My Response to Drizzt’s criticisms of 1011 (THREAD):

To start, I just want to say that I have no problem with him or the fact that he didn’t like the chapter. It is completely within his right to argue his criticism and state his opinion. That is what discourse is about. However, having an opinion doesn’t mean you have a right one.

I’m gonna go section by section, just so I don’t misquote anything. He opens his rant and immediately shows a lack of intuition, something that becomes a pattern in his rant. But I digress, I’ll first discuss the creation of hera.

Baffling is the only fitting word to describe drizzt criticism here. He tries to insinuate that if the story doesn’t show or explain how Hera was made DIRECTLY, then it’s a plot hole. Where does big mom get lightning from? How did she create her?

Geee, idk maybe by going up to the literal dozen of thunder clouds that has been hanging over onigashima since 974? Which is very likely considering that Kidd comments on the clouds acting strange LAST chapter. But drizzt would lead you to believe it came outta no where.

There’s nothing more to explain or detail about this point bc it’s clear drizzt didn’t think of all variables of information to come up with his point. No fault no foul.

Now, let’s examine his take on Kaido vs Luffy, and yep, it’s a bad take. To start, I’m gonna address his later point of size not mattering. As he says, this point is his own personal gripe with the series. Which is fine, having an issue with a series is FINE.

The problem comes in when you try to use your own personal machinations to rate the effectiveness of the manga, instead of discussing, you know, the ACTUAL manga’s effectiveness? One Piece has never portrayed size to matter in 1v1s.

Giants are defeated by regular sized humans, humans are easily taken down by dwarfs. Skill has always trumped physical capability. We learned that in Arlong Park. So I don’t think it’s fair to rate the effectiveness of size when it was never a concern to the story.

But moving on, the idea that after 1011 chapters, being the only SN crew to actively train for 2 WHOLE YEARS AND to learn 3 advanced applications of haki, and saying “Luffy just shouldn’t be this strong” is tiring to say the least.

Idk how you can say base Luffy being able to fend off CASUAL attacks from hybrid Kaido is “shocking.” Luffy in his base was briefly fighting and dodging equally to Katakuri’s casual attacks, before showing the difference in their capabilities.

The whole point about Luffy vs Kaido just feels over-reactionary, as it’s very possible and plausible there’s different levels of severity to conquerors coating. Next chapter, Luffy could literally be getting the shit kicked out of him. You never know for sure.

Lastly on that topic, Luffy fully had the capability and training to effectively use conquerors coating against Kaido, he just needed to actualize and implement it into his strategy. Just like water Luffy vs Crocodile. Once he understood the trick to hurting them, it was over.

Moving on, he makes a valid criticism that there’s a lack of build up between Big Mom and Kidd. To which I agree, she doesn’t interact with him much before this soo it can feel sudden. However, drizzt puts his foot in his mouth yet again.

To imply Big mom lacks a motive or incentive to go after Kidd is ridiculous. KIDD is the one to say let’s split them apart. KIDD creates the metal box to hide Zeus in. KIDD suckers big mom in to launch her into the air. Big Mom almost died bc of KIDD.

Law helped just like Zoro and Killer, but Kidd is the one who took lead in that plan. So BM has more than enough reason to be angered with Kidd atm. Besides, Kidd is also opposing her as well. So don’t act like there’s no logical reason for it.

Next, Hawkins vs Killer is LAME? Bc he went from fighting in a 5 man group against 2 emperors (struggling to get screen time) to having a focus fight that would explore and further develop two SNs that we have little info on? Suureee that’s SUPER LAME.

Oda needed to include Killer in the rooftop fight bc he included Zoro. Can’t have Luffy and his vice captain, and not have Kidd and his vice captain. But 1v1 that would explore the characters fully is always gonna be better than being thrown together to fight the strongest.

However, to say oda is arbitrarily setting up these fights is such a boneheaded thought. Hawkins has history with Killer, and we also need to set up Hawkins switching sides, which would’ve felt very jarring had he done it randomly without seeing an action to motivate him.

Again, nothing too wrong with the criticisms so far, but it is the next half, where drizzt’s criticisms flies off the handle and turns into nitpicking whining.

The inference that Page One is biting the tail of Komachiyo(at least know its name) is the dumbest thing I’ve read about this chapter. Not only is there 0 panels of Page One chewing on its tail, it COMPLETELY misses the point that the komainu is very fast-

And Page One is attempting to catch up to it by holding onto the literal loose hairs of its back. It’s the equivalent of holding a moving train by a random pole. You can easily fall off at any minute, which is why he is prioritizing getting ON Komachiyo.

Now I agree that the scene is poorly executed bc we’ve seen Page One slam RS Sanji through a building with one hand, so I don’t get why Page One doesn’t just swipe all of them off. But I still understand what oda was doing here. Not making shit up like Page One biting him.

