If there's one thing that I often sorely miss as a result of less-than-stellar production values in One Piece, it's the atmosphere. I think of Toei's output as going through cycles rather than an overall declination, but something that we used to see the anime show a softer, more tender side more often. That goes beyond how sad or happy the plot is, because some of my favorite memories from the early days were those times where you could sit in silence without dialogue, listen to the pretty piano music, and admire the texture of this pirate world. Episodes that remind us of that still come around from time to time, but it's not often enough for my taste.
The Whole Cake Island arc has not been especially tidy so far. It had a major highlight with Big Mom's musical number, and I've gotten into the spirit of things despite whatever pacing or visual issues it's been facing, but this is the first episode of the arc so far that really feels great in the way that we wish the anime could be all the time. The heartfelt "I love these characters so much I want to cry" quality that's always been a highlight of this series is captured perfectly here, simply through well-drawn art and simple but nostalgic music choices. For once, the shine of the anime's modern look is not at all in conflict with the earthier tone of the story.
The anchor of the story this week comes in the form of a flashback, just a few hours before Jimbei's arrival onto the scene. Last week, he smashed his way into the arc's already meaty cast, and now we're reeling back to get a little more context for what's going on. As if there were any doubts about Jimbei's intention to join the Straw Hat pirates (he and Luffy's group will be operating on different sides of the island for a little while yet), we get a scene where Jimbei gushes about Luffy and his stern belief that the little rubber guy's going to be the Pirate King one day. His crew is more than happy to let him leave and follow his dreams of sailing with Luffy, telling him that he's done more than enough on other people's behalf for one lifetime. It's genuinely a beautiful moment, and Jimbei's surprise at how willing his crew is to support this big life change is adorable. His reasons not to join Luffy's crew are dwindling fast.
There's also a sequence with the Straw Hats and Pedro having an equally pleasant campfire, where we learn of Pedro's past life as a pirate and his prior relationship to Whole Cake Island. This is followed up with an animation-intensive fight scene where they all fend off an attacking army of cartoon ants. This sequence looks fantastic, and I love how much the characters are given distinctive body language as they fight.
This is the kind of episode that makes me wonder if I've been too easy on the others. Obviously, I've still been having a good time with the arc up until now, and adaptation quality is not the only thing on offer if you haven't read the manga before, but there's something that just feels so right here. This feels much more One Piece to me, exactly what I'd hope the anime could be even half the time. It's not good "for One Piece," it's just regular ole good.
I can't recommend the series, nor think that any hypothetical viewer would enjoy it, but it is the kind of trash TV that's rewarding to dissect.― Have you ever wondered what Baki would be like if it had a conservative bent instead of queer undertones? Well, look no further because the answer is Kengan Ashura! While Kengan is trying to convey the same spectacle and white-knuckle action of the long-ru...
Film also available to rent, purchase digitally on several major outlets in N. America― The official X/Twitter account for TOHO's Godzilla franchise announced on Saturday that Takashi Yamazaki's Godzilla Minus One film is streaming worldwide on Netflix. The film is available worldwide, but is currently not available in Japan. Godzilla Minus One/Minus Color, the black-and-white version of the film, w...
One Piece: Heroines novel also licensed― Viz Media revealed its new licenses and new print releases planned for spring 2025 on Friday. Kazuyoshi Seto's Minecraft: The Manga: Announcement: Add this book to your enchantment room! Join Nico on his chance to escape the blocky confines of his home and prove how strong he's become when zombies attack! Minecraft: The Manga, by Kazuyoshi Seto, releases Spri...
Series starring Miku Martineau, Ayo Solanke, more starts production in Toronto― The Hollywood Reporter entertainment news site reported on Thursday that showrunner Simon Barry (Warrior Nun creator) and Boat Rocker Media are producing a live-action series for Netflix titled BET that "is based in part" on writer Homura Kawamoto and artist Tōru Naomura's Kakegurui - Compulsive Gambler manga. The show h...
Jean-Karlo attempts to condense two big video game showcases into a coherent column, from the revamped Silent Hill 2 to the grazing pastures of Story of Seasons.― Welcome back, folks. This is related to a big story for this week, but this past weekend, I listened to Utada Hikaru's re-recording of "Simple And Clean". It's very emotional. Utada Hikaru is a good twenty-plus years older than when she or...
In the Eisner-nominated work, Maki Fujiwara chronicles her daily life with her husband, lionized mangaka Yoshiharu Tsuge. Though deceptively simple at first glance, a foundation of abuse is slowly revealed.― At first blush, Maki Fujiwara's My Picture Diary does what it says on the tin. It tells the story of her daily life as a housewife and mother, spending time with her daily activities, noting the...
Now streaming on Netflix, Tomotaka Shibayama's first feature animation mixes the magical with reality to share a simple but important message.―
Director Tomotaka Shibayama's latest film, My Oni Girl, is an action-adventure drama with elements of a buddy comedy and a relatable coming-of-age story. The film, produced by Studio Colorido, was released in theaters in Japan and on Netflix on May 24, foll...
Miyano, Nukumi play original characters for August 2 film― The official website for My Hero Academia the Movie: You're Next (My Hero Academia: You're Next), the fourth anime film in the My Hero Academia franchise, announced on Friday that the film has cast Mamoru Miyano and Meru Nukumi as original characters. Mamori Miyano as Giulio Gandini, a butler who serves the Scervino family Meru Nukumi as Ann...
Kaiju No. 8 takes the top spot this week while Tonari no Yōkai-san pushes to #3 in the cmulative! Check out 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 are based on how people rated in...
Mospeada is a work very much of its time, riffing on ideas and tropes that were all the rage when it was made, and doesn't do anything exceptional with them.― It can be easy for even longtime fans to forget that alongside Macross, there were two other 80's sci-fi anime that got Frankenstein-ed into what we'd eventually call Robotech. While this isn't the first time one of those series has made it to...
Following the upcoming retro programming block Toonami Rewind, Chris and Lucas look back fondly on the afternoons spent watching Naruto and Sailor Moon.― Following the upcoming retro programming block Toonami Rewind, Chris and Lucas look back fondly on the afternoons spent watching Naruto and Sailor Moon. Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the participants in this chatlog are not the v...
Yeah, yeah, Kaiju No. 8 has all the great action scenes, but Yatagarasu is chewing up the scenery as the royal ladies absolutely lose their minds!?― Why Aren't You Watching This Anime Yet? Yeah, yeah, Kaiju No. 8 has all the great action scenes, but Yatagarasu is chewing up the scenery as the royal ladies absolutely lose their minds!? The ANN After Show streams live on YouTube, Facebook, and Twitte...
Here we have a from-the-ground-up remake, but does this beloved classic still hold up in a modern sense, or is that praise just nostalgia talking?― It's nice when Nintendo surprises us with a remaster or re-release of one of their more difficult-to-obtain games. The original Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door for the Nintendo GameCube is a classic for many. However, since the game was never re-rele...
Miles Atherton crunched Netflix's latest numbers for some surprising anime discoveries, from the popularity of My Happy Marriage to the One Piece juggernaut.― Since the advent of streaming, it's been notoriously difficult to gauge how popular a specific anime is with international audiences, both for publishers looking to make informed decisions for a market that generates most of its revenue outsi...