u/IWasAGoodDadISwear

I ask because I do not have a sophisticated audio setup, and every video I want does not have a DRC variant. If I am not actually going to hear any difference with the DRC, then it would speed up my download routine significantly if I do not have to check to see which videos have DRC or not.

For context, I binge-watched the entire season hours after it released. Technically, I did watch all 8 episodes. The problem is, by the end of episode 6, I was falling asleep. I was half-asleep all throughout episodes 7 and 8. As a result, I missed a few crucial details on the first watches, and I had not properly analyzed how the episodes were crafted. However, since I have already read the manga chapters, I kept putting off rewatching these 3 episodes.

Well, a couple of days ago, I finally rewatched the Drum Island episodes, and I did my best to not fall asleep (I was up a long time and was falling asleep during episode 7 again). Anyway, for starters, this time, I was really able to absorb Hiriluk's backstory. Although the show never tells us what exactly his "incurable disease" was, I am inclined to believe it was cancer, or whatever the One Piece equivalent is. According to Hiriluk's story about the cherry blossoms, my deduction is that he got inflicted with the incurable disease back then, but his exposure to the cherry blossoms "healed" him.

But, apparently, the effect of the cherry blossoms merely bought him limited time. This is why Hiriluk was so committed to synthesizing cherry blossoms in the cold environment that he had to be settled in. Trying to travel to different islands likely would have accelerated the course of the disease and killed him before he could complete the formula.

And then the season finale. Now this was something that needed to be properly watched to be fully appreciated. Wapol's body horror army was an inspired change from the manga that really added depth and tension to Zoro and Usopp's fight. I have to admit, I do not remember the finer details from the manga, but I cannot recall the exchange between Kureha and Dalton happening in the manga. In any case, it was nice to see Dalton's conviction inspire Kureha to join the fight instead of running away.

And then the fights inside Drum Castle were also very nuanced compared to the manga version. If I remember correctly, Luffy mostly fought Wapol solo, and of course there was the sequence of Wapol making himself slim. I guess that wasn't in the budget for the live-action, so Wapol stayed fat for the whole fight.

Instead, the live-action gave us what I consider to be two well-choreographed fights. Sanji and Chopper Vs Chess and Kuromarimo. Luffy and Vivi vs Wapol. Vivi being here was a great change, because she got a chance to pay Wapol back for his brutality when she was a child. Even better, Vivi got a chance to offer Luffy an assist that actually made a difference.

Meanwhile, I really liked the pacing of Sanji+Chopper Vs Chess+Kuromarimo. Chess was shown to be a formidable fighter with his bow as well as with his axe, and Chopper had to stay on his toes to not get wrecked. Meanwhile, Kuromarimo took some time to gauge Sanji's strength before trapping him with the static afro. After Chess gets flung to the back of the room, Kuromarimo traps Sanji and Chopper together. And this was the setup for the best part of the fight. I actually had to rewatch this scene and freeze-frame to truly understand and absorb everything Chopper did in a pinch. As Chess and Kuro execute their team attack, Chopper frees Sanji's leg by leaving the shoe behind, and then flips Sanji's body with precision to line up Chess' flaming arrow with the static afro holding Sanji and Chopper together. That was actually amazing, and I don't think the manga or anime had anything like that.

With Chess and Kuro defeated, both teams converge for the final showdown with Wapol. We get a powerscaling moment, showing off Luffy's blast resistance. Then as Wapol corners Luffy, Vivi, Chopper, and Sanji each contribute to helping Luffy finally defeat Wapol. Another aspect I really loved, was how Wapol's mutant army was virtually unstoppable. Although Zoro, Usopp, and Dalton didn't know it, their survival was dependent on Wapol's defeat. Even better, the show subtly established how Devil Fruit powers can be interrupted by knocking the user unconscious.

The cherry blossom sequence and Kureha finally mentioning the Will Of D were done well. I loved seeing Dalton and Kureha commenting on the "wonders that fools are capable of". Finally, I actually liked Robin's name reveal being pushed up earlier. If I remember correctly, her name was revealed later during the Alabaster arc. Since the live-action team has access to the whole story, I like how they have shown Robin acting to fulfill her own goals alongside doing Crocodile's bidding. It will be really fun to watch the interactions between Smoker and Tashigi and the Straw Hats when they finally converge in Alabaster.

Currently, I am using preset 4, and using target bitrate mode. But, I would like to know what other options to use in order to optimize the visual quality and compression efficiency.

Overall, it was not a bad experience. Yes, the plot is as paper-thin as any Mario game. Yes, it was mostly fanservice. But, the movie was still enjoyable. The animation quality is of course top-notch. Loved Glen Powell as that character. Nintendo and Illumination are basically a match made in Heaven. Both companies target kid audiences. And so far, both movies are legitimately enjoyable from children's perspectives.

Maybe it is a good thing that the Mario and Sonic movie series are polar opposites of each other. After all these years, each movie series reflects the overall visions of their source material. Mario games never emphasized plot, while Sonic games gradually fleshed out its worldbuilding and character arcs. Maybe everything is as it is supposed to be.