Fourth Gear lovers rejoice as the action picks back up with our new Bounceman Luffy continuing to wale on Doflamingo as the two trade blows and flex their Devil Fruit-y muscles. The fighting here manages to stay swift and exciting as it carries us through the first part of the episode. Luffy's Haki-infused face as he headbutt's Doffys stomach got a bit of an uncomfortable laugh from me, as it makes his new transformation even scarier looking than it already was.
The action is packed into roughly the first third of this episode, culminating in Luffy's “Leo Bazooka” attack that sends Doflamingo flying into a crater. The unanimous reaction from all the watchers-on is “I can't believe it! Doflamingo has been defeated!”, but we all know it can't possibly be that easy. I'm a little bummed that we even got that exclamation at all, since traditionally that's been the series' way of informing the audience, without ambiguity, that villain has finally been taken down (since the series opts for beating the villains unconscious over any definitive deaths). However, that's proven not to be the case by the end of the episode, not that it felt like it could be over that quickly anyway.
While we wait for Doflamingo to pull himself back out of the rubble, Luffy bounces around, being admired by the townsfolk of Dressrosa. A little too much time out of this episode is spent watching Luffy bounce in place (his new form doesn't allow him to stand still) while he waits for his adversary to start the fight back up. Gives us just a little too much breathing room to think that maybe, just maybe, Fourth Gear is a tiny bit more stupid than it is cool.
Luffy listens to the townsfolk yammer on, discussing who this mysterious, bouncy muscle man could be. Most of them correctly deduce that this man is the pirate, Monkey D. Luffy, as well as
the gladiator who disguised himself earlier in the series as “Lucy”. However, in the middle of all this, Luffy's power-up runs out of juice and he deflates into a tired shriveled up version of himself. Man, if his power had a limit you'd think Luffy wouldn't let Toei kill so much of his precious time!
Anyway, the biggest shocker of this episode comes with Burgess's eagerness to attack Luffy in this weakened state, shouting that he's off to steal the Gum-Gum Fruit. This is super interesting because it raises so many questions about what the Blackbeard pirates are up to and capable of. When Blackbeard stole Whitebeard's Devil Fruit, it seemed possible that it was a result of his own Dark-Dark powers. If Burgess has the power to steal a fruit from somebody without his captain being present, then what exactly is going on? Do they have some kind of special device? Or is it simply about killing Luffy in hopes of nabbing the resurrected fruit that grows in his wake?
We probably won't be finding out any time soon, as Doflamingo finally decides to stop resting about and re-emerges into the city. Relatively speaking, I feel like we got through the first phase of the Fourth gear fight pretty well. Even though I'm fatigued as hell of Dressrosa, I would have been disappointed if the fight was over that quickly. Giving his Fourth Gear a time limit and then forcing a recharge state seems like a pretty obvious move, but it's the right choice in terms of giving the fight a good ebb and flow. Luffy is now totally vulnerable and it's up to the story to keep him safe just long enough for him to deliver the final blow.
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...