We finally step outside the Poneglyph room and get some fresh air as we inch closer and closer to the end of the Zou arc. The backdrop may have changed, but the piles upon piles of exposition have not stopped being rolled out.
It's in this episode that Luffy makes his next plan of action explicitly clear: Retrieve Sanji from Big Mom's clutches before returning to his newly formed alliance to fight Kaido in the samurai country of Wano. His allies agree to this term, feeling good about the support that somebody as strong as Sanji could provide in the upcoming battle. So that settles it, the next arc destination is Whole Cake Island.
I'm not kidding when I say that this is an exposition heavy episode, as there's very little to talk about beyond the lore nuggets that the characters keep dropping. It's a continuation of what we had been seeing in the past few episodes, and my comment last week about the repetition still rings true. Thankfully, however, it all happens while the characters are walking outside on their way to get the plot started back up, so there is at least a tiny bit of forward momentum. The new information this week centers around Cat Viper and Dogstorm's history, back when they were Oden's retainers and followed him on his adventures, both on Whitebeard's pirate ship as well as Roger's. Dogstorm is also able to quell Nami's concerns about getting off track from the log pose, saying that the Straw Hats' journey to Raftel via the Poneglyphs has already taken them the step beyond. I'm still not really sure if this information makes sense to me. There's a lot of talk about whether the final island at the end of the log pose is indeed Raftel or not, and things only got more confusing as a result of the given information.
Visually, I was incredibly close to saying that this was a beautiful looking episode with it's nice landscape shots of Zou, but then I saw Nami. This is one of those episodes where the women's figures are exaggerated to an uncharacteristic degree, even by this show's standards. I get that Oda draw his women with skinny waists and big boobs, but I can't recall a time where his drawings ever looked as obnoxious as they are here. It's clearly a deliberate style choice that comes with certain artists or directors, and it just looks like garbage. Fanservice as tone deaf and ugly as this makes the show as a whole worse, and it's far and above one of the most unfortunate things about the modern One Piece anime.
The action should pick up next week as Jack re-enters the frame, but the story's got us so focused on Whole Cake Island right now that he feels more like an inconvenience. This isn't a bad episode, but it's a little too draining at this point in the story to dedicate this much time to info dumps, especially since the best information was given to us several episodes ago.
Pokémon Horizons: The Series premieres in Japan on April 14― The Pokémon Company revealed a new Japanese promotional video on Friday for the new anime in the Pokémon franchise. Additionally, the company also revealed the show's English title, Pokémon Horizons: The Series. The below video features the new opening song "Dokimeki Diary asmi feat. Chinozo." The anime will premiere on April 14 and will h...
The Ancient Magus' Bride Season 2, Mashle: Magic and Muscles, Dr. Stone: New World, more anime― Crunchyroll announced on Wednesday that it has licensed the following titles for streaming in the upcoming spring anime season (premiere dates in parentheses): Hell's Paradise (April 1) with dubs in English, German, French, Latin American Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, Castilian Spanish, Italian, and Hind...
Series centers on college student who reincarnates as villainess in otome RPG― Kadokawa announced on Friday that author Satori Tanabata and illustrator Tea's Villainess Level 99 (Akuyaku Reijō Level 99: Watashi wa Ura Boss Desu ga Maō dewa Arimasen) light novel series is getting a television anime adaptation. J-Novel Club announced earlier this month that it had licensed the novels, and it describe...
New promo video streamed following 1st part's end― The staff for the television anime of Miri Mikawa and Aki's Sugar Apple Fairy Tale light novel series announced on Friday that the anime's second cours (quarter of a year) will premiere in July. The first cours ended on Friday. The anime premiered on AT-X, Tokyo MX, BS Asahi, and Sun TV on January 6. Crunchyroll is streaming the series as it airs, a...
Bottom-tier Character Tomozaki light novel author Yūki Yaku writes scripts for anime― Doga Kobo announced on Friday that it is producing an original television anime series titled Jellyfish Can't Swim in the Night (Yoru no Kurage wa Oyogenai) that will air in 2024. The anime will celebrate the 50th anniversary of Doga Kobo. The youth story will take place in Shibuya. JELEE is credited with the origi...
