#chapter 668

[everygai]

[algumaideia]

[zonaenthusiast]

GIRL, THIS PART

It's like you can see the gears moving in Law's head.

The man was too stuned to speak.

There are several things about this whole interaction that stand out to me for a lot of reasons, starting with his reaction when Nami (because that's Nami in Sanji's body) says she can't leave without making sure the kids are safe.

I've come to realize that those children, who were perfectly healthy, were kidnapped and made sick by experimenting on them. Law was a sick child that no one wanted to try to save. What Nami says here is what Law needed then, what he came to get because of Corazon, and I wonder what is going through his head when he hears her say that. I have to say that I think Law, aside from Luffy for what he's going to do for him, is very fond of the two mugiwara girls in particular for obvious reasons.

Returning to the panel, Law seems to understand from Nami's words that she's going to stay behind to help the kids while her crew moves on with their plans, but Luffy tells him no. If one of his nakama stays behind for x or y, they all stay behind to help resolve whatever situation they find themselves in. And Law is FLOORED by that concept, that's one thing his incredibly individualistic mind has trouble understanding.

Law wasn't like that, you can tell when you see the parts of his past in Flevance, but what the government did to his island and his time with Doflamingo broke him. The former traumatized him for life and he lost trust in everything and everyone around him and, just when he thought he had found someone again, he was betrayed a second time by those he had come to consider family. He HAD TO became individualistic, it was pure survival, and he would be much worse if it wasn't for Bepo.

And then Luffy says that, an alliance for him isn't just is not only to reach a common goal, it's much more. They are not just allies, they are partners and, according to Luffy's mind (Usopp explains this to Law in the panels that follow), they are going to help each other out for everything. Another foreign concept for my traumatized man because Law is used to not doing anything that doesn't bring him some kind of benefit of any kind, something that has undoubtedly stuck with him from his time with Doflamingo. Helping Luffy and Nami help those kids brings him nothing, but he decides to play along anyway, which I think proves once again that he's not Doflamingo. There are differences between them and it's more obvious the more you read about them.

Luffy is teaching him that sometimes you can help others just because you want to and not because you can gain something for that exchange. Not everyone is a manipulative piece of shit like Doflamingo, who really doesn't do anything (or love anyone) that's not useful to him.

I'll talk about the found family theme when I get further into the saga and why I consider Doflamingo to be the most opposite villain to Luffy that exists in the entire manga.

God, I've had this in my drafts for a couple of days because I needed to organize my thoughts. Law and Doflamingo always do this to me.

[roseaesynstylae]

Chapter 668 is starts with Law entering an alliance with Luffy and immediately regretting it. Every face he makes from the second the alliance begins to the end of the chapter can be used as a time lapse of "Oh god, I have fucked up." Usopp even warns him when Luffy agrees that it probably won't go as he expects.

[every-caesar]

that cover is sexy af

BONUS:

this sbs question is gonna be the death of me

[brave-symphonia]

Law looks horrified by this crew, I love it.

Just accept your fate Law. you are working with the straw hats now.

[frobin]

Okay, but have we ever talked about that fact, that Oda drew the sign for love in a panel with Franky and Robin? While they interacted with each other and ONLY with each other? A moment of happiness? Why don’t we talk about that? 

Also I especially like this translation of Franky calling Robin indirectly “Baby”. 

[sparda3g]

Gintama Chapter 668 Review

You’re probably on a fence after hearing the news of Gintama reaching to its end. While it is still up in the air of when, we the fans are in doubt that it will in 2 chapters, let alone the very next; unless the idea is really Evangelion ending. No matter how bad or sad the news is albeit inevitable, it doesn’t stop the intensity of this outstanding finale.

I have no clue if this is supposed to be the end all, be all between Utsuro and Gintoki but if it is what an explosive run it has been. The sequence before the finishing blow is heartwarming. The conflicting feeling between Utsuro and Shouyou was a great metaphor.  It’s his inner thought as Shouyou that holds him back to accept the defeat by a human; a student no less. The transition to the flashback is a sign of a long time coming scenario in which Gintoki will finally land his sword on his beloved master. Hits right in the feels all the way.

