Dan who Browses

Oh 3 things, I did see the colour spread; the crew is underwater with a turtle, Nami's in a bikini looking hot, Sanji's jealous of the turtle getting her attention, Zoro is sleeping on the turtle in a bubble with Luffy, Chopper and Brook, Jinbe's getting a guard of honour with sharks, Usopp's being chased by a shark, and Frobin get their own bubble ¬u¬

We begin in darkness, a message reaches out between strangers

Imu answers one end and asks for who the other is, they say they're Joy Boy

Not to play the silhouette game with Oda but the image of Joy Boy looks very much like Luffy

In the present, Imu however reiterates that Joy Boy is dead, so why does Luffy's appearance stir them so?

Luffy doesn't know what Imu's on about, remaining oblivious to the Nika and Joy Boy stuff

Imu coats their arm in Omen and swings, but Luffy stretches his head low to dodge it

The Omen however note that he dodged it and say to move downwards, redirecting the attack to bonk Luffy in the head and knock him into the floor (well, the tree branch in Elbaf) with an explosion

Luffy, covered in soot, pops back up, swings and misses

Imu tries to stab with the spear, also misses

Imu hears a tapping and manages to block a bazooka, Luffy's annoyed because he thought he had Imu there

Imu fires some mini explosive Omens, which Luffy runs from before they set off

Luffy notices that they're chasing him and sets them off with a gatling, Imu meanwhile looks unimpressed

The first thing I was spoiled on is next, Gomu Gomu no Majin, where Luffy inexplicably turns into a giant genie with the gauntlets and a giant beard like Franky currently has, I do like the little bit of meat on his turban XD

Luffy notes that he did notice Imu's tactics against Loki, and that he won't let his death be in vain

Loki's quick to remind him that he's still alive XD 'sometimes I still hear his voice...'

Imu fires two more omens to try and finish off Loki

Ragnir looks to meat shield it, but Jinbe jumps in with Arabesque Tile Punch

Jinbe offers to guard Loki for them, which Luffy and Ragnir appreciate (Loki is tsundere about it and calls Luffy a runt for calling him his buddy)

Nami and Usopp spot Imu, Brook noting how much stronger than the God's Knights they are

Usopp suggests that they're just the leader of the God's Knights, since nobody is above the Gorosei in the WG, but Brook coldly notes how the WG is full of mysteries

Franky returns Brook's attention to Gunko/Shuri, the hit melted some of the ice but not all the way

They wonder what to do with a frozen person, prompting Nami and Usopp to mention the time Luffy and Robin got frozen, which the two were unaware of

Imu seems perterbed that Gunko hasn't broken out of the ice, and that there's a man with an afro calling her Princess Shuri, they seem like they might remember Brook but seem in disbelief

They block Genie Luffy's giant 'Gomu Gomu no Sucker Punching Bullet' with one hand

Before reminding Luffy what he said about Luffy and setting up another Stigma

the flames target the middle of the chest but Luffy poofs out of the form to dodge

They fire more mini omens that Luffy runs from after

With a moment to themselves, Imu changes tactics

Dispelling their spear - which turns into a small omen flame - Imu summons a sword from his evil eye halo

The Sword of Wailing Void, in reference to the title, leaks with omen flames and all the trees - the giant Adam wood trees the Sunny is made from to remind everyone - around it wilts

Luffy notices it and Imu replies that 'the view is improving', but Luffy thinks it was fine the way it was

Luffy charges in, Imu acknowledging that Luffy isn't Joy Boy

but then for the second spoiler, a couple of Omen pop out and Luffy is shown drawn through with Imu's sword

Imu notes that Joy Boy would never be this weak as we end on a ciffhanger

And a week break just to make the cliffhanger worse

Guys, it's not looking good for Luffy

I anticipated that Imu would be stronger, and that this'd show the Straw Hats the full ceiling they need to reach, but I didn't think it was by this much! Imu is barely trying, though the Omen are like helping him via their sentience but Imu alone blocked that giant fist without looking with one hand! Joy Boy's haki knot made this sweat and freak out? What pool of power have we yet to tap into? The similarities to Luffy being impaled by Crocodile are not lost on me either, that's the gif I wanted to use but none had the 'who do you think I am' quote beforehand. It's a clever nod since Crocodile wanted to make a utopia in his image too, and seemed untouchable at the time, but Luffy's resolve to defeat and surpass him shone through, and it'll need to shine through again.

Do I think Luffy is done? No, Luffy is in fact best when he's feral and refusing to die, but he won't be able to do this alone. Whether that's the remaining crew present - I kinda hope so but they're kinda on defending Loki and Ice Cube duty - Gaban, Saul & Robin, Dorry & Brogy, Jarul? Someone needs to help run Imu's clock. Imu does seem curious about Brook and since Gunko/Shuri isn't fully out of the ice Ragnir's services might be needed again.

We didn't get much on the others, but if it's leading to everyone vs Imu it'd be a worthy finale to Elbaf where the crew realise how much stronger they need to be. Next chapter better get back to this but also maybe give us some answers on Robin, Saul and Biblo, Gaban's location, what team Ice Cube are gonna do, and who's gonna save the kids from Zaza - Sanji and Zoro's fights can wait for the chapter after. I feel additionally bad for Chopper though, he's gonna be run rugged with all these people that need healing XD

There's not really much else to cover in this chapter, it does seem Imu has more of an arsenal behind them through the Omen, Gomu Gomu no Majin was fun to look at but didn't amount to much; think it's just more Oda wanting to draw a genie again after Daifuku, who knows maybe he watched Disney's Aladdin with his daughter around the same time, you do see a lot of Disney movie influences in OP from time to time (the youtube channel SortaStupid realised that recently after reacting to Peter Pan).