We are 1011 chapters in, and we’re complaining that Usopp and Nami are used as comedic gags? Lord. Usopp fights in particular are usually gag fights that ends with emotionally cathartic scenes. Complaining, when we aren’t set up to conclude this battle yet is ridiculous.

I find it hilarious that he writes off Nami and Usopp reassuring Tama as a gag moment, but completely fails to mention how Tama is soo scared she’s shaking, realizing that she’s a child in war of bloody thirsty pirates, usopp(the biggest coward) chooses to protect her.-

-I guess that development for Usopp doesn’t matter. Btw, this is all happening at the same time too: Page One trying to climb onto Komachiyo, Nami and Usopp comedically attacking him, Tama’s fearful declaration, and Usopp reassurance. So I don’t get why he acts as if-

-the plot has been moving significantly while Page One is “chomping on Komachiyo’s tail.” A very short sighted argument through and through.

This abysmal of complied criticisms here is honestly mind blowing. First I want to address “big mom randomly shows up” bc it continues to prove his lack intuition and understanding of the chapter.

Big mom doesn’t “randomly” show up. Fulgora blows a hole through the side of the skull and exposing only 2 floors: the 2nd and 3rd. Kidd and Killer are on the 3rd and even comments that big mom probably doesn’t know where they are, and implies she’s on another floor.

Which floor? You guessed it! The only other exposed floor: the 2nd. So the lack of attention to detail continues to weaken his criticisms tick by tick and I’m not gonna even acknowledge his comment on the gag faces.

Also, the mentioning of Nami and Usopp’s fight against Ulti and Page One starting 20 chapters ago, continues the trend of lack of nuance. There are dozens of moving pieces that are all happening at the same time. What would oda do?-

Write out their fight completely, go back in time to set up another fight, write it completely, and continue on so forth? No, not only would that be jarring it wouldn’t even make sense. The major developments are all gonna happen at or around the same time.

So the structuring of this fight is completely fine bc Nami and Usopp aren’t even featured in all 20 chapters between 991 and 1011. Leaving them very little room to develop their fight.

The rest of his comment is nonsensical and completely irrelevant as he tries to downplay the adaptation making this fight more visually appealing, which is... the point? Again, I’m not gonna spend too long on that.

Lmaoo at this section. This is about to be a long winded rant lol.

Per his instructions, when you go to chapter 845, you realize Drizzt shot himself in the foot. This page serves as potential foreshadowing to BM’s “mothering mode” as she’s overly sympathetic with her young daughter and decides against better judgement to spoil her.

Everything related with big mom has everything to do with her back story. Her dream to sit at a table with all her children looking at eye level? Influenced by her childhood. Her childlike demeanor? Childhood. How she has a confused sense of morality? Childhood.

Her dream to unite all races? Childhood. Her deluded idea of Mother caramel even as an elderly adult? Her childhood. Most importantly to this discussion, her treatment of young kids is linked to her childhood, the kids being all the friends she had, the time she was most happy.

So it makes sense that she becomes softer when children, mother caramel, or food is involved. They’re shackles that bound her to her blissful youth that she wishes she can return to. But when you don’t understand the character, you’re likely to make a bunch of petty arguments.

So, no, the mothering mode isn’t some made up random thing. It fits and makes sense for her characterization. Which I sense drizzt must’ve noticed as well and attempt to cover his bases with “just bc it makes sense doesn’t mean it’s good.” Which is fair.

But things can be fair and also be wrong, or short sighted. The conquerors coated punch against Page One and not Kidd can easily be explained by the fact, that bc BM is selfish, but also dislike disrespect to those who show her kindness-

It’s rather easy to understand that she’s far more angrier at the beast pirates as a whole than she was at Kidd. This also is done to aide Usopp in defeating Page One as he is 100% weakened by that punch. So her unintentionally aiding the SHs is the ENTIRE point.

This is where these criticisms goes from terrible to insultingly trash. Let me go in:

I have no interest in attempting to change drizzt’s mind about the chapter. But the use of buzzwords like “plot convenience” shows a very 1 dimensional thinking to a writing process, when writing isn’t a science with objective laws and rules.

Sure there are some bad tropes and writing decisions that should be avoided, but that doesn’t mean they can’t ever be used nor used effectively.

My BIGGEST problem with this criticism isn’t the multiple things he’s gotten wrong, devalued, or overlooked. No, my BIGGEST problem is the fact that he tries to gaslight anyone who disagrees with him as “non-analytical” or bias.

There is no objectively bad or mediocre writing. So long as it is based around feelings and opinions it will always remain a subjective topic. So not Drizzt nor any popular youtuber can say you’re wrong for liking x art.

Drizzt holds no weight as analyst nor as a critic, he’s just another guy who dislike something on the internet. He should’ve left it at that but to assert that his opinion is the correct one is the wrong answer.