You can watch my review for the next arc (Long Ring Long Land/G8/Movie 6) RIGHT NOW on Patreon here (5$+): www.patreon.com/Aleczandxr To follow the readthroughs on stream, you can follow me on Twitch here: www.twitch.tv/Aleczandxr/ Link to AJ's Discord server: discord.gg/Ekhz7PNuJd *The Devil Fruit categories stuff has been explained to me in the comments, thanks guys! It’s definitely the element of the story that I’m least knowledgeable about, lol.* CURRENT TWITCH SCHEDULE: Mondays @ 10am EST: A Blind Playthrough of The Great Ace Attorney Wednesdays @ 10am EST: A Blind Playthrough of Xenoblade Chronicles 3/Haikyuu Discussions Sundays @ 11am EST:Mob Psycho 100 and Chainsaw Man anime reactions & One Piece Chapter reads SOME FRIDAYS, I do full One Piece reading streams as well, starting from around 10-10:30am EST.

"Luffy being the Sun, in a sense" 😳🤯

Its so wild to me how Oda managed to distract the reader in some way to make you not connect the dots that rubber is an insulator until Luffy and Enel face off. So many people, including myself, were surprised by the reveal when first reading, being hit just like Enel with "oh yeah! Rubber stops lightning!" It sounds like it didn't hit you either until around that time too. I'm sure some folks did think of it earlier on, but surprises me how so many people were caught off guard. Oda got talent right there. #ajpiece

This is (BY FAR) the best Skypiea review/analysis I've seen so far, and I first read this arc when I was like 9 or 10, so around 15 years ago. The next saga you're going to read is my favorite, but to me Skypiea will always be the best encapsulation of what One Piece, the adventure, the sense of wonder and excitement, that extraordinary flashback (I agree it's probably one of the most special in the entire series to this day), the friendship and optimism, all that the bell represents and, I don"t know, just the sheer beauty of it all, it's incredible

#AJPiece One cool fact to mention is how Zoro couldn't do anything to the snake god, while Noland easily slayed it. It shows how insanely strong Noland & Calgara were. Another thing is that Luffy mentioned he wanted a musicians way back at the start of One Piece. He really wants to have fun on his ship. lol

The Montblanc flashback is so underrated in the grand scheme of things. I love it so much.

38:30 on Devil Fruits: Now that you've seen all 3 types the best way to think of it is that Logias & Zoans are the exceptions and Paramecia's are the rule. So a Logia is a DF that allows you to turn into, emit, & control a naturally occuring element and a Zoan is a DF that allows you to turn into an animal, a human-hybrid form of that animal, & have traits of the animal as a Human. If the DF doesn't meet all of the specific requirements for either of those 2 then it's a Paramecia. Example, Luffy's a Paramecia because while he is made of rubber and rubber can be naturally occurring, he can't emit or control rubber so he doesn't meet the Logia criteria.

Whoever thinks skypeia can be skipped is crazy. Sure it's sort of away from the world but that doesn't matter. It's so good. There are lots of parts in skypeia that are important to the grand naritive.

The scene of Luffy ringing the bell is beautiful in the anime. If you haven’t already I’d recommend you check it out

1:37:00 MAJOR SPOILERS ..... Luffy himself being the Sun??? If Gods exist? Holy crap what an absolute insane connection

For the bitabout devilfruits at 38:30 Luffy is paramecia, but croc, enel and ace are logia. A way to think of it is, if a normal projectile would just fly through them with no effect to them, then it's a logia. So paramecia's like luffy, or someone like bellamy, are more common. With zoan being the animal transformation ones.

The conversation, "What did I just kill?", " just a snake.", "No! That was a god! Right?"...., was handled so well and has stuck with me.

You are right about Sanji and Ussop's role reversal on the Arc Maxim but also often times when Sanji aka Mr Prince is offscreen he's making important moves. Without him missing out on all the action in Little Garden they would have never gotten the Eternal Pose and would have been stranded for a year. Not to mention throwing Croc of their trail by pretending to be Mr 3 and telling him they're all dead. He also tricked Crocodile into leaving the rest of the Strawhats (sans Chopper) alone so he could rescue them. He's a sneaky one.

