The opening portion of the episode was largely focused on Kinemon and Ashura. Kinemon admits to Ashura that he specifically caused the raids to antagonize Holdem, who would in turn attack Ashura and get him back into the revolution. Kinemon apologizes to Ashura by bowing low and admitting that he was wrong in his approach. Ashura basically lets it slide without saying as much out loud, and reminds Kinemon that he can never know what the past twenty years have really been like. However, he does have something to show Kinemon, but the episode cuts back to the prison without revealing what that is.
Things are not exactly going great at the prison for Queen and his henchmen because – dun dun dun – Big Mom has arrived. She tears off the iron gate with her bare hands and flings it away, entering the prison in search of red bean soup. Tama and Momonosuke are overjoyed by this turn of events, but Kiku reminds them that it is important they stay hidden. This doesn't exclude Kiku herself, as Chopper reminds her, so she masks up and the duo enter the prison while Tama and Momonosuke hang back.
Queen is infuriated by Big Mom's request for his red bean soup. The soup is, by his own admission, like air to him, and he's not giving her a single drop. He even transforms into his brachiosaurus form to prove he means business. Big Mom's eyes glow red and she slams his face into the ground, shocking everyone right before we cut to the To Be Continued card.
This was a solid episode with some really great standout moments. First off, Queen's transformation is just an incredible visual – having a leather biker Fist of the North Star boss turn into a cigar-chomping dinosaur is precisely the reason I watch anime. Where else can you have this kind of fun?
Big Mom, as always, is a delight and the focal point of any scene she is in. She has a sort of narrative gravity that makes everything pivot to revolve around her. The gate-ripping sequence was terrific, and I love that the animation team gave it a floating leaf-like quality as it fell. It underscored how strong Big Mom is.
Kinemon and Ashura's scene was great too. Kinemon giving Yasui his due, while also showing the true humility of a leader who acknowledges that he's made a mistake, was great stuff and stands in stark contrast to Orochi and his villainy. I dug the shot that follows immediately after Kinemon's apology where the camera zooms in on Ashura's foot, which instills some doubt to how he might react. When Ashura pushes off of that foot it seems as though he might be moving to strike...but he doesn't. It's a great bit of direction that adds to the tension of the scene.
Far and away my personal favorite moment was Chopper and Kiku's scene. Kiku putting the wrap on her head and thinking that was a sufficient disguise… I love it. I love these goofy characters so much.
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...