Reviewing an episode like One Piece 1035 is challenging because the distinction between adaptation and source material becomes very important.
Adaptation-wise, it's very well done. The animation looks great and many of the most touching scenes are well-shot and executed. The care and attention paid to the story Oda is telling are evident even in a “normal” episode (though what counts as a normal episode of the Wano arc is up for debate). Nothing here is phoned in, no corners are cut, and all the story beats are delivered with the heft one would expect.
The issues arise when this episode is viewed in the context of its source material.
Wano is a big and complicated arc in a big and complicated story. One Piece was always a world with limitless potential, but even 25 years in the horizons seem further away than ever. No matter how many reveals Oda drops – and in recent times they've been coming in hot and heavy – he cannot help but introduce more characters, more factions, and more islands. For better or worse, there is never a sense that One Piece is “locked in” for its final trajectory. There's always more and more and more.
The dichotomy between the Akazaya Nine and the Luffy/Kaido match in this episode makes things crystal clear. Kinemon and crew are, ostensibly, “side” characters or supporting cast members in Wano, the longest arc of One Piece, published over four years in real time and longer than some manga series by itself (and that's not even counting Kinemon and Momonosuke's introduction way back in Punk Hazard). This “side story” sure does look like a full meal all on its own, so much so that it has started to take away the shine from the (ostensibly) main story being told.
Is this Oda's intent? For the drama of the Akazaya Nine – compelling though it is – to overshadow what the protagonist of the story is going through? It's hard to say if that's an issue of intent or merely the fatigue of reading the release in real-time. Is this a feature or a bug? One thing is for sure: the drama between Kinemon and Kanjuro is powerful and moving, a complete tale of sorrow fully-told, and Luffy's battle with Kaido literally crashes in from above to disrupt it.
Titles include: Macross Plus, Macross 7, Macross F, Macross Delta, more― The official Macross website announced on Monday that the "Star" brand of Disney+ will stream numerous anime from the Macross franchise in 2024. Macross F character designer Risa Ebata illustrated the visual below to commemorate the news. The confirmed titles include multiple editions of Macross Plus, Macross 7, Macross F, and ...
Artist also worked as animator, character designer for anime for Ashi Production, Kaname Production― The official Twitter account for artist Mutsumi Inomata announced on Monday that Inomata died on March 10. Her family held a private funeral. The announcement added that Inomata's death was "sudden," and she still had the draft for a new illustration that she had only started drawing before she died....
Soon to be an anime series, The Blue Wolves of Mibu is a safe bet for fans of the Shinsengumi historical subgenre.― The Shinsengumi is pretty inescapable in Japanese fiction, and I fully admit that most of my reading about them in the manga and visual novel sphere has been on the shōjo side – the Hakuouki franchise and the incomparable Kaze Hikaru, in particular. But there's undoubtedly more than ju...
Director Daisuke Hiramaki, assistant director Ciao Nekotomi, and producer Shimpei Yamashita discuss the series' extra-long premiere, its depiction of the idol industry, and what fans can look forward to in season two.― The 【Oshi No Ko】 anime series was a breakout hit last year. The series smashed records at streaming service HIDIVE to become its "#1 series launch in the streamer's history." The ani...
The conclusion of the "Fertility Arc" drags in places, but it's bittersweet and remarkably fulfilling, and that makes up for many of its deficiencies.― Spoiler Warning: This review will contain spoilers for volumes sixteen and seventeen of the light novel series. Freya is tired of waiting. She's decided that if she can't have Bell through fair means (or at least "fair" in her mind), she'll resort to...
One of "the most unorthodox and innovative" anime is out on Blu-ray in this subtitled-only release. We'd like more extras, but you can't say no to Bocchi.― Unless you're a brand-new anime fan, you probably have heard of Bocchi the Rock!. If you are a new fan, welcome! When it came onto the scene in the fall of 2023, it was an easy crowd-pleaser with the way it combined cute girl hobby anime aestheti...
Jean-Karlo invites us to take a look at Akira Toriyama's influence and legacy in the gaming industry. There are also good/bad news for Puyo Puyo and The Super Mario Bros.― Welcome back, folks! I didn't get a chance to plug it last week, but my column on monster-collecting games came out last week! The timing on that column was... something. That weekend turned out to be the 25th anniversary of the D...
Join Anime News Network's Lynzee Loveridge and Richard Eisenbeis, and Trash Taste Pod's Gigguk as they watch over fifty anime trailers from the Spring 2024 anime season!― The Trailer Watch Party is growing up with a live stream from Trash Taste Pod's After Dark studio. Join Anime News Network executive editor Lynzee Loveridge, ANN Japan correspondent Richard Eisenbeis, and Trash Taste Pod's Gigguk a...
Despite hitting a lot of very familiar beats, there's something about A Returner's Magic Should Be Special that's incredibly readable.― Despite hitting a lot of very familiar beats, there's something about A Returner's Magic Should Be Special that's incredibly readable. Yes, our hero Desir Herrman is the typical overpowered protagonist seen in so many isekai and time loop stories, and yes, he's faci...
"I'll spit on you for $5!" Lucas DeRuyter spoke to pro adult content creators about con attendees LARPing as sex workers, and how a more consensual experience is better for everyone.― Note: The images in this article are likely NSFW. Cosplay model, panel host, and sex worker Ronnie/Bunni Black described the anime community as having "cognitive dissonance" towards adult content. As sex workers in th...