaltsunflower]

About to do my dishes but i caught this in my refresh and oh well my dishes can do themselves

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

I often wish my dishes would do themselves! All the best! 😊

[@illuminoeye_gaming]

oh i like to put on a video while doing the dishes

[@Joe-l6o]

I love the fish man island arc. I cried multiple times. People who watch the anime don’t like that arc because they don’t think the villain is strong and they think it’s boring, but i love fishman island.

[@Ultimate_Ace]

2 month wait but well worth it. Will always love your takes. Now you are finally on to the REAL story of One Piece. Punk Hazard is when it really starts to get rolling and you get to meet the best kid character in the whole series. One of the best characters in general. Jinbe is also absolutely goated and I love him so much.

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

Thank you so much! Jinbe is rapidly becoming a favorite for me.

[@The_Tauri]

Great analysis. Fishman Island's exploration of the themes of forgiveness and the cycles of hatred was great. Hody wasnt that terrifying physically, even after he took those drugs, except for the fact that he himself wasnt a direct victim of the racism towards the Fishmen. He just absorbed the ambient hatred and was transformed into a monster long before he took the drugs. Ending the cycle of hatred took a kind of strength that he didnt have or want, but Otohime and Fisher did. Wonderful.

[@BladeEdge86]

What is truly terrifying is their hatred consumed them so much that they were willing to obtain a false power that ultimately destroyed them.

[@munzi_i]

Just want to throw out that this is also one of Merphy's favorite arcs and even though you already discussed a lof of the themes it's still a great opportunity for a live chat with her (especially since you two didn't talk about Marineford yet) :P

[@tedwards1025]

This is such a good review of the saga! You hit on all of the big themes and key emotional moments throughout the story. A lot of people seem to dislike this arc due to the primary villain, Hody, not having particularly deep motivations. I'm glad that you read it the same way I did, that being without deeper motives is the point of Hody as a villain. His hatred was taught by others rather than being informed by his own experiences with humans. His refusal to see the situation in anything except black and white based on what he learned secondhand makes him the physical incarnation of Otohime's fear for what the future people would be like if they kept teaching the children hatred. That's why I loved the moment at the end of the arc when you see the fishman children asking their parents about humans. The responses show that the parents are at first defaulting to their prejudiced generalizations but then they remember the message about ending the cycle of blind hatred and correct themselves by attempting to give more nuanced answers regarding the "other" people as individuals. And I think that message about valuing individuals based on their own actions and character rather than making biased assumptions is also captured in Luffy's response to those same people when they ask if he's a good or bad human. Luffy telling them to watch his actions and decide for themselves in perfectly in character and lets his emotional intelligence shine. He knows claiming to be a good person would be empty words (and he doesn't want to be seen as a good person or a hero anyway, he just wants to do what he wants and help his friends and his deeds just happen to be good and heroic). He wants everyone to decide for themselves how they feel about each individual, including himself, only based on what they've seen themselves of the character of these other people. In that way, Luffy is the perfect human to challenge the cycle of hate as it existed in Fishman Island. I always love hearing your thoughts on my favorite story! Thanks for sharing! It's exciting seeing you get so close to catching up as well (at least in terms of arcs lol). Looking forward to your reaction to everything coming up!

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

Beautifully said on all accounts! Thank you for this excellent comment!

[@fakero0009]

Great analysis on this Saga! And so we are starting the second half of One Piece. Can't wait for your thoughts about the adventures to come in the New World!

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

I'm ready for the New World! I hope . . .😊

[@CT_20243]

I stumble upon your channel last year, I never thought you would get this far , I wish you could have been included at the One Piece Reverie or the gathering of the famous and long time one piece viewers ever since the dawn of KZbin itself😆

[@ryanyoo7129]

I appreciate your rhetorical analyses & deep respect for this series! I've loved One Piece for over half my life (or rather, maybe my life only started once I read One Piece), and I appreciate that you appreciate the emotional intelligence of this series' characters and themes which are obfuscated in the goofy antics of a blunt yet insightful protagonist and plot-relevant nosebleed explosions. I love when people love my favorite thing in the world! The One Piece is real! May we all find it.

