So... Candelle was bedridden for a long time after the Celestial Dragons visited? She married the king right after? And now her daughter is with the Celestial Dragons?
...I don't think Shuri's really the king's daughter, but one of a Celestial Dragon like Bonnie. And the king knew and decided to protect Candela by marrying her.
But did Shuri kill him for keeping the secret? Was she controlled? Or did Shuri make some kind of deal with them to protect the people of her country, Brook included?
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First off, I just absolutely love this chapter. Woaw, Brook really did learn it all from Lady Oscar. It's really cool how we use his stupid panty gag to walk through their relationship. I'm serious about that, it's silly but it does illustrate the point well. Brook is by nature a rude little horndog, yet the coolest person in his young world was a gallant lady who drilled this lesson into him. Something that actually does keep in line with the Rose of Versailles homage. Oscar's a big stickler for propriety, and this "ethos" statement equating strength with etiquette says a lot about Candelle.
We talked about this a while ago. When Brook had his first big moment with Gunko and how it hit notes I'd have really liked to see between Brook and Okiku back in Wano. Think they had a really good amount of similarities to play off of. Candelle just takes all of that and amplifies it exponentially. I mean, you even have Brook calling attention to her dressing like a man and mentioning Wano in this chapter. There is also a land all about the Kansai-ben dialect. The last one has nothing to do with that I just think it's neat.
And really it's all adorable. The wollypop is the funniest because of Shuri's face, but there was so much I could've used. Also really liked Brook sleeping with the guitar. We even mention something pretty cool about Shuri. Like Rebecca and Koby she just seems to have a propensity for observation Haki. But now...dear reader, we know this happy song could not last forever. Eventually all good things come to an end.
Choking fog brings economic ruin to Esperia's music industry. With it their Queen Candelle dies among many others made sick by the pollution. Who knows how all this connects, I've seen some people leaping to assume Candelle was assaulted by the Celestial Dragon that came long ago but I dunno, the story does kinda check out as is with her just running herself ragged to make sure it all goes right. We don't even really know yet if the fog was a manufactured or natural phenomenon. The World Government being malicious for some purpose or callously indifferent doesn't really change much of what happens.
What I do like is how Reuven doesn't balk at fighting back. Likewise with Brook simply following along, as is his place. Even when others argue. I like to think Reuven was so savvy about the nature of the World Government because his time with Book as a kid opened his eyes. In essence, even if it was much smaller scale what if Reuven's a bit of the type of guy Oden wasn't? Like, that experience of picking up someone much like Oden attracted his retainers cajoled him into realizing he needs to use his position to help people like this. In this case, the tragedy is it was someone in a minor kingdom of musicians rather than the Great Shogun or King of the Giants.
And it combines that with the same ending to Harald & Loki's flashback. Don't forget he was drifting in the Florian Triangle when Harald was there. Neat stuff. I cannot wait to see this anime episode with a new tune! Always a plus when we get Brook content. All over this amazing scene of him walking past the garden, the trash heaps. Seriously some of the best stuff in the arc and simply some of the best stuff for one of my favorites in the Straw Hats.
Of course...we also have this weird new guy. Smokin his cigar, looking pretty authoritative. Spooky monster that looks like Marky Mars too. I do think this origin story is right on par with Brook's overall vibe. It's really compelling to think of him in terms of being a 90-year-old man being forced to finally confront something from his youth because I totally see the Brook in this story just choosing to...not really deal with this one. It's way over his head, the royal family's dead, the Kingdom of Esperia is no more, might as well be a pirate like you wanted. Wouldn't be surprised if we come back from the break, quick coda maybe ending on how he met Yorki.
I usually make these earlier but getting jumped a Trigun fixation (thanks Sol) got me distracted β₯οΉβ₯
Regardless, we lock in! Spoilers below, as always~
Oh Boa our queen how I've missed you~ She would absolutely learn to cook for Luffy, good for her
Ah, Brook was Candelle's apprentice! Cute!
"good manners & how to speak properly" Yeah I don't think anyone's gonna succeed in teaching him that π
Brook please you're killing me here..... Candelle gets it, she's the best.
BROOK PROTESTING THE UNIFORM BC HE IS A FASHIONISTA AND WE LOVE HIM FOR IT!!!!! +Him still wanting to wear a guard's uniform π₯Ή
CANDELLE TUCKING HIM IN NOBODY TOUCH ME πππππ
Do not critique Candelle's style, Brook! She looks excellent and you know it!
Baby Brook I love you but please stop I'm being murdered by second hand embarrassment
SUN π«΅β Can you hear them yet, Brook? Can you hear the drums?
...... I'm sorry huh. A boat full of Celestial Dragons showed up, and all of the sudden Candelle's sick....? That mixed with her calling herself Devoted the other chapter............ I have a really bad feeling about all this π¬
Okay so shortly after the Celestials visit: Leuven got the throne (what happened to the previous ruler?), he married Candelle, and Shuri was born? π€ Those Manmayer Candelle theories are scaring me with how likely they're seeming.
BROOK WOULD LAY DOWN HIS LIFE TO PROTECT HIS PRINCESS/DAUGHTER AND WE LOVE HIM FOR IT πππππππππππ
Shuri being easily won over by candy is so cute, immediately incooperating that into how I write Gunko <3
SHURI LOVES HER PARENTS SO MUCH AND THEY LOVE HER RIGHT BACK OMFG ODA WHAT ARE YOU ABOUT TO DO π₯π₯π₯π₯π₯
I'm obsessed with this little rebel song, it's so cute <3 I hope the anime does it justice once we get here! Noting that name, Kamigata, btw
Brook & Shuri have just the cutest dynamic omfg I'm sobbing π
I would kill gods to ensure them a happy ending omfg Oda when I catch you πππππππππππππππππ
WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED TO ESPERIA??????? Poison, again?! Can Brook seriously not escape that stuff???
