Chapter 488 "Song of Life" Discussion

Nuzzie

For the record, I don't think what Bellamy said has any real impact on the biggest first bounty ever.

Brook

A+ Chapuuta for me. But I'm easy to please. Yohoho.

Nuzzie

@Brook:

A+ Chapuuta for me. But I'm easy to please. Yohoho.

I bet you'd even settle for Lola's panties.

Yohoho

shinpanman

Well this one certainly got the tears flowing….All over the sweater I borrowed from a friend, crap. Anyway, man, what a way to go. I hope they come up with a spectacular tune for the anime.

DesertSpada

Very nice. Brooks story was pretty pleasing. I have enjoyed it.

dinty

@Fire Fist:

I didn't mean for it to come off so harshly. All I meant was that tremendous sacrifice went into Robin's salvation, with tons of people dying in mass genocide. Zoro's friend dying, in itself, was tragic, but it would have made much more of an impact if she died for some kind of sacrifice that potentially changed Zoro's life.

I disagree completely.

I think that it's more poignant that she died an ordinary death and was an ordinary young woman. Like Luffy said to Vivi: "people die". We all do. And we don't all get the grand melodramatic fanfare we deserve and we don't all go out with flying colors and both guns firing and we don't all get the Big Important Speech on our deathbed … some of us just fall down the stairs ...

-- but the loss is no less significant, especially not in the hearts of the bereaved.

Gorlom

"poignant"? come on think of us non native english speakers a bit.

poignant=intensive/touching?

Seal of Legends

A++ Chapter. I can't believe we have to wait two weeks for the next one, but I'm sure it will be worth it. I have the lyrics to Bink's Sake all on a word document now. X3

dinty

@Gorlom:

"poignant"? come on think of us non native english speakers a bit.

poignant=intensive/touching?

Sorry Gorlom.

Yep. You've got the right idea.
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/poignant

I'll try use simpler words in the future.

FireFistAce 0

@dinty:

I disagree completely.

I think that it's more poignant that she died an ordinary death and was an ordinary young woman. Like Luffy said to Vivi: "people die". We all do. And we don't all get the grand melodramatic fanfare we deserve and we don't all go out with flying colors and both guns firing and we don't all get the Big Important Speech on our deathbed … some of us just fall down the stairs ...

-- but the loss is no less significant, especially not in the hearts of the bereaved.

Dinty, I'm not saying Kuina's death is sad. That's not what I'm referring to. Rather, Kuina didn't teach Zoro any life lesson. "People Die.", is fine in simple philosophy, but I'm sure Zoro knew and acknowledged that. The flashbacks in One Piece generally have two plot points:

1. Those who lose an important figure and carry on their dream and will.

2. Those who learn a life lesson from the sacrifice of their mentor or parent figure.

Zoro and Usopp didn't learn a life lesson. Usopp did in the present, with Luffy, but that was his true lesson about his pride. The chapter with Kuma was one of the first times Zoro may have truly humbled himself, and it's important to his development. It accomplished what the flashback with Kuina did not. In contrast to Luffy, who has humbled himself many times (With Crocodile, Aokiji, and others), Zoro very rarely will outwardly show humility.

Impel Down

What Zoro got out of it was his pledge to become the World's Greatest Swordsman and that pledge made on her sword that he uses now. Not learning anything, really.

FireFistAce 0

@Impel:

What Zoro got out of it was his pledge to become the World's Greatest Swordsman and that pledge made on her sword that he uses now. Not learning anything, really.

I can't take anything you take seriously until you change that avatar of Giorno's manboobs.

Good chapter, sad chapter, brook chapter lol

Senshi Mizaka

I think the best moment of the flashback was the Rumba Pirates dying one by one as they continue to play the Binks' Sake song. It's high on my list of favorite flashbacks. I'd probably rank them as follows:

1. Chopper
2. Nami
3. Robin
4. Brooke
5. Franky
6. Norland
7. Zoro

CP9_agent

Wow….what a chapter...that was so truly sad and quite touching. I noticed in the Franky House translation that it said the author is taking the week off to research some data. I wonder what he is researching Hopefully more ways to make Fishman Island a great reality.

