We arrive at one of the highlight moments of the Raid on Onigashima – Sanji's capture by Black Maria and subsequent cry for help. It stands out as a genuine emotional high point in what is otherwise a long stretch of non-stop battles.
First off, I'll go ahead and get it out of the way: yes I'm biased for Nico Robin content of any kind, so I'm rounding up in that sense.
But I think what's important here is what this moment says about Sanji and Robin in the Straw Hat pirates. Setting aside my own personal hangups on how Sanji's uh… “dashing” character is portrayed, it is easy to see that he has a lot of pride in how he treats women and not fighting them. There's a greater sense that his self-image as this prince charming, dashing knight figure who sweeps in to save the day is very integral to how he sees himself. As such, he also tends to shoulder all of his burdens and share none of his struggles even when he desperately needs the help, such as his entire situation with the Vinsmoke clan.
So that's why Sanji crying out to Robin for help represents a major moment of character growth for him on multiple levels and why I think it works really well.
It also serves as a sort of full-circle moment for Robin. As we are reminded in the flashback, she was once the damsel in the tower who needed saving. And part of the reason why she ended up in that situation was – like Sanji – because she kept her struggles to herself out of a desire to insulate the other Straw Hats from what she was going through. Of course the Straw Hats showed Robin quite definitively that they want to understand her struggles and she realized it too, in one of the series' best moments (if not the best moment). Now she gets a chance to be the savior, riding in to save the day when a fellow Straw Hat is in distress. It's a really wonderful moment that adds that extra emotional and thematic weight to this fight (and something I feel the other battles going on right now lack).
60th, final episode of previous anime streamed on YouTube on Friday― The official Twitter account for the anime of Penguin Box's Odekake Kozame (Little Shark's Outings) manga announced on Friday that the manga will get a new anime series. Update: The staff revealed a visual for the new series in a press release on Saturday. The previous anime series debuted on YouTube last August, and its 60th and f...
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2nd part opens in Japanese theaters on June 7― The staff for the four-part Code Geass: Rozé of the Recapture (originally titled Gode Geass: Z of the Recapture, or Dakkan no Zetto) anime project revealed a trailer and a visual on Saturday for the second part in the project. The below video previews MIYAVI's opening theme song "Running In My Head." The anime's first part premiered in Japan on Friday. ...
James and Lynzee discuss the latest episode of Yatagarsu. Plus, GoHands keeps making anime, and we don't know WHY.― Yatagarasu Gets Violent! James and Lynzee discuss the latest episode of Yatagarsu, in which Wakamiya plays his hand to find out the truth behind his older brother's scheming to obtain the throne. Plus, GoHands keeps making anime, and we don't know WHY; Hunter x Hunter manga is on its ...
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The Switch sequel console is finally happening! The details are scarce, but you can find out more in this week's column. Also: an interview with El Shaddai's Sawaki Takeyasu, Microsoft layoffs, and more.― Welcome back, folks! What a wild week this has been for the gaming industry. We'll go further into it, but jeez. This past week also saw the disappearance of Capcom's Dark Void and Dark Void Zero. ...
The Code Geass creator discusses his new project with Web3 company Azuki, Enter the Garden, and his hope that this new path could help the medium evolve.― Los Angeles-based Web3 anime-styled brand Azuki and advertising conglomerate Dentsu debuted the first nine-minute episode of their joint anime endeavor, Enter the Garden, on April 30. The episode, which has already racked up a quarter of a million...
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...
Final volume ships in fall― The 25th compiled book volume of Yuki Sato's Tomodachi Game (Friends Games) manga revealed on Thursday that the series will end with the 26th volume's release in fall. The story, based on Mikoto Yamaguchi's original concept, centers on Yūichi Katagiri, a young man with a perfect student life who has four friends with difficult lives. His peaceful daily life comes to an e...
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...
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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...