Our cover today is my sweet and lovely Baeju protecting the Sanji duckling from the mean bully Vinsmoke swans, kinda ironic since Sanji calls women with a 'swan' honorific sometimes

We pick up right were we left off, Loki shocked as Luffy smacked Imu away

But Imu, bleeding but also undeterred, fires off two mini Omens with mischievous faces towards them

As Imu crashes into some trees, Loki commends Luffy for landing a solid blow...but only because he softened Imu up first, obviously

Luffy suggests that Loki rest from the damage he's taken, but Loki takes offence

The two spot the mini omens, that latch onto them both

Luffy tries to pat out the omen, noting how it doesn't burn to the touch as Imu flies back

Imu makes another omen in his hand gesture, and it turns into a small bell like you see on jingle bells

The omen on Loki seems to split in two, and converses with each other!

Their orders were to aim above the belly where Imu's Nemesis sword pierced him

Loki tries to paw them away as Luffy charges in but Imu rings the bell, encanting 'Stigma' (t/n says 'Resentful Demon Sword')

From the omens bursts out a massive sword - and I'm talking massive it's longer than Loki's height - to impale Loki again

Makes me wonder about my theory on Omen being a teleportation of weaponry infused with Imu's abyss powers and Haki, the way Stigma was used may disprove that since it felt like the Omens were used to line up the sword with the bell, mght be clearer when animated...next year or so XD

Other with Team Ice Block, everyone's trying to break Gunko/Shuri out of the ice, but to no avail

They note its toughness, with Franky saying it's almost like a diamond - which sets Nami off a little

Brook however notes that the ice still feels cold to the touch - a fun little 'ouch' 'dummy!' exchange in between

But then he second guesses himself, surprising Nami, then Franky does the same, sensing something different about the ice

As Nami infers that the two are being dumb and it's just because they're a cyborg and skeleton, Usopp addresses Loki falling towards them

Loki crashes into the ice block, but it doesn't crack nor budge

The group express surprise that Loki was defeated, as he slumps down a nearby hill

Ragnir however also falls, and when it hits the block part of the ice does melt!

Curious that the ice melts on contact rather than breaks...

Ragnir runs to Loki while Brook continues to try and reach out to Shuri; the ice is part melted but not enough to free any part of her as it stands (depends if the melting is still in process)

Back to Luffy and he's up a tree

Imu rings his bell again, but Luffy rips off his cloak with the Omen on it

It's not a blade this time, it looks more like a drill, but it does emit from Imu's hand towards where the omen is

Imu seems surprised that Luffy figured that out so quickly

Over to Ouest Village port now (I know they translate it to something else but I am too used to this one, also Gurou? Stephen you could've done Gurro to match with Gunko, seems like a similar miss with Lily not being Lili to match with Titi and Vivi) with Zoro and Sommers crossing paths

Sommers asks why Zoro - perched atop the bow of a log house - has shown up and if he's after a beating

Zoro notes how the God's Knights ruined their feast with their buddies, which Sommers apologizes for and claims once they've kidnapped 10 or 20 kids they'll be out of his hair

Zoro however notes how it's a coincidence that he's got someone in the village trying to kidnap kids, since he knows someone on the way there, and he doubts Sommers' guy will come back: because he'll be dead

Do love it when Zoro and Sanji give each other props, but I know a rant is gonna come soon from something I was spoiled on

Sommers lunges for the attack, insisting that they don't know how strong they are with the Omen halo around them

Over to Sanji's part of the village, with Killingham, Chopper, the kids, the parents, and nightmare Zaza

Sanji runs down the situation; a giant monster is kidnapping kids, causing their mothers (he specifies mothers because, ladies) to cry out

but he's in a predicament; the monster is a lady and he cannot kick a woman and save the kids, but the warriors - as shown with Zaza under attack - won't idly stand by and let them be taken

Ripley, too injured to fight, cries out for Colon, who also tearfully apologizes for getting caught again

Sanji however notes problem 3: he cannot stop the women from crying without fighting women...but he can subvert both by fighting Killingham! Which he does with a strike against his trident

Killingham had been trying to make an escape, but Sanji has kept in pursuit of him, which Killingham does commend his toughness over

He confirms that defeating him would dissipate Zaza, however, there's a difference between durable and immortal as he continues to order Zaza to take the kids

Sanji notes that he knows their weakness, but Killingham mockingly asks him if he has Conqueror's Haki, challenging Sanji to kill him then before knocking Sanji back with his Omen-powered trident

Sanji thinks back however to what Gaban told Zoro about refining his Conqueror's Haki, and him asking Gaban if he had it

In new dialogue however (I went back and checked) Gaban notes that Sanji has 'traits' of one who might, but he's 'burdened by painful uncertainty' and that Sanji must become a king to make Luffy king

Gear Fifth Luffy stands down Imu, who claims that Joy Boy has finally revealed themselves

In a rare - maybe even first - occurrence, Oda also gives us the vs name plates; Saint Nerona Imu vs Monkey D. Luffy

Luffy tells Imu not to call him what he wants, he's Luffy and he's gonna be King of the Pirates

Okay, great chapter, but let's just get the rant out of the way.

I'm not sure I like the way we're gonna give Sanji Conqueror's Haki. Revealing some additional dialogue from a conversation that happened 30 chapters ago feels more like an 'alright geez, here' moment. Also, even if he does unlock it, why would he suddenly learn how to coat it to kill Killingham? It was a focused effort for both Zoro and Luffy in Wano, even if Zoro was doing it without knowing it was Conqueror's Haki and simply 'if I die then I fucking die', so if Sanji achieves coating as well it just kinda feels like plot armour and a means to keep Sanji up with the other two. Also getting Conqueror's Haki feels like a cheaper solution than Sanji finding a newer never-before-seen way to kill a God's Knight, if anything Sanji being less of a creep towards women would be better development than getting Conqueror's Haki. And frankly, while I feel like Zoro and Sanji should be seen as equals, I don't think that Sanji should be an equal fighter to Zoro. Not once have we seen Sanji train, his last upgrade came from biological upgrades from the raid suit that he did not earn. Meanwhile we see Zoro train a lot, we see him refine his body and skills often, so it just feels like a disservice to then have Sanji up and do the bare minimum to get a power up. It may sound mean spirited, but to me Sanji should be the better tactician, because all his pre-timeskip sneaking off was invaluable to the crew in its own right, of the two Zoro should be the stronger fighter but Sanji should be the more intelligent fighter.

