A repeated downside of Whole Cake Island's pacing, even when the episodes in question are solid, is that there tend to be scenes that complemented each other extremely well when they were in the same manga chapter, but now have to get divided up between episodes. In the manga, the mission to rescue Brook had a punchline that we're just getting now: the Straw Hats discover Brook actually had succeeded in getting a rubbing of Big Mom's Poneglyph just before getting caught, and he's been storing the giant folded-up pages in the compartment inside his head this whole time. This moment gets to be shocking, funny, a little gross with the whole skull compartment thing, and amazingly victorious at the same time.
This is a great example of how One Piece unravels its story, where things can get told out of order and information withheld, before the true sequence of events gets revealed to us and voila, we've just gotten a whole dramatic arc that we wouldn't have been privy to otherwise. It's a bonus reward for the crew who were just looking to save their friend, and it means that the only objective they had left for Whole Cake Island, other than getting Sanji back, has been squared away. The Straw Hats now have two of the four coordinates to Gold Roger's treasure, and Brook comes out of the arc looking surprisingly badass.
Speaking of Sanji, the rest of the episode is about finally getting us to the point where he and Luffy reunite. It takes us until the very end of the episode, but we do get there. Luffy's fight with the grunts of Big Mom's crew is another example of a sequence that got drawn out far too long in the anime, spanning the past three or four episodes, but you can respect the hustle that went into making it atmospheric and dramatic. The animation gets really ambitious (and a little funky-looking, if I'm being honest) and we're treated to that Movie 5 soundtrack that I can't get enough of. I think the strongest element is the suspense over the outcome of the fight, as Sanji finally shows up just as it looks like Luffy is losing, only for the show to reveal that we're now much later in the night than we thought and we're looking at a field of unconscious bodies. It takes Sanji a while to find his captain in the mess, but when he does, Luffy looks like he's suffering from starvation more than any battle wounds. And hey, Sanji happens to still have that picnic basket he made for Pudding. How nice.
We also get some time with the Vinsmokes, drinking and partying it up the night before the wedding. We know that they're saps walking into a trap, so that's juxtaposed nicely against how sinister they can come off when they think they're on top of things. We're reminded once again of Judge's dream to re-conquer the North Blue, and while there are a lot of specifics missing as to why this is so important to him, it succeeds in making the story feel big and mysterious. There are all these exciting corners waiting to be turned, and all these backstories waiting to change everything we thought we knew.
We're slowly crawling our way through the midpoint of the arc, inching toward the climactic half finally kicking into gear. The scene where Sanji sees Luffy and has a relieved smile on his face is good, and the incredibly elegant ways that all the pieces are falling into place is commendable as always. Despite how little progress gets made between episodes, this week aims to feel massive. The big action set-piece with Luffy is much more dramatic than I expected, and I think it does a good job giving this episode a sense of heft where there wouldn't have been otherwise. Big changes are in the works, so I was pleasantly surprised to see this episode be so thorough and well-directed.
Laid-Back Camp narrowly claims the top spot this week, but Delicious in Dungeon is having none of that and bumps it down in the cumulative. Find out where your favorites rank this week!― 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 ...
Goodbye, Lara follows reborn mermaid, Ninja Skooler features ninja school― Kinema Citrus announced at its panel during this year's Anime Central event on Saturday that it is producing two new anime titled Goodbye, Lara (Sayonara Lara) and Ninja Skooler. Takushi Koide is directing the Goodbye, Lara anime with character designs by Shiori Tani. The anime is based on a concept by Kinema Citrus, and it t...
2019-20 anime was itself a follow-up to first 2013-16 Ace of Diamond anime― Production on a sequel to the 2019-2020 television anime of Yūji Terajima's Ace of Diamond Act II (Daiya no A Act II) manga has been green-lit. Terajima drew an illustration to commemorate the news: Terajima's original Ace of Diamond baseball manga inspired a television anime that premiered in 2013, and Crunchyroll streamed ...
