Alright, well, in the last couple of minutes, more or less all of my previous questions were somewhat addressed, I really do appreciate the detail of detail in this show, which I guess is why people enjoy it so much leading to me watching it today.
Usopp reminds me very much of a Bard from Dungeons & Dragons. Being able to not only lie, but use his wit to entertain Kaya, and what’s more, giving valiant battle speeches that fill his followers with honor & confidence. There are some of the exact mechanical devices the Bard class has in edition 5.5, and I have always appreciated that the Bard is a class most rooted in adding narrative & story value to a campaign while gaining in-game benefits. That is to say, a genuine criticism of D&D is simply that the elements of exploration & narrative do not, strictly speaking, have any codified rules or game mechanisms associated with these pillars of gameplay. In a show in which most of the dialogue is very straightforward and much of the problems are solved with sheer violence, Usopp using language & charisma to handle a situation is a refreshing splash of flavour that, again, really defines this show as engaging & entertaining.
I love that the trio of children goes straight for Klahadore without any fear because they recognize the true source of power & difficulty in this situation & waste no time bothering with anyone but the person in charge. Children have such an insight & wisdom that adults would do better to heed. I also appreciate that Captain Kuro & Jango are so calm and patient as the children & Usopp speak to each other. There is, of course, a certain sense of condescension layered on top of that, but it is still a fun experience as the big bad guy just allows the kids their time to do their little thing.
Last note, I actually kinda missed a lot of this episode cuz I was feeding my daughter a can of raw garbanzo beans. Her name is Speed Racer cuz no matter what, we are on her team.