One Piece Episode 1061 utterly exemplifies what the anime has done to uplift the source material. Not only does the animated adaptation deliver on the gorgeous spectacle on display, but it also gets at a deeper truth underlying Sanji's character - which makes even a certified Vinsmoke Hater like myself a bit misty-eyed.
We first get a nice thematic follow-up with the other wing of the pirate king finishing his fight. Zoro and King wrapped up their business, and now Queen and Sanji close out their fight. While I will admit that I'm honestly glad to see it in the rearview after going on for so long, I can't deny that this fight has had its share of unbelievably hype moments. Episode 1061 is no different in that regard, delivering cut after cut of top-shelf animation from some of the best folks in the business, executing an ostensibly silly premise (a pirate chef fights a cyborg dinosaur) with bombastic excellence.
And this is very much a fight sold through its visuals. The challenge here for the animation team is making this fight feel substantially different from the Zoro versus King battle that just closed out. In theory, they're somewhat similar: Zoro and Sanji deliver massive body blows to giant dinosaurs throughout the fight. The key here is how the Toei team conveys Queen's sheer bulk without diminishing Sanji's power. Like a good wrestling match, the strike is almost less important than how the injured party sells the blow. Queen seems like an immovable object until the final moment when he budges. Whether it's the triple take to get him to budge after a big flaming kick or his slow arcing exit from the side of Onigashima, all of Queen's movements (or lack thereof) have a sense of weight and heft, as though Sanji is trying to move a mountain. So when he does finally move, it feels that much more significant.
Similarly, this episode delves into the core of who Sanji is as a person, visually and textually. It's hard to get someone like me to be on board with Sanji as a sympathetic character given his checkered past. But I think underscoring his desire to protect those in need (whether they be innocent people or the smallest hungry mouse), his full-throated rejection of Germa's evil, and embracing his nature as a chef to turn any old scrap into something nourishing for others: this is the good stuff. It's what makes him compelling. The shots of him running towards the Straw Hat crew on the shore and the brilliant visual of his childhood mask shattering within his mind's eye are excellent and character-defining moments. He doesn't have to be trapped by the inevitability of his past; he can choose a better destiny for himself and others.
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