The Secret Ingredient to SANJI | The Anatomy of One Piece

Sanji is the best character in one piece or I mean he could be also the worst it depends honestly who you're talking to in my opinion he's reliably one of the most exciting characters to follow and one that Oda loves to use in clever and very creative ways and that all boils down to the design of his character if one thing should be becoming incredibly apparent right now in this series is that a tremendous amount of care and attention has gone into designing all of the straw hat Pirates and what I find interesting about Sanji is that similar to Zoro albeit to a lesser extent he suffers from being oversimplified by us the audience where too much Focus was often placed in how badass Zoro was so to do many place too much emphasis on sanji's more eccentric and flamboyant traits to Define his character personally I like to think of these Ecentric traits of Sanji as secondary symptoms of the person he truly is and that is a character struggling with self-acceptance a chef eager to feed the hungry masses and to protect those he cares for which as we then later learn doesn't include himself like many of Hye old's characters in one piece Sanji is deceptively complicated and so it's time to find the secret ingredient to this [Music] [Applause] cook as I mentioned in the intro Sanji is a complicated character willing to sacrifice himself for the greater good in a heartbeat while simultaneously not treating himself with a fraction of that same care and consideration throughout this series due to his nature he has also facilitated some of the most satisfying surprising and tragic moments in the entire story and it all stems from right here chapter 43 in the arc entitled barer during this section it's important to pay attention to three characters specifically Sanji obviously Luffy and the owner of the barer zeth in the same way all the other members of the crew had being introduced to us in the story San's opening scene communicates the core of his character perfectly now you might be thinking I'm referring to that scene where G barges in and Sanji insists on feeding him despite his allegiances and while yes that is a very Illuminating scene that demonstrates a core value of sanji's character his actual introductory scene is this that is Sanji incredibly quick witted and effortlessly Charming in the right context but the real hook of the scene doesn't rear its head until the thug smashes the table after sanji's refusal to bend to his whims it isn't the destruction of property he's concerned with it isn't even the disruptive scene that this individual has caused curiously it's the wastefulness of the food that ignites sanji's spirited response ignoring the threat of bodily harm he simply says if you just removed the bug you could have eaten that soup you know with the words food must never be wasted bringing this introductory chapter to a close this scene paired with the pity he shows G later paints a clear picture food and proper nutrition is not only important to Sanji but the very essence of life and that philosophy much more than his fantastic cooking was what spurred Luffy to declare that he had found his cook because once again to Luffy it doesn't matter necessarily how incredibly skilled you are day one what matters is your character pardon the pun but Sanji refuses he insists on this only for Luffy to do something he never afforded Zoro he backs off zeff even asks Luffy later to take him away from barer so why is this relevant well it actually points to the core of sanji's entire character throughout the story Sanji and Luffy fight together against Don cre and eventually Sanji goes along with Luffy on his adventures it sounds very similar to all the others that came before a prospect denies recruiting Luffy helps defeat the big bat of the area and boom brand new crew member but as we will soon come to understand everything to do with Sanji is a little more complicated and I think all the more interesting unlike all the other times Luffy is denied by the crew this is one of the few he agrees to honor and the reason is he can see that Sanji genuinely believes in what he's doing one piece is a story about the freedom everyone ought to have to achieve their respective dreams but the story of Sanji isn't his lack of a dream or his external lack of freedom to reach for it instead sanji's story concerns his own self-imposed restraints in this flashback zeep gives all of the food he has to Sanji and unbeknownst to him zeff has nothing their rescue saves both of them just in time but in that moment zeff gave Sanji his dream while also giving a person like Sanji the perfect excuse to never seek it out again while there are more obvious and explicit stories taking place on baradia sanji's story to start living for himself is one I think of regularly zeep wants him to not feel indebted to him but no matter what as the years tick on by the young kid he saved on that island the one he entrusted his dream onto starts talking about his dream less and less so much so that now as a Young Man Sanji hardly ever mentions it until one day Luffy walks into his life zeff knows that Sanji is wasting his life on barer but through being introduced to Luffy he can also see that this ambitious young dreamer is having an effect on him he Compares Luffy and his will to strive for what he dreams of to a spear because he had conviction something that Sanji didn't have for himself he has principles and beliefs most certainly this much was shown to us but none that would move him