Honestly, you're getting a solid collection of character art with some disposable comic stories where you might get to enjoy some out-of-context obscure CAPCOM cameos.― As a lifelong fan of Street Fighter, it's easy to get excited about the potential of seeing my favorite fighters doing stuff in different mediums. The flip side is that Udon Entertainment's hold on the comic treatment of the characte...
The cast of the Demon Slayer stage play gave a memorable performance during the Japan Day Parade.― The Demon Slayer franchise continues to prove itself as an absolute powerhouse for fans worldwide. The hit manga by Koyoharu Gotouge has been adapted into multiple mediums, including anime, light novels, video games, and a stage play that has been running since 2020. Cast members of the stage play app...
One Piece season 2 listed for Netflix in "2025 and Beyond"― The licensing news service License Global posted an interview with Netflix vice president Josh Simon on May 1, and included in the interview is a listing of a "Sakamoto Days" project among "Netflix Upcoming Releases" in 2024. The listing does not specify if the project is animated or live-action, nor does it specify a connection, if any, to...
2-hour programming block airs on Fridays starting on May 31― Adult Swim's Toonami programming block announced on Friday that it is creating a new block called Toonami Rewind that is dedicated to running anime, or versions of the series, that aired on the original Toonami prior to its 2012 revival. Toonami Rewind will air on Fridays starting on May 31 at 5:00 p.m. EDT, and it will feature Sailor Moo...
Pokémon Horizons continues to display some of the best the franchise offers with great character work, creative setpieces, surprisingly strong direction, and a focus on a plot that continues to feel engaging.― Pokémon Horizons felt like a breath of fresh air as a new mainline Pokémon series. With a more timid and empathic main character and a stronger emphasis on the adventuring aspect of being a Po...
Sony and Square-Enix are both reorganizing, from new CEOs to staff cutbacks. Also, sad news about Penny Blood, more Cotton, and the latest video game news!― Welcome back, folks! You know, it's always nice to discover old stuff from a franchise you love that you didn't know existed. For example, I didn't know that the old Captain N: The Game Master cartoon had an episode that featured the world of Dr...
Ahead of the romance anime's second season, director Takehiro Kubota discusses the choices, the challenges, and balancing the story between the everyday and the supernatural.― My Happy Marriage began its life as a series of novels written by Akumi Agitogi, and it has since been adapted both as manga and, as of July 2023, an anime series simulcast by Netflix. Agitogi's tale, set in a nebulous time t...
Steve and Chris compare some of the highs and lows of an anime studio change-up, from Attack on Titan and One-Punch Man to Spice and Wolf.― Steve and Chris compare some of the highs and lows of an anime studio change-up, from Attack on Titan and One-Punch Man to Spice and Wolf. Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the participants in this chatlog are not the views of Anime News Network.S...
You've probably read some version of this story before, but I doubt that you've ever seen it be this adorable.― You've probably read some version of this story before, but I doubt that you've ever seen it be this adorable. You and I Are Polar Opposites is based on the tried-and-true formula of a thousand romantic comedies: Suzuki is a popular girl, and Tani is the class nerd. She's bright and perky,...
James and Lynzee look into Hideaki Anno's latest hint that there might be more Evangelion after the last movie and news on the Lord of the Rings anime film!― Could There Be More Evangelion on the Horizon? James and Lynzee look into Hideaki Anno's latest hint that there might be more Evangelion after the last movie and news on the Lord of the Rings anime film! Plus, we catch up with Kafka and the Ka...
Grant Jones dives into the wild world of giant monsters and how Kaiju No. 8 builds on their legacy.― Kaiju No. 8 is a series that wears its influences on its sleeves. As the first word in its title suggests, it comes from a long line of works in the kaiju genre, using giant monsters and burning skylines as a backdrop to tell stories. While many likely know kaiju in a passing sense, it may help to h...
This steamy manga's appeal is going to depend on how much you can stomach a female protagonist who kicks off the romance by assaulting her former fiance.― This is a tricky one. Before You Discard Me, I Shall Have My Way with You is, to all appearances, a story that opens with a sexual assault. Agnès has been betrothed to Crown Prince Lucilleur since childhood, and she's been in love with him just as...