I'm on the fence about Gaban's rationale too. He basically hit Sanji with the 'you just gotta believe'; Sanji who was frothing to be the one with Conqueror's Haki to one-up Zoro and Jinbe apparently doesn't believe in himself enough to have it? I dunno about that, his family doubts were resolved back in Wano so it can't just be him afraid to follow in Judge's footsteps, and he only went to Whole Cake with the resolve that Luffy will be King, so I don't know how we achieve this in a way that feels satisfying to anyone other than the rabid Sanji stans. On the other hand though, this may play into my old theory about how Conqueror's Haki isn't a born-with ability, and that everyone can use all Haki but descriptions and lines were drawn to limit people into thinking they couldn't have it. If Sanji only needs to believe himself to become a king and get Conqueror's Haki then why can't Usopp 'King of the Snipers' do it too? I also wonder what Sanji would try to declare himself a king of, food? love? problematic lecherous behaviour? Regardless, it does fuel my idea that anyone could in fact have Conqueror's Haki if they believe in themselves enough to have it.

Also mini rant, I'd be much more invested in Robin getting Haki than Sanji getting Conqueror's Haki ngl, part of it because Robin deserves it and is overdue it but also because Sanji glazers are extremely obnoxious like I cannot with the BlueLeg and DemonLeg folks over there. Zoro stans are annoying too but Sanji glazers just feel like Enel glazers for me - he is not fucking coming back from the moon guys, why would he?

With those rants done, this was a great chapter. Loki seems out for the count now, with an attack worthy of defeating his already weakened state. Imu continues to be incredibly versatile and dangerous with his abilities and now that he's set to rumble with Luffy we're probably going to see the highest ceiling of power in One Piece. That said, while I don't see Luffy losing I don't also see him winning, I still maintain that Imu may end up simply having to tactically retreat because of their time limit before being able to properly finish off Luffy. One thing that may add to that limit is the deaths of Killingham and Sommers, which are victories I do expect from Sanji and Zoro - also I enjoyed that Zoro gives Sanji props when he's not in earshot. I do understand why some people feel the Monster Trio favouritism coming out of this chapter though, given that the remaining crew are either with Ripley powerless against Zaza, with Biblo waiting for that info to come to light, or dealing with an ice cube.

On the latter, it's a shame that none of the crew could break Ragnir's ice, it does expose that they're still very weak even with Franky's upgrade a few chapters ago. Ragnir's ice potentially not being ice could be interesting, unless it is indeed a gag that Franky and Brook can't feel the cold due to their bodies. I don't think Shuri/Gunko is fully free though, I kinda hope that Usopp is able to take up Ragnir in Loki's place - let Usopp shine already Oda! - to free her and let Brook confront Shuri/Gunko while the rest of the crew set off for more important matters. I do have to reiterate that several characters feel in a limbo below their skill rating; Gaban is just chilling, Robin should be off doing something now that the books are confirmed safe, Dorry, Brogy and Jarul are legendary warriors that have done little at the moment in the grand scheme, Lilith and Bonney are somewhere I'm sure. Since Chopper's a DF user I can't see him fighting Zaza - plus we need answers to why he could knock out Domi Reversi so easily - but Nami, Jinbe, and/or Hajrudin could play into that if they move that direction. Robin, Usopp and Franky meanwhile would still need something, so either Oda leaves them high and dry or he needs to include something else to warrant involvement from them - involvement of equal value to that of Sanji and Zoro's fights, even if it is to help out in those fights and have all the crew acknowledge how much stronger they need to be.

I will give props at least for Sanji not going full mellorine on Zaza even if he does acknowledge that it's a woman he cannot hit, but yeah I am curious how Oda plays this - and how he plays the Omen-buffed God's Knights that have already been beaten before.

So last post I did mention that I may do these splitting off into the smaller groups and...yeah nix that this feels easier to do given how the Convergence did help with character growth and changing some perceptions. Ironically though we start with the character we won't see in future episodes

Teor Pridesire - Paladin (Oath of Glory) - Soldiers -> Deceased After the Overture I did mention how we needed more of Teor in the arcs to follow, but Travis did stay out the limelight a lot with our Lion Man. Teor remained a strong and stoic sideman but also provided some fun comedy moments with 'Only Teor is Teor', his fear of climbing trees, and being threatened by a redcap. It was nice to see them achieve in rescuing their brother, for however brief it was, and to be almost the bridge between getting Thimble and Wick to get along and Kattigan to bond with the group. However, Obrimus Manor was where both he and his brother would fall; honestly, it's a familiar situation I had with FCG wherein their death made them more interesting, I suppose it was only when he died that I realised how much of a glue he was to the Soldiers, and what his name meant to the Torn Banner. Narratively his death felt impactful, one of the last living and commanding bastions of Thjazi's rebellion gone. Alas, those are how the dice are rolled, we will have to wait and see who Travis turns up as next, my gut instinct remains the lizardfolk hotshot in the letter, though with Mara meeting with the Professor also mentioned in the letter it could be him, or neither, there are many options.

Tyranny - Warlock (Fiend) - Soldiers -> Schemers Tyranny continues to be entertaining to me, but while I do definitely continue to enjoy her dynamic with Wick I've found myself additionally drawn to her unique bond with Kattigan. The knife incident was telling for both sides, and the aftermath has put them in a somewhat parent-child dynamic where they both trust one another with tragic backstories and reassurance. Tyranny's mysterious nature continues to simmer in the background, not yet ready to boil to the full surface, but there are mentions here and there that suggest that Tyranny by name and behaviour is more than the archetype she feared she was bound to be, and given that her father has voiced approval for her acts against the Creed and that she wields a knife that is meant to hurt those who hurt the ones they love, Tyranny's chaos may in fact be the driving force that'd undo the power structure of the Sundered Houses - but to who's benefit? She's still a demon (and there's nothing wrong with her) with quirks that befit her species but Brennan has done well to emphasise that she's not bound to an alignment, nor are any other demons such as Tsul'rekshi or her chaotically calamitous sisters. Remaining in Dol Makjar does mean she's close to the danger that the Creed and her family may be involved in, but it also allows her to further engage with mortal customs and culture, while also thrive in subterfuge and rebellion.

