I feel compelled to talk about pacing. One Piece has definitely been in a not-so-ideal position for a few years now where each episode is adapting a single manga chapter, if even that. That's just the way it is whether we're happy about it or not. One Piece fans are in a unique position for a Shonen Jump audience where we actually want the series to indulge in more filler, if only to give the original comic story more breathing room.
For the most part, I've made my peace with the pacing of One Piece. It's not perfect, but there are times where I feel it works miles better than people give it credit for. There's definitely a precedent where very action centered content translates to the one-chapter-per-episode pace much worse than the plot or exposition stuff. The last few episodes we've been dealing with lately have definitely suffered, since the runtime has to dedicate most of it's economy to repetitive shots of the citizens of Dressrosa escaping while we wait for the story to jump through the necessary hoops to get Luffy back on his feet.
Basically, we're dealing with a fairly boring episode. The main story beat at hand is watching the rest of the crew and the available gladiators do what they can to push Doflamingo's birdcage back in an effort to keep the strings from closing in before Luffy can make is grand re-entrance. It's a bunch of stuff that exists to stall the foregone conclusion in an effort to keep the dramatic ebb and flow of the story in tact. But again… that pacing. When Luffy's ten-minute recharge time premiered in the manga, jokes were flying about how much we didn't anticipate the anime adaptation of these scenes.
Whenever a badly paced portion of the story airs, people are quick to worry that that's it for the show, that it will never become tolerable again. That's demonstrably not true, since the show has always gone back and forth between content that translates fine to the anime's format and content that doesn't, but that doesn't stop it from being frustrating when you're in the thick of it. Pace aside, this is a weirdly lopsided episode, visually. Roughly the first half or so looks like bottom-of-the-barrel stuff for the series, but then you get to scenes like the continued Sabo vs. Burgess fight that actually look pretty cool. Around the halfway point we're suddenly treated to a lot of little pieces of animation, as the gang push against the birdcage and their feet go sliding across the ground and whatnot. Sudden, thicker outlines are sprinkled throughout as well, which is a style I definitely wish I could see more of in One Piece.
Overall, I get how keeping the hero preoccupied to stoke drama is a really common shonen trope, but when push comes to shove it's easy to get impatient with it and that's what's happening to me here. It doesn't help that we as good as know everything's going to turn out okay and that Luffy will win the fight, so delaying it further on Toei's watch doesn't always make for great TV.
Takashi Shiina, Katsuyuki Sumisawa launched adaptation in September 2021― The seventh volume of the Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon (Hanyō no Yashahime) manga adaptation by Takashi Shiina and Katsuyuki Sumisawa revealed on May 17 that the series will enter the "final battle" in the eighth volume, which ships in fall 2024. Viz has the rights "to the digital streaming, EST, and home video" of the orig...
This is a good series to check out if you like more bite with your vampire romances.― Going into Bloody Sweet, I expected to find a fluffy rom-com about a girl and the vampire she accidentally gets attached to. Instead, I found a story about a bullied high school girl whose bullies are smart enough to evade all of the checks and balances the school has put in place. When Naerim accidentally awakens ...
In our brand-new column, Lynzee Loveridge comes clean about her backlog, starting with one of the most popular anime ever. Use this space here for critical finger-wagging and exclamations of disbelief.― I have a secret. A no-good, embarrassing, shame-inducing secret. I'm the executive editor at Anime News Network but there are, in fact, anime I have not watched. Not just forgettable mid-tier season...
Chiu shares how she brought the SEA simulcast service to the forefront after founding it at 17 years old.― Over the past six years, many streaming and simulcast services have catered to otaku in Asia, offering simulcasts of seasonal anime and theatrical anime screenings. One such service is Ani-One Asia, a Hong Kong-based Medialink Group brand that offers a competitive lineup of simulcasts every se...
'Eikyū -Tokoshie-' debuts in episode 2 on Sunday― The staff for the Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Hashira Training Arc television anime confirmed on X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday that HYDE×MY FIRST STORY is performing the new ending theme song "Eikyū -Tokoshie-" (Eternity -Eternity-), which premieres in the second episode on Sunday. Yuki Kajiura wrote the music and lyrics for the song, and also a...
The benefit of being committed to such a simple setup is that the story knows exactly what it needs to do to invoke the maximum emotional response for this type of story.― I Want You To Make Me Beautiful is a simple story that does everything it sets out to do. At its heart, it's a straightforward story about moving on from the pain of a bad breakup and reinventing yourself into something better. Th...
Masaaki Mizunaka, KENN, Daiki Yamashita, Maria Naganawa, more join cast― The staff for the anime of Kaoru Shinozaki's Failure Frame: I Became the Strongest and Annihilated Everything With Low-level Spells (Hazure Waku no "Jōtai Ijō Skill" de Saikyō ni Natta Ore ga Subete wo Jūrin Suru made) light novel series revealed on Sunday the anime's ending theme song's title and artist, additional cast member...
Laid-Back Camp narrowly claims the top spot this week, but Delicious in Dungeon is having none of that and bumps it down in the cumulative. Find out where your favorites rank this week!― 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 ...
Goodbye, Lara follows reborn mermaid, Ninja Skooler features ninja school― Kinema Citrus announced at its panel during this year's Anime Central event on Saturday that it is producing two new anime titled Goodbye, Lara (Sayonara Lara) and Ninja Skooler. Takushi Koide is directing the Goodbye, Lara anime with character designs by Shiori Tani. The anime is based on a concept by Kinema Citrus, and it t...
Honestly, you're getting a solid collection of character art with some disposable comic stories where you might get to enjoy some out-of-context obscure CAPCOM cameos.― As a lifelong fan of Street Fighter, it's easy to get excited about the potential of seeing my favorite fighters doing stuff in different mediums. The flip side is that Udon Entertainment's hold on the comic treatment of the characte...
The cast of the Demon Slayer stage play gave a memorable performance during the Japan Day Parade.― The Demon Slayer franchise continues to prove itself as an absolute powerhouse for fans worldwide. The hit manga by Koyoharu Gotouge has been adapted into multiple mediums, including anime, light novels, video games, and a stage play that has been running since 2020. Cast members of the stage play app...
Pokémon Horizons continues to display some of the best the franchise offers with great character work, creative setpieces, surprisingly strong direction, and a focus on a plot that continues to feel engaging.― Pokémon Horizons felt like a breath of fresh air as a new mainline Pokémon series. With a more timid and empathic main character and a stronger emphasis on the adventuring aspect of being a Po...
Sony and Square-Enix are both reorganizing, from new CEOs to staff cutbacks. Also, sad news about Penny Blood, more Cotton, and the latest video game news!― Welcome back, folks! You know, it's always nice to discover old stuff from a franchise you love that you didn't know existed. For example, I didn't know that the old Captain N: The Game Master cartoon had an episode that featured the world of Dr...
Ahead of the romance anime's second season, director Takehiro Kubota discusses the choices, the challenges, and balancing the story between the everyday and the supernatural.― My Happy Marriage began its life as a series of novels written by Akumi Agitogi, and it has since been adapted both as manga and, as of July 2023, an anime series simulcast by Netflix. Agitogi's tale, set in a nebulous time t...