#AJPiece Some say that Baratie is where they fell in love with One Piece, others say Arlong, some say Alabasta. But this for me was the moment where I went "Yep, this is it. This is a series I'll love for life." The way everything coalesces and comes together is just so masterful, culminating with the bell ring that encapsulates everything. I'm not saying that this moment had to mean all that for you, but I do know from streams that you loved it. Is there anything that you'd compare it to, and if so, what? I think it's unique. Also, a bonus - you just said today's stream that Oda's biggest strength is his payoff/coalescing moments, so just wanna drop that in here for you to nod to it if this gets selected :)

#AJPiece Skypiea as a whole is the arc most defining of One Piece's romanticism. A kingdom in the clouds being a symbol of dreams, and Luffy showing it off to the world to show that it exists and dreams are there for anyone who wants to pursue them and reap the rewards. It all coalesces so well and fits perfectly and I definitely agree that it's the most cohesive saga. One question - other future arcs are agreed upon to be better than Skypiea but do you think they will be able to come together in quite this way?

AJ I’m happy to know that you’re the type of person to just consume the content instead of setting expectations and not really enjoying the ride. As much as I love One Piece, I feel as though a lot of the fanbase expects certain events to happen in certain ways and craft theories that they are completely sold on only to be disappointed later on. Sadly people have dropped the series because of that way of enjoying the series. I just find it refreshing but obviously everyone should be free to indulge in and drop a story when it doesn’t do what it needs to for them. Please continue to enjoy the ride.

I like Enel, because he’s just such an enigma compared to a lot of other antagonist, a dreamer, who holds respect for others like Luffy and doesn’t judge him on his youth, naivety, or his appearance like others did, he lost his fight but never stopped pursuing his dream, or stopped to have a change of heart and reconsider his actions, I guess this arc was just a small stop on the way for both Luffy’s and Enel’s dream. He also bears a striking resemblance to my favorite Rapper, “Striking resemblance” because Oda disproved this connection although did confirm he listened to the slim man.

" the world bends to this mans will"

#AJPiece I believe one of the reasons why Luffy is the perfect protagonist for this series honestly lies in how simplistic he. No matter how complex the plot of an arc can get (and believe me they get very complex) you can always reorient yourself by focusing on Luffy and how he intends to solve the problem at hand. This simplistic nature is also translated to his design which often seems comparatively plain when compared to other side characters or the villains, which acts to reinforce the strength of his convictions via how he acts rather than by seeming impressive. It’s honestly so refreshing when compare to other series that get needlessly bogged down in the details and relentless self-seriousness.

#AJPiece I always think it's funny to see people talk about Skypia as if it's borderline filler. As if it doesn't add to the overall narrative. Because looking back I see it as one of the most important arcs in the story. As it adds so much intrigue particularly towards the end of the arc and it lays the groundwork for so many amazing things that still came back as something of great importance hundreds of chapters later in the story. I always enjoyed the Skypea arc immensely and I love your discussions on the whole story. Thank you for doing what you're doing. Also, the devil fruits have all been explained to you so far so I just wanna clear up all confusion. There are 3 different types of devil fruits in all. Zoan, Paramecia and Logia. Zoan types transform and generally have 3 different forms each. Examples of Zoan users are like Chopper, Chaka and Pell. Logia are considered the most powerful because of their intangibility. Any and all attacks just phase right through them.They all have some kind of element. Users seen so far are like Enel, Crocodile, Smoker and Ace. Paramecia are the miscellaneous category where everything that doesn't fall under the previous 2 are dumped. We've seen a lot of these so far like Luffy, Buggy, Wapol, Robin etc.

Tbf, I was not sure I would appreciate the AJPiece comments at first, but its a great addition! Its really interesting to discuss some previous plot points and themes and it sometimes even connects with the discussion of the current arc Thanks again for your hard work making these videos

I could listen to you talking about how poetic the themes of this arc are all day. Thank you for all your work. It is truly inspiring.

