Best: Episodes 5 and 6, “Eat at Baratie!” and “The Chef and the Chore Boy”
One Piece really comes into its own in the back half of the season, particularly with the one-two punch of Episodes 5 and 6. These episodes have it all, starting with the eye-popping set for Baratie, a giant fish-shaped restaurant in the middle of the sea. Are passing pirates enough to support a floating luxury restaurant? Unclear, but who cares? It’s beautiful.
At Baratie we meet young chef Sanji and his boss Zeff. Like most of the characters, they have a pulpy past to share with us. Of all the flashbacks this season, I liked Sanji’s the best. The story of how he and Zeff met and survived a shipwreck was surprisingly scary and tender, complete with an unexpected twist. It’s the best example of how One Piece manages to balance its goofy aesthetic with its occasionally darker themes.
I also like the way actor Taz Skylar fights as Sanji, so there’s another arrow in the show’s action scene quiver.
So Sanji is our big new introduction here. But unlike with Episodes 3 and 4, “Eat at Baratie!” and “The Chef and the Chore Boy” manage to involve the rest of the cast in meaningful ways. Zoro has a chance to prove himself the strongest swordsman in the world by fighting a powerful warlord named Mihawk, who beats Zoro nearly to death despite only using a tiny knife. Once again, there’s that juxtaposition of the sincere and the extremely silly that this show seems to love.
As a result, Zoro has his most emotionally honest moment on the show yet, and fully commits himself to being a part of Luffy’s crew. At the same time, Nami feels the call of her past and abandons the crew. And all of this presents the unstoppably cheerful Luffy with a real crisis of confidence.
So this is the meatiest section of the season emotionally as well as the most visually impressive. It’s great, and I hope One Piece returns for a second season as soon as possible.
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