Impel Down

@Fire Fist:

I can't take anything you take seriously until you change that avatar of Giorno's manboobs.

I could show him stuffing his ear into his ear canal. Would you prefer that?

Xaravir

Two-three sad chapters in a row. Dang, the way his crew fell one by one…it was quite sad.

Posted on Youtube:

Impel Down

I didn't think it was all that sad. His nakama were able to band together and sing a manly pirate song before they died to give to their dear friend, and Brook is realizing that he still has great pirate friends right now!

Greg

The very last panel.

On the very first page of the comic.

ENTIRELY MADE UP for my disappointment last week. I couldn't stop laughing for 10 minutes.

Kuroneko

That was an awesome chapter. It was funny and moving at the same time. Brook's flashback is one of my favorites now.

And laughing hard from Paulie's cover. The poor guy now is running even from women and men who are in love for him.

Gorlom

… When Brooke opens his skull, why does it look like his afro is hollow?

I mean seriously that panel looks strange. the edge of his skull looks like its all the way out where his hair ends instead of where it should be. It looks like the afro bone he painted black or something.

Dark_Kaomi

@Greg:

The very last panel.

On the very first page of the comic.

ENTIRELY MADE UP for my disappointment last week. I couldn't stop laughing for 10 minutes.

I'm glad you could find something in this flashback to make it worth it for you. And I so agree. That completely cracked me up.

igetownd

That last panel on the first page is only possible by tall skinny people. Any other kind of figure would just look weird. The way Brooke plays around by himself is both adorable and touching.

Hmm, it seems Oda forgot to put in Brooke's skull crack on page 6 panel 6.

dinty

@Fire Fist:

Rather, Kuina didn't teach Zoro any life lesson. "People Die.", is fine in simple philosophy, but I'm sure Zoro knew and acknowledged that. The flashbacks in One Piece generally have two plot points:

1. Those who lose an important figure and carry on their dream and will.

2. Those who learn a life lesson from the sacrifice of their mentor or parent figure.

I understand what you're getting at Ace, and I don't disagree with you that death serves those functions in the story – but I think he did learn an important lesson then. He learned that dreams CAN be crushed (even the dreams of people who don't deserve to have them crushed), and, more importantly, he learned to step outside of himself for once and to consider someone else's dreams and value them as much as his own. I mean, he could have easily said: "what's that your dad said? girls can't be swordsmen? COOL! that means I'm going to win a fight eventually! NYAH NYAH!!" ... But he didn't. Instead, in his own unromantic (but not unconcerned) way, he convinced her to stay strong, not to give up her dream, and to be his ally in the fight against anything that might crush that mutual dream of theirs.

And then she died.
oops.

Not from the hand of an evil samurai, but by falling off a staircase.
Proving that good intentions, promises, pluck, prayers and conviction aren't enough to guarantee survival.

If he hadn't learned anything important from her, he would not have asked for her sword. Swords are his life, and her sword represented her dream.
By keeping her sword with him, he's symbolically keeping her dream with him.

And I think this ties in well with the themes of the last two chapters: that good intentions, promises, prayers, pluck and conviction weren't enough to keep the Rumba pirates alive either. So Brook's taken their voices (recorded in the shell), as his "sword", which he'll carry on their behalf though the Grand line and back to Laboon.

Zoro and Usopp didn't learn a life lesson. Usopp did in the present, with Luffy, but that was his true lesson about his pride.

Again, I disagree. I think Usopp's lesson learned back then, that he's still learning now, was "it's not enough just to dream a dream, you've also got to live it." And it's probably not an accident that Zoro is the one who basically bullied Usopp to get him on the ship – because it's the role he took with Kuina too: forcing her to commit to her dream, and not just to brood about it or abandon it.