forward in life thus showing Luffy's spear crack C's armor literally demonstrates to Sanji everything he stands to gain with enough conviction zeff wanted Sanji to see this this is what got him to start thinking and talking about his dream again eventually after a tearful goodbye he does choose to leave the baradia in pursuit of the all blue but through doing so as the series marches onward something else becomes clear unlike Zoro who is consistently working on his dream of becoming the greatest swordsman or Nami who is consistently mapping the world's oceans sanji's dream isn't something he's currently working towards by its very nature he needs to actively seek it out it's not something he can passively work on like the others do his dream is designed such that it requires him to focus on his needs rather than the needs of others all the time in leaving the restaurant he's managed to make a choice that actually serves himself despite Zep making it as easy for him as he can it's still a step forward however as soon as he boards the boat it's back to business as usual he's living for the people he cares for deeply and there's nothing wrong with that but as we will soon find out while this extreme version of putting others first leads to some of the most exciting moments in in sanji's long and winding story it also acts as the Catalyst for some of the very most tragic in the series for a long time Sanji has been one of my favorite characters in the entire series and early on he might have been my favorite um mostly because he's a really relatable character Sanji suffered in his early life from being treated as though he were less than simply for being different therefore he has a soft spot in his heart for those in his crew who share that same sort of history in drum Island Chopper thinks of himself as a monster unable to fit in in this comparatively very different world people in Chopper's life have treated him harshly because of his outward facing appearance and in order to alleviate his doubts and insecurities Sanji says this to Chopper after he inquires about Luffy's more Fantastical abilities quote that's right he's a rubberman only for Chopper to respond what's that and with a big fat grin on his face Sanji reassures him well basically he's a monster the captain of whom they all love is being called a monster almost as if it's endearing this is such a wonderfully important exchange for Chopper to experience and a great reflection on who Sanji actually is similarly in water 7 or any's Lobby I very much appreciated that Sanji is the one that tells Usopp to do what he can do inspiring him to not look at all the outward stressors and complications but to instead focus on what he can do at any given time which if you've seen my Usopp video speaks to the core problem he experiences as a character there are many more instances in the story of One Piece where Sanji demonstrates his emotional intelligence as one of his greatest strengths he possesses this powerful ability to empathize with those around him like Usopp Sanji more than any of the others understands what it is to be compared to others and thought to be too weak to be useful however it's when he uses that emotional intelligence in accordance with his more strategic side that the real gold of Sanji is prospected and crafted into a truly spectacular page Turner the first half of the straw Hat's ground land line Adventure is colored by plenty of terrific moments that highlight sanji's defining characteristics due to his proximity and relationship with Zoro we might be led to believe that Sanji is a fighter just like Zoro is and while he's certainly no slouch in that department I think sanji's True Value stems from all the moments he allows his brain to work its magic while an incredibly proficient fighter when he needs to be for me sanji's real Cham can be seen throughout sequences that are littered all across the pre- time skip material in little garden Sanji gets entirely removed from the main party and pretty much goes missing until the very end however through his own Misadventures he eventually finds himself in the villain's hide out where he intercepts a phone call meant for Mr 3 from none other than crocodile himself the head honcho and top of the food chain in this Grand line Adventure we've been on so far and Sanji stumbled across him out of nowhere and while the interaction is tense it's just setup what makes this interaction speak to sanji's character doesn't come until the end of the alabaster Arc where everyone is trapped in Croc's enclosure until I love this moment the moner Mr Prince thrown in the face of Croc suggesting he's going to rescue the princess it's just such an effortlessly cool moment that relies on sanji's strategic prowess rather than his physical abilities which is an important distinction where zorao would tackle things head on out of a sense of Honor or wanting to test himself Sanji has a greater desire to use his brain and formulate a plan you can see it here or you can see it on the sea train in water 7 where he splinters off from the group once again and finds himself in the right place at the right time but was it pure chance I don't think [Music] so it is 100% intentional that Oda had Sanji and Chopper receive this message here two characters that struggle with self-worth issues hearing familiar thoughts escaping from Robin's mind immediately following this interaction Sanji splinters off from the group for quite some time so much so that during his absence with everything that's happened with Robin and