Whitebeard and crew stagger ashore from their shipwreck and are quickly spotted by Oden's retainers. Oden rushes there, overjoyed at the thought of pirates and seeing the wider world. Kinemon and the others swiftly run after him.
As soon as Oden arrives at the shore Whitebeard senses his power. They both draw blades and clash, their thunderous blows sending up massive shockwaves. Oden is cheerful because Whitebeard stopped his sword. The legendary pirate assumes the samurai is underestimating him and their duel continues. Whitebeard knocks him down and tries to send him away, just as Oden's retainers arrive to battle Whitebeard's crew. But before the fighting can start, Oden declares that exploring the world is his dream. Whitebeard points out that their ship is wrecked and they can't go anywhere.
The people of Wano begin to help work on the ship with the hopes that the pirates will leave immediately afterwards. Oden, Whitebeard, and their followers begin bonding during this time. During a heated drunken discussion, Oden admits he cannot navigate and Whitebeard tells him to give up on his dream and do his job as a daimyo. Kinemon salts the wound by adding that the land of Wano has laws strictly forbidding anyone from leaving. Oden begs and pleads to go with Whitebeard but Kinemon and crew drag him away kicking and screaming.
Whitebeard attempts to sail away under cover of night. Oden anticipated this and – through a combination of leaping and using a long chain – grabs hold of the ship. He hangs on tight and is carried away with Whitebeard's vessel. Whitebeard offers Oden the chance to join – if he can withstand being dragged behind the ship for three days. Though beaten by storm and sea and ocean creatures, he nearly holds on the entire time. But almost near the end of the trial, he hears a woman screaming for help – Amatsuki Toki, who is being accosted by bandits. He shows up on the shore bloated and beaten, spits fish at them to scare them off, then collapses in front of her.
The strong showing for Wano arc rumbles along.
There is not too much to say about this episode, on the whole. Still, there is no shortage of momentous events. For one, seeing young Whitebeard and crew is a real treat. Pops is, as always, a balm for weary souls such as mine. Young Marco is also just a tiny baby; I don't know why, but something about losing the glasses makes him look like he's 11.
The clash between Oden and Whitebeard looks as important as it feels. Whitebeard's earthquake effect shattering the screen is so strikingly powerful every time, especially with those shots of green running through everything. The color was overall really bright in those sequences, and the extra thick linework made it feel even more cartoonish, but these visual choices make sense for a clash between larger-than-life legends.
Oden's herculean task of hanging onto the ship is rendered in all its glory. The image of him being carried behind the ship for three days all to give it up to save Toki by spitting a fish at bandits is just an all-time great moment. Oden's flashback isn't my favorite in the series, but it is so fascinating in its own right for how different and impactful it is.
Not much more to say other than “One Piece good, Wano good, see you next week”, but that's the kind of consistently strong material Toei keeps delivering.
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...
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...