Toki helps Oden recover from his bloated state and they begin to get to know one another. They instantly bond over having saved one another, and begin discussing their dreams: his to see the world beyond Wano, hers to finally see Wano. Eventually more pirates arrive, but Whitebeard returns and intervenes. Whitebeard's crew gave him no end of grief over how he treated Oden, and he begrudgingly allows Oden and Toki to come aboard with his crew.
They embark on years of adventure and trouble-making. They visit new islands, fight the navy, and make merriment. Oden is overjoyed at exploring more and more of the world, while he and Toki both ingratiate themselves with Whitebeard's crew. The couple eventually starts a family of their own, and Momonosuke is born aboard the ship.
Meanwhile, developments are afoot back on Wano. Oden's father is about to succumb to illness. Until Oden can return, he entrusts the care of Wano to Orochi, whom he says Oden loved like a brother. Yasuie finds this puzzling, and notices a sinister glint in Orochi's eyes. Back at Whitebeard's fleet, the crew continues to grow until there is a need to break up into divisions. Whitebeard gives Oden command of the 2nd division, and new crew members like Teech are brought on before we draw to a close.
Another solid episode of the Wano arc. I think the flashback does a good job of selling Toki and Oden's bond, which is the critical emotional portion of this arc. While I wouldn't exactly call their romance compelling, it does feel grounded and Momonosuke's birth also feels appropriately significant – more than it did in the manga for myself at least. The shot of them both standing with the sky sparkling behind them and seagulls flying overhead was particularly sweet.
The real treat is Oden's boundless enthusiasm. Seeing his wide-eyed wonder at exploring new places with an insatiable hunger for exploration is wonderful. In this aspect we see echoes of him in Luffy's own character, and that heedless charge into the unknown that they are both known for. Seeing Oden begin to write his journal also feels critically important, as he is one of the few characters who we primarily know of in the present tense through his personal writings.
We also got a shot of baby Shanks and baby Buggy D Clown, and that's all you need for a good episode of anime, folks.
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...
Crystal Kay previously sang themes for 2004's Fullmetal Alchemist and Nodame Cantabile― Recently, Anime News Network was able to sit down with singer-songwriter Crystal Kay and talk about not only her involvement with anime over the years but also what it was like to grow up in Japan as the child of a Korean-Japanese mother and an African-American father. Anime fans likely know of Crystal Kay throug...
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As Slam Dunk reached its final stretch, I can see why this series is considered the sports classic that it is today.― This is the largest batch of Slam Dunk episodes that I've reviewed thus far. Originally, I wanted to review the show in more even seasons, but given its overall pacing and release, it wasn't easy to find a moment where it felt right to stop and start again. However, as we approached ...
2nd part opens in Japanese theaters on June 7― The staff for the four-part Code Geass: Rozé of the Recapture (originally titled Gode Geass: Z of the Recapture, or Dakkan no Zetto) anime project revealed a trailer and a visual on Saturday for the second part in the project. The below video previews MIYAVI's opening theme song "Running In My Head." The anime's first part premiered in Japan on Friday. ...
James and Lynzee discuss the latest episode of Yatagarsu. Plus, GoHands keeps making anime, and we don't know WHY.― Yatagarasu Gets Violent! James and Lynzee discuss the latest episode of Yatagarsu, in which Wakamiya plays his hand to find out the truth behind his older brother's scheming to obtain the throne. Plus, GoHands keeps making anime, and we don't know WHY; Hunter x Hunter manga is on its ...
Making a sequel to Code Geass is a daunting task. But with its fantastic main character and a story that doesn't undercut what came before, Rozé of the Recapture is on the right track.― Making a sequel to Code Geass—especially one set close to the end of the series—is a daunting task. Any story that involves an ongoing war massively undercuts both the finale of the original anime and the sacrifices ...
The Switch sequel console is finally happening! The details are scarce, but you can find out more in this week's column. Also: an interview with El Shaddai's Sawaki Takeyasu, Microsoft layoffs, and more.― Welcome back, folks! What a wild week this has been for the gaming industry. We'll go further into it, but jeez. This past week also saw the disappearance of Capcom's Dark Void and Dark Void Zero. ...
The Code Geass creator discusses his new project with Web3 company Azuki, Enter the Garden, and his hope that this new path could help the medium evolve.― Los Angeles-based Web3 anime-styled brand Azuki and advertising conglomerate Dentsu debuted the first nine-minute episode of their joint anime endeavor, Enter the Garden, on April 30. The episode, which has already racked up a quarter of a million...