The Flashbacks! - Fishman Island Review Part 1

What's up Scholars!
This is going to be a two parter because this arc has WAY too much to it for me to get it all in one video. This is already a really long video and the fact that I had to cut out nearly an hour's worth of video to get it here says something lol.
What do you think of the first half of this arc?
I'd love to have conversations about One Piece with fellow fans. Just please: NO SPOILERS!
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See you next time, Scholars!
#onepiece #onepiecereview #fishmanisland

[@stalhein62]

If you look carefully in one of the panels where Fisher Tiger was releasing slaves, you can see the three Boa sisters running away, just like you saw Fisher Tiger in the background of a panel when Boa Hancock was telling her version of those events.

[@thefictionalscholar]

That's an awesome little detail!

[@JPRequiem]

Nami & Jimbei scene was so important and I loved it, it could have been so easy for Nami to be hateful. And she's also thankful to him for helping out Luffy when they couldn't, shes queen

[@thefictionalscholar]

One of the best scenes for her! ❤ I love it so much!

[@Maimuna23458]

@@thefictionalscholarhi Haylee I was wondering if you , are planning on making a Avatar the last airbender for Katannge Katara and Aang.?

[@yamamah4642]

Your enthusiasm is infectious! I think Fishman Island can be pretty messy at times, but the flashbacks of Fisher Tiger and Otohime - two of One Piece's greatest characters - are enough to catapult it pretty high up. Their stories are some of Oda's best writing, and I love their designs as well, too. Arlong gains a lot more depth with this arc; it's kinda amazing to read Arlong Park with all this new information in mind, it makes him so much more compelling and tragic. He's still an absolute monster, but he's a monster shaped by a lot of tragedy and an entire history of racism and hatred. I love that Oda doesn't make a big deal out of it, he just lets the reader make up their own mind about Arlong.

[@thefictionalscholar]

Thank you so much! The flashbacks and the characters are absolutely top tier! Oda’s writing is beautiful. And you’re right. It does add depth to Arlong’s character, even if it doesn’t make me like him, but I can understand him more.

[@roxan_1314]

Ya know as someone who has grown up reading both novels and manga but has fallen out of reading novels for a while now. I really like. Missed how the like common manga community stuff isnt very. Lit focused. How at least in my experince a lot of manga fans dont really like. Talk about the story or themes or characters and instead have other focuses. But now there is such a large wave of booktubers (or people who are like booktuber like (aka manga readers who do focus on literary aspects) who are going through One Piece and other manga. So now there are just more and more videos of people going through One Piece and other stories and are talking about the story with a focus that i enjoy way more. Im saying all this cause ive noticed that Booktubers or anyone who has more of a lit focus. Tend to like FMI or even love it while it seems the general mangani community tends to not like FMI. It's like. It's so good to see.

[@thefictionalscholar]

I love looking at stories through a literary lens to see the themes and character growth. That's always been the part of stories I enjoy the most. I'm glad there are others who are joining in that are doing this!

[@evelynarhondi6375]

I don't remember how it was presented in the manga, but I will never forget how in the anime baby Arlong and them were looking onto Sabaody Park from afar with such wondrous shining eyes; it literally broke my heart 😭

[@thefictionalscholar]

It’s so sad 😢

[@AnyMEmdq]

And seeing it you get why Arlong Park looked as it did. One of the many things of Arlong's story that gets completely recontextualized, gaining an entire new meaning, hundreds of chapters later, damn Oda! I wouldn't say you can forgive him, but you can now empathize with Arlong, and understand how he became the person you got to know in chapter 69 (hehe)

[@lixogram]

What a beautiful arc. I'm happy you're enjoying it, and I hope you can check out some panels in color when you have time. Fishman Island might be my favorite arc in terms of theme and art; some panels' colors are just amazing

[@thefictionalscholar]

I will definitely look some up! It’s an absolutely beautiful story. Oda is truly showing his writing prowess!

[@stalhein62]

Do you remember one of the first things Rayleigh said to Luffy, when they met at the slave trade auction? "That straw hat suits a fearless man like yourself." With the context that it was Roger's hat initially that line is even better.

