© Eiichiro Oda/Shueisha, Toei Animation
Episode 1122 was a fitting milestone for the series before it went on an extended hiatus.
This episode has the same role as the send-off and celebration. Garp gets his chance to shine again in what he does best: hitting things hard. And of course, he does so with all the visual pomp and circumstance we've come to appreciate from the Toei team in recent years. But it's also a celebration of Koby and Helmeppo, with the former not only delivering his own big punch but going on an emotional journey about who and what he wants to protect. . The desperate race to the giant Beehive's arm emphasized this and the fear he experienced for the safety of his fellow marines was something special.
It's easy to forget how important Koby is to longtime audiences. Or at least, I could easily forget until the series reminded me. Koby is one of the first characters that Luffy – and by extension, us – meet on this journey. His rise in the Navy parallel to Luffy's may not have had the same amount of screen time, but seeing how far he's come is just as impactful. The episode also does a great job of subtly juxtaposing Koby and Kuzan as Garp's mentors who chose different paths. Even the joyous sadness in the final moments that Garp and Koby are experiencing while Aokiji stands cold and silent speaks volumes.
Another important feature in this week's episode is the use of color. Lots of great moments where characters will go monochromatic to indicate intent, emotion, or simply who is being spoken to. And Koby's constantly flashing colors appearing and reappearing in the dark void look fantastic. While I'll be sad that there won't be new One Piece for the next few months, this was definitely a great episode to break it up with.
Rating:
One Piece is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.