Murray Mag'nesson - Wizard (Divination) - Schemers At the end of the Overture I enjoyed Murray, but following the Convergence I think she's my favourite character right now. Remaining consistently funny and quotable, her intelligence thrives in Scheming especially when she doesn't have to engage with Dean Kora. The combat encounters during the Schemers arc also proved how capable she can be provided that she gets Invisibility up first to spare her low as fuck AC from inevitable damage. Her relationships with Azune, which I can't quite lock down whether it's all platonic or not, and Demodus Blix also add to her 'more tough love but soft on the inside' mannerisms, as well as her strong sense of morality and equality as she champions magic being available to all who wish to learn it. I additionally love how Marisha describes her using Divination magic, as if to resonate with the frequencies of time and the weave - I can already hear the chorus of 'what's sexier than wizards?' - but in the many situations Murray has been put in to either glean, present or collect information she's rose to the task. Staying in Dol-Makjar is of course the right choice for her at the moment; she cannot leave the Pentreval without raising suspicion and the network of their Tiding of Magpies (even if the Sundered Houses are aware of them) is still young, with Wick and Tyranny added to their group it'll be interesting how she engages with the Sorcerer Halovar heir - especially compared to how she was with Occtis. Also can Brennan throw her a bone and let her get some stress relief, nothing wrong with King Gus being gay but ass steaks can only feed a girl for so long XD

Thaisha Lloy - Druid (Circle of Land) - Seekers -> Soldiers Thaisha went through it a lot with the Seekers arc; unable to find her son, at odds with her fellow Old Path Druids, attacked by demons, attacked by birds, having to enter Tannessar and find a fountain of Orc blood, it was only natural that Thaisha was consistently on edge. It was saddening how such stress was aimed at Occtis, given how close the two were following the Overture, but the Convergence was able to allow Thaisha to have a few wins and release the tension she had been shouldering. That said, she still absolutely kicks ass; maybe not with a giant crossbow but she's proven to be an incredible presence against the Halovars; from standing down Zebani, infiltrating the Villa Aurora with Hala in snake form, and terrorizing Tyranny's sisters. The ritual at the Hallowed Round was also a big moment for her, allowing Aabria to powerfully express the cultural significance of not only the play and the ritual but also the scene where she needn't reshape the Pariah Blades since through Hal and Shadia they have already been reshaped. Being then able to guide the fallen souls of past rebellions from the Orcish afterlife to a nicer destination through Thjazi's ritual served as a beautiful moment, creating new angels (Kaedra) and strengthening the Old Path in a cathartic moment after several episodes of knowing that it is under threat of the Tachonis. Thaisha is the beating heart of the culture that runs through Aramán, but as Aabria rightfully takes some time off to take care of baby Wizard See, Thaisha is in for a long and perhaps uncomfortable journey to Dol-Rungja as she belatedly accepts her grandmother's summons. We may not see Thaisha so frequently in this phase, but the floor is set for when she does to continue being a powerful presence in the story.

Sir Julien Davinos - Fighter (Daredevil)/Rogue - Seekers I noted before that the person Julien could become was more interesting to me than who he was during the Overture, and to be fair the same is true, but on the plus side we are getting there. It does serve that for a lot of the Seekers arc Julien has been less of an asshole at unnecessary times; there are times where his assholery has been justified and targeted at people who deserve it - like Frons Tachonis, basically bullied off a cliff, and Koral Tachonis, danced till he was dead - but we've also seen him soften to his companions, and show off his more charming and flirty attitudes such as with Ingrid 'I have the blood of giants, I can fix him' Einfasen. His dynamic with Occtis grows more intriguing, the argument outside Obrimus Manor hinted that despite his insistence that Occtis is merely his bait for other Tachonis he has grown a little fond of him, though it's told only through mannerisms than words that he is still very reluctant to admit. His unique situation of being cursed with Thjazi bound to his shadow makes for some more very interesting dynamics as he has to effectively live with his nemesis - who he technically saved from their common enemy thanks to old magic - and he's gonna continue to be surrounded by those Thjazi is close to because of that. While his decision to leave the Pridesires to fight his undead father robbed audiences of a Father-Son battle and drew ire for those who (wrongly) blame Julien for Teor's death, it was telling to learn more about Julien's family from his intimidating mother, Maya, and his sickly sister who he now has the means to heal. It's still a slow growth for Julien, but he's just gotta keep riding that edge and hope he doesn't fall over it.

Bolaire Lathalia - Warlock (Mask) - Schemers -> Seekers Bolaire's another character where my stance hasn't quite changed. Overall I still don't trust him as far as I can throw him, and given that he's a sentient mask I can throw him pretty far - like a frisbee. It's not to say that Bolaire hasn't had his moments; namely his relationship and admiration for young Demodus Blix - and his illusionary familiar, Figment - but otherwise Bolaire's role in the Schemers and Convergence arc is to frighten, kill, and deceive. When I've said in other people's posts that Bolaire is more a villain entrapped on the side of heroes I don't mean it jokingly, there's a lot about Bolaire that's useful but also incredibly dark and villainous, it's only a benefit to the heroes that Bolaire values them - even if it's not enough to give them all the information that'd be important to them - and in rare cases can be charmed or sweet-talked into liking people. Bolaire's story however feels catapulted into the foray by his more interesting but also more dangerous sister, Termina, who is now bound to the already ultra-powerful Amirya Cormoray and has now accidentally been led towards aiding the villains in becoming a god while also being convinced against not trusting their brother. Bolaire leaves a dangerous wake in departing Dol Makjar in hopes that Termina will follow, but also is in search of his family of other masks who he now seeks out after Termina called him out about it, whether that's for better or worse remains to be seen, especially given how Thjazi's ritual may require a sibling to be a component for another anchor. The biggest problem with Bolaire right now is that, ironically, we have to take everything he says at face value; we had hoped when he crossed paths with Thimble that there would be more explanation towards his hatred of Thjazi, but the Convergence arc only sought to vindicate Thjazi while leaving Bolaire's hatred for him a big ol' question mark, and that's harming his character the longer this reluctance to elaborate goes on.

