One Piece Season 2 Episode 2 “Good Whale Hunting” had me so worried for the Straw Hat Pirates. Because we all thought, or at least I did, that navigating the crashed ships that attempted Reverse Mountain was their biggest obstacle while entering The Grand Line. No. There’s a whale too. And somehow that whale broke me in a way that nothing else has on this show.
“Good Whale Hunting” also allowed our crew members to show a little bit more of their personality. Sanji and Usopp were spending some time together, with the latter being afraid because the former was telling him spooky stories. We also got to see a little bit more of Luffy’s personality shine through. Because he’s always so happy. But there are moments of sadness and stress that he experiences. And we saw it in this episode.
Let’s Talk About the Laboon of It All
I truly did not expect to cry over the story of Laboon. And it goes to show you how One Piece does a really good job at taking something that is an essential part of the anime and manga and bringing it to life in the live action in a way that feels real, emotional, and not goofy. In anyone else’s hands this would not have translated over. But it did. Thanks to the showrunner, VFX, and just the writing in general, we got to experience the loneliness that a lot of these characters have found themselves in, from a slightly different perspective.
What’s even more impressive for this episode is the fact that we got a whole story arc for Laboon.
This whale was introduced as this antagonist that ate our favorite pirates. And then before you knew it you were given this whole back story that showed how young, carefree, and scarless Laboon was. They had a family. And suddenly we understood that Laboon wasn’t a wild animal bashing its head into a mountain because reasons. There was a desperation in Laboon, one born out of making his way back to his family. Why? Because they promised to come back for him and he missed them. By the end of “Good Whale Hunting” you understood Laboon’s pain. And Luffy was a huge part of helping him move on.
Seeing Luffy Break Helped His Character
Just like brooding characters get a little stale after a while if you don’t add any dimensionality to them, the same thing can happen with a happy-go-lucky guy like Luffy. To avoid making Luffy flat, I love that One Piece added a little bit of vulnerability in this episode. Because he’s always been so sure of his capabilities and if there’s anyone who believes in Luffy it’s himself. But there are limitations that Luffy simply can’t get past. And he’s come to depend on his crew to bridge that gap. But what happens when he’s alone? Just like Laboon.
Seeing Luffy struggle, get frustrated, and seek out help from that old man in the lighthouse, aka Crocus, shows you how much he cares for his crew. But it also comes to show you how much he depends on them. Because he’s been alone for a while. That’s part of who he is. And he tries to project this grander than life personality that laughs in the face of death. But even someone who does that, is desperate for companionship and people to share this adventure with. This is why I think Luffy understood Laboon in a way that maybe others won’t.
People go away. That’s just life. But sometimes, if you’re lucky, you’ll find people who come back. Even better, you find people that bring you into their community. And I think that’s what Luffy did when he painted that jolly roger on Laboon. It was a sign of community but understanding. It basically said, “You’re one of us, so stop hurting yourself. You’re not alone in this.” And that saved Laboon. It’s also a brilliant way to grow the Straw Hat Pirates crew. But also, anytime anyone enters the Grand Line through Reverse Mountain, they’ll see their symbol.
Brand marketing, people! It’s important!
Adding a Dash of Humor is Perfect
Just like I think that showing a little bit of vulnerability for Luffy enriched his character, adding a little humor to the rest of the gang does the same thing. I love Zoro as much as anybody else. But again, the brooding of it all, it needs dimension. So I really liked the Zoro having terrible timing, catching the tail end of action, and even showing how he’s sometimes not as well-versed in life as he is with that sword. Imperfections make a character more interesting.
What also makes a character more interesting is teasing. One Piece has shown that these characters are in a different phase of their friendships by the way that they tease each other. It’s maybe something that not everybody does, but I do it. It’s a form of affection. And it’s enriching life by knowing your loved one so well that you know how to push their buttons, not in a malicious way. But in a way to get a laugh out of them. Or to even lighten their load. It’s connection. And that connection and joking was most prevalent between Sanji and Usopp in “Good Whale Hunting.”
This is the time in a sophomore season when you start mixing up characters. And I saw One Piece doing that with having Nami and Usopp together in Episode 1 of Season 2. Now we’re getting a little bit of a mix-up with Sanji and Usopp. And I love that Sanji was teasing Usopp like you do a little brother, something that neither of them had had before. Even the banter over who was going to move the dead bodies arm, that’s sibling coded. And that effortless chemistry and joking around, that’s priceless. And One Piece has that just as they’re starting Season 2.
Imagine what they could do with not just more episodes but more seasons? Magic. That’s what they can do.
Additional Notes About One Piece “Good Whale Hunting”:
- Love how everyone came together to figure out how to make it through Reverse Mountain. No one is doing it alone.
- Also love how seamless they are with each other but more importantly how they trust each other
- Nami paving her own way in this world. Love to see it
- Usopp is all of us screaming because Reverse Mountain is scarrrrry
- WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT MOANING?!
- Did Zoro really prepare his sword like he was going to fight the whale???
- The whale ate the ship. OH MY GOD.
- How did Luffy get up on the cliff?!
- Luffy actually frustrated and seeing his limitations for the first time. Love it
- “Not not a compliment,”
- And then Sanji teasing about being haunted
- Cobyyyyy. You grewwww
- Tashigi and Coby. Nerd alert. Love it.
- Alabasta princess missing. Foreshadowing for sure
- Laboon. You named the whale? No, it came with it.
- God, this set design for Crocus home is beautiful
- Oh some dude named “Dragon” aided the Straw Hat Pirates in their escape
- We get a bigger view of the world for sure just with that
- “See, in the kitchen, you never know what’s gonna come at you. But just keep your head down, trust your own hands on the tools, trust that your crew will have your back, and then you’ll feel like you can handle anything.” Wise words Sanji.
- “So it’s a girl whale.” Zoro. My dude. Nami was right. There need to be more women on this crew.
- OMG IM SAD OVER A WHALE
- THEY NEVER CAME BACK
- AND THE WHALE WAS TRYING TO GO HOME
- Luffy getting emotional after they made it out of Laboon
- CROCUS KNEW GOL ROGER?!
One Piece Season 2 is now available on Netflix.
What did you think about One Piece Season 2 Episode 2 “Good Whale Hunting”? Let us know in the comments below!
Make sure to read all our reviews for One Piece Season 2:
- One Piece Season 2 Episode 1 Review: ‘The Beginning and the End’
- One Piece Season 2 Episode 2 Review: ‘Good Whale Hunting’
- One Piece Season 2 Episode 3 Review: ‘Whisky Business’
- One Piece Season 2 Episode 4 Review: ‘Big Trouble in Little Garden’
- One Piece Season 2 Episode 5 Review: ‘Wax On, Wax Off’
- One Piece Season 2 Episode 6 Review: ‘Nami Deerest’
- One Piece Season 2 Episode 7 Review: ‘Reindeer Shames’
- One Piece Season 2 Episode 8 Review: ‘Deer and Loathing in Drum Kingdom’
