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.
T・P BON embodies the spirit of classic sci-fi adventure like almost no other recent anime.― I adore classic sci-fi, especially when it involves time travel and grand adventure. T・P BON embodies the spirit of classic sci-fi adventure like almost no other recent anime. Based on a 1978-1986 manga by Doraemon co-creator Fujiko F. Fujio, this ultra-shiny modern adaptation from studio BONES and director M...
Manga launched in 2009, inspired TV anime in 2014― Manga creator Mizuho Kusanagi confirmed on X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday that her Yona of the Dawn (Akatsuki no Yona) manga is in its final arc. Kusanagi referenced the final arc alongside the news that the manga won an award in the Long Seller Comics Division for the Rakuten Kobo e-Book Award 2024. Kusanagi — the creator of Mugen Spiral, Game X ...
Art resurfaces when he was announced as judge for Shonen Jump's Sports Manga Award― Being talented in one aspect of your life doesn't stop you from being talented in other aspects. For instance, former seven-time Mr. Olympia Arnold Schwarzenegger went on to have a prolific acting career. But what about Shōhei Ohtani, the biggest name in sports today? Well, it turns out he's not just one of the great...
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...
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...
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...