I think there's a baseline standard that I hold for One Piece episodes. I know that the show doesn't have the privilege of looking expensive and slick every week, nor is it able to play around with the pacing a whole lot, locking it to about a manga chapter's worth of content per episode. That said, I still expect a level of care and attention to detail that I know this series is capable of. I don't agree with the assertion that the One Piece anime is an example of a bad adaptation, because it's often been very smartly directed despite its minimal resources. At least, that's true about half the time.
Right off the bat in this episode, I'm seeing the direction that I look for in One Piece. We continue the story in the middle of Cat Viper's fight with Jack, who has now revealed his original human form. The fight feels tight on those aforementioned resources, with what feels like some missing frames of animation, and yet the energy and momentum of the fight comes through completely. This is in notable contrast to the last couple episodes that felt so lethargic. An episode of One Piece may not be able to jam more than a chapter's worth of story into an episode, but it can pace individual scenes like a dream when necessary.
The story plows forward as we learn about the several days and nights spent fighting off Jack and his crew, with Cat Viper and Dogstorm switching in and out. This gives the fight a somewhat mythical quality that also paints Jack as a sturdy beast who seems impossible to take down. This alleviates the “just some guy” vibe I had been getting from the anime previously. The only reason the fight was ever able to end was because Jack had to leave to attempt to rescue Doflamingo from the Navy, a fact that Dogstorm in the present day recognizes is thanks to the Straw Hats.
The second part of this episode centers around Sanji's half of the Straw Hats happening upon Zou for the first time. This is a breath of fresh air, both because it feels good to see some Straw Hats be the center of attention (especially with Sanji, who has been M.I.A. in the current storyline) and because I love seeing Caesar Clown begrudgingly operating as a crew member, as they make their way to the top of the elephant. This scene, if nothing else, gives some variety to the story content we're seeing in this episode.
I'd hate to sound like I'm gushing over what's ultimately just a pretty good episode, but this is what happens with One Piece. It'll be super awesome and creative (i.e. the first three episodes of Zou) and then it will fall into a rut that makes its audience question if it's even worth continuing to keep up with, and then it will swing back around and remind us that yes, it does in fact know what it's doing. It's an okay episode by a lot of measures, the animation is mostly still subpar, but it's well directed in the ways that matter.
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,...
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...
Director adds that there are no definite plans, but it would be helmed by "someone other than himself"― In a recent interview with The Asahi Shimbun newspaper, director Hideaki Anno acknowledged that "there may be plans" for more in the Evangelion anime franchise, but possibly with "someone other than [himself]" at the helm, who would receive a high degree of freedom. He added that there are no defi...
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...
Train to the End of the World and Voice Actor Radio are getting a lot of love these last few weeks! Discover which other series stand out in our weekly user rankings!― 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...
Crystal Kay previously sang themes for 2004's Fullmetal Alchemist and Nodame Cantabile― Recently, Anime News Network was able to sit down with singer-songwriter Crystal Kay and talk about not only her involvement with anime over the years but also what it was like to grow up in Japan as the child of a Korean-Japanese mother and an African-American father. Anime fans likely know of Crystal Kay throug...
The plot is excellent in the romance camp. Everything that happens is to get Eui-joon and Gunwoo together, and it works pretty well.― You can read The Dangerous Convenience Store in English two ways. The first is to read it on the manhwa site/app Manta, which has all seventy-five chapters and four bonus stories available. The second is to read Seven Seas' print (or ebook) edition, which, as of this ...
Kenichi Suzumura, Ayako Kawasumi, Hiro Shimono, Nao Toyama, Takumi Yamazaki, Takaya Hashi join cast― The official website for The Magical Girl and The Evil Lieutenant Used to Be Archenemies, the television anime of late creator Cocoa Fujiwara's Katsute Mahō Shōjo to Aku wa Tekitai Shiteita. manga, revealed six new cast members and a third promotional video for the anime on Monday. The video reveals ...