I'm trying to think of another fandom that makes as much of a hubbub out of a new opening than One Piece. I'm sure part of it is that the OP only updates after a year or so, and there are a lot of expectations compared to the more memorable openings of yesteryear. Unfortunately, I think the odds tend to be stacked against Toei these days when it comes to delivering something satisfying.
Opening 19, “We Can!” comes from the band Kishidan, as well One Piece mainstay Hiroshi Kitadani, and the song itself is pretty awesome. I love the big “We Can! You Can!” chanting toward the end as it previews the upcoming story beats. It feels so perfectly One Piece, and it's frustrating that it doesn't get to be a part of a tighter opening overall. Also, can we cut it out with defaulting to the Straw Hats' Fishman Island outfits in every piece of promotional material? It just looks tacky.
Otherwise, thus begins the first filler arc in over a hundred episodes. I'm not going to moan and groan over receiving filler, since the main story's pacing has been so slow lately that we kind of need it. The comment thread on these reviews is packed with opinions on One Piece's release schedule and stingy filler practices, so I don't need to add too many more. How many other fan bases do you see arguing for filler? Not many.
This is the Silver Mine arc. After a super-funny opening scene where the crew marvels at the Barto Club's ineptitude as a pirate gang, the story transitions into the beginning of the arc, where a candy-themed crew of mysterious women attack the ship, kidnapping Luffy and Bartolomeo together. They haul them off to the titular Silver Mine, where Bartolomeo's hands are glued to a pickaxe for manual labor (he can't use his barrier without crossing his fingers), and Luffy is stuck behind bars with his body inside some kind of giant metal ball.
The mine is led by a man named Bill, who has united many crews under the Silver Pirate Alliance, with the goal of doing nothing of particular specificity. All he ends up talking about is “defeating our rivals” and being a group of unbeatable pirates. They have been hunting down powerful enemies and encasing them into metal statues as a result of Bill's Smelt-Smelt Devil Fruit. Bill is presented as a charismatic and cool guy with a crowd of followers cheering his name, thanking him for believing in them.
So far the Silver Mine arc seems to be playing out as a greatest hits of One Piece's more memorable filler arcs. The Silver Mine itself reminds me a lot of G-8 (the only 10/10 filler arc I think any anime has ever run), with its stronghold-type setting and alternation between indoor and outdoor locations. The group of villains with a bounty-hunting focus also reminds me of the Ice Hunter arc, though this crew of baddies are still technically outlaws as well.
Everything is about as average as you'd expect. One Piece filler arcs are rarely outright bad, just usually much more plain than the stuff written by Oda. The most interesting thing about this episode is that it's a slight rebranding for the One Piece anime, as it steers focus more toward the “Four Emperors Saga.” We got a new Kitadani opening, as well as a new set of eye-catchers for the commercial breaks, which I did not expect. It's neat to see them go back to the Wanted poster theme and their apparent willingness to display non-Straw Hat characters there.
The benefit of being committed to such a simple setup is that the story knows exactly what it needs to do to invoke the maximum emotional response for this type of story.― I Want You To Make Me Beautiful is a simple story that does everything it sets out to do. At its heart, it's a straightforward story about moving on from the pain of a bad breakup and reinventing yourself into something better. Th...
Laid-Back Camp narrowly claims the top spot this week, but Delicious in Dungeon is having none of that and bumps it down in the cumulative. Find out where your favorites rank this week!― 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 ...
Goodbye, Lara follows reborn mermaid, Ninja Skooler features ninja school― Kinema Citrus announced at its panel during this year's Anime Central event on Saturday that it is producing two new anime titled Goodbye, Lara (Sayonara Lara) and Ninja Skooler. Takushi Koide is directing the Goodbye, Lara anime with character designs by Shiori Tani. The anime is based on a concept by Kinema Citrus, and it t...
2019-20 anime was itself a follow-up to first 2013-16 Ace of Diamond anime― Production on a sequel to the 2019-2020 television anime of Yūji Terajima's Ace of Diamond Act II (Daiya no A Act II) manga has been green-lit. Terajima drew an illustration to commemorate the news: Terajima's original Ace of Diamond baseball manga inspired a television anime that premiered in 2013, and Crunchyroll streamed ...
Honestly, you're getting a solid collection of character art with some disposable comic stories where you might get to enjoy some out-of-context obscure CAPCOM cameos.― As a lifelong fan of Street Fighter, it's easy to get excited about the potential of seeing my favorite fighters doing stuff in different mediums. The flip side is that Udon Entertainment's hold on the comic treatment of the characte...
The cast of the Demon Slayer stage play gave a memorable performance during the Japan Day Parade.― The Demon Slayer franchise continues to prove itself as an absolute powerhouse for fans worldwide. The hit manga by Koyoharu Gotouge has been adapted into multiple mediums, including anime, light novels, video games, and a stage play that has been running since 2020. Cast members of the stage play app...
Natalie Van Sistine plays Star and Stripe in dub on Saturday― Crunchyroll announced on Friday that it will premiere the English dub for the seventh season of the My Hero Academia anime on May 18. New cast members include: Natalie Van Sistine as Star and Stripe Kyle Hebert as Agpar William Ofoegbu as Ethan Aiden Call as Biggs Sean Letourneau as Wedge Additional voices include Tyson Rinehart and Wyat...
2-hour programming block airs on Fridays starting on May 31― Adult Swim's Toonami programming block announced on Friday that it is creating a new block called Toonami Rewind that is dedicated to running anime, or versions of the series, that aired on the original Toonami prior to its 2012 revival. Toonami Rewind will air on Fridays starting on May 31 at 5:00 p.m. EDT, and it will feature Sailor Moo...
Pokémon Horizons continues to display some of the best the franchise offers with great character work, creative setpieces, surprisingly strong direction, and a focus on a plot that continues to feel engaging.― Pokémon Horizons felt like a breath of fresh air as a new mainline Pokémon series. With a more timid and empathic main character and a stronger emphasis on the adventuring aspect of being a Po...
Sony and Square-Enix are both reorganizing, from new CEOs to staff cutbacks. Also, sad news about Penny Blood, more Cotton, and the latest video game news!― Welcome back, folks! You know, it's always nice to discover old stuff from a franchise you love that you didn't know existed. For example, I didn't know that the old Captain N: The Game Master cartoon had an episode that featured the world of Dr...
Ahead of the romance anime's second season, director Takehiro Kubota discusses the choices, the challenges, and balancing the story between the everyday and the supernatural.― My Happy Marriage began its life as a series of novels written by Akumi Agitogi, and it has since been adapted both as manga and, as of July 2023, an anime series simulcast by Netflix. Agitogi's tale, set in a nebulous time t...
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,...
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...