We've been introduced to a fair number of characters and subplots since stepping foot in the land of Wano, but we've merely witnessed the tip of the iceberg. One of the common trends I've liked about the anime lately is how it will make minor tweaks to better prepare the audience for what's to come, like how this week's episode directly names Shutenmaru, a man that Kiku appears to have some familiarity with. It's a very small difference from the source material (which simply refers to Shutenmaru's band of thieves as a group) but it's nice to know they're thinking about to keep the absurd amount of information as clear as possible. Shutenmaru now has a chance to exist faintly in the audience's mind before his proper introduction.
There isn't a ton of new material for us to chew in this week aside from the introduction of another side villain—Speed, a horse-woman who's got a fun gag about having 350 degree vision—and a brief demonstration of the farms that produce clean food and water for the shogun. We're taking the absurdity of Wano as a setting to some fun places, with giant sumo wrestlers getting tossed across town and eccentric dancing firefighters appearing to stifle the fires that set the streets ablaze as a result. “How dare you destroy my house with a sumo wrestler” is a phrase that can be uttered so casually in a few countries.
I appreciate that our heroes are finally getting themselves tangled up with Holdem in person after all this time, because he's easily my favorite of the Bakura Town villains. There's a good balance of silliness and theatrics as Holdem looks down on the crowds from the rooftops, performing herculean feats of strength and finally giving Luffy the fight he's been looking for. I was getting tired of having to constantly cut back to the same repetitive scene of Holdem trying to pull dumplings out of Otama's cheeks with pliers, so any change of pace, even a slight one, is welcome. The pins have been set up with the supporting cast constantly urging Luffy to keep a low profile, so obviously we have to start a ruckus in spite of that, and now a bunch of big names like Hawkins and Law are beginning to arrive just in time to see their well-kept plans go up in flames.
Most of what I've been saying for the past few months still holds true. My opinion of this stretch of the story in the manga is already fairly precarious since we're delving into a corridor of the plot that's disproportionately busy for such a small piece of the arc. The series isn't trying to trick us into thinking that this is some crazy unprecedented escalation of events, but it does want to set up a lot of stuff that's going to be important later, and it hopes to be entertaining in the meantime. In the best circumstances, the slow-motion nature of the adaptation is great for unloading some of the denseness of the story, but sequences that only offer mild excitement end up having to repeat themselves too much.
At least we seem to finally be reaching the climax of the Bakura Town arc soon, so hopefully the pay-off is pretty interesting.
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...