Spoiler Alert !!!This article contains spoilers for One Piece episode 1140.

I had high hopes for One Piece Episode 1140. The premise alone was enough to get me hyped, but as the episode unfolded, it quickly became clear that the episode might not live up to what I was waiting for. The episode was supposed to highlight Luffy’s transformation as Sun God Nika and the terror of Saint Saturn and Buster Call, but what it focused on was constant wiggling and explosions that annoyed me a lot.

What hurt me even more was that these elements in the latest One Piece episode lacked both proper pacing and consistent animation quality. Instead, they came across like intrusive CGI effects that kept resurfacing every few minutes. There are a couple of frames that made me happy, like the arrival of the giants Dorry and Brogy. But the first phase of the episode couldn’t create enough hype for me to feel truly excited about the help that came for the Straw Hat Pirates.

Pacing and Animation Undercut Nika’s Hype

When I watched the previous One Piece episode, I felt confident that 1140 would deliver a thrilling adaptation of Sun God Nika’s revelation before Bonney and Kuma, while finally setting the stage for his battle against Saturn. However, the opening felt off, turning what should have been a tense Buster Call buildup into an unnecessary stretch of repetitive Navy explosions. These unnecessary explosions were placed to stretch the pacing of the episode, which has been a big problem for One Piece since the beginning of Egghead.

I was glad that Bonney and Kuma finally got to witness the drums of liberation as Luffy transformed into Gear 5, but the moment was undercut by the distracting, constant wiggling of Egghead’s buildings caused by his powers. What’s worse is that all of these issues could have been redeemed with stronger animation quality, giving Nika’s return the impact it deserved.

Instead, Toei completely fumbled the execution, failing to capture the larger-than-life hype that is generally created around Luffy’s Gear 5 reveal in One Piece. In terms of storytelling, I’m glad that One Piece is still capable of creating magic, but that magic keeps getting undermined by the pacing and animation issues, which makes it all the more disappointing.

Even Emet’s awakening and Bonney’s gaining control of the Pacifistas were not exciting enough, despite being some of the most crucial moments portrayed in the One Piece manga. Eiichiro Oda’s efforts to emphasize the fact that the story is in the final saga are being hurt by the anime adaptation’s failure to convey the gravity of a story that’s supposed to feel larger than ever.

Dorry and Brogy Join the Fight Against Saturn and the Navy

Dorry and Brogy finally appear | Credit: Toei Animation

The only thing that carried the entire One Piece episode for me was the fact that, in the midst of Egghead being bombarded by Buster Call, the Straw Hat Pirates finally gained new allies. These allies are none other than Dorry and Brogy, the giants who embody unshakable loyalty and raw strength, arriving just when the Straw Hats need them most. Their introduction was perfect as they wreaked havoc on the Navy ships carrying out the Buster Call.

While the Nika transformation might have failed to create the hype, their arrival restored some of the excitement the episode desperately needed. I might have been disappointed in the first half of the installment, but as soon as Dorry and Brogy entered the screen, my thrill for the ongoing One Piece war on Egghead came back. I am once again excited to see how the two giants will shift the balance of the battlefield and turn the tide against the overwhelming force of the Buster Call and Saint Saturn.

There is no doubt that Luffy is soon going to face his strongest foe yet, but the disappointing buildup to the upcoming clash is ruining the anticipation. I have a lot of expectations from Egghead, and even though it has gone through a series of complex episodes, I am still willing to stay patient and believe that the payoff will be worth it once everything comes together. What truly worries me is whether Toei can rise to the occasion or if the One Piece anime will bring disappointment to fans.

One Piece is currently available to watch on Crunchyroll.
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