Eustass Kid and his pirates lead the way towards Onigashima with the Thousand Sunny and the samurai trailing behind. The ragtag fleet pushes through the outer ring and prepares for possible ambushes. They are finally confronted with Onigashima, which is enormous and terrible to behold. A trio of guards notice their approach but Usopp knocks them out with a sleepgrass shot. The samurai destroy their ships by sinking them as soon as they arrive ashore – a sign of their conviction to emerge victorious or die trying.
The Straw Hats run into a huge party of Beast Pirates on the shore – who eventually turn out to simply be samurai dressed in Beast Pirates garb via Kin's special technique. Eustass Kid, his crew, and the Straw Hats are subjected to Kin's technique as well, and now that everyone is clothed in the leather and furs of the Beast Pirates, they can head into Onigashima incognito. At last, the assault is ready to begin as the To Be Continued card flashes.
Ah, an episode of extremes.
I find it hard to give this episode a definitive rating. The big problem, of course, is that 983 has the misfortune of following 982, which was a knockout punch of an episode. In contrast, 983 is just a “regular” episode of One Piece's Wano arc, which, while still a solid watch, inevitably feels lesser by comparison. Still, after all the time and effort that clearly went into last week's episode, I think the adaptation team has more than earned the right to coast a bit and simply turn in a “standard” episode.
And it's not like that this episode is completely uninteresting. The visual of Onigashima slowly emerging from between the walls of the outer ring was powerful and imposing. Bringing the personal stakes of Kid and Killer back to the forefront and how this arc has permanently changed them was also a good call. Plus we get to see Usopp flexing a bit, which is rare, but that's what makes it special every time it occurs. Lastly, the samurai sinking their ships is yet another iconic moment in an arc full of them. There's no going back now.
Then, of course, there is the Beast Pirates' costume dlc outfit swap.
This on its own could have made the episode a 5 for me. In pure practical terms it's nice to finally see what the official colors are for the Straw Hats in these outfit swaps, but really it's about seeing your fav in the getup. And folks - we're all eating well.
Here's to the big, big, big battle coming our way.
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...