I'm so glad you're repping this as the best arc up until this point. You've mentioned potentially doing a series like this for Bleach or Naruto. But neither of those will replicate this magic of Skypiea. It's truly special.

Bellamy must've felt so stupid after hearing the golden bell in the sky

For anyone wondering, early access for the next video, covering Long Ring Long Land, G-8 and Movie 6, is on early access for Patreon and it's one hour and 13 minutes :)

Luffy being rubber and immune to Enel as a result is so cool, he is the exact thematic counter to all that Enel is and the exact example that Skypiea needed. This arc makes me so emotional and you talking about it makes me feel the tears coming on lmao

#AJPiece Around 1:12:30 you talk about how Oda doesn't pick sides but here he also depicts the open mindedness of the two leaders. Noland depicts progress, reason and general scientific approach to problems, but he accepts his mistakes in not respecting traditions, something he doesn't prioritize over his ideals and is very much against and simultaneously, Kalgara understands that traditions need to be ignored or very much changed/removed for the sake of progress and betterment of the present society over the respect for ancestors. And this change in mindset, this progression in character has happened in the small they interacted with each other.

#AJPiece people like to say than Skypiea is filler or skippable because it doesn't contribute to the main plot directly, but you hit the nail on the head saying that regardless it's so important for illustrating what this journey and Luffy are all about. This is a modern problem with internet discourse for animanga, where people want instant gratification leading to shallow and one-dimensional stories that don't build up properly. You said it about Skypiea, the start is so slow and gradual because it lays foundations for the amazing ending. Writing 101. Yet some still say this is bad or wrong. Sorry about being passionate lol this just irks me sometimes

This is my favorite review of this arc I've ever listened to I genuinely love how much the themes of one piece truly seem to resonate with you it's heartwarming. Also wanted to help clarify the 3 devil fruit types since they've been explained now. Logia are fruits that allow a user to do 3 things manipulate generate and become an element or substance. Zoans are pretty standard and have a million sub types but they allow the user to turn into a peak specimen of the animal they represent as well as turn into a hybrid form with all the advantages of both species. Paramecia are sort of a grab bag of any powers that don't fit the other two categories, paramecias can do up to 2 of the things logias do such as how Mr 3 can generate and manipulate wax but he can't become it. Paramecia are the most open ended powers but on average in world they are considered the weakest. There are special exceptions to the categorization system of course but it's pretty easy to figure out what a fruit is once you know this information.

I loved this video as usual and amazing work in capturing the poetry and emotions of that climax, thank you. But I'm especially excited to see what you have to say about Long Ring Long Land, which definitely is one of the most one-dimensional arcs. Excited for that, even if you have some negative things to say!

These reviews really make my day to listen to!

I can't express how beautiful these OP videos are; every time I see you upload another one, I feel childish joy. Thank you Brother

the real miracle in Skypiea is Zoro cutting the beanstalk in the right direction

You keep on asking GREAT questions that are answered hundreds of chapters away .😭

For people who are caught up might be important to note that for Nolan’s story there was a 5year gap between visits and that guarantees there was a reverie where the king would talk about the upcoming expedition

Not sure if #AJPiece worthy but DeathPiea is supposed to be a pun with the word "despair" (pronounced like a japanese person would)

Luffy being immune to Enel’s power also correlates to how Luffy personally has no concept of a god and is free from his wrath. The whole idea of a god is antithetical to who Luffy is, a being free from constraints. You can’t smite someone who is as free as Luffy. I also love how One Piece shows how the environment you’re surrounded by can heavily impact how you view the world. Luffy grew up idolizing pirates and is drawn towards the idea of freedom while the people of skypeia idolize a god, even in their possible dying moments they couldn’t help but pray to one and have faith, even if it’s a “god” who would possibly be their demise. It parallels very well with the backstory too with Noland representing the pirate spirit

“Luffy Himself being the sun, to an extent” so well put I love one piece

About Nami, this saga really focus on her growt. In Jaya against Bellamy she learns that there are easy fights that are not worth fighting for, and in Skypiea against Ener she learns there are doomed fight that are worth a try. Both times it's hard for her to accept it, but then she keeps trusting Luffy's judgement and sides with his choices. Nami needed this new prospective on fights and challenges. Without spoilers, I don't think it's a coincidence that next arc all the crew's problematics will be pointed out one way or another, but Nami looks like the less problematic one

Skypiea embodies the core themes of One Piece, and should not be skipped!