Usopp Nami believes that Sanji has followed suit and decided to leave but again nothing could be further from the truth he never gave up on her not once and the beauty of this interaction can only really be fully appreciated once later developments concerning Sanji are brought to light leaning against the walls Sanji recalls something Robin said to him quote there is a darkness in me that you and the crew do not know with the benefit of hindsight this sentence could easily have come from Sanji knowing what we understand about his childhood his true Origins and biomechanical augmentations to his body that he resents I don't think there could have been any other character better suited to see through and empathize with this statement than [Music] Sanji up until now we've really only seen what positive Sanji can offer the story sa for a few hiccups against Bon clay where he had to go up against his literal only weakness however like I alluded to towards the beginning of the grand line Sanji is operating very much for others and not for himself where does this come from what does this mean for his future the rest of the story contends with those very questions and the first in his armor is exposed during Thriller [Applause] [Music] bark Sanji is a sacrificial character I touched on this interaction in my Zoro video but it's worth exploring here in Greater detail Zoro is a driven individual conqueror's hockey speaks to that aspect of his character if Zoro thinks he will do something he will use that conviction to bend reality around him whether it be his Conquest over enemies or his ability to influence others to his way of thinking conversely while Sanji is like this in some ways his methodology involves thinking his way out of problems to use his sister's words Sanji is just kind he's doing what he feels in his heart is right and follows that impulse to end suffering around him for Zoro he tries to remain objective disallowing his feelings to get in the way of the actions he knows he needs to take there's a fight on skypia that speaks that exact mindset I'm talking about Chopper laying defenseless against M this is when Zoro discovers Chopper and this interaction takes [Music] [Music] place this speaks to zoro's mental state and how he likes to engage with conflict Sanji is is the opposite of Sanji literally has attacks that say I run harder than fire attacks like hell memories for instance he allows his emotions to inform his attacks and actions it lights a fire within him and so in some way this explains why their Dynamic is so much fun to watch they are like Fire and Ice Chaos and Order stoicism and passion and you'd think during this interaction or disagreement on Thriller bar they'd have equal claim to this prize that they're vying for to take on Kuma's challenge but instead of what I anticipated would happen this scene exposes sanji's greatest flaw sanji's desire to protect everyone is virtuous but his lack of regard for his own well-being is scary it's Reckless and there's evidence for this Behavior earlier in the story of course the first instance that pops into my head has to be the avalanche on drum Island when faced with a decision to make he unflinching throws himself In Harm's Way while launching Luffy and Nami to safety this is all to say that Sanji is willing to take this hit because to him he's less valuable whereas with Zoro he takes the hit because it's his responsibility because he knows he has the best chance of survival and that's a key difference the post-time skip material in one piece is rather special for someone like Sanji where Nami usup and Robin all had very meaningful character exploration Sanji typically facilitated a supporting role however I think we all knew that given the issues Sanji has and the backstory he's hinted towards eventually a story would unfold with him at the center of it this is hul cake Island the impetus for the conflict in this Arc is simply this Sanji is grappling with the fact that he and the crew are on a collision course with an enemy they simply cannot defeat thinking about this because remember Sanji is an emotional and contemplative character he comes to a solution a solution which involves him giving himself up for the benefit of the greater crew another sacrifice believing in his heart of hearts that this is the right thing to do he does as Nami did way back in arlong park he brutalizes his former Captain Luffy in front of his family a large aspect of the time skip for the rest of the crew contends with them acknowledging how much Luffy means to them and how they want to help him achieve his goal of becoming King of the Pirates and to Sanji this Beatdown he offers is something he genu L believes will push Luffy closer to his ultimate goal however as Amazon Lily demonstrated Luffy is helpless without the help of his crew he gets lost and gets sick because he's unable to feed himself Luffy of course understands this perfectly but he needs to remind Sanji how important he is to the entire operation not just to himself but most importantly emphasizes how important it is that Sanji not give up on his own dream either that the mere Act of striving for it makes Luffy better and stronger as a Captain refusing to abandon his friend and cook on this island of enemies Luffy resorts to a method of protest that he knows Sanji would never ignore just like he did with g no matter what he felt Sanji could never stand by and allow someone else starve to death least of all Luffy who takes this moment to express to Sanji that he cannot achieve his dreams