Vaelus - Paladin (Oath of Vengeance) - Seekers While Vaelus was one of my favourites coming out of Overture, it was a mixed venture going into the Seekers arc with her. At the time it wasn't made clear exactly why she was mourning Sylandri, and the more we learned about how oppressive and controlling Sylandri could be the harder it felt to rationalize why she would want someone like that back. The uncertainty only truly eased when Ashley - in the Seekers arc rundown - clarified that Sylandri's return would only be a means to an end, and it was her sisters that she truly mourned and wished to restore. Vaelus was still a cool character, despite unfortunately dreadful rolls by Ashley, remaining as someone who knew when to stand her ground; but while Vaelus' bonds with Thaisha, Julien and Occtis seemed to broaden her understandings it was her bond with the druid NPC Hannan in the Convergence arc that truly shone with her development. While also learning more about elves in Aramán - including how Sylandri made them unable to breed and thus a technically extinct albeit unaging race - Vaelus allowed herself to change, find perspective, and achieve a little more closure in accepting that Sylandri was wrong. The biggest test of the ritual and having to choose between allowing it to continue or to hijack it and save her family emphasised Vaelus' position as a kind and selfless character that has changed from leaving her cloister and engaged with a greater variety of people. The sudden death of Hannan at the hands of Primus inside Obrimus Manor (I am begging Brennan to have set up some Xenia/Hospitality druidic old law that curses Primus for killing a guest in his home) is a sad end to a blooming relationship (platonic or not) which looked to focus Vaelus on finding another means of guiding her family to the afterlife - one that could be achieved by continuing Thjazi's plan - and it'll likely have similar ripples to that of Vaelus and Occtis' friendship, hopefully less so because I do enjoy the sleepless goths, now that the Stone of Nightsong is destroyed and bound to neither of them. It'll also be interesting to see if Vaelus' Oath is affected by her denouncing Sylandri and whether the Seekers group will splinter off into two so she will have backup confronting her fellow sisters at Mournvale.

Occtis Tachonis - Wizard (Necromancy) - Seekers The hollow prince may not be in the top 2 of my personal rankings but he still remains up high. Alex had mentioned many times before that just because Occtis is the black sheep of an evil doesn't mean he doesn't have his own dark sides, and there have been times where Occtis' Tachonis behaviour has come into play for the morally grey. That said, Occtis learned a lot about his murder through the Seekers arc, not that it was much comfort to know that you were killed to become a murder angel but he took it well all things considered. The Seekers arc was rough on Occtis' relationship with a slow rift forming between him and Thaisha, but the Convergence managed to restore it when both had a moment to relax and acknowledge how much stress they were under. Much like Murray I've enjoyed when Alex goes into detail with his magic, the descriptive elements of how he is doing what he's doing, it works for Wizards because they have to study this rather than it coming naturally to them. While there have been times when Occtis has had a manic look about him performing Necromancy, there is still a heart in there; Occtis is of course much different to Laudna in that he's still figuring a lot of his body out, but I do like how there are some behaviours and reactions that seem less of the body and more of the soul; his worry and relief around Thimble, his discomfort after seeing ghouls, even if the body is dead the soul is still very much alive and hanging onto life. While Occtis has also hoped for the comfort of having not all his family be awful, he has also managed to gain a lot of support through Thimble, Thaisha, Vaelus (despite the aforementioned friction after the stone's destruction) and Julien, and I feel like as he travels with the Seekers to the Golden Orchard (and maybe Mournvale) by way of Timmony alongside the new set of Seekers we can see Occtis grow more confident and more capable of defending himself with the people who see only the 'Tachonis son'.

Kattigan Vale - Ranger (Beast Master) - Soldiers -> Seekers Kat has been a bit of a sleeper character for me. Much like the Overture he like Teor liked to sit on the sidelines for much for the narrative. That said as I mentioned with Tyranny his bond with the demon is unique and kinda sweet; his anger towards her about the knife was justified but also opened the door for a character who is extremely closed off. It's only later that we confirm that for good reason; a wife and daughter gone, likely dead, without a trace and only the face of Primus Tachonis as a clue. Despite such a sad and dark backstory while will hopefully come to a head with a multi-person stompdown of the old bastard (likely in an antimagic field just to be safe) however, Kat's inability to socialize has also provided some genuinely funny moments, where we'll be thinking about apple pies without the apples for a while. Post-Convergence he's back on the road again which'll be his more natural environment, and with Thimble alongside him they could perhaps help each other mourn his 'battle-buddy' Teor and try to help complete Thjazi's master plan. It is curious how he'll fare alongside Julien, both of whom are vengeful fighters who want to kill Primus, both have grieved lost family, and both have fallen into the bottle to quiet the voice that tells them they aren't who they were meant to be, there's a lot of parallels that can be made that I'd like to see explored.

Halandil Fang - Bard (College of Eloquence) - Schemers After the Overture I did express that Hal was in a place of inaction, a watcher rather than a doer. The Schemers arc further explored Hal's feelings as more of Thjazi's plans were coming to light; struggling between the frustrations of being excluded and the burdens as being the one who has to pick up where he left off. It was a slow build with a great payoff though, because for all the wonders of what Thjazi's play was the answer was that the play was the play. The opening night at the Hallowed Round became a culmination and cathartic moment for Thaisha as well as Hal, not only being able to express his culture but also be vindicated that - despite Bolaire's snipes - his brother wasn't up to something potentially nefarious. Liam has been able to put all his theatre kid energy into Hal which has worked well in the theatre, but Hal will continue to be forced into unfamiliar territory which he is yet to adapt to. It'll be interesting however how he'll be in the next Schemers arc; he's most certainly in the Halovar's corsairs, and he has some history with Wick, and as mentioned the Sundered Houses know about the magpies which means everyone associated is in danger, but without Bolaire in his ear would he be more willing to plunge into Thjazi's unknown dealings? And now that the Hallowed Round is Hallowed, Mara's warning about all faiths looking to target it will likely come to light.

