Orochi begins barking orders at the gathered samurai to shoot Sanji and Zoro and kill anyone else who decides to intervene. Zoro and Sanji take a brief moment to reflect on the severity of the situation… ah who am I kidding, they start bickering as they always do. Old habits are hard to break I suppose. X Drake and Hawkins are shocked that the Straw Hats would be so brazen and the former goes full Animorphs into dino mode. Zoro decides that Orochi needs to be dealt with here and now, handing off Toko to Sanji. Zoro let's loose with a 720 pound phoenix but Kyoshiro intervenes to deflect the attack. On the sidelines, Shinobu, Kanjuro and the remaining Straw Hats split up - Shinobu and Kanjuro head off to keep the plan a secret while the Straw Hats move to help their friends. Franky leaps into the fray to gather up Yasui's body to get it out of danger.
This sets up a three-way struggle in the middle of the capital: Zoro taking on Kyoshiro, the Franky/Usopp/Robin/Nami versus the samurai goons, and Sanji versus X Drake. The battle kicks off literally and figuratively with a great deal of chaos breaking out, but by and large the Straw Hats are holding their own.
Back at the prison, Luffy is watching the battle via transponder snail and cheering on his crew. Queen is surprised that Luffy knows Zoro the magistrate killer. Before much more can be said, a pair of new prisoners arrive. The first in Kamazo - the scythe-armed warrior Zoro fought in the snow - and the second is Captain Eustass Kid, who has been recaptured. Everyone gets in a laugh at Kid's expense for “returning” so soon. Kid is distraught, falling to the ground and crying out in anguish. He wonders what they have done to Kamazo to make him this way, because it turns out that Kamazo is in fact Killer, his friend and long-time crewmember. He wonders what Orochi or Kaido did to Kamazo to make him a cold and distant laughing monster as he is now. After a flashback to their meeting at the Red Line, Luffy puts on his determined grimace and tells Queen to start the sumo competition because it's on.
A solid episode here. After the incredibly high emotional drama of the past few episodes it is hard to maintain that level of impact, so this is understandably a bit lower of an ebb. There is a fair amount of action too but nothing quite on the level of visual or thematic importance of other combats in the Wano arc thus far.
We do get a ton of wonderful smaller moments though. Seeing Sanji and Zoro back together again and arguing like old times feels great, and it's a reminder of how much these times of separation for the crew really impact the viewer. Robin, Nami, Usopp, and Franky all getting moments to shine and make big attacks is a treat - particularly Franky's terminator-like moments of deflecting hundreds of rounds and his cool single red eye.
Luffy has a couple of nice characterization moments as well. The bit with him cheering on his crew from prison is such a tiny moment but it is greatly appreciated, he really does love and believe in his crew. His shared anguish with Kid over the pain suffered by a crewmember is equally touching, as Luffy just can't help but be the best captain even for other people's crew.
There were a few nice visual flourishes in this episode too. The moments where Kid is in anguish and we get the reveal that Kamazo is Killer, the entire backdrop gets a blue filter with a single spotlight and spindly beams of light all around. Then when Luffy goes intense his face is half-drawn/half-open to reveal the swooshing blue background behind him. I loved the backsplashes behind the Straw Hats when they were calling out their attacks, each one a unique backdrop evoking era-appropriate paintings.
Again, an all in all solid outing that is somewhat dampened through no fault of its own but rather its proximity to the incredible episodes before it.
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...
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...