without him [Music] explicitly in the first fight Luffy takes all the punishment unable to bring himself to attack someone he considered closer than family but in the second confrontation Luffy lets Sanji have it not because he's making a decision he disagrees with but because he knows Sanji is not being direct with him as seen in the baradia section earlier Luffy is totally okay with Sanji going his own way but he knows he's not being direct as I mentioned earlier Sanji is an analytical character he sees where this is going and can see a path forward that doesn't involve this sacrifice Luffy on the other hand doesn't deal with what ifs he deals only with certainty sanji's being wrong before as seen through the woman he agreed to marry talking about him behind his back a tragically sad scene where the kindness of Sanji is leveraged to and manipulated by those around him the man who is always trying to think ahead and worrying about the future is blinded to the real dealings that are taking place right in front of him too worried about the future to analyze the Here and Now however I think it's important to emphasize here that Oda isn't suggesting that being kind is a foolish choice or is ill advised in general in fact I think he's saying quite the opposite all this intense character exploration withstanding for just a moment I think partially what makes this ending to hake Island so thematically resonant for Sanji is the story that's told and ultimately resolved through the character of pudding within this story pudding is one of the most upsetting characters for both Sanji and us at home as readers placing Sanji into a situation that feels equal Parts tragic and uncomfortably relatable but pudding is a far more complicated character than the dastardly betrayer she eventually reveals herself capable of being a large portion of this Arc contends with Sanji confronting his uncomfortable past and Incredibly unfair familial situation parents who think little of him siblings who berate and criticize him attack him even but you see pudding is also a sacrificial lamb in this story she's willingly being used by her own mother because like Sanji she too has contented with her own struggles in accepting herself as she is much the same way Chopper did earlier in the story putting also due to her appearance thinks of herself as a monster with her luring Sanji into this trap being her ultimate acceptance of this monstrous quality she believes to be her actual self however Sanji by simply being the kind person he is destroys that entire misconception in an instant breaking all of her self-imposed chains and limitations by seeing her for what she truly is not a monster but a beautiful person a person who from that moment on supports and helps Sanji in his mission falling in love with him in the process not because he puffed up his chest or played up some gentlemanly persona but instead by seeing who he truly is underneath all of it someone who despite what his family and enemies have done and said to him has such a kind warm and impressive energy and through that clever ending the message Oda ultimately leaves us with on hake Island is less that kindness will always leave you open to manipulation and more so that people who are altruistically kind are capable of demonstrating intensely powerful acts of kindness that can change Minds in moments where others less righteous would take the opportunity to serve themselves and in the process breed resentment hul island is such a profoundly undervalued Arc in my [Music] opinion one of the many things I like about wano and more specifically The Raid anag gushima that I think is quite clever is how it acts as the culmination of everything that emerged from the story since the time skip at the beginning the crew sort of orbit around Luffy and the decisions he makes working in groups they would rarely get separated prior to SAI in fact if they ever did get separated a massive component of the story would involve them finding their way to reunite this quality is partially what makes the saod arc so impactful they get Shattered by Kuma forced to try and find their own ways around the world again but upon their return things have changed it's different and this is an aspect that many people don't like about the Post Time skip material the crew don't spend a lot of time alt together they still revolve around Luffy's command and his goal but they're clearly all more independent so what makes wano feel massive to me is that it's the one place place where the entire crew from Luffy to jimbe are together informing the world that they belong and are a force to be reckoned with there's a reason there's a two-page spread for this Gathering it's the first time the entire crew has been there at full power to fight together but what happens right after they fracture but this time it's entirely self-imposed they don't discuss it they don't rationalize they just know what needs to be done and rely on each other to succeed in their own respective battles where the first half of the story demonstrated a crew that believed in Luffy the crew in wano believes both in Luffy and in each other this is why the many battles in this section contend with each individual Straw Hat navigating their own conflicts many of which speak to their respective Journeys sanji's conflict with queen is similar in that it's a repudiation of Judge continuing the themes instilled from hake Island gifted a power up that people would kill for and yet he gets rid of it it's a wonderful moment for Sanji where he realizes