When the Wano arc was just getting started, it was easier to forgive the pacing, but now that the arc is making its way into more frivolous side adventures, the problem is getting increasingly fraught with each week. I really, really, really, really wish the encounter with Urashima in Bakura town could have been condensed into one episode—even if they had to make up some filler in the future to compensate—because the last two episodes would have fit perfectly together in one installment without issue.
Last week, Luffy jumped into the ring to challenge Urashima head-to-head in a sumo match, and it takes the entirety of this week's episode to conclude the exhaustively repetitive fight. Visually, it looks great! But that doesn't address the fundamental issue. There are far too many stretches of time where all we're seeing is Urashima's flurry of sumo slaps and Luffy dodging without a care in the world. The episode opens with the two fighters recoiling from each other's attacks, and then windmilling their arms at the edge of the ring to keep their balance for a straight minute. I was already worried how the anime was going to adapt the fight at this half-a-chapter-per-episode pace, and it announces at the outset that it's not even going to try.
This entire Bakura Town subplot exists to ensure there is levity in the Wano arc; a fun little diversion to make sure the One Piece spirit doesn't get drowned out by all the complicated lore and villainous doomsaying. Instead, it just kind of feels pointless and tired. It's very common for this series to fight back against its own momentum with detours and humorous asides, but there isn't enough here that's genuinely entertaining. Urashima is every entitled rich guy baddie we've ever met in the series, and his comeuppance arrives with Luffy's default "I'm gonna be King of the Pirates!" catchphrase that would have landed better if this were earlier in the series. There's so much other story baggage that's sure to be weighing on the audience's mind that it's hard to simply sit back, relax, and admire Luffy's mystifyingly beefy physique. It's amusing that the story commits to a mid-arc sumo match at all, but I'd hardly call it a thrilling fight.
There's a lot that could be forgiven if the pacing was better. The plot is going through the motions on just about every level: Luffy's defeating colorful schmucks one after another in a location where he's supposed to be keeping a low profile, there's a sweet little girl who's been kidnapped, and there's intrigue regarding the history of Wano that implies the good guys who used to be in power were framed by the bad guys who are currently in power. We're cycling through an alphabet soup of One Piece conventions, a series of tropes and archetypes that each have an equal shot at being subverted or played straight. For whatever grand design Eiichiro Oda has planned to bring all these elements together, it would be nice if these less consequential developments went down smoother.
The book feels like a deliberate combo of SAO, Log Horizon, and Suppose a Kid From the Last Dungeon Boonies Moved to a Starter Town, and that works better than you might expect.― If this story feels familiar, that's on purpose. In their afterword, author Nagawasabi64 says that they've noticed that the "trapped in a VRMMORPG" genre made popular by SAO has fallen out of favor, which made them want to ...
There's no question that Go! Go! Loser Ranger! is a dark deconstruction of Super Sentai/Power Rangers in anime form—but is that all it is? Chris and Lucas dive in to find out.― There's no question that Go! Go! Loser Ranger! is a dark deconstruction of Super Sentai/Power Rangers in anime form—but is that all it is? Chris and Lucas dive in to find out. Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by ...
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...
Games were scheduled for release on Tuesday― Idea Factory International (IFI) announced on Monday that it is delaying the Nintendo Switch versions of Compile Heart's Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth game series digitally in North America and Europe indefinitely until further notice. The company did not provide a reason. The games were scheduled for digital release on Switch in the West on Tuesday. T...
Crunchyroll to stream 18-episode series with new footage― Crunchyroll announced on Monday that it will begin screening a new television series version of the two-part anime film adaptation of Inio Asano's Dead Dead Demon's Dededede Destruction worldwide on Thursday at 11:00 p.m. EDT (which is Friday in Japan). Crunchyroll will stream the 18 episodes weekly. Episodes will feature new footage not in t...
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...
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 ...
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...