One | Piece Episode 720 ((link))
At first glance, the episode focuses on Riku Doldo III, the former king of Dressrosa, as he desperately rings the Golden Bell to signal a rebellion against Doflamingo. But the "heroic elegy" of the title is ironic. This is not a triumphant rallying cry; it is the sound of a broken man trying to reclaim a hope he no longer fully believes in. The episode’s genius lies in its refusal to glorify Riku’s actions. Instead, it forces the viewer to sit in his humiliation.
The core of the episode’s intrigue is the "Country of Evil" moniker. We are shown flashbacks of Riku’s desperate, failed bargain with Doflamingo—selling his country to save his people’s lives. In the eyes of the citizens, this made him a coward. Episode 720 captures the painful aftermath of that choice. As Riku runs through the birdcage-slashed streets, the citizens don’t see a liberator; they see the king who signed their freedom away. The episode’s most striking visual is not a fight, but the hollow, accusing stares of the very people Riku is trying to save. This is leadership stripped of its romance: the painful realization that a king’s sacrifice often looks like betrayal from the ground level. one piece episode 720
The animation style serves this mood perfectly. The colors are washed out, the shadows are long, and the sound design is deliberately sparse. The clang of the bell is harsh, metallic, and lonely—not the triumphant brass of a victory fanfare. When Riku finally strikes the bell, the episode denies us catharsis. The shot lingers on his weathered face, sweat and tears indistinguishable, as he whispers not a command, but a plea. It is a profoundly un-shonen moment: a climax built on exhaustion rather than adrenaline. At first glance, the episode focuses on Riku
Comparatively, Episode 720 offers a dark mirror to the series’ usual themes of inherited will. Where Luffy inspires unconditional loyalty, Riku inspires conditional skepticism. Where Luffy’s selfishness is framed as freedom, Riku’s selflessness is framed as incompetence. The episode dares to ask: what happens when the people don’t believe in their hero? The answer is a slow, agonizing trudge toward a bell that might never ring loud enough. The episode’s genius lies in its refusal to
