Remember Ryuma from Thriller Bark? The dead guy who fought Zoro and got defeated? That famous one eyed samurai from Wano? The owner of Shusui, the sword?
Yes, that's him, and MONSTERS 一百三情飛龍侍極 is about him, at his younger age.
Monsters: 103 Mercies Dragon Damnation is an ONA (Original Net Animation) that was released recently. It was a story about Ryuma, the famous samurai from Wano, and how he was the cause of an uproar in a small town. The story was created by the same author of One Piece, Eiichiro Oda, way back in 1994. Can't you believe it? It's that old already but this story is still gold.
If you're a One Piece fan, you'd probably recognize this title from somewhere. They say it has the same name as Zoro's attack when he fought with Kaido in Wano.
warning: may contain spoilers
Plot
Ryuma was kicked out of a restaurant (it looks like a resto) and because he was so hungry, he wandered the town and met a young lady working in a pub. This young lady, Flare, took pity on him and so, she fed him, making her Ryuma's so-called savior. Shirano, the famous hero who won the hearts of the townspeople and got Flare's respect was also in the same pub. As Shirano was leaving, his scabbard (the sword sheath) bumped into Ryuma's, making Ryuma got into a fight with him but was interrupted by Flare.
Later on, Ryuma's scabbard again bumped into someone. This villain-face someone magically got stabbed and accused Ryuma of it. He caused a stir in the town, telling everyone that because of this incident, he would use the dragon's horn, which was said to be missing for a long time, to call the dragon and cause misery to the town. The townspeople of course, got angry at Ryuma for being the cause. Ryuma wasn't even given the chance to explain what happened.
The townspeople fled, but Flare and Ryuma were left behind. Flare wanted to stop Shirano, as the latter wanted to save the town and fight the dragon, which the people applauded and made them love Shirano even more.
Little they did know, they were betrayed.
Impressions
I like the story and the animation. The way they drew the characters was impressive. It may seem simple to some but it was amazing. Just look at the animation when the dragon showed up and that fight? It was so impressive. Many may say it wasn't so flashy but for me, it was great.
The story was short but in that, it may seem packed but was a complete package. You'll see a lot of emotions in those few minutes: aspiration, betrayal, despair, anger, bravery, and probably a lot more.
Honestly, I was super angry at the townspeople for bullying Ryuma. It kinda reflects how our society is today, and take note, this story was written by Oda-san in 1994. I didn't like that they were blinded and that they were swayed right away. You need to investigate guys, why do you have to gang up on a person? You didn't even let him explain. And yes, I'm emotional because I'm so affected by that scene. 😅
I like that there was a bit of mystery - Ryuma said he wanted to fight the King, who's considered to be the number one samurai at that time. Guess who that King is? You have to watch to find out.
And remember Panda Man? I posted about him appearing in One Piece episodes and guess what? He also appeared in this anime. 😂 I had to rewatch to see him here and I was so proud of myself to spot him, with his back though. 😂
If you're looking for more episodes (like I did), don't bother. It only has this one episode, and it's only 25 minutes long. You can easily finish it. Although it would be better if you watch One Piece first, it's still okay just watching this independently.
I definitely recommend watching this special episode, especially if you're a One Piece fan. That post credits shouldn't be missed! If you've watched it already, let me know your thoughts in the comments.
Thanks for reading!
See you around! じゃあ、またね！
All photos are from the official website unless stated otherwise.