I have a pretty intimate attachment to this second half of Whole Cake Island, so I've always had the usual concerns for how the anime was going to adapt it. For whatever pacing issues still linger—for the record I still think the more tension-focused action fares much better with all the dramatic slow-motion than the plot-heavy first half—they are animating the hell out of the Katakuri fight, with many show-stopping scenes still on the horizon. Emotions are running crazy high now that Katakuri has a personal stake in the fight and Luffy is at least somewhat able to keep up with him in Fourth Gear.
The hits are getting so strong that the two fighters are sending each other flying hundreds of yards with each blow, and we're witness to some dreamlike tunnel vision as the environment warps around them to emphasize their speed. The fight is getting so exciting now, but by the end of the episode the status quo is restored with Katakuri recollecting himself and turning his pseudo-invincibility back on. It's an exhausting hit of the reset button that wouldn't be so bad if it were much earlier in the fight, but there isn't much you can do but sit back and wait for the next interesting story event to happen. I do like how it serves the power play of the fight, though, where as long as Katakuri can keep his cool and use his Observation Haki, he's the one in control of the fight. (I also like his new Bayonetta mochi arms.)
Elsewhere, we finally get an update on the cake baking subplot, where Chiffon's dad is knocking on the Sweets Factory, hoping to see his daughter for the first time since she was born, but he's coming face-to-face with Charlotte Oven, one of Katakuri's triplets. Oven's arrival on Cacao Island is where you really feel the wrinkles in the plotting of the Big Mom chase. He's there to offer some tension, a powerful foe just outside of the factory where Sanji and Pudding are making the cake. The Big Mom family have overheard the Straw Hats' plan to reunite with Luffy on this island, and so they're gathering reinforcements to make things even more difficult on the off-chance that Luffy wins his fight, but this new tension is coming at the same time we're being reminded that the Straw Hats' plan still has nine hours to go. You've got heroes and villains who want the same thing (a non-rampaging Big Mom) but can't work together because of Reasons™, and the points of tension keep coming at the most awkward times.
Now would be as good a time as ever for the audience to be asking themselves what they think is going to happen. The show is pushing this big gathering on Cacao Island including the whole Straw Hat crew, Luffy, Oven and his reinforcements, and then finally Big Mom herself. What's actually going to happen when Big Mom eats that cake? Will she be satisfied and let the Straw Hats go? Will she be just as antagonistic when she's sober? Maybe the cake will straight up knock her unconscious, like what Sanji bragged was going to happen? There's a really engaging puzzle box brewing in this chase, where the audience is being lured into trying to figure out the trajectory ahead of time. Mom's never rampaged this long so this is uncharted territory, even for her children.
The One Piece anime delivers another bombastic fight episode this week, digging its heels in the ground with a great production. I really like where things are going, but the rhythm at which it takes steps forward and then steps back can get cumbersome, which is an issue for how complicated the plot is and how desperately it needs to keep its story straight in order to be as impactful as possible. As has been the One Piece way for ages, the series keeps telegraphing how long-winded it is, almost like it's bragging, and I think episodes like this suffer the most from it.
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...
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...
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,...