[@pyro-is-magic8202]

Thanks for another great episode Philip. As others have mentioned in the comments already Otohime and the Palace come from the story of Urashima Taro, a Japanese folktale of an underwater palace and kingdom. Oda does a beautiful job in this arch of a marriage between cultures between Japanese and Greek stories. This marriage is even symbolized in Shirahoshis parents as her father is Neptune and her mother is Otohime. Theres also some Japanese symbolism in Shirahoshis name as it would directly translate to “White Star” in English. As Hoshi refers to both stars and planets in Japanese, her name alludes to her being the ancient weapon of Poseidon, as that name relates to the planet Neptune.

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

Very cool! Thank you!

[@Timeismana]

The thumbnail is peak once again. Thank you for this thorough and thoughtful analysis. I loved Fishman Island too, I've been reading One Piece since 22 years ago and this arc hit me HARD. The themes are beautiful, and talking about slavery, humanity, and compassion in this way is essential. Otohime and Fisher Tiger were incredible, and Jinbei is such a fantastic spiritual child of all of their convictions ❤️ Anyway, keep them coming and thank you for all of this amazing content ❤️

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

Thank you so much for the encouragement - it means a lot to me! 😊

[@tash5186]

fisher tiger's death, nami's acceptance and forgiveness, hody's nothing panel,and the blood transfusion are some scenes ill never forget 💯💯

[@SilverFanAccount]

I started reading one piece a little before you did and I've consistently been a couple arcs ahead, so I've had a nice routine of finishing an arc and then a little after getting to watch your video. I'm excited for you to get to the dressrosa arc now, which is the 2nd of the next saga, it's probably my favorite part of the series so far

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

I look forward to it very much!

[@BladeEdge86]

It is a long manga, but if you give a chance you get hooked. Without getting spoilery the current arc has been forshadowed for a very long time.

[@Wordhopper1990]

This arc is amazing! The themes are explored so much more deeply and from so many more angles than I had expected. Really impressive. I just wanted to highlight one minor standout moment I believe you didn’t address - the moment you find out why the younger princes are so silly. Seeing them dance through their tears after losing their mother just to calm down Shirahoshi hit hard as well.

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

That is a beautiful moment - thank you!

[@lovefiction-t7n]

Fishman Island is the most overhated and underrated arc in One Piece. People call it bad and filler, when it is one of the most important arc from lore perspective, and it highlights some of the most complex One Piece's themes and adds many layers to them. I think this arc plays big role in big scheme of narrative, and it is one of those arcs that makes One Piece thematically complex and diverse. Maybe it is not as hype and epic as Marineford before it, but you can't drop Marineford every arc, there shoul be a lot of build ups for such epic arcs. Amazing video, i'm so glad that you pointed out on so much important thematic stuff like cycle of hatred, destiny vs one's dream, inheirted will and desire e.t.c. Thank you for great content, and profound thoughts such wonderfull series

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

@@lovefiction-t7n Beautifully said! Thank you!

[@gakeon963]

Whooo welcome to the New World! Fishman Island is definitely underrated, but mostly because of the amazing arcs that preceded and succeeded it. Great video like always, and your pronounciation of names is on point! You're officially halfway through the story, and this next half is absolutely crazy. It hasn't even ended yet but every arc either sets up something insanely big, or finally shows it after so much build-up. Can't wait for the next video, but enjoy the next arc at your own pace ofc!

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

@@gakeon963 Many thanks for the encouragement and kindness! 😊

[@JacoB-wp4ws]

You have the best review on this saga, this saga is so incredible and sadly a lot of people heavily dislike this saga despite beautiful meseage from Oda sensei, cannot wait for your next saga reviews

[@RonquixoteDIII]

I love Otohime and One underrated flaw I like about her is she focused so much on the relationship between fishman and humans that she and later her sons overlooked the fishman district, a poor and underfunded area where hatred could thrive.

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

@@RonquixoteDIII Excellent point!

[@zacharyleonard9413]

What a great and honest review of the arc. This video doesn't deserve a single downvote. Great job on the pronunciations too.

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

Many thanks for the kind words!

[@nros7705]

Post-timeskip, here we go! People often dismiss the post-timeskip arcs (especially Fishman Island and the arc right after it) as uninteresting and lacking the charm of the arcs before the timeskip. It'll be really nice to watch proper thematic analyses of these less popular arcs, can't wait for your next OP video!

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

Thank you so much! I'm excited to continue!

[@CT_20243]

With this much great analysis on Fishman Island Arc, can't wait for the Wano Arc Analysis!

