You ready for a live concert, baby?! It's time for the Soul King to rock your socks off and lift your spirits!
The past few episodes of One Piece have done a good job filling the runtime with interesting plot progression, though the show still isn't quite ready to pick the pace back up to normal, and slowing back down does hurt after everything was just getting interesting. That said, Brook and Pedro getting an explosive espionage subplot as they complicate the villains' plans is the most inspired thing going on right now. If there's anybody in the story who has a chance to turn things around for our heroes, it's them.
For manga readers, we've had the dawning realization that the heavily marketed Year of Sanji could just as satisfyingly be titled the Year of Brook, because throughout this middle portion of the arc, he's the one earning the most wins for the Straw Hats as he puts his undead life on the line to secure that Poneglyph rubbing from Big Mom. His big attack in this episode, where the embodiment of the Soul King erupts in the form of a big electric ghost, is one of the most memorable looking techniques of the arc.
Sadly, it arrives by way of one of the flattest directed episodes in recent memory. This is the rare example of an episode that stays perfectly on-model and looks pretty decent, but there's no pulse to be found at all. It's incredibly matter-of-fact compared to the usual chaos that the show's production values offer. This would have been an ideal time to continue to push the arc's musical theme, taking a break from the Disney-lite stuff for some good old rock n' roll. Alas, this episode plays it painfully safe.
Elsewhere on Whole Cake Island is the conclusion of the never-ending mirror-world subplot with Carrot and Chopper, meaning the show's going to have to find some other interminable plotline to cut back to whenever it needs to buy a few minutes. The mirror-world stuff, where Carrot and Chopper finally finish off Charlotte Brulee and her crazy animal friends, was getting to be so unbelievably repetitive and boring that I would be more relieved that the subplot has finally ended if I wasn't completely bemused by the fact that it lasted this long to begin with.
It's frustrating to be so happy about where the story is going, with one major subplot ending and another taking the reigns, but get bummed out by the pacing once again. It can't be helped, but this is an arc that I'm falling more in love with as it wraps up in the manga, and the anime version is giving itself way too much room to breathe. The final scene of the episode, where Pudding meets with the imprisoned Luffy and Nami, is a perfect example of how inelegantly the molasses pacing captures the structure of the arc, since it doesn't even get to the part that makes this an important moment of set-up. The manga's pacing, however frustrating you might find it week-to-week, at least does a good job making sure each chapter is a solid beat that moves the story forward. In the anime version, we're not just setting the pins up to knock them down, we're taking a leisurely stroll to the bowling alley first and calling it drama.
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...
Steve and Chris compare some of the highs and lows of an anime studio change-up, from Attack on Titan and One-Punch Man to Spice and Wolf.― Steve and Chris compare some of the highs and lows of an anime studio change-up, from Attack on Titan and One-Punch Man to Spice and Wolf. Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the participants in this chatlog are not the views of Anime News Network.S...
You've probably read some version of this story before, but I doubt that you've ever seen it be this adorable.― You've probably read some version of this story before, but I doubt that you've ever seen it be this adorable. You and I Are Polar Opposites is based on the tried-and-true formula of a thousand romantic comedies: Suzuki is a popular girl, and Tani is the class nerd. She's bright and perky,...
Suzumura to concentrate on recovering from deteriorating health condition― Talent agency Intention announced on Thursday that Kenichi Suzumura will take a break to concentrate on resting due to poor health. The agency stated that Suzumura's health condition continued to deteriorate, and after a diagnosis from the doctor, it was decided that he needs to take a break. The agency stated that it will pr...
Games have both individual, double pack releases― Update: Spike Chunsoft confirmed in a press release on Friday that it is releasing both games and the double pack for PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and Steam in North America and Europe on May 23 as digital downloads. Source: Press release The PlayStation Store and Nintendo Switch eShop began listing on Thursday the first two visual novels in The Q...
Crunchyroll to stream upcoming anime― Aniplex and Crunchyroll announced on Wednesday that the late manga creator Hisaya Nakajo's Hana-Kimi manga is inspiring an anime. In addition, Crunchyroll announced that it will stream the anime when it premieres in North America, Central America, South America, Europe, Africa, Oceania, the Middle East, the CIS, and India. The announcement did not reveal the deb...
James and Lynzee look into Hideaki Anno's latest hint that there might be more Evangelion after the last movie and news on the Lord of the Rings anime film!― Could There Be More Evangelion on the Horizon? James and Lynzee look into Hideaki Anno's latest hint that there might be more Evangelion after the last movie and news on the Lord of the Rings anime film! Plus, we catch up with Kafka and the Ka...
Grant Jones dives into the wild world of giant monsters and how Kaiju No. 8 builds on their legacy.― Kaiju No. 8 is a series that wears its influences on its sleeves. As the first word in its title suggests, it comes from a long line of works in the kaiju genre, using giant monsters and burning skylines as a backdrop to tell stories. While many likely know kaiju in a passing sense, it may help to h...
This steamy manga's appeal is going to depend on how much you can stomach a female protagonist who kicks off the romance by assaulting her former fiance.― This is a tricky one. Before You Discard Me, I Shall Have My Way with You is, to all appearances, a story that opens with a sexual assault. Agnès has been betrothed to Crown Prince Lucilleur since childhood, and she's been in love with him just as...
Japanese studio to handle production slated for broadcast, streaming globally― Kadokawa and Singaporean game developer and publisher Garena announced on Monday that they are co-producing an anime adaptation of Garena's Garena Free Fire battle royale shooting game, with a Japanese studio handling the animation. Kadokawa's Kadokawa Qingyu subsidiary is the production manager. The anime is planned to b...
Healer Nanna's powers have one very unique caveat: she has to have sex with the person to heal them. See why Rebecca Silverman calls it "a cute story, decently racy, and generally good, fluffy fun."― One of the fun things about Seven Seas' Steamship line of racy manga aimed at a female audience is finding which romance tropes are prevalent in any given release. While every genre has its tropes and s...
What's the perfect recipe for waifu supremacy? Lucas and Nick look at fan-favorites from Yu Yu Hakusho to Spice & Wolf.― What's the perfect recipe for waifu supremacy? Lucas and Nick look at fan-favorites from Yu Yu Hakusho to Spice & Wolf. Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the participants in this chatlog are not the views of Anime News Network.Spoiler Warning for discussion of the s...