30:25 enel he can use his devil fruit powers to greatly enhance his mantra(which allows him to sense living being) to near-omniscient levels by reading electric-signals in the air from afar. so basically with only mantra he can sense but with df he can also hear them thus allowing him to smite anyone who speaks ill of him

*as he picks up on the extension of Sanji's backstory I IMMEDIATELY lock myself in a soundproof booth and turn off the lights so he can't see or hear my reaction to it*

This was an awesome video, I really liked skypiea arc before but the way you put some things into perspective elevated it even further for me… thx for the premium content

thank u so much for these videos! I unfortunately don't have the attention span or motivation to re-read completely one piece, so these analysis come as great help! I love the mood of your videos, its very relaxing and calming, much appreciated

thanks for these videos, they really are awesome. Never seen anyone analyze a medium like you do, you're on a completely different level. So glad you're enjoying One Piece, it's a long journey and even though I know it's not all as good as Skypea, I can't wait for you to keep on going and discovering this wonderful story💕 Love you

Skypiea definitely cannot be skipped it has some of the most important foreshadowing and set ups that come up so much later that i can't imagine missing the context and things being clear

Skypiea was my first look at One Piece as a kid and it feels incredibly nostalgic and dear to my heart. I was very exited when you started this series and love that you are so clearly enjoying it. your reviews truly elevate the entire story and I love watching them!

ok, I was today years old when I realized the parallel between Jaya and Tortuga. Mock Town is the "classic pirate" place, it's an exclusive pirate place, like Tortuga. Jaya went up to the sky while Tortuga went down to the sea. If you know the fate of Tortuga you would even believe like Cricket that the city of gold is under the sea, then Skypiea subverts that expectation, how did I miss that for 20 years 😅😂

loves this like all your other reviews. Water 7/Enies Lobby is really where One Piece becomes all time great.

One Piece is a very old series and Skypiea is one of the earlier arcs. There has been countless analyses/ reviews made my tons of big and small channels. But this is definitely the best I have seen so far.

Thank you for sharing this beautiful reaction with us.

2:09:30 I love how almost every arc since Syrup Village becomes your new favourite xD

AJ's current arc ratings: Romance Dawn & Orange Town: solid - strong 7 Syrup Village: strong 7 - light 8 Baratie: solid 8 Arlong Park: Strong 8 (maybe light 9) Logue Town: solid - strong 8 East Blue: Solid 8 Reverse Mountain: solid - strong 7 Whiskey Peak: light 6 Little Garden: solid 7 Drum: very strong 8 (maybe very light 9) Alabasta: light 9 Jaya: very strong 8 (maybe light 9) Skypia: solid 9

Hope spoilers stay away from you because I would love to see your pov of luffys growth in the story and how you’ll analysis it when you hopefully eventually catch up The last thing you said “what the hell happen to dragon” I chuckled .

thank you for your exceedingly beautiful review. I cried a bit when you describe the flashback of Norland and Calgara, also when you narrate the last spread of Luffy's shadow in the sky. I hope you also consider to watch the anime because I think it'd be great for you to listen to the sound of the bell... I promise, the light of the Shandia or the sing of the vearth is indeed so lovely ♥️

Love ya, AJ. Another great video, look forward to your next stream!