There are so many great impacting panels in this chapter, which is another impressive work by Sorachi. It’s probably because the first half is all silent yet it adds so many words to its scene. It let the sequence and the raw expression of the characters to tell you the devastation and determination. It’s such a spectacular feat of a mangaka and Sorachi is one of them.

I honestly thought that would end Utsuro there but to my surprise, he’s extremely persistent to continue on and try to kill Gintoki. I was legit shocked by that scene. No amount of talk no jutsu or friendship talk is going to change him. I’m so used to the villain accept defeat there and be done with, yet he’s no quitter. If he can keep going, he will.

It leads to a fantastic scene of Shinpachi and Kagura coming in, and stops Utsuro from completely killing off Gintoki. Family of the freaking millennium! Then Shinseigumi and Kagura family all join in to stab and stop Utsuro from moving. It’s such a wonderful shot of everyone stopping the greatest enemy; truly a worthy villain to be deemed as final. Utsuro’s expression of unable to win is striking. This battle has been majestic.

I want to say that shifting back to space is a way to calm the intensity, it only adds much more. The build up to its potential end of the world is chilling. Whether it does lead to Edo being annihilated or not, it doesn’t exclude the thought of potential character’s death. I don’t mind escaping this path, but it really builds up to it, so I don’t know. I’m worried...

Everything sets up to be a breaking point of the war. Hankai notes that there’s a possibility to stop the falling ship with its control not entirely destroyed. The problem is without even saying out loud, the chance is made to be pretty low.

There is a good spirit feel with Katsura and Sakamoto staying with the ship; rely on everything on this one sheer luck. Not to mention, Hankai even has a soft spot for everyone to rely on the thought of “better than nothing.” If we go by sports logic, then they will certainly survive. Probably. I don’t know how much of a miracle they need here, but the only way to make it light-hearted is to pull the Simpsons Movie moment, where no one got killed, except one for comedy sake.

It goes back to Earth with some chilling and possibly farewell words from Utsuro. First of all, it’s truly amazing that he has a stance of never ending fighting. If only talk no jutsu would apply here; then there’s an easy way to win. Joking aside, the first part of his bidding words is about his life in a nutshell: hell yet heavenly gifted for that one life.

Utsuro is no stranger with profound words and he really makes you feel all types of feels. Reciting his life as Shouyou is strikingly touching. The choice of words gave me sympathetic outlook of his life. Calling the current self as a fragment speaks a lot of volume. It’s truly sad that Shouyou left an impact to people around him. It’s basically Sorachi’s style of converting a good man to a villain with added and reasonable twist. What’s worse is that no amount of talk will change him ever.

After feeling sympathetic, it suddenly transforms to an eerie vibe of horror, and I love it. Utsuro was going to end the world, but while not for intention, he calls out everyone that they did have a choice to escape suffering. Because of Utsuro’s defeat, which had the best chance to end everything, the story continues with lives going through many hardships, problems, and sadness. Damn…

Those final lines from Utsuro are bone-chilling. If he truly dies there, he managed to get the last laugh after all of this. If not, what can we expect from this event of falling into the Altana pit. I don’t know what it means for him to fall in. Is he going to evaporate into oblivion or something will happen? This character is sinister to the very end. Damn, talk no jutsu would have worked here!

The scene with the falling ship very close from hitting the ground is unnerving. What am I supposed to think? Even if they survive from it, the damage will be severe. It might as well be a ghost town after it’s all over. Is this Evangelion ending? Am I expecting Toy Story 3 incinerator scene with Gintama cast? What?! What?!?!

The end won’t happen in the next chapter. If anything, it probably all depends on it. Could we see more than just a crash or a miracle save? Your guess is good as mine. Bottom line, it’s a tremendous chapter before the very near end of the series. If only the preview is clearer rather than its vagueness. Time will tell but prepare for a hard landing.