Flashbacks are akin to holy territory in One Piece, and you can always tell that the anime wants to go the extra mile in getting them right. Last week's episode began with Sanji's father disowning him so hard that he faked his own son's death and locked him up in a blatant Man in the Iron Mask allusion, all while Sanji's siblings get to grow up basking in approval.
It's here that we get the show's trademark flashback-within-a-flashback, as an imprisoned Sanji remembers his first attempt to cook food for his sickly mother, Sora. I think there's a good balance in giving Sanji a fascination with cooking, even back then, while also making it clear that he's awful at it and misguided at this point in life. A lot of his general philosophies both in and out of the kitchen will eventually be a product of his experiences with Zeff, so it's good to know that we can get this tragic prequel story and still preserve Zeff as his most important role model.
One of the things I found noteworthy was the use of distinctly old East Blue era tracks in the music, the kind of stuff that's sparse nowadays but always added a tender charm to the series. Child Sanji is especially emotional in this episode, looking cuter and sadder than I think I've ever seen. The scene where his mother eats his rotten dirty food after he trudged through a storm to give it to her is as genuinely sweet and adorable as you can imagine. There's a lot of contrast between happy Sanji and sad Sanji, especially once his mother passes away. It's heartbreaking.
There's also some down time spent with his sister Reiju, who cleans him up after his brothers discover him in the basement and decide to beat on him once more. There's a potential parallel between adult Sanji's love for women and the fact that women were the only nurturing figures in his life during childhood, but then you're kind of contradicting the Zeff stuff, and I don't find it all that compelling a connection to begin with. The most striking dynamic here is between Sanji and his father, where during the climactic scene of the episode, Judge gives him a chance to escape under the condition that they never discuss their familial relationship to anyone. It's a threatening scene that highlights Judge's patheticness. Obviously Sanji flees, and it ultimately leads him to a better life, but you can really feel how much damage it does to his own self-worth to be reminded that his father doesn't love him, even in an otherwise cathartic escape.
This is an episode that I wish could have looked a little nicer for the sake of the content that's being covered, but it's otherwise an installment that juggles a lot of unusual tones expertly. It's sad, it's scary, it's pleasant and hopeful. The episode ends as we return to the present where Sanji's brothers are giving him another brutal wallop, showing off how nothing's truly changed. The tragedy is that Sanji ever had to cross paths with his family again at all, and you really feel it as we close out.
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,...
Suzumura to concentrate on recovering from deteriorating health condition― Talent agency Intention announced on Thursday that Kenichi Suzumura will take a break to concentrate on resting due to poor health. The agency stated that Suzumura's health condition continued to deteriorate, and after a diagnosis from the doctor, it was decided that he needs to take a break. The agency stated that it will pr...
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Crunchyroll to stream upcoming anime― Aniplex and Crunchyroll announced on Wednesday that the late manga creator Hisaya Nakajo's Hana-Kimi manga is inspiring an anime. In addition, Crunchyroll announced that it will stream the anime when it premieres in North America, Central America, South America, Europe, Africa, Oceania, the Middle East, the CIS, and India. The announcement did not reveal the deb...
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...
Japanese studio to handle production slated for broadcast, streaming globally― Kadokawa and Singaporean game developer and publisher Garena announced on Monday that they are co-producing an anime adaptation of Garena's Garena Free Fire battle royale shooting game, with a Japanese studio handling the animation. Kadokawa's Kadokawa Qingyu subsidiary is the production manager. The anime is planned to b...
Healer Nanna's powers have one very unique caveat: she has to have sex with the person to heal them. See why Rebecca Silverman calls it "a cute story, decently racy, and generally good, fluffy fun."― One of the fun things about Seven Seas' Steamship line of racy manga aimed at a female audience is finding which romance tropes are prevalent in any given release. While every genre has its tropes and s...
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Train to the End of the World and Voice Actor Radio are getting a lot of love these last few weeks! Discover which other series stand out in our weekly user rankings!― 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 that these rankings...