When the clock strikes midnight, it's time for the dog to go to sleep and for the cat to take over the night. This episode introduces us at last to that cat, the Duke of the Night known as the Cat Viper. Unlike Dogstorm who seems fairly collected and withdrawn, Cat Viper is wild and unhinged. He has a big poofy lion's mane and dresses like a Japanese crime boss, meaning that's he's obviously one of the coolest new characters in recent memory.
However, he's only present for about the last fourth of this episode, if even that. The rest of the episode is the padded continuation of Dogstorm and the Musketeers fighting off Jack and the rest of Kaido's men in flashback form. There's something very unfortunate about the direction of this episode, because it's so notably lifeless for large chunks of it. Panels that I remember being amazingly cool in the manga (like Dogstorm stopping Jack's trunk in a big explosion of dust) are nowhere near as impressive here, and the pacing and music choices throughout demand little attention. My first thought when the episode started up was, “Wow, we've done nothing but watch this mammoth guy stand in place for three episodes now,” and that's really how it feels.
I've got mixed feelings on Jack at the moment. When one of his henchmen announces to the Minks (and more importantly, the audience) that his boss's bounty is a whopping one billion berries, my heart did a little pitter-patter of excitement. I've always loved bounties as a device in this series to create a hierarchy among the strong characters and establish who is a big deal and who is not very quickly. One billion is so much higher than what we've seen in the series so far (Luffy's 500 million is about as high as it's gotten), and yet Jack is still technically an underling of Kaido's. We've essentially just established the next ceiling for Luffy to break.
My mixed feelings come from just how unimpressive he is in this anime. Again, there's a lot of just standing around and talking, but even the big action highlights feel bereft of energy. We can safely assume that Jack and his henchmen are only being introduced at this moment, and that they will become more present and familiar as the Straw Hats get more and more entangled with Kaido, but there's still something that feels undefined. Like, could you imagine these guys being the common battle fodder in a Dressrosa-sized arc? Because that's what we'd have to expect.
Otherwise, this episode does give us the wonder that is Master Cat Viper. I was in awe when midnight hit, as we see his eyes open in the dark and hear his booming “nyaaaaa~" echoing throughout Zou. Dogstorm vanishes between shots like a slasher movie villain, aware that his turn has ended. There's still some wonkiness to the animation when Cat Viper arrives, but he enters the scene with so much speed and energy that I can forgive it. Jack and his men seemed like they were at least starting to sweat after hours of fighting with Dogstorm, and now they have a much wilder, well-rested opponent to fight.
Aside from Cat Viper, these last few episodes have been a bit draining. The fantastic production of the initial Zou episodes is on break, and we're in the middle of a slow-burn exposition dump as Luffy and friends get filled in on the happenings before their arrival. Both Dogstorm and Cat Viper are pretty cool dudes, but I'm hoping we get some forward momentum again soon.
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...