Kuma's Past - Better Off Dead in This World

I'm not a manga reader and for about a year I've been constantly and i mean CONSTANTLY hearing about kuma's flashback and oh my god my eyes were watering up like crazy through the episode and if this is just the beginning then oh my goodness we're in for a ride.

This is why i adore One Piece, it can take a detour to a another place, another time and tell a story about a side character that you barely see and still make you care, cry and hope for a good outcome.

I'm excited for what's to come and One Piece is really shaping up to be an all timer ( if it ain't already is ) and i should really start reading the damn manga.

I was completely moved by this episode! Kuma's past was heartbreaking and showed just how much he had to endure as a child. And it only just began now. The animation and music made the emotions hit even harder. I felt deeply connected to his story and cant wait to see how things unfold next Episodes!

In my 45 years of life I watched many sci fi and fantasy. I saw series from Star wars 1970s - 80s to Lord of the Rings in 2000s then to Breaking Bad and so on. I watched many more horror, drama or comedy. When I look back and compare everything I feel amazed. Then after many years I watched One Piece after my son finished it. As born in 70s-80s we are not an anime generation but I watched every episode from episode 1 to now 1129. I can easily say that this series is the most important and biggest-best thing humanity has ever created. Every character, every smile, every feeling and pain or humor is a piece of art and humanity. These characters and the story may be the pinnacle of friendship and I love them with all my heart. Hiluluk, Pedro, Zoro, Nico Robin, Senor Pink, Bon chan, Corazon, Law or even Kaido, Perospero come guys lets watch 1000 more episodes together.

It was an enjoyable episode - the animation and art were absolutely legendary. Toei Animation truly went above and beyond, reaching an insane level of quality that's hard to describe. They even improved the manga adaptationt.

However, the problem is that the episode didn't emotionally impact me the way I had hoped. I had been eagerly waiting for this flashback, expecting it to break me and leave me in tears, but my emotions were barely stirred. This was mostly due to the poor use of sound effects and background music, which should have created a much more sorrowful and immersive atmosphere.

I hope they improve this aspect in the upcoming episodes. Still, we can't deny that this episode was excellent in many ways. One Piece is back at an incredible level, and with each episode, my love for this masterpiece keeps growing.

Can't wait to see more of Kuma's past unfold. I'm too hyped from all the fans saying his backstory is one of the most emotional in the series, maybe even in all of anime. This episode sets the stage well with strong atmosphere, music, and emotion. That said, I'm giving it an 8 because not much actually happens in terms of plot, and the pacing felt a bit slow. But as a setup episode, it did its job. I can already feel the pain coming. I just hope the anime does full justice to Kuma's character. If what people say is true, we're in for one of the most tragic and powerful flashbacks One Piece has ever delivered.