Once again, I find myself talking about Wano's strengths and weaknesses in the same breath. After the spectacular 1000th episode, there is simply no follow-up that could compare, so I don't want to be unduly cruel with this entry. But at the same time, episode 1001 shows everything that is right and wrong with Wano in roughly twenty minutes.
It's certainly big and bombastic. There are fights galore, characters aplenty, and plots both simple and complex. Schemes are happening behind closed doors, fates are being sealed, and the destiny of the world is being decided with fist and blade on the battlefield. The ground shakes at the approach of titanic characters whose every action will shape the trajectory of the world as we know it. Some characters are risking everything in life or death battles, while others lay their lives on the line for espionage and subterfuge.
But.. it's a lot, isn't it? Like Wano is, amazingly, still going on, with really no end in sight. Even the battle for Onigashima – the “finale” if we can call it that – has been ongoing for months. Luffy has not even made it to Kaido yet! This episode really only covers the distance from Luffy posing with the gang last episode to punching a giant this episode.
We're gonna be here for a while, folks.
X Drake's subplot really shows how dense Wano is. Remember all that stuff with X Drake and Law? Remember that? It's textured and complex, but it sure is a lot to remember, and it's a wonder how anyone can keep all the vectors straight. It's also hard to muster that much excitement for what's happening with X Drake when it seems like we have so many dangling plot threads going on right now. Forget A-plot and B-plot – we're juggling J-plots at this stage in Wano's run, and even for someone who is pretty well-embedded in all this, it can be a struggle just to remind myself of what is all going on.
On the positive side, it was nice getting a flashback to the Oars fight. It not only provides context for Luffy's growth as a character, it's also one of my favorite fights in the series due to the need for all the Straw Hats to collaborate to bring down a single foe. It really felt like the team was firing on all cylinders in a way that has rarely happened since. Sadly, it inadvertently lessens some of the shine on Wano by making me nostalgic for bygone arcs…
Wano's strengths become apparent again in the Gear Four sequence; even with One Piece's considerable length, few sequences manage to show off just how far we've come quite so magnificently. It's just… astonishing. Just watching Luffy move! The Toei team delivers again and again and again in ways that astound me.
If I were to sum up Hokkaido Gals Are Super Adorable! in a single word, that word would be “cute.”― If I were to sum up Hokkaido Gals Are Super Adorable! in a single word, that word would be “cute.” Shiki and Fuyuki's interactions are a mixture of playful (and sometimes sexual) teasing and heartfelt feelings as the two come to value each other. They have real chemistry—and that drives the anime stra...
Lucas and Steve catch up on the Hunter × Hunter manga in time for the long-awaited new chapter and gush about why, even with years between releases, Hunter × Hunter is worth it.― Lucas and Steve catch up on the Hunter × Hunter manga in time for the long-awaited new chapter and gush about why, even with years between releases, Hunter × Hunter is worth it. Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed...
Series previously inspired 52-episode anime in 1993― This year's 24th issue of Shogakukan's Weekly Shonen Sunday magazine revealed on Wednesday that Gosho Aoyama's Yaiba manga will be getting a new anime adaptation. Aoyama is supervising. The series follows the titular Yaiba Kurogane, a young samurai boy inspired by Miyamoto Musashi, the real-life swordsman who pioneered the Hyōhō Niten Ichi-ryū sty...
Based on the novel by former Nogizaka46 member Kazumi Takayama, trapezium asks its audience to follow one girl who will use anything, and anyone, to achieve her dream.― Trapezium is a strange movie, to say the least. On the surface, it's a rather simple movie that explores youth, their dreams, and the lengths they'll go to achieve those dreams. It's a coming-of-age story wrapped in the veneer of the...
ZeroReq011 remembers what made Spice and Wolf a story for the ages, from its fully realized world and economics to Holo and Lawrence's romantic chemistry.― Back when Funimation was still its own company and not owned by Sony, long before its in-house streaming service was terminated in favor of Crunchyroll's streaming platform, it owned a TV channel. Legal streaming had yet to dominate the Western a...
Anime will star Hiroshi Kamiya, Kotaro Nishiyama, Kotaro Nishiyama― Distribution company Remow announced on Tuesday that Yura Urushibara's Tougen Anki: Dark Demon of Paradise manga will get a television anime in 2025. The company revealed the trailer, key visual, and main cast for the anime. The anime's cast includes:
Kazuki Ura as Shiki Ichinose, the protagonist who inherits the blood of an Oni. Sh...
Nick and Chris recount some of the most frustrating anime cancellations, from the Yuri on Ice movie to the second half of Stars Align.― Nick and Chris recount some of the most frustrating anime cancellations from the second half of Stars Align to the 2007 JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Phantom Blood movie. Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the participants in this chatlog are not the views...
Welcome to the rankings for the Spring 2024 season! The perfect place to check out which hidden gems might have flown under your radar.― 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 that these rankings are based on how people rated ...
Producer Masakazu Kubo shares the animation team's dedication to realism, including bringing in a pro golfer to produce the anime's sound effects.― 64-year-old Masakazu Kubo has been planning and producing anime for decades. He's had a major hand in everything from Pokémon and Detective Conan to Teasing Master Takagi-san and Dorohedoro. Recently, he sat down with us to talk about Tonbo!, his attemp...