he's enough on his own to win but this battle doesn't paint the full picture in my opinion the story of Sanji and wano is a battle told on two fronts it might be easy to think of his win over queen as his crowning moment of development in this Arc but in actuality that confrontation is only half of the equation a defining characteristic of sanju's persona since the very beginning of the story has been his relationship with women never wanting to put a woman into Harm's Way this version of chivalry Sanji has entirely subscribed to has placed him into a number of exceptionally difficult circum circumstances across the broader series with none being more brutal than that which was shared with black Maria in wano with Echoes of the Khalifa counter in an's lobby this scene finds Sanji unable to bring himself to mount any offense towards his female adversary but what really sells this scene for me as something actually important for sanji's development is how it's framed according to zeff way back on baradia Sanji is incredibly stubborn once he gets something into his head he is quite literally willing to lie on his sword and die for it he will not use his hands for combat and he will not put a woman into Harm's Way and so therefore because of this unwillingness to budge on this principle the scene is framed like another one of sanji's quote Noble sacrifices willing to die instead of budging on this principle however Sanji albeit in a small way has [Music] changed drawn in a similar fashion as if to mimic Robin's desperate plea for help in any's lobby Sanji does not sacrifice himself instead he willingly asks for Robin to step in and take the hits for him now that's not a massive shift in his principles but for a character like Sanji and in this scene it's huge and it does two things it emphasizes that Sanji is willing to trust in his friend Robin despite it placing her in direct harm but most interestingly it's a choice he made that really only serves himself not in a selfish way either in a way that is entirely reasonable that is growth that is an enormous amount of growth that is something that Sanji from the baradi at the beginning of the story never would have done and from that point on we get to enjoy his battle against Queen who is effectively the living embodiment of all the powers his family possesses that is not a coincidence and that is a beautiful Touch by Oda Sanji chooses to reject his family suit in favor of trusting in his own abilities his own Firepower wano is awesome something I don't normally talk about in these videos is how strong a character is or what sort of power their hockey is going to manifest it's a popular topic of conversation among large sects of the one piece fandom and like Dragon Ball's power scalers generally speaking the conversation just doesn't pique my interest but concerning Sanji I think there's an interesting conversation or observation to be made about him unlike a lot of other Power Systems in manga hockey is derived from the user's willpower intrinsically it's an extension of their passions and convictions in wano Zoro finally Taps into and achieves his conqueror's hockey which many describe as the most powerful and coveted version of the hockey power system it's for this reason many speculate as to the likelihood of other Straw Hat pirates from Usopp to Sanji receiving said power but concerning Sanji I think there's virtually no chance he gains the Conqueror hockey ability simply because it would be a complete contradiction to the way his character has been written unlike Zoro who has demonstrated a strong influence over people and a desire to become better than them in a number of key areas Sanji does not wish to conquer anyone instead his aim has always been to bring happiness and success to people which speaks to his role in the crew his goal and aspirations don't match Zoro in that regard he's not trying to be the strongest like Zoro his goal is to find a place the all blue which can provide for everyone in other words if Zoro is a Luffy sword Sanji is his shield he's a controlled and calculated person that does not wish harm on anyone takes no satisfaction in it and ultimately wants only the best for those he loves sanji's character is a rich tapestry woven from threads of tragedy hope strength and vulnerability he embodies the idea that one's birth does not define their Worth or destiny and through his culinary Ambitions unwavering loyalty to his crew and belief in the impossible Sanji teaches us the importance of dreaming the strength founding kindness and the power of human Connection in the world of One Piece where the sea is vast and the possibilities endless sanji's Journey from a tormented child to a beloved crew member of the straw head Pirates is a testament to the human Spirit his story is not just about the adventures he embarks on but the lives he touches the ideals he upholds and the Legacy he ultimately builds one meal one fight one dream at a time thanks for watching everyone if you'd like to see more videos like this one be sure to leave a like And subscribe to make sure you don't miss a new release and if that's not enough we have a patreon where in addition to receiving sneak previews of yet unreleased videos You'll also gain access to a bunch of other goodies but that'll do it for this week thanks again and I'll see you all next [Music] [Applause] [Music] time

Channel: Totally Not Mark

Views: 151,878

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Id: OG-qbiR3uOY

Length: 28min 57sec (1737 seconds)

Published: Tue Apr 02 2024