[@MechanicGopher]

I never put together how Shirahoshi is hidden away and secluded, alone, out of fear, the same way Fishman Island as a whole is. That’s just so beautiful, and brilliant on Oda’s part. The more I think about One Piece the more beautiful (nearly) every aspect of the story is.

[@madman6962]

been waiting on this with bated breath good to have you back, teach

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

Thank you so much! I appreciate the encouragement!

[@Usernameforsf]

I was sooo waiting for this video! Such a beautiful insight into this saga, which I just love. Specially because Oda treats this subject so masterfully and with such nuance, reflecting how hatred is really inherited in our world. I’ve always thought that this particular saga should be studied in schools in my country haha, because my country is really hurt by hatred passed down by awful events of the past. Amazing video as always! Thanks!

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

So well said! Legacy is explored so well in One Piece. All the best!

[@CoolBoyFortniteCactus]

Your videos really help me see the deeper themes in one piece it’s nice being able to watch somebody who’s intelligent break down the series and see it how oda intended.

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

You are very kind! Thank you!

[@Fros7yLAW]

I love reliving One Piece through your thoughts. Thank you for making these videos!

[@Eventzz0]

Brilliant analysis, Philip, you’re awesome 👏 👏

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

@@Eventzz0 Thank you for your kind words!

[@Nastyn1nja808]

0:05 5 seconds in and Phillip, The Thumbnail GOAT, nailsbFishman Island!

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

Many thanks! 🙏

[@pojo7712]

Loved the review! I do remember when I initially read this arc it was one of my less enjoyable ones, especially with that pervert guy. With time however I grow fond of the way Oda wrote such a powerful and confrontational story. Excited to hear more of your thoughts.

[@taimohamed4447]

Excited for a new video from my favorite English Professor!

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

Thank you, Tai! My best to you and the family!

[@LordDurbian]

Proves why you’re my favorite one piece reactor/ discussion creator. Such an over hated arc and plenty of people miss such important themes

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

@@LordDurbian Thank you for your kind words! It is surprising to me that this arc is less popular, but time has a way of sorting out great stories, so I hope it will get more recognition.

[@scapeshiftmeta]

Thank you so much for continuing your One Piece journey and sharing it with us!!

[@charles7623]

Most people that I've heard from theorize that Luffy's destruction of fishman island will be a more literal one than a symbolic one. That maybe later on he will do something that inadvertently destroys the island, either after or as the fishmen are about to join the rest of the world. Never heard anyone claim that Madam Shyarly's prediction about Luffy has already come true in a more symbolic way. Great way to think about it.

[@Zechree]

I loved hearing you talk about Otohime, great analysis good sir!

[@elkapi7764]

2:44 This is so beautifully put🤧 Also I thought the steroids were a brilliantly creative take on how opening the box causes “aging” from Otohime’s folklore. Lots of Japanese media use it but this one was one of the best takes I’ve seen

[@Exilum]

I had a great time watching your reaction as usual. I truly have nothing to say, I felt like this was a very complete view of the saga, but I wanted to just tell you that much.

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

Much appreciated! 😊

[@hollowichigo1023]

Fishman island is a subtler but beautiful arc. Oda asks a lot of questions that are very hard to swallow. But as always he finds the joy in the darkness

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

@@hollowichigo1023 I couldn’t agree more! Cheers!

[@paulettewirtz785]

Yayyy I've been waiting for this!

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

Thank you for watching! 😊

[@lcart14]

It's very interesting to see you speak so positively of this Arc as it's definitely one of the lesser loved New World arcs. I think for a lot of fans they were expecting something way more bombastic and action-packed compared to what we got but I've really loved seeing the reevaluation of Fishman Island over time it really does stand strong as one of one pieces best arcs

[@hugorodriguez8672]

Excellent review, I'd recommend you watching the scene of the blood transfusion between Luffy and Jimbei in the anime, it was done very beautifully in there

[@ruine2306]

