The Luffy vs. Cracker fight has not benefited from the anime's less-than-one-chapter-per-episode pacing, but I really admire the experience it's trying to take the audience through, constantly shifting between the foreground and background while we watch both combatants get exhausted by each other's near-infinite tricks. Luffy's victory is a satisfying one—it took multiple rounds of Fourth Gear and most of an in-world day for him to finally come out on top of his 800 million bounty foe. Luffy barely defeating a Doflamingo-level opponent is just a stepping stone to facing the challenges of this arc, although knowing Luffy, he'll keep pushing forward despite the overwhelming odds.
It took a lengthy ten episodes to get here, which is far from ideal, but I love how it started in the middle of the night and bled into the next day, allowing us to emerge back into the world with fresh optimism. The method of defeat is also novel, as Luffy combines his big chubby body after eating hundreds of Cracker's biscuit soldiers with Fourth Gear in order to create the massive "Tank Man", which looks equal parts intimidating and stupid. But laugh all you will, because Luffy is sick of this fight and ends it by blowing Cracker across the island in a satisfying, aggressive victory.
Between the end of the fight, the exposition we get about Big Mom's powers, and the setup with the Vinsmokes heading off to meet the Charlotte family, this episode feels uncharacteristically packed. More than that, the general tone is the most distinctly One Piece out of all the Whole Cake Island episodes yet. From the animation to the music, it looks and sounds great, but that's not to say it's overexerting itself. This is the kind of episode that would be average in a better produced show, but it stands out as a breath of fresh air for One Piece, as it revels in its comfortable low-rent Disney tone. There's a very specific feeling that I look for in Toei's One Piece, a feeling they seem largely disinterested in these days, but an episode like this is so back-to-basics that I can't help but imagine the shift is purposeful.
The episode ends with Sanji sternly joining his family as they board the carriage leading them to Big Mom. The atmosphere is tense as we get the contrast between the lavish celebration of Germa soldiers waving them off, and Sanji's bitter expression as he readies himself for his wedding. He doesn't want to be a prince, he wants to be a pirate, darn it! The marketing for the show has been promoting the upcoming Luffy vs. Sanji fight up and down, and the build-up to it in this scene is fantastic.
It's almost indescribable how good it feels to see a One Piece episode that simply feels "right". Independent of the animation or pacing, there's a soul to this production that shines through every now and then, and I'm a total sucker for it. The Whole Cake Island arc is on its last stretch in the manga right now, and this chance to re-evaluate it through the anime after gathering my thoughts puts me right back where I want to be with this show. One Piece is good, you guys.
Takashi Shiina, Katsuyuki Sumisawa launched adaptation in September 2021― The seventh volume of the Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon (Hanyō no Yashahime) manga adaptation by Takashi Shiina and Katsuyuki Sumisawa revealed on May 17 that the series will enter the "final battle" in the eighth volume, which ships in fall 2024. Viz has the rights "to the digital streaming, EST, and home video" of the orig...
This is a good series to check out if you like more bite with your vampire romances.― Going into Bloody Sweet, I expected to find a fluffy rom-com about a girl and the vampire she accidentally gets attached to. Instead, I found a story about a bullied high school girl whose bullies are smart enough to evade all of the checks and balances the school has put in place. When Naerim accidentally awakens ...
In our brand-new column, Lynzee Loveridge comes clean about her backlog, starting with one of the most popular anime ever. Use this space here for critical finger-wagging and exclamations of disbelief.― I have a secret. A no-good, embarrassing, shame-inducing secret. I'm the executive editor at Anime News Network but there are, in fact, anime I have not watched. Not just forgettable mid-tier season...
Chiu shares how she brought the SEA simulcast service to the forefront after founding it at 17 years old.― Over the past six years, many streaming and simulcast services have catered to otaku in Asia, offering simulcasts of seasonal anime and theatrical anime screenings. One such service is Ani-One Asia, a Hong Kong-based Medialink Group brand that offers a competitive lineup of simulcasts every se...
'Eikyū -Tokoshie-' debuts in episode 2 on Sunday― The staff for the Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Hashira Training Arc television anime confirmed on X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday that HYDE×MY FIRST STORY is performing the new ending theme song "Eikyū -Tokoshie-" (Eternity -Eternity-), which premieres in the second episode on Sunday. Yuki Kajiura wrote the music and lyrics for the song, and also a...
The benefit of being committed to such a simple setup is that the story knows exactly what it needs to do to invoke the maximum emotional response for this type of story.― I Want You To Make Me Beautiful is a simple story that does everything it sets out to do. At its heart, it's a straightforward story about moving on from the pain of a bad breakup and reinventing yourself into something better. Th...
Masaaki Mizunaka, KENN, Daiki Yamashita, Maria Naganawa, more join cast― The staff for the anime of Kaoru Shinozaki's Failure Frame: I Became the Strongest and Annihilated Everything With Low-level Spells (Hazure Waku no "Jōtai Ijō Skill" de Saikyō ni Natta Ore ga Subete wo Jūrin Suru made) light novel series revealed on Sunday the anime's ending theme song's title and artist, additional cast member...
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...
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...
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...