Azune Nayar - Sorcerer (Draconic Bloodline?)/Paladin - Schemers Luis has rose high in the ranks thanks to his lies work in the Schemers arc. Still carrying the burdens and grief hard, to the point where he is out-sadboying Liam, Azune is carrying more and more pressure the deeper into the rabbit hole he goes. His lies have been of a great benefit to the Schemers, and his relationship with Murray and Hal have served to keep him from completely crumbling under it, with Wick and Tyranny now being a potential throughline to sow misinfirmation to the Halovars that burden may be eased a little but there are further mysteries at hand. There has however been additional concerns for Azune outside of the scheming following the surprise return of his sister Mayali on the side of the Argosian assassins attacking King Gus and Yanessa Halovar (though the latter was likely part of the plan), while the trail has gone cold the shock revelation will still linger on his mind. Also we have to address the elephant in the room...or well, the dragon in the lake! The implications that Azune's sorcery comes from a Draconic bloodline is very interesting, especially since the lore puts dragons as pre-Shapers, what does that mean for his family? his people? His allegiances? The Einfasen descend from pre-Shaper entities too but we don't know what the relationship of wind elementals, giants and dragons were, plus Azune has put a lot of work into making the Einfasen believe that his bloodline may descend from theirs. Despite the dizzying amount of lies Luis is playing Azune phenomenally - alongside a lot of phenomenal rolls - and now that there's more lore to descend into it feels like it's just a matter of when Azune will unearth it rather than if.

Wicander Halovar - Sorcerer (Clockwork) - Soldiers -> Schemers Similarly to Azune, Wick is feeling the weight of his lies, deception and newfound powers. After the Overture I was curious where Wick's culture shock would take him and the answer was through the wringer; downed several times, kicked in the dirt, sleeping in the wild or in places where there are no beds, not to mention upon his return to Dol Makjar he's been threatened by Zebani and Primus. Wick has had to confront his own sense of innocence and purity multiple times, compromising such values to survive, and it is definitely weighing on him. It's not all been doom and gloom though; Wick has managed to prove himself sly and persuasive even against his own grandmother, a fantastic monologue earning a no-roll nat 20, and his innocence and kindness has warmed him to his other companions who didn't like him so much at the beginning. As much as Sam has done both sides of the holy man character in C3, Sam is seeming to thrive more as a tainted soul using their corruption for good than a pure goody two-shoes archetype, using the inherent goodness to catch those who underestimate him in a trap or a loophole. He's still prissy, entitled, and used to a certain comfort lifestyle, but Wick is also shown that he can be a valuable ally so long as he has people who can support him when the burdens feel too heavy to bear. Staying in Dol Makjar as I mentioned would help with spying on the Halovars, less so the Tachonis given Primus' warnings but when have daughters ever listened to their dad when he tells them to 'stay away from that boy'?, but he also has his former flame to cross paths or at least get information on. It'll be interesting to see how his dynamic with Hal is, given how he is the benefactor to the Hallowed Round, and how Teor's death will motivate him going forward.

Our cover request this time is a cute one of kid Loki drawing a picture of Ida in the Realm of the Dead, while Ida herself visits to secretly give him and his animal buddies food

Esperia still continues to fight for its independence, but people are being shot down

Brook is however taken aback, bamboozled even, from what he's seeing

In denial, he rushes to Reuven, calling for a medic and trying to bring his 'big bro' to consciousness

Also Mars is shadowy because he's not on the wheel, as a shadowy thread of Imu peers out from their head

Imu seems captivated by Brook's desperation, his memories of their meeting as reality continues to surface

It seems psychically Imu shuts the door and sipells, calling Brook's intrusion an inconvenience

Shuri points out that Reuven's dead, but instead of 'dad' or 'father' like she usually does, she calls him 'that guy'

This angers Brook, who demands to know what the God's Knight did to Shuri

He emphasises that he's watched her grow up and knows she's not capable of this

Shuri however counters, asking if he knew she was a Celestial Dragon, that 'this guy' (Reuven) wasn't her real father

Brook didn't and refutes it, but Shuri asks for proof, noting that the last 16 years were a waste and she should've been raised a celestial dragon - which she claims justifies her anger

She also claims that the 1000 slave demand was false, the true price the WG asked was to hand over Shuri

She claims Reuven's a good-for-nothing king who led their people to their doom, and thus she killed him to end the war - not caring that Brook notes that defeat leads Esperia into lawlessness

The God's Knight finally speaks up, Manmayer Groh, he says he remembers Brook now when he was a kid, and that Brook wasn't allowed near him

His eyes under his cap confirm the truth, heterochromia just like Shuri

Brook is shook from realising the truth

Groh notes how it's abnormal for them to come in person to retrieve Shuri, but the fact that she has those eyes - a rare trait - means that Imu wants her

'I didn't awaken it myself but...' so the eyes have a certain power maybe?

Groh almost elaborates but Imu tells him that he's said too much then infers that Shuri kill Brook

Brook still feels in denial, claiming to know everything about her having been there since birth

Shuri however claims he's pathetic for crying, and deserves stronger protection that Marejois provides: she doesn't need him anymore

Brook laments on memories; unable to protect Reuven, how a child he saw as an angel is now the appearance of a demon

With his own (or maybe Candelle's taught) technique, Gavotte Bond en Avant, Shuri stabs Brook in the head, Brook didn't even attempt to defend, only singing to himself the song 'Only Bones Get Left Behind'

When he wakes surrounded by his corps they say it's a miracle, and it is: he survived a stab in the head without a helmet to protect him like Jarul

Though this would explain the fuzzy memories, major blood vessels were missed but it's likely he had brain damage (and now he no longer has a brain yohoho)

Brook however asks about the king since he can't remember, the corps try to not tell him but he demands to know

An eyewitness saw Shuri board a government ship, most of the country's survivors have fled as refugees

Brook's memories show snippets, he yells in anguish, reopening his wounds

And then we return to the present

Back then Brook didn't know about devil fruits, and he felt that the devilish appearance was merely a hallucination from his grief

With the information he has now though regarding Domi Reversi, he tearfully asks the crew if he can put his faith in Shuri once more, that if she is indeed a victim he wants to save her

