It's now finally time for One Piece to answer the question, "why bother saving the Vinsmokes?" The initial pitch was that Sanji couldn't just walk away and let his family die, even though they did all those horrible things to him. I kind of understood what he meant at the time—we can sympathize with the fact that he saw himself as weak for wanting to do so, which made Luffy's support that much more empowering—but it creates a weird pretzel of alliances where we're trying to save one awful family by helping Capone assassinate another awful family. I don't think casual audiences are going to find the idea of helping the bad guys in a series that normally punches them all that thrilling or cathartic, either.
And that's where episodes like this become really important. Now that Judge's goals and ego have been shattered by Big Mom's betrayal and Sanji's rescue, Sanji's in position to make a firm declaration of secession. "Admit you're not my father!" and all that. The child known as "Vinsmoke" Sanji died at sea as far as our hot-headed cook is concerned, and the act of kindness he's offering his family by saving them is more about upholding Zeff's values than anything else. It's here that the Whole Cake Island arc reveals itself as a grand-scale version of what we saw Sanji doing way back in Baratie, where he'd feed hungry pirates knowing full well they could turn against him the second they were back to full health. Sanji and Zeff's attitude of "I'll save your ass now and then kick it later if I have to" attitude is pretty cool and inspiring, and that philosophy is the spine that makes the rest of this arc even possible.
That's the most important event that happens this week, while the rest of the episode plods along slowly as Big Mom finally returns to consciousness and starts whacking away at the Big Father, which is where our heroes are currently hiding. There's really not much going on this week until we reach the Sanji and Judge scene, so it's otherwise a pretty unexceptional episode. That scene is solid, however, one of the cleanest emotional beats of the arc. By the end, Judge is turning his back to the audience, ready to head out and start his fight with Big Mom again because he doesn't want to owe Sanji anything. If there's one thing these two men can agree to work together on, it's getting to the point where they don't have to be in each other's lives anymore.
I do wish this episode gave me a larger variety of things to talk about. Now that we're in the action half of the arc, I fully expect to see the pace pick up and slow down at random like this, which has me sweating. The Straw Hats' fight right now is to be anything other than sitting ducks, since Capone can only keep them safe for so long and they only have a vague idea of an escape plan. It's been a good three episodes so far of "Oh no! The Big Mom pirates are closing in!" This is possibly the most important episode in terms of Sanji's arc in WCI, but it sure isn't much else.
Each story is like a dark portal into a realm of human sexuality that society usually sweeps under the rug, but I can't look away.― Nude Model delivers on the promise of its lurid title. This manga, consisting of three equally intense short stories, is charged with eroticism and danger, with epiphanies lurking around every corner. Created by Tsubasa Yamaguchi, Nude Model is nothing like her most wel...
Find out about the young star who set the internet aflame and walked away with two medals. Plus: Thousand-Year Door updates, a new HunterxHunter game, and Miku!― Welcome back, folks! As is my wont, I'd like to plug my El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron HD Remaster that went up earlier this week... but I've also got the disappointing news that Megaton Musashi W: Wired finally released in the US la...
Daisuke 'Dice' Tsutsumi shares what it was like to leave Pixar and how his studio will never shy away from honesty in their work, even when honesty isn't pretty.― Director Daisuke "Dice" Tsutsumi contributed to films like Toy Story 3 and Monsters University while simultaneously crafting what became his Academy Award-nominated animated short film, The Dam Keeper. His latest short film, Bottle George,...
Mimori intends to continue voice roles, singing career― Voice actress and singer Suzuko Mimori announced on her Twitter account on Thursday that she is moving to the United States this summer. She acknowledges that the move will mean that her voice work will not necessarily stay the same as before, but that she will strive to continue performing her roles to the best off her ability. She also added ...
Chris and Nick put on their headphones and dust off their vinyl records for a look at this season's guitar-strumming, mic-swinging girl groups.― Chris and Nick put on their headphones and dust off their vinyl records for a look at this season's guitar-strumming, mic-swinging girl groups. Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the participants in this chatlog are not the views of Anime News...
I cannot imagine how Square Enix could top themselves after this.― Final Fantasy VII Rebirth initially launched on the last day of February, and if you look at the date of this review's publication, you will immediately be able to discern one thing about this second entry of the FF7 Remake series: It is gargantuan. The first game got plenty of praise (and plenty of flak) for taking the relatively sh...
Anime's first season premiered in 2018― The official website for Kakuriyo -Bed & Breakfast for Spirits-, the television anime of writer Midori Yūma and illustrator Laruha's Kakuriyo Yadomeshi (Afterlife Inn Cooking) light novel series, announced that the series will have a second season in fall 2025, and revealed a teaser visual on Wednesday. The novels' 2023 manga adaptation artist Tsugaru Toba als...
The Manga Guide library expands with six more series, including Trinity Seven -Revision-, Watch Dogs Tokyo, Fed Up With Being the Spoiled Queen's Genius Butler,, and more!― Welcome to Anime News Network's Spring 2024 Manga Guide! You may have seen one of our seasonal Anime Preview Guides, where a team of critics writes up each new anime television premiere as it airs at the beginning of a season. N...
With a new Nintendo Switch port available, even more gamers can experience Enoch's transcendental adventure across the world. How does it fare on Nintendo's portable device?― El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron was a curious game when it released in 2011. The world wasn't quite ready for it then, but time (and a PC port) helped people accept it. With a new Nintendo Switch port available, even more...
Manhwa is starting to find its footing in American comic book sphere, but it's not just another version of "manga." Find out what makes Korean comics unique.― The door to English-translated manga opened in the 1980s, and despite some fits and starts, essentially never looked back. Manhwa, or Korean comics, have had a much more troubled journey to popular visibility in English. Around 2006, manhwa be...
The new anime series is far more forthright about the idol and seiyū industry, from maintaining relevance on social media to subsisting on substandard wages.― The new anime series is far more forthright about the idol and seiyū industry, from maintaining relevance on social media to subsisting on substandard wages. Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the participants in this chatlog are...
Ultimately, my biggest problem with Shaman King Flowers is that it mostly just feels like a set-up to a much larger story that has yet to actually happen.― [Warning, this review will contain major spoilers for the ending of Shaman King (2021)] If there's one thing that can be counted on with battle shonen properties, it's that any of them that go on long enough will inevitably get some sequel series...