"We can't see Dressrosa anymore," Robin says to Law as they stare out at the open sea. Holy moly, did you ever think we'd see the day? I joke a lot, just because it's novel how long we've spent on a single island, but that doesn't change the huge sigh of relief that line brings me. Of course, the episode cuts back to Dressrosa almost immediately as we get some reconstruction shenanigans, but we've gotta wean ourselves off first.
This episode covers a lot of the cool stuff we tend to look forward to in these post-arc episodes. It was just a few weeks ago that we saw Kaido and many of the super rookies of the New World, and now we've returned to that well with the revelation that some of the old CP-9 members (the villains of the Water 7 saga) have been promoted to roles in CP-0. This is crazy-pants if you've read the manga cover stories, where it seemed like Rob Lucci and friends had separated from the World Government, but apparently not. They're back just in time for their Film Gold cameos too.
We also see Doflamingo chained in his cell, as he's being transported to Impel Down or wherever they intend to hold him up. Miserably, the marines seem to have given him a pair of replacement sunglasses, meaning we still don't get to see his eyes. I was sure that would have happened by this point. Regardless, he gives a huge dramatic villain speech about how his defeat is only going to turn the world to mayhem. It's a big diatribe about the many world powers: the Four Emperors, the Seven Warlords, the rookies, the World Government and the Revolutionary Army.
It's one thing for this speech to be cool, but it does an even better job at defining the bigger picture that's been developing since pretty much day one. One Piece has always been about the enormous rat race between the strongest and most interesting people in the world vying for that “one last empty seat.” The political web that makes up the pirate world has always been crucial to the appeal of this series, as everything is connected with room for change and growth around every corner. “Who's going to side with who? Who's going to betray who?” In the days of alliances and Emperors, this is a more important question than ever.
Lastly, the episode gives us an update on the Straw Hats's wanted posters. Everybody's bounty went up by at least 50 million berries (except for Chopper's nonsensical “pet” bounty, which doubled to a whopping dollar in our real word currency), as well as a new picture for everybody, representing their New World status. Luffy and Law have gone all the way up to 500 million each, and “God Usopp's” bounty skyrocketed from 30 million to 200 million, thanks to the following he gained on Dressrosa. Sanji's new 177 million also mysteriously lists “Only Alive” on his poster, hinting at a new development to be explored in the next arc.
I've always loved the bounties in One Piece. Maybe I'm just basic like that, but I always thought it was a neat equivalent to Dragon Ball Z's power levels. Not only does the number give us a ballpark of a character's strength, but it represents their reputation within the world, which is a huge part of the pirate life. I guess I'm still attached to the days of Jaya, when the story played with the idea of reputation in an incredibly satisfying way. I love the idea of regular folk within the One Piece world just opening their newspapers and exchanging gossip about all this stuff.
Next week looks to be the beginning of a new filler arc (we haven't gotten any in a while), so even if it's bad, it'll hopefully still be fun to talk about. It looks like the bulk of the usual post-arc info dump is over, so we've got this Silver-Mine arc and then finally the Straw Hats' reunion on Zou to look forward to.
I can't recommend the series, nor think that any hypothetical viewer would enjoy it, but it is the kind of trash TV that's rewarding to dissect.― Have you ever wondered what Baki would be like if it had a conservative bent instead of queer undertones? Well, look no further because the answer is Kengan Ashura! While Kengan is trying to convey the same spectacle and white-knuckle action of the long-ru...
Film also available to rent, purchase digitally on several major outlets in N. America― The official X/Twitter account for TOHO's Godzilla franchise announced on Saturday that Takashi Yamazaki's Godzilla Minus One film is streaming worldwide on Netflix. The film is available worldwide, but is currently not available in Japan. Godzilla Minus One/Minus Color, the black-and-white version of the film, w...