Great video, Chase. Really liked your insight on Shirahoshi and Hody. Otohime and Fisher Tiger are great examples of one of Oda's great strengths as a writer; how he deals with death in his story. Beyond the tragedy of their characters and the circumstances of their deaths, Oda makes sure that when he introduces characters that are already deceased, they are truly mourned. You can feel the people of Fishman Island were begging to still have the guidance of these figures to help them through this generational trauma. Otohime and Fisher Tiger were paragons of growth for the Fishmen, and without them to gracefully light a path, fear and uncertainty took over. And where the future is so fearful and uncertain, channelling hate towards others offers an easy means of certainty in oneself, but will always send them towards destruction. The lesson that is learned with all of these characters is that if we so desperately want the guidance of people who are no longer around, we must internalise their values and carry on their will as their own. We must guide ourselves and each other towards that ideal of theirs we loved. Whether its Otohime, Fisher Tiger, Kuina, Bell-mére, Hiriluk, Tom or Sabo, their ideals are inherited by those who mourn them so they can create the future they wanted from them. Oda gets a lot of flak for how he handles death in this series, usually in reference to the large number of fairly corny fake-out deaths during arcs. But to me, it feels like its driven by him understanding how important death really is to people. If much more of these characters who get taken out of commission for the sake of elevating stakes during an arc's climax actually died, it would cheapen the gravity of the more important deaths. ------ I've recently reread this arc as part of my reread of the whole manga (I forgot a lot of my initial read lol), and this arc has so much going for it. It has so much meaningful things to say about Fishman which builds incredibly well upon what we know from Sabaody and from our own personal knowledge of racism, and its exploration of freedom through the metaphor of the sun continues on incredibly from Thriller Bark. Arlong is transformed from a villain with recognisable but largely basic allusions to real-world black separatism, into a much more well-rounded, deep and compelling character that enriches the world and themes of the greater narrative from the start... and that's through mainly one flashback. Seriously impressive work from Oda. I consider the arc to really be in the same league in that regard as the series best. That being said, with all of the hype building towards getting to Fishman Island over the previous few years of serialisation, and all of the significance of the messaging and theming during the arc, I don't think many are wrong in thinking that the great strengths of the arc are undercut by the arc's needing to be a comeback sweep for the Strawhats. Beyond Hody, the minor antagonists in this arc are abused for comedy in this arc so much that one sometimes forgets most of them share the same values as Hody, which leads to a climax which feels somewhat farcical with a pretty big disconnect from the deep emotional core of the arc. Hody would be considered to be a greater villain in this series if he wasn't connected to a gang filled with borderline gag-characters, and by extension the arc would be better regarded and recognised for its accomplishments by more. In short, I think the arc pushes the limit of Oda's style of juxtaposition, and it's hard to really take the arc as a whole seriously. Sanji's nosebleed being a legitimate story beat and set-up for the Jinbe and Luffy payoff just frustrates a lot of people.

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

Thank you for sharing your thoughts in this excellent comment! I actually ended up increasing my estimation for Fish-Man Island as I read further, with the blood transfusion being the emotional climax. It's hard to set up new villains for every saga, I'm sure, and I agree that these are not Oda's most complex characters, but I think he was going for heavy symbolism here, and flat characters lend themselves to that better than fleshed out ones. I'm also amazed at how Oda balances goofiness with serious themes, but there must be limits to that, as you say, and perhaps you're right that he came closer to those limits here. All the best!

[@ruine2306]

@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy You do make a point regarding the flatness of the villains with the flatness of their moral characters. In my opinion Oda's key decision tone-wise was to either make the villains very menacing or very unthreatening and keep them flat regardless. A lot of OP readers are more accustomed to the former, and one could say that the sinister nature of Hody's philosophy and where he came from deserves to be treated as such. However, we had just come from such a tense and emotional saga that a come-up was needed to balance the scales and set the tone back for the second half of the full narrative. Fishman Island could potentially have been very intense if it wasn't made as light-hearted as it is. Basically, you win some and you lose some

[@NateGSongs]

You’re single-handedly tiding us all over while one piece is on hiatus and I thank you for it, I remember being moved a lot by the depth of the arc and its racial allegories and was surprised that it is often shrugged off as a weaker arc

[@tariqulislamakash5749]

Incredible review as always.

[@GwynnFyrion]

Yeeeeees! I am on the Fishman Island arc on my rewatch, perfect timing sir! Excited to hear your thoughts!

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

Happy watching!

[@duatavuite5456]

Next stop, Punk Hazard!!! Let's Go..... Impatiently waiting for next video

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

I'll do my best! Cheers!

