Hi! I don't usually comment after reading posts but I couldn't, in good conscience, just walk away after stumbling upon your blog (how very lucky!) and reading through your AMAZING analysis on each arc of One Piece. In fact I created my dreamwidth account for the sole purpose of commenting on this post! I really appreciate your insight on this masterpiece of a manga and the depth of analysis you're providing to the readers. I'm a hard core OP fan myself but reading your posts made me feel like I just skimmed through most of the manga without really reading it!
As for the Baratie Arc, I really liked the way Oda portrayed the relationship between Sanji and Gin. Gin played a huge role in revealing Sanji's true face behind that cool and suave facade of his, not to mention that Gin himself is an extremely remarkable character as we will get to see in the chapters to come. Considering Sanji's tsun tsun demeanor to all the males who interact with him, it seems like Gin received some kind of 'exceptional' treatment from our cook. Maybe it's because they started off their relationship by showing their true selves to each other like you said; When Sanji gave Gin free food he put aside all pretense and his usual hot temper and showed his deeper nature, which was surprisingly gentle and kinder. Gin too abandoned his dignity as a battle commander and revealed his more vulnerable, humane side. Simply put, they saw through each other from the very beginning! Oh and I liked the way you interpreted Sanji's posture in front of Gin btw. Sanji being protective of Gin just by sitting in front of him or by blocking him from Zeff's view never occured to me and that's just so thoughtful of him!
Another thing I find interesting in this arc is the bickering between Usopp and Sanji. Note that the first person to start a petty argument with the cook is not Zoro, but Usopp. Most readers are so intrigued by Zoro and Sanji's constant spats that I think they often miss the fact that the one who hangs around with Sanji the most is actually Usopp(not that I'm saying Zoro and Sanji aren't close.. they have a different kind of bond). I don't know if Oda intentionally drew their bickering scene to foreshadow their intimate relationship, but I always had the feeling that Oda really enjoyed drawing those two together.
God, I rambled too much! There're so many other things I want to point out but I'll cut it short here. Once again, I really appreciate all the effort you're putting into your posts! I'll write reviews from time to time so please keep up the good work ;)
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As for the Baratie Arc, I really liked the way Oda portrayed the relationship between Sanji and Gin. Gin played a huge role in revealing Sanji's true face behind that cool and suave facade of his, not to mention that Gin himself is an extremely remarkable character as we will get to see in the chapters to come. Considering Sanji's tsun tsun demeanor to all the males who interact with him, it seems like Gin received some kind of 'exceptional' treatment from our cook. Maybe it's because they started off their relationship by showing their true selves to each other like you said; When Sanji gave Gin free food he put aside all pretense and his usual hot temper and showed his deeper nature, which was surprisingly gentle and kinder. Gin too abandoned his dignity as a battle commander and revealed his more vulnerable, humane side. Simply put, they saw through each other from the very beginning! Oh and I liked the way you interpreted Sanji's posture in front of Gin btw. Sanji being protective of Gin just by sitting in front of him or by blocking him from Zeff's view never occured to me and that's just so thoughtful of him!
Another thing I find interesting in this arc is the bickering between Usopp and Sanji. Note that the first person to start a petty argument with the cook is not Zoro, but Usopp. Most readers are so intrigued by Zoro and Sanji's constant spats that I think they often miss the fact that the one who hangs around with Sanji the most is actually Usopp(not that I'm saying Zoro and Sanji aren't close.. they have a different kind of bond). I don't know if Oda intentionally drew their bickering scene to foreshadow their intimate relationship, but I always had the feeling that Oda really enjoyed drawing those two together.
God, I rambled too much! There're so many other things I want to point out but I'll cut it short here. Once again, I really appreciate all the effort you're putting into your posts! I'll write reviews from time to time so please keep up the good work ;)