The remaining Straw Hats arrive to find disarray in the capital following Yasui's execution. The televised events affected people across Wano, including Luffy who resolutely states that no one deserves to be laughed at as they die. Hiyori explains to Zoro the details of the defective SMILE fruit and how it was created to bring power to Kaido's forces. She also details the different levels of Kaido's warriors: the Waiters (those who are waiting to eat the fruits), the Gifters (those who have eaten the fruits and gained powers), and Pleasures (those who have eaten the defective fruits and now suffer from the same constant laughter as the villagers).
We also get details on how exactly the people of Ebisu were afflicted with their condition. Orochi, tired of hearing their constant wailing, purposefully sent the corrupted fruits to Ebisu village to cause the people this hardship. Hiyori asks Zoro through tears, “If this is not hell, then what is it?”
Toko breaks through the fence in her anguish and runs to Yasui's side. There she begins to try to tend to her father's wounds but he's clearly long gone. Orochi catches sight of her and sees his opportunity to finally get his revenge for her earlier escape. He lets loose with his rifle and fires multiple shots at her. However, in true dramatic fashion, two figures jump in the way and stop the bullets – Sanji and Zoro. As the smoke clears, the bullets fall to the ground burnt or cut in two, and Zoro is cradling Toko in his arms to the shock and alarm of Orochi and his goons.
This episode is hard to talk about. In one sense, it is a “slower” episode that mostly involves long stretches of people crying or reacting to crying. There's a fair amount of exposition to boot, which means that the pacing is pretty slow.
That being said, it still hits like a mac truck. The voice acting really carries this episode, particularly the performances of Kokoro Kikuchi (Toko) and Nana Mizuki (Hiyori). The weight of this episode hinges on their deliveries and they nail it – the emotional anguish in their voices is palpable. This makes Sanji's and Zoro's dramatic rescue more than just cool guys doing cool stuff – it makes it one of the highlight moments of Wano as an arc.
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 ...
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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...