The chapter with Kuma was one of the first times Zoro may have truly humbled himself, and it's important to his development. It accomplished what the flashback with Kuina did not.

But I don't think the flashback with Kuina was meant to humble him. I think it was meant to set him on the course of more meaningful interactions with other people – something that the "Crew Member Zoro" chapter highlighted.

Jay_n_Silentbob

it's probably the resulting dreams of Robin and Brooke's pasts that made them so unappealing to me.

At least Zoro wanted to become the greatest swordsman for him and Kuina (who thought she was physically unable to).

Robin's "uncovering the true history" really doesn't seem appealing to me; especially when the only reason she wanted to become an archaeologist is because she was on an island full of them. That and the whole "My mom left me with an aunt and uncle who are mean to me for no reason in particular" thing

Brooke's dream is just to meet Laboon; not sure what he can do after that, though. I guess play the tape to Laboon and then they live with Crocus happily ever after.

Not saying I dislike the latter two, just find them less interesting than the other flashbacks

King Kobra

Hey, does anyone remember when was the last time we saw Pandaman before this chapter?

PS:

Am I the only one who expected Brooke's bounty to be higher than 20,000,000 Belies?…

Seal of Legends

@Kaimei-Karasuhebi:

Hey, does anyone remember when was the last time we saw Pandaman before this chapter?

I think it might have been right before the big epic Moria fight? o_o Maybe around the time Odz was being "killed" the first time? Not entirely sure, but…

King Kobra

Oh, and Arrows are something I didn't expect.

I wonder if after all Usopp will have one epic fight to finally become a renowned warrior. Who knows, of all the strawhats, it would be such a shock if Usopp was the one to take down a Yonkou or another dangerous force to be reckoned.

skarlath

@Nuzzie:

For the record, I don't think what Bellamy said has any real impact on the biggest first bounty ever.

The biggest first bounty ever so far, is Sanji's

77 mill kids

come on

get on the bounty-mobile

Nuzzie

@skarlath:

The biggest first bounty ever so far, is Sanji's

77 mill kids

come on

get on the bounty-mobile

I know, just the way I responded to the post could've made it seem like I thought similarly to that person in regards Bellamy having the highest initial bounty(at that time)

Which I don't.

Maybe its just me, but I've been reading through some Bleach and can't help but notice all the wasted panels, and can't recall Oda doing it much. If I'm not imagining things, I do appreciate it.

onemoment

@skarlath:

The biggest first bounty ever so far, is Sanji's

77 mill kids

come on

get on the bounty-mobile

Despite the technically in her getting it, isn't Nico Robin the highest first bounty? 79 million as opposed to 77 million.

Also, about Brooke opening his skull. I didn't think he could do that. Remember the fan art where Brooke removes his head to love under Robin's skirt?

Well, the point is I'm wondering whether or not Brooke can remove his head without killing himself. I used to think that would kill him, but now I wonder if it's possible.

Juggernaut Bitch

I really want to see a color version of Human brook And Curse you Oda for having to hide his bounty from us!
EDIT I've always wondered about the head thing too or wether he can detach any other bones (And juggle them XD)

Nuzzie

Maybe brook has a weak spot like Alphonse from FMA?

And I don't mean his afro, but something that will actually kill him.

skarlath

Brooke got stabbed through the eye and lived

I'm unsure of what COULD kill him

Accelerator

The last Binks no Sake song played by Brook and his remaining nakamas before death is the strongest moment in OP.

smurfx

@boiga:

Another oddity is that in last week's flashback, skeleton Brooke found the corpse of the spotted shirt kid with the Ace Ventura haircut with a sword through his skull. This week, he's able to smile and join a sing along before dying. How the hell can you look up and smile with a sword sticking out of your skull????

hmm you're right. how the hell is ace ventura up and running around if last chapter he had a sword going through his skull? did oda mess up or was it on of his helpers?

