We're back to Onigashima after our holiday rest and clip show, and what a return it is! Lots of action this week with a fair amount of plot progression in the ongoing battles dotting Wano.
It was great seeing Jinbei get plenty of time to shine this week. While Sanji's Chun-Li impersonation is wonderful and all, what we're really here for is the big fish uncle doing his thing. Jinbei squaring off against Gorilla Punch is one of those scenes that's a lot of fun to watch but completely incomprehensible if you're not a One Piece fan. I can easily imagine a conversation going like this:
“In this scene, a big blue fish uses underwater martial arts to defeat a man with a sentient gorilla torso for an arm.”
“Wait, what? Is that what One Piece is about?”
“No, this is a minor side fight between supporting characters in the middle of a samurai revolution on Fist of the North Star island.”
You know, typical stuff.
I also enjoyed the scenes with everyone drinking and partying at the Flower Capital while talking about the Onigashima raid. The fact that the very existence of the raid is a fantasy, that the people are so used to the current state of affairs, they can't even imagine a fight for change… I think it underscores how long the oppression has been going on and how effective it has been. Even though Kaido berates the Akazaya Nine for not being the same caliber of samurai that Oden was, the fact that they are challenging him at all puts them into that legendary status as well.
Then of course there's Kiku losing her arm, which felt just as shocking and abrupt as it had been in the manga. I still haven't gotten over reading it in the manga and now I'm DOUBLY an emotional wreck.
Lastly, there's the new OP! No offense to Dreamin On, which has me randomly shouting MUGEN DAAAAAAI NO CHIZU HIROGEEEE for no reason the past year, but I've been eager to see a new opening for a while. Paint is worth the wait, a slightly more subdued tune but coupled with gorgeous fluid animation. I played it back three times to soak it all in. Thanks again to the Toei team, One Piece fans have been eating well for a while.
If I were to sum up Hokkaido Gals Are Super Adorable! in a single word, that word would be “cute.”― If I were to sum up Hokkaido Gals Are Super Adorable! in a single word, that word would be “cute.” Shiki and Fuyuki's interactions are a mixture of playful (and sometimes sexual) teasing and heartfelt feelings as the two come to value each other. They have real chemistry—and that drives the anime stra...
Lucas and Steve catch up on the Hunter × Hunter manga in time for the long-awaited new chapter and gush about why, even with years between releases, Hunter × Hunter is worth it.― Lucas and Steve catch up on the Hunter × Hunter manga in time for the long-awaited new chapter and gush about why, even with years between releases, Hunter × Hunter is worth it. Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed...
Series previously inspired 52-episode anime in 1993― This year's 24th issue of Shogakukan's Weekly Shonen Sunday magazine revealed on Wednesday that Gosho Aoyama's Yaiba manga will be getting a new anime adaptation. Aoyama is supervising. The series follows the titular Yaiba Kurogane, a young samurai boy inspired by Miyamoto Musashi, the real-life swordsman who pioneered the Hyōhō Niten Ichi-ryū sty...
Based on the novel by former Nogizaka46 member Kazumi Takayama, trapezium asks its audience to follow one girl who will use anything, and anyone, to achieve her dream.― Trapezium is a strange movie, to say the least. On the surface, it's a rather simple movie that explores youth, their dreams, and the lengths they'll go to achieve those dreams. It's a coming-of-age story wrapped in the veneer of the...
ZeroReq011 remembers what made Spice and Wolf a story for the ages, from its fully realized world and economics to Holo and Lawrence's romantic chemistry.― Back when Funimation was still its own company and not owned by Sony, long before its in-house streaming service was terminated in favor of Crunchyroll's streaming platform, it owned a TV channel. Legal streaming had yet to dominate the Western a...
Anime will star Hiroshi Kamiya, Kotaro Nishiyama, Kotaro Nishiyama― Distribution company Remow announced on Tuesday that Yura Urushibara's Tougen Anki: Dark Demon of Paradise manga will get a television anime in 2025. The company revealed the trailer, key visual, and main cast for the anime. The anime's cast includes:
Kazuki Ura as Shiki Ichinose, the protagonist who inherits the blood of an Oni. Sh...
Nick and Chris recount some of the most frustrating anime cancellations, from the Yuri on Ice movie to the second half of Stars Align.― Nick and Chris recount some of the most frustrating anime cancellations from the second half of Stars Align to the 2007 JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Phantom Blood movie. Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the participants in this chatlog are not the views...
Welcome to the rankings for the Spring 2024 season! The perfect place to check out which hidden gems might have flown under your radar.― Let's have a look at what ANN readers consider the best (and worst) of the season,
based on the polls you can find in our Daily Streaming Reviews
and on the Your Score page with the latest simulcasts. Keep in mind that these rankings are based on how people rated ...
Producer Masakazu Kubo shares the animation team's dedication to realism, including bringing in a pro golfer to produce the anime's sound effects.― 64-year-old Masakazu Kubo has been planning and producing anime for decades. He's had a major hand in everything from Pokémon and Detective Conan to Teasing Master Takagi-san and Dorohedoro. Recently, he sat down with us to talk about Tonbo!, his attemp...