[@patrickstreetet3085]

I really can't wait for you to get caught up in the series, it's really a beautiful ride the whole time

[@merytale]

One of my favorite underrated characters to revisit in this arc is Shirahoshi's brothers, and not the cool oldest bro, but the 2 silly ones. At first, their characters were just shown as if they're just another comedic duo to fill in Oda's gag-of-the-arc quota, but then boom! He showed you what happened in the flashback, and suddenly it's not so funny anymore. I can't imagine their pain, having to force themselves to act silly during a moment when their own dear Mom was dying before them. It's such a short scene so no one talks about them a lot, but I really feel their pain for some reason. It's the fact that they had to shove their grief away. And you know I just thought of this as i am writing this comment, but since the 2 brothers continues to do their silly dancing and singing acts even when Shirahoshi's not around, while it might be totally not Oda's intention, it feels like a coping mechanism for themselves. Like a dark humor known only to them. God dammit i just make myself extra sad for these two again! 🥲

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

@@merytale Beautifully said!

[@proto_carl8404]

I love this arc, there is so much good stuff in it. The flashback was great, the location looks just stunning, the scene where luffy knocks out 50.000 opponents only using his haki in one single blow was amazing to see and the red hawk, an homage to his late brother, caught me off guard and let me sobbing in awe. Great lore and world building as well. Jinbei sharing his blood with luffy is still one of my favorite scenes in all of one piece. I wish we’d have had more interactions amongst the straw hats, but that’s honestly the biggest and only noteworthy “bad” thing about this arc. And I’m very excited for the new world. The thing about that part is that while it is different in many ways from the pre time skip it is still great. I’m excited for yours thoughts on it and hope you enjoy!

[@RizyRafiq]

Great discussion on this arc! It's a really underrated one in my opinion, especially with so many themes explored in such a profound way! I'm glad you enjoyed it

[@juancrl2]

Great video professor! I really appreciate these videos and i find another perspective on the series, it's refreshing. When I read it I found the act of jimbe giving blood to luffy as an act of one being loyal to your close ones in spite of the environment being against you, rather than your appreciations on the matter. I also personally find it very interesting that one piece can be as deep as one looks into it, some people only want to see the action and cool moves and all that, and that's fine, and then there's also a deeper meaning in the work if you want to look for it. Hope to see the next part!

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

Well said! I agree that there's nothing wrong with enjoying the action that One Piece offers!

[@Yczechshi]

Killing it as always with the thumbnail and the readings. Can’t wait for the New World!!!

[@Hugo_Navarro_]

This is the most themes-driven arc along with Skypiea for me. Both also being the 2 arcs with maybe the "cleanest" and most polished art by Oda. And both portraying how much of a symbol Luffy is. Directly or indirectly. I love how Oda actually tried to approach some sort of "answer" to the racism problematic. Most shows approach this theme just by showing how bad it is. Here Oda points at the children. And the role the adults gotta assume towards children. Even the adults that have that hatred inside. (Also what you pointed out about friendship) The lore feels so ominous too... Man I love it!! My only push back here is Sanji's gag, but I think we all agree here

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

Well said! Cheers!

[@Tusky1039]

As always, great review!! Fishman Island has some of the most beautiful landscape and background art in the series to me. Beautiful arc on the inside and out!

[@Shelf-Esteem]

Man I just love the way you talk about themes in stories Philip! I plan on starting One Piece this year because of you (you are slowly becoming single handedly responsible for my entire TBR these days 😂)

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

@@Shelf-Esteem I hope you will find much joy from One Piece, Nikhil. I also hope you’re feeling better! Illness on top of evacuation is not fair, but you will get through it, my friend!

[@Shelf-Esteem]

@@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy thanks buddy! ❤️ I like to think of it as I’m getting all the bad parts of 2025 out of the way early 😂 It’s only upward from here!

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

@@Shelf-Esteem May it be so!

[@mxoze]

one of my favourite arcs despite how so many people brush it off as just a boring arc after the marineford climax. So glad you enjoyed it! This is where the bigger picture of the story really starts to kick off. Excited for you to keep reading!!

[@pivad1388]

Seeing another upload from you instantly made my day! 15:00 EVERYONE needs a Luffy in their life! I also love Merphy's observation in this arc about generational hate: Arlong's hatred born from experience vs Hody's learned hatred which is ultimately void. Love your videos as always, thank you for this piece. I can't wait to see your next videos, some of the arcs later on are my absolute favorites. The One Piece world just keeps getting bigger and bigger!

