I wanna talk about Sanji for a bit because he really cemented himself as one of my least favourites, especially coming out of Sabaody and Amazon Lily. But that may or may not be changing as of recent, so let me see if I can explain.

Sanji stands out because this is a character who very explicitly lives by a code, and his entire character is defined by his values. He's essentially what people refer to online as having an "autistic, elevated sense of justice", if that helps anyone else paint a clearer picture.

It's actually more than just simply "never kick a woman", it's about chivalry, he will *always* put himself on the line for the sake of another. Now, you could argue that there are other Straw Hats who are like this, but Sanji is the one who most explicitly gets put into that White Knight role.

I want to emphasize that this is a type of character who is not primed for development. The challenges we see for Sanji are not ones where he will be forced to change. His dream may as well be "find the One Piece", let's be real.

In the past I've compared this to Lisa Simpson, who is also a character largely defined by sticking to their values. This means Sanji's isn't a story about growing as a person, but rather coming to terms with who he already is. You are Lisa Simpson.

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In Alabasta, for example, Sanji's code of never hitting a woman was put to the test against Mr. 2, so the challenge was finding a way to win the battle while never breaking it.

Similarly can be said in Enies Lobby, except the situation is actually unwinnable, so... Nami has to fight, and Sanji gets a more suitable opponent anyways. That means Sanji can stick to his code because he has friends, I'll do what you can't do, and you do what I can't do.

So, now what? I'll tell you what, nothing. Fucking nothing. I think he just annoys Nami and argues with Franky in Sabaody, and then gets sent to be harassed by gay people for two years.

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This is where we finally get to Whole Cake Island, where Sanji's code is put to the test again many times, but Sanji still did not back down. Sanji can't throw away his morals and leave his family to die, he can't hurt Pudding despite everything she did to him, etc.

And even though he is limited in so many ways by his code, he is ultimately rewarded for sticking to his guns. His family fights for him and protects him in return, Pudding falls in love with him, and Big Mom isn't able to capture them in the end.

That means Whole Cake Island is just a celebration of Sanji as a character and his codes of honour, but here's the thing: "When are we getting to the Fireworks Factory?"

The problem is, with a series like One Piece, this is essentially the slow burn of a lifetime. There eventually needs to be a moment where things are finally brought full circle, a new exploration of his character. Because Sanji will always find a way to succeed.

Zoro actually already had his moment, after he had lost his battle with Mihawk. Sanji has yet to have his own "Mihawk moment", meaning, the thing I'm still waiting for is a true ultimatum.

It's been established that Sanji would be willing to die for his commitment to living honourably, but in every scenario so far, the outcome is success, always being able to win and succeed despite sticking to his ways. Rinse and repeat.

I just finished Act 1 of Wano because, well, it literally tells us, and honestly my first impressions have been extremely positive so far!

I think a big part of why is because of how accessible, light-hearted, and fun it is. It manages to stay efficient and engaging throughout, there's not too many plot threads, and we're always learning something new without losing focus.

It's because of this I was actually able to get kind of excited when like, Bat Man, or the Horse girl shows up, instead of feeling exhausted. I don't feel like there's too much getting thrown at me, so it's easier to just chill and have fun.

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Maybe the only parts you might get thrown off is Luffy telling the little girl Ace is dead, which was something that was set up all the way back in Marineford. Also the cursed sword was established in... chapter 97, all the way back in Lougetown, so yeah.

Oh, and there's time travel now. So, there might be a reason why it starts off so efficiently, just a hunch.