I wished the Shinobu and Momo scene impacted me more, but it sadly struck me as a bit dull, which is a shame given how important it is to the events at Onigashima. At least we got a terrific little Queen moment complete with his absurd reactions from the balcony, which continues to cement him as one of the real treats of this entire arc.
Much of the middle section of this episode served to simply reiterate how much is happening at Onigashima. We've got Yamato versus Ulti, Luffy versus goons, Big Mom chasing Nami, Zeus having his meltdown, Franky and Brook riding in on the motorcycle… goodness, this is just a lot isn't it? Imagine sitting down and trying to explain to someone everything that is happening in this fight. Even for someone who is keeping up weekly in manga and anime form, I think it would be a challenge to say the least. Not that it doesn't all make sense, mind you; it's just an unavoidable consequence of having dozens of characters on multiple vectors interacting across multiple floors of this giant multi-story structure. You might think we were going to stick to the epic confrontation happening with Kaido and the Akazaya Nine, but other than a brief flashback they don't make much of an appearance here.
The scene with Brook and Franky absolutely steals the show for this episode. Nami's attitude toward Zeus, while funny in the moment, is kind of odd to watch as an audience member. I'm never quite sure how I'm supposed to feel about it. But Brook and Franky riding into the scene, singing songs together on a giant rhinoceros motorcycle, and burning rubber on Big Mom's face (twice!) is a riot. It's the kind of absurd situation that feels right at home in One Piece, and serves as a great Cool Dudes Being Cool ™ entrance for two Straw Hats who seem to have been sidelined a lot in recent years. The gorgeous animation every time Big Mom attacks or gets close-up camera shots is icing on the (whole) cake.
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...
The plot is excellent in the romance camp. Everything that happens is to get Eui-joon and Gunwoo together, and it works pretty well.― You can read The Dangerous Convenience Store in English two ways. The first is to read it on the manhwa site/app Manta, which has all seventy-five chapters and four bonus stories available. The second is to read Seven Seas' print (or ebook) edition, which, as of this ...
Some older mysteries inch closer to resolution as the true nature of the Abyss slowly comes into view, and long-posed questions start to be answered.― Sometimes, being a fan of Akihito Tsukushi's acclaimed Made in Abyss series means acclimating to suffering. Like many Western devotees, I was introduced to this bizarre, squishy, disturbing world via the 2017 first season of Kinema Citrus' fantastic a...
Anime premieres in 2024― Adult Swim's YouTube channel began streaming a first look video for the Rick and Morty: The Anime series on Saturday. The show will premiere on Adult Swim and Max in 2024, and will also run on Adult Swim Canada. The anime will be an original work, with adapted themes and events from the main Rick and Morty animated series. Takashi Sano (Tower of God) is writing and directing...
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...