This is a buoyant, beautiful episode that manages to soar despite initially seeming like a lag between major events. There are many instances in weekly animation production where corners have to be cut for budget, time, or manpower, especially when coming off of or building towards a big episode. But not only are no corners cut in episode 1051, they're downright polished and honed to perfection.
Yamato and Momo take up a good portion of the episode's runtime. There's a big emotional beat here with Yamato teaching Momo that he can fly by simply grabbing the sky itself. The match cut between their faces as they become in tune with one another is a particularly great sequence, and watching Momo learn to dig deep and believe in himself is something special. I loved the recollection Yamato had from when Oden saw Roger and Whitebeard clash, the sketch-on-parchment sequence creating a stunning look.
Yet despite all the effort that went into these moments, still more was given to Cat Viper and Dogstorm. It's kind of wild to talk about One Piece these days, because you end up saying things like:
“So the giant Garfield and Oden analogues faced off against a big licky tongue man and a punk rock wooly mammoth. They used their transformation powers to deliver killer blows that blew up their enemies' lollipops and belt buckles, respectively. Oh and it was also one of the hardest cuts of animation you'll ever see in your life.”
But for One Piece fans, all of that obviously makes sense and completely tracks.
I'm not even sure what to say that your eyes couldn't tell you. Among the dozens (hundreds?) of side stories and sub-plots that One Piece has going on right now, the “Dogstorm and Cat Viper seek vengeance for Pedro” is one that is so far down my interest list I often forget it's still a thing. Yet while watching this episode, I was shouting and cheering as loud as anybody. If you showed this episode to someone out of context they'd probably walk away saying “I have no clue what's going on but the warrior cat and dog were my favorite characters.” And it would be hard to argue with that.
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 ...
The final Spring 2024 Manga Guide update includes not-yet-released series from this month, including Sword Art Online Re:Aincrad,Bungo Stray Dogs: The Official Comic Anthology, A Sign of Affection and more.― Welcome to Anime News Network's Spring 2024 Manga Guide! You may have seen one of our seasonal Anime Preview Guides, where a team of critics writes up each new anime television premiere as it a...
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...