[@DesnestheDwarf]

Yaay a New Video! Let's watch while eating 😊

[@thefictionalscholar]

I hope you enjoy it! 😊

[@kevinbryant3291]

Really happy you picked up on some of the little details - Arlong park and what it mirrors - the cry baby comments and what Ace called Luffy and what he learnt to be a big brother to another Yeah Big Mom just likes their sweets

[@stalhein62]

For Arlong and his three childhood friends Hatchi Kuroobi and Chew, getting to go to Saobody Park was their dream when they were young. So when they grey up and became pirates with varying levels of morality, they built their lifelong dream in Arlong Park, and while it wasn't perfect and some insignificant humans had to die for it, it was theirs.

[@stalhein62]

With what you've learned about Arlong in this arc, how much is that going to recontextualise the live action show where he's front and centre again?

[@thefictionalscholar]

It does recontextualize a lot about him, but even though I understand him more, I still won't be able to like him. Though I better know his motivations.

[@stalhein62]

Did you catch when Sentomaru was talking about how two Pacifista were defeated, he mentioned they were the older model that hadn't been upgraded?

[@thefictionalscholar]

I do remember that! But I need to go reread that part

[@Thotalina]

So excited for this video! not one of my favorite arcs so hearing your perspective was interesting so far was super enjoyable! the arc serves a lot of purpose and brings a lot of context to the world of one piece which i am ALWAYS down for more lore.

[@thefictionalscholar]

Thank you so much!! It is a wonderful arc and I love the lore!!!

[@thefictionalscholar]

I am loving this arc!! Who was your favorite of the two? Fisher Tiger or Queen Otohime?

[@evelynarhondi6375]

I love both of them and I believe both of them were right. It's another of these situations where Oda-sensei is presenting us with multiple points of view where "there is no right or wrong answer". Well, I guess only time will tell if I am reading this correctly 😅

[@FrantifaSuperSoldier]

Queen Otohime’s story hit me harder emotionally but I think that’s just because I relate to Fisher Tiger and his philosophy more. Otohime telling her children that no matter who killed her that she didn’t want them to harbor any hatred towards them for it, makes her a much better person than I am and seeing someone like that die in front of their children is heart breaking. Fisher tigers story is also heart breaking but for me it felt more like it was the outcome he always knew was coming and so it felt like he at least had a chance to emotionally prepare himself for it. I love both characters and I think they’re great examples of how different people will take different paths based on their own perspective

[@donnerrizza5104]

Tiger, it's so impactfull and sad that he really prefer to die... I feel that he really wasn't up to keep living in the kind of world he now knows, I mean I also don't have a doubt about he doesn't wanting to receive blood but, I feel that it wasn't only the hate and fear, he also was contemplating dead...

[@roxan_1314]

42:30 so sabaody ya know is an ammusemnt park. And Arlong Park looks like it in terms of the building. But if you go to the live action trailer in the scene showing the park you can see attractions! The Live Action is adding to the similarities and i love it!

[@thefictionalscholar]

I noticed that! That's such a cool addition!

[@nikgokuhil]

Sanji's brain buried that memory to save his life. If he remembered that again, he would've died Otohime is seriously underrated in OP fandom. Her strength is beyond words

[@AnyMEmdq]

29:00 Arlong did have that line he wouldn't cross. He would kill any human that stood before him, but he wouldn't go after other fish-people

[@Crenneth1941]

You don't have to apology for how long you discussed onepiece is okay my dear👌trust me we can listen 12hrs straight about onepiece with no complain 👂💯💪

[@thefictionalscholar]

Thank you!! 😊

[@Oneydjak]

Been waiting all day for this!

[@evelynarhondi6375]

About the drugs/steroids: (This might be a spoiler if you have not finished FishMan Island!!!) They were replicas of the drug that was originally in the Tamate Box. It's supposed to be this ancient "treasure" that was passed down to the Ryugu royal family for centuries. The Nefertari family in Alabasta used to have something similar: a drug that could make you much stronger for a time but with a great cost to your health and lifespan. If you remember, King Cobra's elite guard took it in order to fight Crocodile when he had invaded the palace. (Slight spoiler: Later, we will meet yet another tribe with a similar drug.)

