@Panda:
This sentiment honestly really surprises me, especially given that I've seen it come up from a pawful of different people at this point. 'Disappointing', I could see, although that would certainly imply having gone in with different expectations than I did. 'Terrible', though? 'Horrible'? I don't mean to attack anyone else's opinion, of course, but that sort of extreme negativity towards the chapter simply legitimately catches me off guard. The only way I can even comprehend that level of judgement is if things are being viewed on a scale such that 'not great' is instantly equivalent to being awful.
I don't know. It just left me empty and even a little sad. It's cool much more people than I predicted is not only ok with the chapter, but even genuinely loved it.
I don't know why this chapter left such a horrible aftertaste. I was actualy ok with Oda regressing Usopp's character cause I was totally sure it would amount to something, it would get an explanation, something. As it is right now, he regressed. . .just because? The build-up wasn't bad (which, ironically, is what royaly pissed people off), it's that pay-back that's not worth that build-up at all (which, ironically, is what's bringing people back to love Usopp).
It is definitely much more dividing and polemic than what I thought. So, it might be me (and some others too, of course, but not nearly as many people as I thought).
As I said, though, I can live with it.
@YoiYoi:
There is no middle-ground for some people.
It's either AMAZING or TERRIBLE.
Wrong. Plenty of middle ground for me. Also, if I usually tend towards one of the two, you can search past chapters threads and see that I'm usually on the "amazing" camp, and never been on the "terrible" camp.