One Piece Chapter 1196: Ivankov Fuses With His Giraffe Opponent for a Bizarre New Move
ワンピース1196話、イワちゃんの新技がキリンガムと合体でヤバすぎると海外ならぬ日本で爆笑

One Piece Chapter 1196 wraps up a flashback in a single chapter -- unusually fast for the series lately -- then cuts back to fan-favorite Emporio Ivankov's fight with Kiringamu, a giraffe-themed Knight of God, where Ivankov pulls out a new move that physically fuses him with his opponent.
A Japanese reaction channel's clip of the chapter drew 240 comments and 1,544 likes, with viewers comparing the resulting monster design to a tokusatsu transformation shot and praising the chapter as the funniest, most readable one in weeks.
By the end, even the grossed-out reactions can't stop laughing.
One Piece's manga, Chapter 1196, wrapped up a flashback in a single chapter this week -- unusually quick by the series' recent pace -- then cut back to fan-favorite Emporio Ivankov's fight with Kiringamu, a giraffe-themed Knight of God. Ivankov's new move in that fight physically fuses him with his opponent, producing a monstrous transformation shot that doubles as a visual gag. A Japanese reaction channel's clip of the chapter pulled in 240 comments and 1,544 likes, and the comment section split between laughing at the sheer absurdity of the design and genuinely praising the chapter as some of the most fun the series has been in a while.
The character at the center of it, Emporio Ivankov, is a revolutionary army commander best known for a hormone-based power set that lets him and his allies transform at will -- and for an openly over-the-top, campy sense of humor that's carried entire arcs of the story before. This particular gag leans on that same comedic reputation, just taken a step further than usual.
“An absolute monster just got born here lol”
とんでもないバケモン生まれてて草
A lot of the top comments zero in on exactly how the transformation is drawn, and one pop-culture comparison in particular took off.
“The moment Iwa-chan shows up is straight-up the Ultraman "stretching transformation" shot.”
イワちゃん出てくるところ完全にウルトラマンのぐんぐんカットなのよ
“Ultraman used to be a human-like being who evolved. Ivankov's Newkama used to be human-like people who evolved too. ...it all connects.”
ウルトラマンはかつて人間のような存在が進化したもの ニューカマーはかつて人間のような者達が進化したもの 繋がったな…
From there the thread pivots to what the chapter means for the series' comedy writing more broadly.
“Exactly, this is the kind of comedy people actually want from One Piece -- not Nika, but stuff like Iwa-chan.”
そうなんよ、ワンピに求めてるギャグはニカとかじゃなくイワちゃんみたいなギャグなのよ
“I'm sure Iwa-chan means it seriously, but the collateral damage here is just too much.”
イワちゃんは真面目なんだろうけどそれ以上に被害がでかすぎる
“Honestly, this chapter of One Piece was just simple and easy to read, and I genuinely enjoyed it. Iwa's still a great character, as always.”
正直今回のワンピースはシンプルに読みやすくて素直に楽しめたわ。 それと相変わらずイワさんは良いキャラしてる。
Pacing comes up too, specifically how little time the flashback ate into this particular chapter compared to recent habits.
“The biggest surprise here is that the flashback didn't even eat up a whole chapter. For modern One Piece, that's basically an achievement.”
一番の驚きは回想が1話かからなかったこと 最近のワンピースだと快挙だろこれ
A few commenters dig into the series' own history to place the new move, tying it back to an established gag technique rather than treating it as something out of nowhere.
“This kind of feels like the reverse version of Bon Clay's Mane Mane Montage "World's Weirdest Face" move. Kiringamu's new technique.”
なんか、ボンちゃんのマネマネモンタージュ「世界一変な顔」の逆バージョンな気がする。 キリンガムの新技
“Iwa-chan really is one of the best characters in all of One Piece. Her stock just never drops, in every sense. Also, fusing with someone is just unfair lol”
やっぱイワちゃんはワンピースの中でも最高のキャラだわ 色んな意味でずっと株が落ちん あと合体するのはずるいだろw
“I really want the anime to go all out on this part -- give Iwa-chan an absurd amount of personality here, since she hasn't had much screen time or presence lately.”
アニメでこの辺めちゃくちゃ盛ってほしい 有り得んくらいイワちゃんの個性を書いて欲しい 最近出番と主張少ないから
The thread's last word goes to the comment that actually breaks down the new combined name, and finds one more joke buried inside the fusion itself.
“No wait, lol, it's not even "Gyoooo" -- then straight into "Iwangamu" and I lost it. Also, fusing with a former slave means he's getting humiliated without even realizing it.”
いやww、ギュオォォじゃないのよwからのイワンガムで大爆笑ですよ てかこれ元奴隷との合体とかいう本人知らないうちに最悪の屈辱受けてる
Which about sums up the whole chapter's reception: a fusion design so absurd that half the comment section is still laughing at the name alone, long after everyone's moved on from the actual fight.
FAQ
- What happens in One Piece Chapter 1196?
- Chapter 1196 wraps up a flashback in a single chapter, then returns to Emporio Ivankov's fight with Kiringamu, a giraffe-themed Knight of God. Ivankov pulls out a new move that physically fuses him with his opponent, producing an absurd, monstrous combined design that commenters compared to a tokusatsu-style transformation sequence.
- Why did Japanese fans compare the scene to Ultraman?
- One commenter noted that Ultraman is a human-like being who evolved into something more, and joked that Ivankov's "Newkama" (the okama warriors trained at Kamabakka Kingdom) share that same origin story, making the visual comparison between Ivankov's transformation and Ultraman's stretching transformation shot feel oddly fitting rather than random.
One Piece's 'Five More Years' Promise Turns 8, and Japan Has Had Enough
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Read this roundupThis is one of 38 Japanese-reaction roundups for One Piece. See them all →
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