#AJPiece I'm so glad you liked the Sky Island story, it's my favorite arc personally, I just love the themes and structure. Eneru is one of my favorite villains, and it's not just because of his cool power (restarting his own heart is so raw). Eneru is, I think, a great contrast to a number of previous villains (and maybe some future ones). You've noted how so many of the adversaries we've encountered so far are fountains of cynicism, from East Blue to Baroque Works to Jaya, but Eneru is different. He is not cynical, he does not mock the dreamers, because he himself has his dream, to reach his mythical Endless Vearth. He does not look down on the people around him because they have stupid ideas, like Bellamy did in Jaya, but instead it seems to me like it's the opposite, that he looks down on the simple people, the regular populace because they DON'T have dreams. Remember, he was totally willing to have the five last contestants join him on his journey, it was not supposed to be a one-man trip. He treats his opponents with more respect than he does his subjects, because at least his enemies are putting themselves out there. I think this represents the sort of opposite of what Bellamy was, which was the negativity of denying the dream. Eneru shows, in my view, the potential for destruction that big dreams can have, the chaos which can be left in its wake. The difference between Eneru and Luffy is not that Eneru lacks the dream or drive (like Bellamy). The difference is that Eneru lacks the humanity, the care and compassion and empathy which has allowed the Crew's dreams to have a positive impact. But then, of course that's the difference -- Eneru is a kami, not a human, as he is so eager to remind us.

This made me cry, great review!

Also cool that usopp traded his rubber bands for the sky dials

My God! I think this is the best review of Skypiea I've seen from a KZfaqr, excellent analysis, you made me cry too. Skypiea is my favorite saga and you were able to explain perfectly what I felt while reading it, the table with the giant luffy's shadow projected in the sky is also one of my favorites. I also love the final monologue of the Narrator who breaks the fourth wall for the first time and talks to you (or the one?) you're reading. Skypiea exists! The One Piece exists!

For me, Skypeia is the symphony which Oda was striving for, as reflected in the progression of the music related chapter titles. It's also the first time I realised that the chapter title & cover story panel, add further depth to each chapter's content/theme, which isn't usually the case for manga. A simple example is the Hachi cover story in Jaya, it lines up perfectly with the chapter content & title (especially around the part he gets rejected - dreams don't come true lol). It's not something you can fully appreciate on the first read through. Heck there's stuff weekly readers could only see after the previous arc finished this year. Still, I wanted to highlight it now as something to keep an eye on, as Skypeia is the most obvious example of it.

Great video / review of the arc as usual i cant wait to see you read the rest of the story (and ty for the ff14 ost in the back i love it)

Skypiea shot up as one of my favorites so much during my reread of OP. I was pretty young the first time. The flashback is so engrossing. The climax may be the best in all of OP

It may be great already, but once you are up to date with One Piece, this arc becomes multiple times even. The amount of foreshadowing and how this arc portrays themes that are absolutely fundamental for One Piece as a whole is abolute insanity. Anyone that says that it should be skipped should go see a doctor XD. Also, some of the things you said... You have a damn strong Mantra.

These videos are so good! Why are they not getting views????🤬 aj love what you’re doing here

Wonderful analysis as usual. This arc has maybe the best ending out of all of them so it was super satisfying to hear you gush about it. Also I'm so glad to hear that you will be covering the G8 Arc and Movie 6

I agree with everyone. This is without question the best review of Skypia that i have ever seen. The way you are able to connect dots and understand characters and their themes is almost unmatched in the OP community. You also dont focus on the context of the fights and power scaling at all which is why youre slowly becoming my favourite one piece reviewer. You are hyperfocused on the characters as i am too. Noland and Roger are indeed parallels as you pointed out. One inspiring people getting to chase a dream that is true and dying while smiling while the other one getting framed as a liar while telling the truth dying while crying for his friend not knowing if he is still alive. To this day the final blow of Luffy defeating enel while ringing the bell is the best ending of a one piece saga imo. All the plot lines and themes that are conected and resolved through that punch is such a beautiful crafted idea of Oda. Knowing what is up in store for future arcs and seeing how you already are in love with this Arc, your love could reach new heights never seen before! So thank you for this amazing review and i cant wait to see the next ones!

When u said, the girl prayed if there is a God dn please save their land and luffy was like the sun ☀️ 🥶🥶🥶,, damn wana climax it's bone chilling.

skypiea is essential to the plot of op. you won't understand for a long time but you will see eventually how vital it is.

Im pretty sure Luffy wanted a Musician since the beginning.

Your review made me cry so much again. The whole backstory with Noland and Calgara and the fact that they never saw each other again makes me so sad each time. Beautiful review!