Visual shows 4 main characters― Fuji TV announced on Wednesday that the new television anime project based on Nobuhiro Watsuki's Rurouni Kenshin manga will premiere on Fuji-TV's Noitamina programming block in July. The anime's staff unveiled a visual featuring the four main characters: Sōma Saito stars in the series as Kenshin Himura, and Rie Takahashi costars as Kaoru Kamiya. Taku Yashiro will play...
Despite it's huge roster and customization options, Alice Gear Aegis CS remains threadbare in the story department and is hindered by repetitive combat.― Alice Gear Aegis CS: Concerto of Simulatrix is probably one of the most “ok” games I have ever played. It is perfectly functional and achieves everything it sets out to do. It is stable, runs at a consistent frame rate on the Switch, and has everyt...
We might be saying goodbye to Ryza as a game protagonist, but she'll be back in her own anime! Also, some good news for a well-known Resident Evil modder and the push for a new American McGee's Alice game.― Welcome back, everyone! It's been an emotional week. Between the death of Lance Reddick, whose presence in Destiny 2 was beloved by many of its fans, and the release of Atelier Ryza 3, we've had ...
In the context of pop culture, Ito's style has come to stand out from the norms with unique characters and stories that leap off the page.― Over the years, Japanese media has earned a distinguished place on the stage of contemporary horror. Some may even consider them a forerunner, with works such as Ringu and Ju-On setting the bar for the genre. That said, the boom of J-horror in the 90s' was perha...
Watch all of this season's trailers with Lynzee Loveridge, Jacki Jing, James Beckett, and Geoff Thew from Mother's Basement! Find out your next "must-watch" in the 48 anime series set to premiere in April. Will we survive the entire stream? Will we unlock the hidden power of friendship and find our magical girl alter-egos? See for yourselves, live on Friday March 24 at 5pm Pacific/8pm Eastern!― Watc...
It's difficult to overstate both how good a chapter this is and how important it is, both for readers and for Nomoto as a character.― Note: You can read our review of the first volume here. Kasuga and Nomoto are still at it—Nomoto enjoys putting her culinary talents to use in ways she's never been able to before, while Kasuga is happy to eat what she provides, and the two genuinely enjoy spending ti...
Onimai might have had a controversial first episode, but it's a surprisingly sweet and nuanced story at heart. Steve and Chris give the series a second look.― Onimai might have had a controversial first episode, but it's a surprisingly sweet and nuanced story at heart. Steve and Chris give the series a second look. This series is streaming on Crunchyroll Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed...
Ryza is and always will be that charming, winsome alchemist with an eager smile and boundless joy for seeing the world. And it just feels good to explore the world with her and her friends.― In the grand tradition of the Atelier games, the series is divvied up into subseries connected by protagonists. With Atelier Ryza 3: Alchemist of the End & the Secret Key, we not only see the end of the unpreced...
In its final volume, Crazy Food Truck hones in on a 'live fast, die young' approach that seems at odds with the mood of the previous volumes.― If the ending to the second volume of Crazy Food Truck had you thinking it would lead into some lengthy, epic story arc that would carry the third volume to the foretold finish for the series, you'd end up surprised. We're still in the opening chapter of this...
The Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague has been getting better week after week, and it's now paying off in the cumulative. Discover what else is moving in the 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 ran...
“History does not repeat, but it often rhymes.” Brian Stremick uncovers the parallels between the latest Gundam series and the European witch hunts of the 15-17th centuries.― “History does not repeat, but it often rhymes.” One of the best anime franchises to depict this concept is Mobile Suit Gundam. Since the first TV anime aired in 1979, this franchise has shown that for all the technological or p...
With an anime coming in April, Rebecca Silverman describes Insomniacs After School as a story less about its teen protagonists getting rest and more about how they are able to form a bond over their shared disorder.― Insomnia – real insomnia and not just the occasional inability to fall asleep – is among the most debilitating conditions you can have. A lack of sleep takes a toll on you both physical...
What's the most exciting new anime announcement? And what's the guarantee that your favorite series will get a good adaptation—or any adaptation at all?― What's the most exciting new anime announcement? And what's the guarantee that your favorite series will get a good adaptation—or any adaptation at all? Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the participants in this chatlog are not the v...