Tokoro Ataru

@smurfx:

hmm you're right. how the hell is ace ventura up and running around if last chapter he had a sword going through his skull? did oda mess up or was it on of his helpers?

The flashback seems to be told in a more "memory" perspective, disjointed to the point that it isn't in order but the way Brook remembers all this. The scene where he collects the skulls and puts them in the coffin was obviously after the final "Bink's Sake". In a way, its an interesting way that Oda made this flashback sequence, allowing us from a more mental perspective instead of a linear path of "this is what happened in order".

AlnaJames

Wooo, chapter was PURE awesome~ <33
I absolutely loved it from… hmm... graphicall point of view <33 Must be amazing quality of the RAW =D

Why nobody though that Brook`s bounty can be... 200,000,000? >:D

Also. This thing scares me:
[hide]

I mean, what`s on his hand? Seriously… LOOK!!

[/hide]

Hiso

@Al!naJames:

Also. This thing scares me:
[hide]
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a84/alinajames/luf_hand.jpg

I mean, what`s on his hand? Seriously… LOOK!!

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a84/alinajames/luf_hand2.jpg[/hide]

Maybe it's the glass bracelet he took from Nami's treasure in one of the previous chapters because it looked cool?

Nuzzie

More worrying, what's with that upper arm hair? Luffy starting puberty confirmed?!

AlmostLegendary

this chapter was fuckin amazing. If you don't like brook than your fucking hatin and brook is my favorite character after this chapter fuckin shit was amazing

Basslion

You guys make me laugh
This chapter was 100% awesome, that's why i love reading One Piece, because it has moments like this.

Zell_D_Monkey

Seconded. And god, this chapter made me happy with brook joining. (good god, I cant believe they outdid Frankie on "Special")

captainjustin

quartet… trio... duet... solo...

an amazing chapter. this is why i love one piece. it's more than fighting. not ashamed to say it brought tears to my eyes. yay for mugiwara brooke!

onemoment

@Al!naJames:

Wooo, chapter was PURE awesome~ <33
I absolutely loved it from… hmm... graphicall point of view <33 Must be amazing quality of the RAW =D

Why nobody though that Brook`s bounty can be… 200,000,000? >:D

Also. This thing scares me:
[hide]
[qimg]http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a84/alinajames/luf_hand.jpg[/qimg]

I mean, what`s on his hand? Seriously… LOOK!!

[qimg]http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a84/alinajames/luf_hand2.jpg[/qimg][/hide]

Hey, ya know, if the SHs get a bounty increase this arc then that's not impossible.

Lord Starfish

@Nuzzie:

Maybe its just me, but I've been reading through some Bleach and can't help but notice all the wasted panels, and can't recall Oda doing it much. If I'm not imagining things, I do appreciate it.

Yup, Bleach's pacing is terrible. The worst example propably being chapter 162, where they spent 3 FRIGGIN' PAGES showing randomly whirling dust. I'm so glad that was before I started watching the series.

And on-topic: This chapter was great. Brook's backstory was really well done in my opinion.

Leaf Cable

I finally read this chapter and I love it! If only we could find out who killed the Rumba Pirates, then Brook's flashback would be complete. Perhaps Oda wants it to be a surprise of sorts?

Xepher

"It's a quartet…. trio.... duet.... solo...." That part was so sad! I nearly cried!

Sanji Of Straw

Amazing chapter, one of my favorites in a while, and that's saying something cause a lot of the chapters lately have been great. I expected Brook's past to be sad but "Quartet, Trio, Duo, Solo" was probably one of the sadder moments of the series imo.

Impel Down

The "Quartet, Trio, Duet, Solo" part was only sad because you could see Brook get sadder and sadder with each of the last people dying. At least he gets conviction in the end and keeps playing and dies with a smile on his face.

I still wonder why he was the last one to die. I mean, was he really stronger than everyone else?