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

@@pivad1388 Many thanks for watching and commenting! 😊

[@Oharafolk]

Thank you so much Sir! What a great way to start the year, beautiful and the best review i've seen of Fishman Island.

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

Many thanks! ☺

[@KirigakureM]

Never clicked so fast lol 😂

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

Thank you so much for clicking and watching!

[@andrewdelagarza2536]

I LOVED THE FAN LETTER EPISODE!! Megumi Ishitani is an incredible director who I think does a great job of showing us the story of one piece the way it look it looks in Oda’s mind

[@Zafervaim]

I love your videos on One Piece. I'm re-reading the series maybe 4th time now partly due to some events in manga chapters of past year or two but also so that I would have all the events in recent memory as you describe your findings as a new reader. Your videos add an extra layer of appreciation to reading One Piece so thank you for sharing your journey with us!

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

@@Zafervaim Cheers! 😊

[@BladeEdge86]

On re readings/re watching I will often notice things I didn't before, even seemingly insiginificant events are often used as foreshadowing by Oda.

[@austinmontgomery6683]

been waiting for this one! thanks for the wonderful analysis!

[@bigfan5338]

I love your acknowledgement of Nami as she is very human as part of the crew she doesn't have flashy fights as much as others but as a character she is one of the strongest is one piece

[@rajashiyam1386]

I love how Mariejois and Fishman Island are located in the same spot, but Fishman Island is in the lower part and Mariejois is in the upper part

[@OniichanG59]

such a legend! i’m caught up to the anime but your videos inspired me to start the manga from the beginning. love your intellectual thoughts on this great series!

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

Aw, thank you! Best wishes for the read!

[@adventuroushermit2590]

You have such a great grasp of themes and symbolism in One Piece. I would love to see a discussion between you and The Drawk Show

[@animeproblem1070]

One of the things that people don't seem to understand is that luffy ignoring the history of fishman island is the reason he is able to help them. The thing is he doesn't feel pity for them like a lot of people would he comes to them on an equal ground. They know almost exactly the same things about each others history which is nothing so when he says decide for yourself what i am it means something greater than someone who sees themself as a savior trying to sweep in and save their people it would demean everything they fought for everything they lived for while luffy does whatever he wants and doesn't care who you are if you're a friend to him you get help if you're an enemy and hurt people he cares about you eat dirt. This means the fishman aren't indebted to a savior they're indebted to a friend an equal.

[@mjblu8]

Yep. You said Akainu and Aoikiji right this time. Love your analyses by the way. Keep it up.

[@aregularfan7506]

I did not finish the video yet, but I am baffled to see this dislikes on this if those are accurately represented. I have been really enjoying every one of your analysis videos so far, and I am sure this one is great too. People really dislike this arc for various reasons, and although it isn't one of my favorites either, that does not mean your video should be so poorly received due to people's biased opinions. Keep up the great videos!

[@myroomisblue2679]

Trolls will be trolls

[@aregularfan7506]

Fortunately it seems that the dislikes were glitching out and way less than it seemed which is good

[@elcee8]

In this arc I started seeing a pattern with Luffy - he would not hold back on being mean and the name calling when it comes to a pink haired cry baby character (Koby being one, now Shirahoshi). Haha. But after watching the post-war arc, I get it - Luffy was made fun of for being a cry baby constantly. It makes so much sense for him to react so strongly towards cry baby characters that seem to represent the part of him he was probably not most proud of, and so he pushes these characters really hard (for their own good). I too love that moment between Luffy and Jinbe, and when he tells Jinbe to join his crew. Because Jinbe means so much to Luffy, being the one who was there for Luffy at his lowest moment when Ace died.

[@gingersndragons]

i was waiting for this video! love your analyses

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

Cheers! 😊

[@tcgloveopenings]

And we are back! thank you for this video, let's go

[@nicholasgraves3149]

Finally! Here's your like and engagement comment, now time to watch the video!

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

Many thanks! 😊

[@mxxmm4365]

Another awesome video!

[@leowu1644]

I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR A NEW VIDEO!!!

[@Jayluna98]

It was nice to hear your thoughts on the generational struggles between the species of humans and fish men; looking forward to your next upload!

[@smthspshl]

Great analysis as always! Next saga will make you think of difficult things as well!

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

Cheers! 😊