One Piece continues its hot streak with episode 1045, delivering on more dramatic scenes and hard-hitting action. The only letdown here is not in what was delivered so much as what was not delivered, but that's to be expected.
Much of this episode is centered around villainous monologues. After Nico Robin's triumphant victory over Black Maria, the sense of momentum swings back the other way as we focus on Hawking, Big Mom, King, and Queen. It's lots of mwahahaha-laughs over burning backgrounds with our heroes either groveling, grunting, or fighting for their lives. There are simply too many heavy-hitters at Onigashima for things to end this soon.
Big Mom in particular gets to gloat over the lesser pirates before her. Despite Eustass and Killer both getting significant chest-size glow-ups post-timeskip, no amount of pectoral mass can save you when Big Mom crashes the party.
Though the heroes got a chance to shine too, namely Raizo and Sanji. Raizo is an odd duck; he's certainly not my least favorite of the Red Scabbards, but he's not a particularly noteworthy member either. Raizo's most telling features are the things that make him stand out visually: he's a ninja (which is not common in One Piece generally or Wano specifically) and he has NBA JAM Big Head syndrome (also strangely uncommon in the proportion-defying-world of One Piece). Sadly, beyond his early introduction in Zou, I've never really felt he was all that different from the rest of the Red Scabbards. Still, it's nice to hear him deliver his big call to action and get a bit of visual shine, and it's a testament to the Toei team's ability to make such an absurd character design work in a serious dramatic scene.
Sanji also gets to shine, and man it's great to see him in action. Despite all my misgivings about him, when he gets to do his thing it's always a visual treat and his battle with Queen is no exception. The flow and speed on display are superb – once again, hats off to Toei for bringing this battle to life. It's vibrant and exhilarating and I only wish there were more.
Also of note is the final scene with Cat-Viper and Perospero. Not only is this sequence stunning and fluid, with an almost astonishing level of detail on Persopero's facial features, it has some very interesting visual elements to boot. I'm not sure how many times I've seen such a lovingly animated archery POV shot like this, let alone in weekly television. The cartoonish elasticity of his face when Cat-Viper leaps in to attack is sheer delight in motion.
The only negative feature of this week is that it follows premium Nico Robin content and is by definition lesser, though that's not an entirely fair criticism on my part.
Some older mysteries inch closer to resolution as the true nature of the Abyss slowly comes into view, and long-posed questions start to be answered.― Sometimes, being a fan of Akihito Tsukushi's acclaimed Made in Abyss series means acclimating to suffering. Like many Western devotees, I was introduced to this bizarre, squishy, disturbing world via the 2017 first season of Kinema Citrus' fantastic a...
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...
Recently ended manga follows middle school student living with mysterious bird-looking creature― Shogakukan announced on Friday that Akira Konno's Kujima Utaeba Ie Hororo manga is inspiring an anime. The "bird(?) home comedy" manga's story starts when first-year middle school student Arata Kōda meets a mysterious bird-looking creature named Kujima in autumn. Hungry and craving Japanese food, Kujima ...
Anime premieres in 2024― Adult Swim's YouTube channel began streaming a first look video for the Rick and Morty: The Anime series on Saturday. The show will premiere on Adult Swim and Max in 2024, and will also run on Adult Swim Canada. The anime will be an original work, with adapted themes and events from the main Rick and Morty animated series. Takashi Sano (Tower of God) is writing and directing...
As Slam Dunk reached its final stretch, I can see why this series is considered the sports classic that it is today.― This is the largest batch of Slam Dunk episodes that I've reviewed thus far. Originally, I wanted to review the show in more even seasons, but given its overall pacing and release, it wasn't easy to find a moment where it felt right to stop and start again. However, as we approached ...
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 ...
Making a sequel to Code Geass is a daunting task. But with its fantastic main character and a story that doesn't undercut what came before, Rozé of the Recapture is on the right track.― Making a sequel to Code Geass—especially one set close to the end of the series—is a daunting task. Any story that involves an ongoing war massively undercuts both the finale of the original anime and the sacrifices ...
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...
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...