The Luffy vs. Cracker fight takes a step back from being the star attraction to being the B story, as Sanji continues to interact with his family. I had an issue with how the anime decided to interpret the length of their fight last week, when they transitioned the fight into the daytime, but seeing Luffy then deflate from his use of Fourth Gear and struggle to hold himself up in his paralyzed state, knowing that his fight isn't nearly close to over, does a good job conveying that sense of exhaustion anyway. There's going to be a lot of Vinsmoke content in the coming episodes, and Luffy will have to survive long enough for that part to resolve itself, even though his biggest power-up has worn off.
We're not speeding things along any time soon, but thankfully they're killing time this week with some re-animated flashbacks to Sanji's history with Zeff, instead of continuing to take half a chapter's worth of content and spreading it all out over twenty minutes. At least this way, people can skip this part of the episode if the Zeff story is still fresh in their memory or revisit it if it's still a favorite. It's another one of those cases where the newer animation style just can't sell that original griminess, offering a version that feels lacking in physical detail. I even went back to the old version to compare, and while the drawings are still technically similar, the soul is unquestionably different.
Outside of the flashback (which is roughly half the episode), Sanji continues to deal with his family. One of the more exciting moments comes when Niji tries to kick Sanji but has to stop himself, yet there's still an explosion of wind that erupts. The follow-through of the feint feels massive, and we get a sense of how strong Niji is compared to Sanji. This comes as a result of Sanji being friendly to Cosette and eating the food Niji threw on the ground. It's a nice callback to when we first met Sanji and learned how sincere he was about his "never waste food" attitude.
There's a very small amount of new story content in this episode, mostly the continuing Cracker fight and learning what Sanji's father thinks of a man like Zeff stuffing unhelpful values into his son, since Judge has always been about whatever makes the strongest soldier above all else. Animation-wise, it's acceptable, but the moment-to-moment scene direction is far more cohesive than it was last week, although there's a much smaller variety of stuff happening here.
The pacing remains between a rock and a hard place since Toei's probably waiting for Whole Cake Island to end in the manga before they can reliably plan for the next filler arc. Their choices are to either stretch things out uncomfortably or continue doing this re-animated flashback thing, which is tricky in its own right because this arc has a plethora of new Sanji-related flashbacks already, and they're all being told out of order. It's a lose-lose scenario.
The summer anime season kicks off today with Rising Impact and The Strongest Magician in the Demon Lord's Army was a Human. Check back every day for new reviews of the latest shows!― Welcome to Anime News Network's Summer 2024 Anime Preview Guide! Here's how it goes: our team of critics writes up their impressions instantly, to be posted here as they go along. Each critic will cover as many shows a...
Successfully balancing fresh and familiar content and expanding on its own story, Tsukihime -A piece of blue glass moon- ranks among the all-time best video game remakes I’ve ever played.― It's hard to overstate just how big a deal the official English language release of Tsukihime -A piece of blue glass moon- (TBGM) is. Until very recently, English-speaking fans of Type-Moon—the creators of Tsukihi...
The more you know about the real-world events the film adapts, the better it gets. And frankly, I've had as much fun researching what really happened as I did watching the film.― *Note: This review contains moderate spoilers for Uma Musume Pretty Derby: Beginning of a New Era. The basic concept of Uma Musume is that "horse girls" are reincarnations of racehorses from our world who find themselves wi...
From returning big names like Oshi no Ko and Tower of God to newcomers like Suicide Squad ISEKAI, this summer anime season is bound to be interesting.― This upcoming season looks to be an interesting one. However, returning big names like Oshi no Ko and Tower of God and newcomers like Suicide Squad ISEKAI and Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian are only the start of what will be airing. So...
Hot off its world premiere at Anime Expo, we sat down with Blue Miburo's director and screenwriter about bringing the Shinsen-gumi to life.― Blue Miburo, a historical fiction manga centered around the legendary group of swordsmen known as the “Shinsengumi,” is getting an anime adaptation this fall. Recently, I was able to sit down with director Kumiko Habara and scenario writer Kenta Ihara to talk n...
CyberAgent to hold 72.5% controlling stake in Nitroplus, which becomes its subsidiary― CyberAgent announced on Wednesday that it has decided to acquire the creative company Nitroplus for 16.704 billion yen (about US$104 million). As of July 1, CyberAgent will hold a 72.5% controlling stake in Nitroplus, which will become part of the CyberAgent group of companies as a subsidiary. Nitroplus founder an...
We're catching up on a lot of news this week from Gainax to Tohru Furuya.― Kaiju No. 8's Biggest Monster Yet The newest episode of Kaiju No 8 features the team's most formidable foe so far! Plus, a new villain was revealed in Yatagarasu. We've also got even bigger news: Gainax's bankruptcy, the latest details on the Lord of the Rings anime, you can finally watch Sailor Moon Cosmos this summer and a...