The music fading like that hurts me a bit, and Sun Path Lore just got very interesting about it (why would Atuni ever abandon an island so beloved to her?)
ODA AND HIS DEAD MOMS I SWEAR TO GOD I'M GOING TO COMMIT A MASSACRE WHY HER ππ₯ππ₯π₯ππ₯πππ₯ππ₯π₯ππ₯ππ₯π₯ππ₯π
Brook & Shuri sparing together! Does that mean Gunko knows Humming Swordstyle? ππππ Very interesting~
Leuven isn't coping well with anything atm and tbh I don't blame him.
Brook giving up on his pirate dream to stick by his benefactor's side π₯Ί SHURI SAYING SHE WANTS TO GO WITH HIM ππ₯Ίπ₯Ίπ₯Ί oh fix it aus save me fix it aus
[spits out cola] WHAT
Okay. Cool. Gunko has future sight. Good to know.
VALID, KING SHIT, WE LOVE TO SEE IT! π₯π₯π₯π₯π₯
Brook not even asking any questions, just going along with a smile on his face..... Certainly helps explain his attitude while with the StrawHats π€
FUCK THE WORLD GOVERNMENT, FUCK THE CELESTIAL DRAGONS, FUCK IT ALL!!!! WAR!!!!!!!!
The citizens being worried and terrified about provoking the Government is actually pretty fair, considering the shit they've done......
BROOK'S SONG REFERENCING WANO AND ELBAF AND SAYING THAT SOMEONE WITH NOTHING LEFT TO LOSE IS THE MOST DANGEROUS FORCE IN THE WORLD π₯π₯π₯π₯π₯π₯π₯π₯π₯π₯π₯π₯π₯π₯π₯π₯ I like the bee metaphor, I'm stealing it
THE REBELLION SONG PLAYING OVER BROOK COOKING HIS WAY THROUGH ENEMIES IS SO PEAK βββββββ
The gardens π Ough augh..... When will Brook ever catch a goddamned break
I SAID GIVE THIS MAN A BREAK NOT BREAK HIM WHAT THE FUCK ODA
Who the hell are you?!?!?!! Am I supposed to recognize this guy, because he looks vaguely familiar but I fully cannot place it
MARCUS MARS WHEN I FUCKING CATCH YOU π₯π₯π₯π₯π₯π₯π₯π₯π₯π₯
Imu. Imu you are no longer safe because of your pretty face. This means death.
At least Shuri absolutely slays with the wings/horns/tail/glowing eyes look ππ
Oda is a sadist but I know the team needs this break to make every chapter excellent πππππ
Overall thoughts? This was a great chapter! It's nice seeing what went down on Esperia, but there's still more mystery to solve so I'm excited for next!!!!!
The expressions and the sudden flip from cozy and cheerful, to dreadful tragedy, in this chapter were executed extremely well. I like this chapter's pacing a lot.
It was a very swift chapter though shows us everything we need to know to understand how things ended up the way they did.
A mention of the warriors of the New World was a fun scene! Elbaf and Wano continue being connected. And I'm taking note of Brook and Shuri lacking their devil fruits at this point.
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Thoughts on One Piece Ch 1185 in regards to Queen Candelle
Iβve become pretty jaded over the way Oda writes women, and Iβm sure Iβm not the first one to have this opinion. Iβm the only one of my friends to keep up with the One Piece manga, and I need to get some thoughts out so tumblr.
When I first saw Candelle, I was so happy. (This is probably on me bc ik how Oda writes women but you canβt blame a guy for hoping.) Candelle was the Queen and Captain of Esperiaβs royal guard. I saw the sword and falsely assumed that she would get to do something. There was the expectation of the conflict later on, and setting up Candelle as the main fighter in the royal family gave me that false hope.
Then, she dies. I think itβs more accurate to say she gets killed off so her husband can get killed off in the next chapter. Which doesnβt make much sense if you ask me. If you needed to get her out of the way, and you were going to have Shuri be possessed anyway, would you not want a dramatic confrontation between mother and daughter Brook walks in on? Would you not want to have Shuri walking up to her parents only to see her murder her father while you see the horror on Brookβs and Candelleβs faces?
What Iβm getting at is that there was truly no reason to introduce Candelle in the first place if you were just going to kill her. Nothing would have changed in the story had she not been there. Brook would have been attached to the king because thatβs his βbig broβ and been taught swordsmanship by the knights who donβt seem to matter. Shuri would still be the little girl he raised, and she would still kill her father.
Elbaf and Egghead has had such an emphasis on parenting. Elbaf in particular has talked a lot about mothers. It seems like such a waste when talking about Ida and Lokiβs biological mother that you leave out Candelleβs motherhood. I donβt remember a single scene where she talked to her daughter in a meaningful way. (Granted I havenβt gone and looked and Iβm not going to, this is an off the cuff sort of rant about a wasted character)
I understand Oda didnβt want the backstory to be super long. I understand he wanted Brook to thirst after someone, but if a character can be completely cut from the story, I donβt think you needed that character. If this arc is about punching Imu, make it about Imu. Donβt introduce a cool character just to rip her away from me.