I cried all over Watching this review. Thank you for making it. 😭 😭 😭

More extremist people would say that Jaya getting shot into the sky and Norland being executed is the divine curse for killing the snake god 😂😂😂

best OP thumbnail yet

38:30 There are 3 types of Devil Fruits: * Logia: Smoker, Ace, Crocodie, Enel. Logia users can become, generate and manipulate a given naturally occurring element or substance * Zoan: Dalton, Chaka, Pell, Lassoo. Zoan users can transform fully or partially into a given animal, they also get a passive physical buff * Paramecia: Buggy, Alvida, Mr 1, 2, 3, 5. Everything else

Glad to hear you liked Skypiea. It's one of my favorite arcs of the series.

LETS FUCKING GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

I cried again hearing you! 😭😭😭

Crocodile isn't a paremecia. He's a Logia like Ace, Smoker, and Enel. Logias allow the user to create, turn into, and control a specific element Zoans allow the user to turn into a specific animal Paramecias are more of a wild card/miscellaneous category

1:37:13 Luffy himself being the sun. Lmao

I really love the Skypea Arc for its amazing fantasy and historicy ☺️🤝

"Please let the sunshine" Goddamn Something to keep in mind for later

#AJPiece Skypia is my favorite arc in One Piece and I'm happy to see you liked it. How do you feel about Enel being the first villain to achieve his goal and do you think the moon might have a greater importance in the future of One piece?

The giants actually being shadows was such a good moment, i can't believe ppl skip this arc 😭😭😭 also the Noland and Kalgara stuff, that was special

Darn it! I'm about to sleep but this is worth watching/listening.

The shortest route is the detour. It was the detour that was our shortest path." Gyro zeppeli

Logia types can become and generate an element or faux element. Zoan types can become an animal and hybrid animal, and paramecia types are EVERYTHING else.

Skypeia goes absolutely crazy. I just can't understand the, " it's cannon filler", argument. It is so key to the themes of one piece. It is seemingly the entire story in microcosm and slightly mirrored.

1:56:48 a magician in the straw hats would be hilarious lmao

1:46:10 With Pell in Alabasta and Pagaya here, the fandom discovered the truth. The Will of D is just misdirection from Oda. The true powerful, those who cannot be defeated, carry the Will of P

Mr. Prince always in the background making sure things go smoothly edit: Skypiea's saga is so well written 👏 Can't wait to jump into the next arcs :)

YEAH DRAGON where have you been all this time?????

Hey Aleczandxr love your reviews and have a suggestion. Could you insert your top 15 as text on screen while reading them out?

such a great flashback. "Are you that afraid of the gods?!"

As an anime only consumer of one piece, I would say you have to watch skypiea. In the anime it does kind of drag on, but it pays off so well. And skypiea has so many real world parallels that make you THINK about the world we live in today. For example, the shandians 400 year war for their land can be a metaphor for native Americans illegally having their land stolen.

#AJPiece Something I really enjoy about the Enel fight on the Maxim is how aspects of the world building of Skypiea are enwoked in neat little ways: Enel has no concept of Gold, he does not understand that it has value in the way we do, to him it is precious because it conducts electricity and in the same way he has no concept of rubber and he could never even have conceived of such a thing existing. I like this a lot because thematically this sort of exposes the "all knowing God" as being so thoroughly ignorant of the wider world Another thing I like, which is most likely just in my head and unintentional, but nonetheless: We as readers are sort of tricked into becoming haters and doubters of Enel's dream due to our own real world knowledge making us bias. Enel wants to build a zeppelin and fly to the moon with it? clearly, he is crazy and this will never work, right? But maybe we shouldn't so easily dismiss this. (we should instead dismiss his dream for the means by which he aims to achieve it, but that is a different topic)

700 chapters later we are still waiting to find out what the will of D is although we've found out hints and it feels close.

Alexander saying he's an Usopp fan is the reason I'm catchinh up since he read Water 7

"Luffy itself being the Sun in a extent"

You said about a dozen things which predict the future of the series perfectly