[@monster-enthusiast]

Yussssssss

[@AnyMEmdq]

Now that you are done with Fishman Island, I recommend that you read the Japanese folk story about Urashima Tarō. Were you Japanese, you definitely would've known it before reading Fishman Island (same as Momotaro, and several others Oda took inspiration from, they are common knowledge over there), but had you read it just beforehand for the first time, some connections could've become too evident, compared to something that's just in the back of your head from when you were 10 or so

[@HugeFrigginGuy]

There are a lot of happy boys in One Piece... but who is the happiest boy of them all... BUGGY THE CLOWN! That's who! (j/k no spoilers... unless?)

[@benjifoxtronaut]

yoo Kuma and Iva are the best uncle (and/or aunt) that straw hats never knew they deserve

[@Holeinshoo]

Great video. I love your thoughts on the arc so far and i cant wait for part 2!

[@thefictionalscholar]

Thank you so much!

[@ferzos1]

Shut up, why are you always making me cry again even though I already gone thru it 😥😭

[@290grimmey]

Love your journey 🎉 see you at the top🎉

[@AnyMEmdq]

Momoo is best cow boi

[@ICETONIC95]

So many people trash sanji for the first half of Fishman Island. Thank you so much for not trashing my boy sanji

[@thefictionalscholar]

You're welcome lol like I get how it can be annoying, but it wasn't horrible. He's always been one of my favorites!

[@ICETONIC95]

@thefictionalscholar yea I mean no one is sympathetic at all. If I was on the island that sanji was on for two years I would lose my mind at the sight of real women too

[@290grimmey]

🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉❤❤❤🎉🎉🎉🎉

[@ace0135]

Luffy doesn’t ask everyone how they poop, only beings that don’t appear to have a human butt

[@willm772]

Luffy also did not like crybaby Coby

[@Peacuch]

I am this close to buying you a shotgun mic, bro, you have no idea

[@thefictionalscholar]

😂😂😂 I’ll get a better mic one day don’t worry lol

[@Peacuch]

@@thefictionalscholar it’s the way you mentioned having new followers and I thought “oh shoot, what even is the sub-count?” Only to find out that YOU’RE UNBELIEVABLY UNDERRATED!??? HELLO?? Keep up the amazing work, don’t listen to my ramblings, I’m super here for your content 😭☠️

[@thefictionalscholar]

@@Peacuch Aww thank you! I am hoping to grow more! Haha and you can ramble anytime, I'll listen!

[@t3cchan]

For me, Sanji telling Jinbei to kill himself was one of the low points of this arc. It felt to me like that should've been a conversation solely between Nami and Jinbei, and it wasn't Sanji's place to butt in with a remark like that. His actions presume that Nami is incapable of speaking for herself, which absolutely isn't the case. She is the one who suffered at the hands of Arlong, SHE gets to decide whether or not to forgive Jinbei. Not Sanji

[@tacorrific]

Luffy's first interaction with Shirahoshi is similar to his meeting of Koby. I don't like you, but I'll help you out anyway. I don't think most people give enough consideration to all Shirahoshi has gone through. She watched her mother murdered in front of her, then stalked and threatened for 10 years, isolated and stuck in a room for years as swords and axes chase her wherever she goes. It's no wonder she is a crybaby after being terrorized for most of her life.

[@thefictionalscholar]

Shirahoshi has been through so much, the poor girl. I am not bothered at all by her being a crybaby lol

[@Maxpain350]

To be honest you progressing is too slow why?

[@taimoordanish3802]

what do you mean? she is reading at a pace she is comfortable with. I want her to read slow and comfortably so she can catch all the details and is properly able to digest the story. There is no rush

[@roxan_1314]

Shes reading at her own pace??? She's not going to slow. No one can go too slow cause how they read a story is how they read it.