M3 Big 3 Recap 5

So there's no Bleach chapter this week, so the recap will just be on Naruto and One Piece! Let's get started!

*SPOILERS FOR NARUTO 619 AND ONE PIECE 698*

Let the exposition dump begin!

Naruto 619: A Cursed Clan

This was a really weird chapter. It wasn't good or bad... Just kinda weird.

So, the First Hokage is apparently the nicest guy ever.

This guy founded one of the most powerful ninja villages ever

It actually reminds me a lot of Axis Power Hetalia when Rome's ghost visits Italy and hangs out with Germany. Legends sure do build up famous personas after all. First's dejected moments were kind of funny, but the humor just feels so out of left field, especially with what comes up later in the chapter. I understand the need for some levity, but still, it was very weird to read.

Tsunade hasn't changed all that much

Throughout the chapter, I'm trying to not get angry at Orochimaru and company effectively exploiting the Uzumaki clan to undo Sarutobi's sealing technique back in the Chuunin Exams Arc.

Even the Third realizes that his sacrifice was essentially in vain

REALLLLLY trying to put it in the back of my head right now...

It's very interesting how the First and Second are complete opposites of each other. Not too farfetched though since they are brothers. 

Wow. No wonder the Uchiha clan was planning a coup

These guys really really treated the Uchiha like shit. Hashirama at least tried to keep things cool, but it seems that the Second went and fucked up all that goodwill by making the Uchiha the police force. It's very interesting that this led to the Uchihas getting further ostracized from the village. It's even more fascinating considering how so many people today view the police with such contempt especially in countries like the US.

Kishimoto made it clear that this was from Madara and Hashirama effectively killing each other, but still Second's distrust sowed the seeds of revolt.

This here was a bit of a bombshell moment

So, I really hate the explanation for why the Uchiha are a cursed clan. 

This is what I call a "midichlorian moment"

Okay so there is now a scientific explanation for why Sasuke was so obsessed with vengeance. It's because the Uchiha are genetically pre-disposed to become evil when they lose those they love.

Rant ahead...

The Uchiha are fucking Sith and Jedi now. They're all great and full of love and it's awesome and then they lose their loved ones and they become fucking Darth Vader. ALL the remaining villains in Naruto right now are Uchiha. Thus, the bullshit reason for why they are evil is because they inherited it from their ancestors. WHAT???? And this explains the Sharingan somehow? It's a litmus strip of how emotional an Uchiha is over losing someone???? It can't just be a cool "Bloodline Limit" it has to have a scientific chakra explanation now? WHAT?!

This is so unnecessary. So freaking unnecessary. I feel like it completely undermines the motivations of all the villains. It can be argued that this is good since it shows that Madara and Obito ain't so bad after all, but seriously... How many people have freaking died so far? And because a few Uchihas had problems with grief counseling? Is Kishimoto telling us they could have been fine if Konoha had a few psychiatrists on call???

I'm sorry, but I am calling bullshit on this.

Next up...

Acting like nothing happened

One Piece 698: Doflamingo Arrive

Does he arrive? More on that in a bit...

Remember what happened to Buffalo and Baby 5 last week thanks to Law?

Somebody's editor must have told Oda he went a bit too far on the decapitation thing...

Very nice foreshadowing. It really starts causing the tension to set in now that we know Doflamingo is really really pissed.

The scene also showed Brownbeard and company rescuing the poisoned men. It's kind of lame that Caesar's poison requires constant exposure to ensure full potency, but yeah... One Piece is a Shounen Jump series. Kids read it. It's a good call on the part of Oda (or his editor).

That was fast

It makes sense the re-capitation of these two announces the arrival of the flamboyantly dressed drug dealer himself:

DUN DUN DUUUUUUN

Doflamingo's appearance also finally exposes some of his Devil Fruit's ability.

That's what you call curb-stomping

Doflamingo's abilities are obviously linked to puppetry. This is the first time we've actually seen strings attached to his fingers, indicating that his fighting abilities are a mix between Legato Bluesummers (Trigun) and Walter (Hellsing)'s string techniques. It's not especially surprising, but still nice to have Oda finally throwing a bone at us on Doflamingo's powers.

Luffy VS Doflamingo is coming~

Indeed, it seems that we're heading to a really huge battle in Dressrosa. I wish Oda used more visuals than text to convey that. At least we have a really huge fight on the horizon!

Caesar is now the Spandam of the arc. XD

Law's plan is pretty clever. Of the Yonkou, Kaido seems to be slimiest, especially since he's allied with a Shichibukai. Destroying that relationship and isolating the two will definitely lead to their defeat. I imagine that once Doflamingo is defeated, Kaidou will be next.

Kind of sucks we don't see a Smile user before the explanation, but still... Cool concept!

I really can't wait to see the Smile users in action and what kind of side effects they entail. It's really interesting how Caesar has come up with so many half-baked creations like the toxic gas, failed giant growing experiments, and faulty artificial Devil Fruits. He tries so hard and yet fails equally that much.

So cool. Too bad One Piece is on break next week!

Really looking forward to an Aokiji VS Doflamingo showdown. Hopefully, Smoker will survive this too!

Overall, despite the abundance of exposition in this chapter, I really loved the stuff with Doflamingo, Smoker, and Aokiji! Here's hoping we get some good stuff with the next chapter!