He asks for their combined strength, and they don't need to be asked twice

The first plan is breaking the ice; Nami considers lightning while Franky - still full of tears - considers a radical beam, Usopp is in a panic because he knows explosives won't work but wants to contribute

Brook however dashes ahead of them, likely to Gunko's direction

At the school Luffy's finished eating, and the chanclas are out so you know he means business

Echoing Zoro's comment to Goldberg, Luffy rationalizes that if Imu's Elbaf's enemy then they're his enemy too

If any other protagonist said 'I don't think I can lose' I would worry but Luffy? There's always hope for Luffy

Back to Loki vs Imu and Loki accuses Imu of foul play by kidnapping kids

Imu however is surprised Loki doesn't know: 800 years ago the giants were defeated trying to rescue their children, this is just those tactics again

With the children taken the giants will bend the knee, and thus Imu believes they've already won - that history always repeats itself

We also get a look at Zaza taking children and Brogy and Hajrudin looking to be the ones focused on dealing with it

However, Luffy has arrived

And with only a 'get off of Elbaf' smacks Imu square in the face, just like he did to Charloss

Being right is a blessing and a curse sometimes XD

Shuri was indeed not Reuven's, and a Manmayer - Groh's to be specific - from Candelle's 'bedridden illness' mentioned last chapter. The implications are nasty but the God's Knights are nasty fucks so it does track.

There's a lot of heartbreak with Brook from this flashback; his scar is from Shuri stabbing him in the head, he's likely been brain damaged all this time and his confusion turned into hate from the face value of what happened. It's fortunate that Imu doesn't recognize him, nor he remember Imu to be fair, but I wouldn't eliminate the possibility of Groh being alive just so Brook can get some payback on him later down the line.

Interestingly, this chapter Reuven didn't have the Domi Reversi appearance, so it's unclear what actually went down, but it's also something Shuri/Gunko could elaborate on if freed from Ragnir's ice. Her words do feel like the personality shift of Domi Reversi, but it probably was tied into some shock with learning that Reuven wasn't her biological father too. I feel like the WG demanding Shuri instead of 1000 slaves could be true - though I wouldn't rule out that the WG engineered the plague so they could demand this either.

It seems Shuri's eyes are important though, either because Imu has a heterochromia kink or something deep and powerful can be tapped in, maybe she can indeed see the future rather than just advanced Observation Haki? It wouldn't be too out there, Big Mom wanted the three-eyed people because they could allegedly read Poneglyphs once their eyes 'awakened', this could be a similar case.

But yeah, the flashback was short as expected and could only pick up again for Shuri's side of the story, and now we can return to the action and there is a lot. I do feel like, while the solidarity was correct from the crew, Jinbe, Nami, Franky and Usopp don't all need to be on ice breaking duty. There's probably gonna be more to it but it feels like they could do with giving the others something else, especially Usopp because it's Elbaf.

We do still need to deal with Zaza but if it is Hajrudin's role to do that I think that could work, but the giant parents and Chopper are likely gonna help too and I dunno how you fight a rain goddess, Sanji's about to see a giant god woman en route to Killingham so that we should prepare for some eye rolling in the upcoming chapters. Zoro will fight Sommers while Luffy and Loki are facing Imu, but how much Loki has in the tank remains to be seen, in fact how much Imu has in the tank remains to be seen because we know they have a time limit and Luffy's not yet using Gear Fifth.

Also there's the Biblo question with Robin we shouldn't forget about, also I find it interesting how we have Nico 'those who don't learn from history is doomed to repeat it' Robin and Nerona 'history will always repeat itself' Imu; two conflicting views and yet they've never truly crossed paths. We shouldn't neglect Lilith and Bonney, Jarul, or Gaban either, who have an empty dance card atm, feels like we could do something with them, and we can't also rule out reinforcements from the WG side...

So yeah, I enjoyed it a lot. I think the third pod of 3 episodes was my favourite out of the bunch.

One must always be impressed with how seamlessly the show can pivot compared to the table, surprising the blind and the knowing sets of fans frequently. There was a moment at the end where I felt for a moment that we weren't gonna do Vax's dusting and thought 'well, where do we go from here??'

The lack of Scanlan was a bit of a shame, but I have no issues with the way they did his Bard's Lament in the show, it was a lot more understandable even though I felt Vox Machina set themselves up for that by trying to pander him.

I did like the use of the 'Unalive Five', it was looking like we were setting up a kind of Evil Vox Machina with them. In the end I felt there suddenly being a weak spot was a bit cheap though, and the Matron could've shown that to Vax sooner. In fact the Matron is once again frustrating with their vagueness getting people killed; being interrupted at the Coronation is fine, but honestly an explanation for the blight could've helped, and since it spread fast in Thar Amphala why did Vax need to suffer so much in the Material Plane? It could've been granted before they went through the orb which would've saved them a lot of prolonged angst.

Among the five restored was the returning Delilah, alongside a surprise appearance from Laudna - like I said, surprising the blind and the knowing. I was sad not to see more C3 cameos but there were factors that have left me with C3 still in mind; Grog has the Deck so we might get Bertrand through Search for Grog, and we can't be certain that Sylas wasn't restored at the same time as Grog being revived so Dalen's Closet (and thus Derrig) is not out of the question. I will discuss C3 more in a bit but bringing back Delilah does make sense given how much she haunts the narrative, I was surprised we got nothing from the Conclave though in order to bring all the previous arcs together - maybe next season.

Tary was fun, Wayne Brady easily filled in the role as a bumbling, naive but lowkey capable addition who earned their way into gaining the group's approval. He was a good source for alleviation as well in an otherwise dark and gloomy season.