This science fiction horror story from the early days of computers and robotics is fascinating, even as it takes its time getting to where it's going.― If you're only familiar with Kazuo Umezz's previously released titles from Viz's current Perfect Edition run, My Name is Shingo may surprise you. That's not because it's more science fiction than horror or features a central romance, but because this...
Chris and Lucas find their pockets stretched by the multitude of anime streaming services; let's see how far we can get using legal, free streaming!― Chris and Lucas find their pockets stretched by the multitude of anime streaming services; let's see how far we can get using legal, free streaming! Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the participants in this chatlog are not the views of ...
You've already seen the editorial team's picks for the best of the season, so now it's time for the opposite. From the painful to watch to the largely forgettable, here are our picks for the worst anime of spring 2024.― You've already seen the editorial team's picks for the best of the season, so now it's time for the opposite. From the painful to watch to the largely forgettable, here are our pick...
2nd season's 25th, final episode aired on Monday― The official website for the television anime of Kei Azumi's "alternate-world social reform fantasy" novel series Tsukimichi -Moonlit Fantasy- (Tsuki ga Michibiku Isekai Dōchū) announced on Monday that the series is getting a third season. The website unveiled a visual for the announcement: The 25th and final episode of the anime's second season aire...
Gorgeous art and an interesting mix of subgenres make this manhwa a must-read.― In The Perks of Being an S-Class Heroine, heroine Ailette's greatest desire is to be reborn into what she calls a “child-raising romantasy,” a subgenre of isekai where the heroine, an ordinary woman in her previous life, ends up starting from babyhood as the pampered princess of a powerful ruler. She doesn't mention that...
Based on the classic manga series comes a colorful story from artists Gurihiru and writer Samuel Sattin.― Publisher Scholastic and writer-artist team Samuel Sattin (The Essential Anime Guide) and Gurihiru ((Superman Smashes the Klan, It's Jeff) are set to release Unico: Awakening, their 210-page comic based on Osamu Tezuka's classic series on August 6. Anime News Network is sharing the first 30 pag...
As we reach the end of the Spring 2024 anime season, now's the perfect time for our editorial staff to come together and highlight the best the season had to offer—both the mainstream hits and the hidden gems.― As we reach the end of the Spring 2024 anime season, now's the perfect time for our editorial staff to come together and highlight the best the season had to offer—both the mainstream hits a...
Weekly Shonen Jump magazine to publish manga's final chapter on August 5― Shueisha announced on Monday in its "Jump Press" video that Kōhei Horikoshi's My Hero Academia manga will end in five chapters. The manga's final chapter will publish in Weekly Shonen Jump magazine's combined 36th and 37th issue, which will release on August 5. Horikoshi stated that the manga will continue "for a short while" ...
Hinaki Yano stars as protagonist Akane Sakuramori― Aniplex revealed on Monday that Seiju Amano's Class no Dai Kirai na Joshi to Kekkon suru Koto ni Natta. (I Ended Up Marrying the Girl in My Class I Hated the Most) story is getting a television anime adaptation, and also revealed the anime's teaser visual and main cast. The anime will star Hinaki Yano as the protagonist Akane Sakuramori (featured in...
Let's Do It Already's first volume is frothy, but this still reads like a fluffy shoujo romance. It's less of a sexy comedy than its copy implies, but it's still a fun read if you're a genre fan.― Ah, high school love – when some teens begin navigating the waters of relationships and their physical components, eager to learn what their bodies can do and do it with the people they're crushing on. The...
Teaser, key visual revealed― The staff for the television anime of Miraijin A's (also known as Jinei Mirai's) As a Reincarnated Aristocrat, I'll Use My Appraisal Skill to Rise in the World (Tensei Kizoku Kantei Sukiru de Nariagaru - Jakushō Ryōchi o Uketsuidanode, Yūshūna Jinzai o Fuyashite Itara, Saikyō Ryōchi ni Natteta) light novel series announced on Sunday that the anime will get a second telev...
Isekai fantasy launched in 2017― Micro Magazine revealed in a new promotional video on Sunday that Fehu Kazuno's Apocalypse Bringer Mynoghra: World Conquest Starts with the Civilization of Ruin (Isekai Mokushiroku Mynoghra: Hametsu no Bunmei de Hajimeru Sekai Seifuku) isekai fantasy light novel series is inspiring a television anime. Cross Infinite World publishes the series in English and describes...
Voice actor admitted to 4-year affair with acknowledged abuse last month― The talent agency Aoni Production and voice actor Toru Furuya jointly announced on Saturday that Furuya has stepped down from the roles of Tōru Amuro in the Detective Conan franchise and Sabo in the One Piece franchise. Aoni Production added that it had asked Furuya to step down, and Furuya obliged. Furuya himself added that h...