Sometimes when you know specific details about stuff that's supposed to be a surprise for later, it can be hard to tiptoe around. That's been the case for a couple of things that get confirmation here in this episode, most notably the name of Big Mom's Devil Fruit: the Soul-Soul Fruit, a.k.a. a more than fitting power for an Emperor level enemy. I think of it as a beefed up version of Gecko Moria's shadow fruit, where she uses the power to remove pieces of people's personalities and put them into inanimate objects or animals, which she calls her "Homies" (I think it's short for homunculi). The fact that she can put souls into animals and not people is kind of a creepy detail. Do animals not already have souls? Does Chopper have a soul?
It also raises the question as to what Brook's role in this arc is, since his Devil Fruit seems to give him dominion over his own soul, but not others. Whose power beats whose in that rock-paper-scissors match? This revelation comes thanks to the large man in the ground who Luffy keeps running into in the Seducing Woods, shortly before we learn that this whole time he's been a former husband of Big Mom's.
This episode spends the entirety of its time in the Seducing Woods, the most tiresome part of the arc so far, but this is just as that subplot starts to get really interesting. There's a lot of on the ground action with Big Mom's daughter Brulee, a woman with mirror powers who has no problem fending off Carrot, and the episode ends with Big Mom's son Cracker arriving on the scene. Cracker is especially dangerous as one of the "Sweet Three", and we'll get to see exactly how enormous this person's physicality and stature within the family are soon enough.
As far as I can tell, we're pretty much back to one-chapter-per-episode in terms of pacing, which at this point feels like a victory. In manga form where you can breeze through the Seducing Woods easily in one go it's fine, but in the anime the hijinks have to get drawn out so much the story loses a lot of steam easily. The humor with Luffy and the fake Straw Hat animals has been really tight in the last couple of episodes, but maybe not so much so that it makes up for the repetition leading up to now. I did get a great laugh out of Luffy mistaking the real Nami for a fake, though.
One Piece continues to trod through the Whole Cake Island arc, alternating between using its slow pacing elegantly and otherwise. I look forward to seeing some proper drama and action now that Charlotte Cracker has arrived, and I've enjoyed the myriad of plot details we've been getting as of late, but it needs to pick up the slack soon lest this part of the arc be more exhausting than fun. Not enough of the Seducing Woods has been outright bad enough to criticize, but even my iron-clad patience can only handle so much, especially when there are so many bigger picture ideas being teased elsewhere.
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...