And Dark and Gloomy was mostly due to Pike having a terrible time. I thought Ashley did amazing voice-wise, but I felt like her arc had been amazingly written up until the final three. It may be me but I think Gideon/the Whispered One - someone she met once - too easily deflected her anger onto her friends. I get that she's grieving a lot, Grog is being dangled over her like a carrot and a lot of her arguments are meant to be seen as projections or half-truths, but it just annoyed me how easily she turned and how a lot of her justifications and snipes just didn't feel like they added up. Since when have Vox Machina not considered Pike special? When was the last time Vox Machina dumped a mess on her doorstep for her to fix? Because I'm pretty sure Pike bargained with their souls for a vestige and she offloaded Tary to Whitestone. It's the same with Scanlan's mention of 'give you a mansion and feed you chicken' not landing since in the show he only housed them in his mansion twice, the last 'mess' Pike had to clean up which wasn't a whole world kinda deal was Craven Edge and that was a solely Grog thing. Accusing the Everlight was iffy because she also discarded her holy symbol last season, no efforts to make amends for going to Despath where the Everlight warned her she would stand alone if she went, her last message in Thar Amphala felt more like needing an excuse since she acknowledged that not taking the bargain was 'the right thing'. Also you can't say the group doesn't care for you while also being angry at Vax for going to Thar Amphala to save you over confronting the Whispered One, you have to pick a lane. Overall it just felt like Pike's inevitable turn, echoing and being more raw than Scanlan's tirade in the Bard's Lament ep, could've been justified better; and that once Grog managed to make her see reason she needed to be comforted by said friends instead of abandoned so the others could confront the Whispered One.

That's probably my bigger rant of the season, I have a small gripe with the opening being unchanged just because we're done with Ripley and the Dragons but otherwise it's fine. I suppose my other gripe is how the Whispered One's rationale echoes much of the same arguments of Campaign 3. The idea of removing the gods from power to control our own fate are sentiments both the Ruby Vanguard and Bell's Hells seemed somewhat in favour of, but with the Children of Truth doing basically what the Vanguard have done with the desolation of the Conclave as a more realistic impetus it just kinda, buries Campaign 3 a little. Now I have never shied from criticizing C3's God Plot, and if they pivot on it for the animated show, as well as making Ludinus a more 'final boss' like character, it would be for the better. But it's also a Ship of Theseus situation if they change a lot of C3's narrative, and I also get irked with how several newly released CR media just seems to bury, snipe or diminish C3 in their own way as if to say 'yeah we agree the story wasn't great' instead of finding ways to elevate it. That's more a personal gripe though, for me it just feels like Bell's Hells deserve more than the red-headed stepchild treatment.

I've seen a lot of criticism of Keyleth this season, and while I do have my earlier qualms with the whole Blight thing, I don't think it was the worst thing that Keyleth was focused on trying to save someone she loved. Bending the knee quickly was a shock, one that will put VM in a spot where they will be a pariah to the people who witnessed them giving up (I wish we saw Scanlan's reaction to the footage, maybe for S5's opener?) and I can understand why fans felt that she should've been more grounded now that she has completed her Aramenté, but I also feel like the criticism is from a place where we are downplaying the elation and relief Keyleth had felt literally a villain monologue ago in believing that she saved Vax not once but twice from his prophetic fate, emotions were certainly high in the moment.

But throwing that aside to end on some positives. Like how the Music was Amazing; a variety of flavour from Beastie Boys, Jazz, Rock, and Heavy Metal, all of TLOVM has had great music but this season was particularly fun and highlighted the ost a lot more. The guest voice cast we got was fun and brilliant too; Andy Serkis is obviously a great choice for the Whispered One - as well as trying to continue the LOTR set, we are still short two hobbitses - Tom Cardy, Anjali Bhimani, John Heder and the returning Grey DeLisle make for an additionally stacked casting list, also props to Marisha who was doing double duty at times with no-accent Laudna and the brilliantly designed Kraken. The final 10 minutes of the finale were amazing too, because it all made sense and really cemented Vox Machina's big defeat and a shocking ending.

The way the season leaves off sets up for a big crescendo for the final season, but with Vax dusted one wonders how loyal to the source they'll be. Percy stayed dead much longer than on the table after Glintshore, and a lot of reconciliation is needed if the gods are going to endorse VM in fighting the Whispered One. I feel like we've set up one thing given the Garmelie mention but with Vox Machina now the failed heroes and their failures mainly emphasised by their separation and internal discourse, the show sets the audience up for big character moments and character dynamic moments to get them to their best.

So yeah I liked the finale, I think maybe we lingered on some things too long but I have no problem with how it ended. The avatars being copies of a brain scan rather than the actual people was theorized back in episode 7 but it's a lot more of a sensible option than people being stuck in a headset for years, but I'm kinda confused as to how it all worked.

Caine's flashback implied that he took the brain scan folder and sifted his code through it to make an Avatar, which makes sense for Scratch but the folder is also a Free Wi-Fi so how did Scratch get brain scans from Wi-Fi? We know Pomni/Abigail put on a headset too so she didn't use the Wi-Fi (unless the headset was connected to said Wi-Fi I suppose). Since Abigail's name was already in the files when he first found it does that mean Caine also picked and chose when Avatars got added in? Does that make his surprise at Ragatha's spawning ungenuine?

Jax is a tough one. Through his flashbacks we see that he basically used the same behaviour as his parents to deflect, abuse and degrade the others, including his closest friends into abstraction. He refused to break the cycle done unto him than admit that he caught feelings for Ribbit and that she got him to open up, which frankly is a little frustrating. The way he imagines Ragatha, Zooble and Gangle abstracting in different realities also gets treated as his excuse for his treatment of them; thinking Pomni believes she's better than him and wants to 'fix' him, that Zooble blames everything on him, and the worst one being that Gangle secretly enjoys his degradation in a more masochistic way (which frankly rubs me the wrong way since Gangle's response to Jax's treatment makes it seem like she's been abused before). That said I am curious what was behind the locked door, it's an unpulled thread and I feel like it could've been worth seeing a room where Pomni abstracted to see Jax's genuine response to what would happen - in contrast of moving on and forgetting about her.

Overall I think the thing that didn't sit well with me in the end is that, while it's okay for Caine to work at forgiveness and for a more collaborative existence in the circus (even with questions if this ends up being a forever existence), the abstracted minds are still abstracted. They're docile but that's about it, a lobotomized version of their Avatars with no chance of healing. I suppose maybe Gooseworx thought that could've been too flowery an ending but given how Caine inexplicably survived total purging it wouldn't have hurt to even provide hope that the Abstracted could recover.