One Piece: Heroines novel also licensed― Viz Media revealed its new licenses and new print releases planned for spring 2025 on Friday. Kazuyoshi Seto's Minecraft: The Manga: Announcement: Add this book to your enchantment room! Join Nico on his chance to escape the blocky confines of his home and prove how strong he's become when zombies attack! Minecraft: The Manga, by Kazuyoshi Seto, releases Spri...
Series starring Miku Martineau, Ayo Solanke, more starts production in Toronto― The Hollywood Reporter entertainment news site reported on Thursday that showrunner Simon Barry (Warrior Nun creator) and Boat Rocker Media are producing a live-action series for Netflix titled BET that "is based in part" on writer Homura Kawamoto and artist Tōru Naomura's Kakegurui - Compulsive Gambler manga. The show h...
Jean-Karlo attempts to condense two big video game showcases into a coherent column, from the revamped Silent Hill 2 to the grazing pastures of Story of Seasons.― Welcome back, folks. This is related to a big story for this week, but this past weekend, I listened to Utada Hikaru's re-recording of "Simple And Clean". It's very emotional. Utada Hikaru is a good twenty-plus years older than when she or...
In the Eisner-nominated work, Maki Fujiwara chronicles her daily life with her husband, lionized mangaka Yoshiharu Tsuge. Though deceptively simple at first glance, a foundation of abuse is slowly revealed.― At first blush, Maki Fujiwara's My Picture Diary does what it says on the tin. It tells the story of her daily life as a housewife and mother, spending time with her daily activities, noting the...
Now streaming on Netflix, Tomotaka Shibayama's first feature animation mixes the magical with reality to share a simple but important message.―
Director Tomotaka Shibayama's latest film, My Oni Girl, is an action-adventure drama with elements of a buddy comedy and a relatable coming-of-age story. The film, produced by Studio Colorido, was released in theaters in Japan and on Netflix on May 24, foll...
Miyano, Nukumi play original characters for August 2 film― The official website for My Hero Academia the Movie: You're Next (My Hero Academia: You're Next), the fourth anime film in the My Hero Academia franchise, announced on Friday that the film has cast Mamoru Miyano and Meru Nukumi as original characters. Mamori Miyano as Giulio Gandini, a butler who serves the Scervino family Meru Nukumi as Ann...
Kaiju No. 8 takes the top spot this week while Tonari no Yōkai-san pushes to #3 in the cmulative! Check out 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 are based on how people rated in...
Mospeada is a work very much of its time, riffing on ideas and tropes that were all the rage when it was made, and doesn't do anything exceptional with them.― It can be easy for even longtime fans to forget that alongside Macross, there were two other 80's sci-fi anime that got Frankenstein-ed into what we'd eventually call Robotech. While this isn't the first time one of those series has made it to...
Following the upcoming retro programming block Toonami Rewind, Chris and Lucas look back fondly on the afternoons spent watching Naruto and Sailor Moon.― Following the upcoming retro programming block Toonami Rewind, Chris and Lucas look back fondly on the afternoons spent watching Naruto and Sailor Moon. Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the participants in this chatlog are not the v...
Yeah, yeah, Kaiju No. 8 has all the great action scenes, but Yatagarasu is chewing up the scenery as the royal ladies absolutely lose their minds!?― Why Aren't You Watching This Anime Yet? Yeah, yeah, Kaiju No. 8 has all the great action scenes, but Yatagarasu is chewing up the scenery as the royal ladies absolutely lose their minds!? The ANN After Show streams live on YouTube, Facebook, and Twitte...
Here we have a from-the-ground-up remake, but does this beloved classic still hold up in a modern sense, or is that praise just nostalgia talking?― It's nice when Nintendo surprises us with a remaster or re-release of one of their more difficult-to-obtain games. The original Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door for the Nintendo GameCube is a classic for many. However, since the game was never re-rele...
Miles Atherton crunched Netflix's latest numbers for some surprising anime discoveries, from the popularity of My Happy Marriage to the One Piece juggernaut.― Since the advent of streaming, it's been notoriously difficult to gauge how popular a specific anime is with international audiences, both for publishers looking to make informed decisions for a market that generates most of its revenue outsi...