Lately, I’ve been giving some thought to One Piece filler arcs. Since we’re getting G8 from K-F right now, and it’s turning out to be really good, I’m reminded of the earlier ones and how very bad they were. And I started thinking (never a good idea) about the Apis arc, which I only watched once, over a year ago.
Now, this arc is despised and reviled, considered by many to be the low point of the whole One Piece anime. K-F used “Apises” to classify how bad some of the filler they were releasing was. The words “Apis arc” could cause generalized nausea and screaming riots. The Apis arc is responsible for global warming and terrorism.
But in my memory, it wasn’t that bad. True, I recall it being lame at points, but I don’t have any memories of wanting to gouge my eyes out or anything. I actually seem to recall a few really cool moments. (If there’s a filler arc that makes my stomach cramp, it’d have to be Rainbow Mist.) So I decided to watch it again with a critical eye, and see if it really is that bad.
Armed with a positive attitude and sufficient alcohol, I will sit down and rewatch the Apis arc, aka the Sennenryu arc, aka Warship Island, aka The Worst Arc in One Piece Anime History.
Over the next few days, I’ll be watching the episodes and posting my impressions of each one. This arc starts at episode 54 and continues until halfway through 61. I shall be armed with white russians and the impartiality of a trial judge. I will survive this ordeal intact, and perhaps instill a new appreciation for an arc that I believe may have been unfairly classified as the worst ever.
And now we begin: The Apis Project!