There's a unique aura going into this episode. By this point we're all equipped with the knowledge that the One Piece anime is getting a face lift starting next week to kick off the Wano arc. I really like how all the previews have looked so far, and I'm excited for this series to get a much needed shot in the arm. This episode is a hello and a goodbye—a transition into a new age.
With Whole Cake Island and the Reverie behind us, it's time for our heroes to figure out what this Wano country business is all about. The Thousand Sunny crew is approaching their destination, but that doesn't mean entering the country is going to be easy. Like Whole Cake before it, Wano is cut off from the world around it. People aren't expected to enter or leave all that often, and our first obstacle is some crazy weather that leaves even Nami concerned about the crew's navigational fortitude. Part of what's interesting about this episode is that, while the anime hasn't formally changed art styles yet, we're still witnessing an aesthetic transformation to emphasize Wano's roots in traditional Japanese imagery. The waves surrounding the island look like an Ukiyo-e painting and giant koi fish become our primary mode of transportation, not to mention the stellar soundtrack throughout the entire episode. To actually get into the country, the crew must follow the koi fish up a raging waterfall, calling back to the famous legend about koi turning into dragons. (Hmm. I wonder if there will be dragons in Wano?) The layers of cultural pastiche are as thick as they come.
Holding the episode back is how little story the anime has to spread over its runtime. There's a small bit of recap to remind us of Luffy and Momonosuke's partnership, but it's not as substantial as the previous clip shows we've been seeing. This episode is otherwise centered exclusively around sailing into stormy waters and trying to make sense of the landscape, ending with the ship getting sucked into a whirlpool and Luffy drowning. As exciting as the upcoming anime reboot is, the question of pacing might not be something the show can meaningfully address. Wano is still running in the manga and barely feels like it's gotten started, so hopefully the anime staff have a thoughtful strategy for how they're going to tackle filler.
I don't think I'm ever going to be particularly nostalgic for this era of the One Piece anime. Be it the character designs or the style of visual compositing, it always felt like the best case scenario was for talented animators to do good work in spite of the stiff plastic sheen that's haunted many of Toei's properties in recent years. Between this and Dragon Ball Super, it's comforting to see such dramatic shifts being made to help these stories feel more like artistic labors of love over vapid commercial products. I wish I could I could say more about this episode beyond "The times, they are a-changin'!", but that's definitely the prevailing feeling that I'm experiencing this week.
Series previously inspired 52-episode anime in 1993― This year's 24th issue of Shogakukan's Weekly Shonen Sunday magazine revealed on Wednesday that Gosho Aoyama's Yaiba manga will be getting a new anime adaptation. Aoyama is supervising. The series follows the titular Yaiba Kurogane, a young samurai boy inspired by Miyamoto Musashi, the real-life swordsman who pioneered the Hyōhō Niten Ichi-ryū sty...
Based on the novel by former Nogizaka46 member Kazumi Takayama, trapezium asks its audience to follow one girl who will use anything, and anyone, to achieve her dream.― Trapezium is a strange movie, to say the least. On the surface, it's a rather simple movie that explores youth, their dreams, and the lengths they'll go to achieve those dreams. It's a coming-of-age story wrapped in the veneer of the...
ZeroReq011 remembers what made Spice and Wolf a story for the ages, from its fully realized world and economics to Holo and Lawrence's romantic chemistry.― Back when Funimation was still its own company and not owned by Sony, long before its in-house streaming service was terminated in favor of Crunchyroll's streaming platform, it owned a TV channel. Legal streaming had yet to dominate the Western a...
Anime will star Hiroshi Kamiya, Kotaro Nishiyama, Kotaro Nishiyama― Distribution company Remow announced on Tuesday that Yura Urushibara's Tougen Anki: Dark Demon of Paradise manga will get a television anime in 2025. The company revealed the trailer, key visual, and main cast for the anime. The anime's cast includes:
Kazuki Ura as Shiki Ichinose, the protagonist who inherits the blood of an Oni. Sh...
Nick and Chris recount some of the most frustrating anime cancellations, from the Yuri on Ice movie to the second half of Stars Align.― Nick and Chris recount some of the most frustrating anime cancellations from the second half of Stars Align to the 2007 JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Phantom Blood movie. Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the participants in this chatlog are not the views...
Welcome to the rankings for the Spring 2024 season! The perfect place to check out which hidden gems might have flown under your radar.― 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 ...
The final Spring 2024 Manga Guide update includes not-yet-released series from this month, including Sword Art Online Re:Aincrad,Bungo Stray Dogs: The Official Comic Anthology, A Sign of Affection and more.― Welcome to Anime News Network's Spring 2024 Manga Guide! You may have seen one of our seasonal Anime Preview Guides, where a team of critics writes up each new anime television premiere as it a...
Producer Masakazu Kubo shares the animation team's dedication to realism, including bringing in a pro golfer to produce the anime's sound effects.― 64-year-old Masakazu Kubo has been planning and producing anime for decades. He's had a major hand in everything from Pokémon and Detective Conan to Teasing Master Takagi-san and Dorohedoro. Recently, he sat down with us to talk about Tonbo!, his attemp...