One Piece: Why The Gear 5th Episode Is In Danger Of Being Review Bombed

Jul 19, 2023

One Piece's most anticipated episode is right around the corner, but will some fans have a problem with it?

The One Piece anime is about to reach the climax of the fight between Luffy and Kaido. The two individuals have been going at it hammer and tongs. So, it is about time that their duel comes to an end, hopefully without any intervention. In One Piece Episode 1069, Guernica made his way to the rooftop and distracted Luffy, giving Kaido a massive opening to strike down his opponent and win. When the Yonko saw Guernica, it was already too late, and he could not stop the attack. His kanabo made contact with Luffy, and the young pirate was defeated.

The result reminded Kaido of the time he fought Kozuki Oden. The legendary swordsman would have killed Kaido if not for Higurashi's interference. Even though Kaido was victorious, he was not happy with the way the fight ended. So when the same thing happened to him decades later, he was enraged. In his fury, Kaido assaulted Guernica and very likely killed him. Shortly afterward, Kaido went down from the roof, thinking that he was triumphant. However, he had no idea that Luffy was about to awaken with a brand-new power.

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Toward the end of Episode 1070, fans saw Zunesha claiming that Joyboy had returned. Zunesha relayed this information to Momonosuke at the same time Luffy was regaining consciousness, and this is no mere coincidence. Clearly, the Devil Fruit is linked to the legendary figure in some way. It is plausible to assume that Joyboy had the same Devil Fruit, and it still holds his will.

Gear 5th is different from Luffy's previous Gears, which he developed by training his Devil Fruit. These Gears enabled him to take down strong opponents. Before making his way to Wano, Luffy had three Gears: 2nd, 3rd, and 4th. Out of the three, Gear 4th has various forms, and Luffy tends to use whichever is most potent against his adversary. Gear 5th is quite different from the previous Gears, as Luffy did not develop it in any manner. This time, it was the Devil Fruit's own will that brought Luffy back from the cusp of death and gave him the necessary strength to fight Kaido. Gear 5th is clearly Luffy's strongest power up to date, and it is set to debut in One Piece Episode 1071. There is a great deal of hype within the community, but the episode might actually end up scoring poor ratings.

The process of review bombing is simple: people who do not like a particular idea go to rating websites such as IMDb and give the concerning episode or series a bad review. They even create multiple accounts to ensure that the bad ratings outweigh the good ones. But why would One Piece fans review bomb their favorite series?

Gear 5th is going to be the most iconic moment in the story to date. All of Luffy's previous forms pale in comparison, but Gear 5th is also not menacing like them. It is a goofy transformation, which some fans do not appreciate given the fact that he is fighting a Yonko. Most anime watchers are accustomed to seeing characters become serious in pivotal moments, and they believe that the fight with Kaido will lose its edge because of Luffy's change. Some people also think that Luffy's Devil Fruit ruins his character, as he was always presumed to be an individual who became strong through training and not because he was the "Chosen One."

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There are fans of other anime series who do not want Gear 5th to hoard all the spotlight. The transformation has been hyped weeks before its release with the help of promotions, which are being done both online and in real-time. Judging from the buildup, it is obvious that Gear 5th's debut is going to make history. Some anime fans have been open about review bombing the recent episodes, and it is bound to continue for the entire stretch of episodes covering this power-up.

Some fan groups do not want Gear 5th to eclipse iconic moments such as Goku's transformation into Super Saiyan for the very first time. This particular incident has gained so much popularity over the years that even people who do not watch anime know about it. Gear 5th is on track to become just as iconic, if not more, so there is a sense of fear. However, it is safe to say that it won't undermine Goku's popularity. Gear 5th's introduction does not mean people will forget about the Super Saiyan transformation. So, there is no reason to fret, as two iconic moments can perfectly coexist.

One Piece anime has already released a teaser trailer covering Luffy's transformation, which has received over 10 million views on the show's official YouTube channel. In Episode 1070, fans got another glimpse at Luffy's new power up. Gear 5th will debut in One Piece Episode 1071, and fans can watch it on Crunchyroll shortly after its premiere in Japan.

One Piece is available to stream on Crunchyroll.

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Suzail has been a manga and anime enthusiast for the past 6 years. Currently, he is a Features and List Writer at GameRant. When he is not writing, he is reading manga, and playing games.