I wished the Shinobu and Momo scene impacted me more, but it sadly struck me as a bit dull, which is a shame given how important it is to the events at Onigashima. At least we got a terrific little Queen moment complete with his absurd reactions from the balcony, which continues to cement him as one of the real treats of this entire arc.
Much of the middle section of this episode served to simply reiterate how much is happening at Onigashima. We've got Yamato versus Ulti, Luffy versus goons, Big Mom chasing Nami, Zeus having his meltdown, Franky and Brook riding in on the motorcycle… goodness, this is just a lot isn't it? Imagine sitting down and trying to explain to someone everything that is happening in this fight. Even for someone who is keeping up weekly in manga and anime form, I think it would be a challenge to say the least. Not that it doesn't all make sense, mind you; it's just an unavoidable consequence of having dozens of characters on multiple vectors interacting across multiple floors of this giant multi-story structure. You might think we were going to stick to the epic confrontation happening with Kaido and the Akazaya Nine, but other than a brief flashback they don't make much of an appearance here.
The scene with Brook and Franky absolutely steals the show for this episode. Nami's attitude toward Zeus, while funny in the moment, is kind of odd to watch as an audience member. I'm never quite sure how I'm supposed to feel about it. But Brook and Franky riding into the scene, singing songs together on a giant rhinoceros motorcycle, and burning rubber on Big Mom's face (twice!) is a riot. It's the kind of absurd situation that feels right at home in One Piece, and serves as a great Cool Dudes Being Cool ™ entrance for two Straw Hats who seem to have been sidelined a lot in recent years. The gorgeous animation every time Big Mom attacks or gets close-up camera shots is icing on the (whole) cake.
Miles Atherton crunched Netflix's latest numbers for some surprising anime discoveries, from the popularity of My Happy Marriage to the One Piece juggernaut.― Since the advent of streaming, it's been notoriously difficult to gauge how popular a specific anime is with international audiences, both for publishers looking to make informed decisions for a market that generates most of its revenue outsi...
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With the release of Dead Dead Demon's Dededededestruction, Nick and Steve take a look at it and some other manga that were thought to be "unadaptable"—and see if that was truly the case.― With the release of Dead Dead Demon's Dededede Destruction, Nick and Steve take a look at it and some other manga that were thought to be "unadaptable"—and see if that was truly the case. Disclaimer: The views and...
LiSA performs 'Black Box' opening theme― The official website for NieR:Automata Ver 1.1a, the television anime of Square Enix and Platinum Games' NieR:Automata action role-playing game, started streaming its "promotion file 11" on Tuesday. The video previews the opening theme song "Black Box" by LiSA, and reveals the premiere of the anime's second cours (quarter of year) in July. (The video below re...
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The documentary was full of cool tidbits about the 82-year-old producer and the anime he's worked on—including Ninja Scroll, Pluto, and In This Corner of the World.― Late last month, Japanese television network NHK put out a documentary on anime producer Masao Maruyama as part of their Anime Manga Explosion series. In it, the show delves into the now 82-year-old producer's life, philosophies, and so...
Masaki Watanabe directs anime at TMS Entertainment― Shueisha announced on Monday in its first "Jump Press" video that Yuuto Suzuki's Sakamoto Days manga will get a television anime series in January 2025 starring Tomokazu Sugita as Taro Sakamoto. The video also revealed the main staff. Masaki Watanabe (KADO - The Right Answer, Bartender, several Battle Spirits anime) is directing the anime at TMS En...
This is where the series earns its place in anime history, setting a precedent that other magical girl shows will follow.― It's a moment of magical girl history, right there on the screen: in episode forty-six of Fairy Princess Minky Momo's original 1982-83 television series, Momo is hit by a truck and dies. Even putting aside the question of whether or not this is Truck-kun's first victim, this is ...
Teaser video streamed― Bandai Namco Filmworks announced on Saturday that the Ghost in the Shell franchise is getting a new television anime series in 2026. Science Saru will produce the anime, which is tentatively titled Kōkaku Kidōtai (The Ghost in the Shell). Bandai Namco Filmworks, Kodansha, Science Saru, and Production I.G are on the production committee for the series. Bandai Namco Filmworks al...
This is a movie I never want to watch again. However, this is not because it's bad. Rather, it's a testament to just how incredible this film is.― Dead Dead Demon's Dededede Destruction Part 2 is a film I never want to watch again. However, this is not because it's bad. Rather, it's a testament to just how incredible this film is. The film is full of well-developed and memorable characters—especiall...