Episode 1119 of One Piece is gorgeously animated and heavy with implications for the wider world.
Cobra's death is a huge event in the scope of both the setting itself and the fandom more broadly. King Cobra is representative of the early era of One Piece in many ways, standing in for the Alabasta arc in our minds not unlike how he represents his island in governance. To see him laid low by the World Government after discovering a deep truth about the setting is symbolic of where we are at in the series. Those early days of Luffy and the crew running around getting into shenanigans in the East Blue are long since past. Now we are approaching big discoveries and momentous events, with implications for everything and everyone we have come to know in the series.
The action was fluid this week too. Sabo's attempted rescue of Cobra was dynamic and exciting, with great fire effects and engaging movement from the cast. The monstrous forms of Imu and the others were presented in an effective manner, terrifying inky slime monsters that were indistinct but had the unique crackling effect around the edges to give them a supernatural flair.
But One Piece is still One Piece, so we got fun comedy bits this week too. Namely in the form of Wapol, a character we haven't seen in a hot minute. The entire shtick of him just barreling through walls Looney Tunes style was great, and it was funny seeing Vivi rid in his mouth (and upset his queen in the process). Funny reaction faces and cartoonish expressions were out in full force, something I greatly appreciated. But I love that Wapol's weird proportions were part of this gag, as One Piece's characters are often exaggerated in size but seldom do we see those impact character interactions in such a direct way.
I am so happy that they made a sequel to one of my favorite anime of all time…seven years later.― I am so happy that they made a sequel to one of my favorite anime of all time…seven years later. OK, that's not technically true, considering that between the airing of the first season of Hajime no Ippo and New Challenger there was a movie, as well as a fairly popular OVA, that was released. While the ...
Coop and Chris try to answer the eternal question: does it matter if the sequel is as good if it takes too long to show up?― Coop and Chris try to answer the eternal question: does it matter if the sequel is as good if it takes too long to show up? Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the participants in this chatlog are not the views of Anime News Network.Spoiler Warning for discussion ...
ANN sat down with Shu Watanabe to discuss the anime adaption of The Too-Perfect Saint and what viewers can expect.―
Koki Fuyutsuki's light novel series The Too-Perfect Saint may sound like every other saint-based story out there, but it offers some variations on the theme. More Cinderella than its isekai compatriots, the story follows Philia, a protagonist. She carries out her duties perfectly as t...
Anime News Network is going to Japan, and we want to bring you with us. Visit Ghibli Park, relax in an onsen and grab some amazing Japanese food with us this October.― Announcing our second ANN in Japan tour! Anime News Network and Pac Set tours are teaming up once again to offer a very special tour to our readers. PacSet was founded in 2011 by Evan Miller, a former ANN writer. Since then, dozens of...
Tezuka Productions animates story of high school boy falling in love with 2 childhood friends― CyberAgent announced on Thursday that it is producing a television anime adaptation of Shinya Misu's Osananajimi to wa LoveCom ni Naranai (I'll Never Have a Romantic Comedy with My Childhood Friend) manga that will premiere in 2026. Tezuka Productions is animating the project. CyberAgent also unveiled a te...
The Brilliant Healer’s New Life in the Shadows is, on the whole, a surprisingly good series.― You could be forgiven for assuming that you've read or watched this story a thousand times before in the year 2025. The Brilliant Healer's New Life in the Shadows draws from some very dry wells if you look on the surface; it appears to be both a demihuman harem and a story about a powerful guy who gets kick...
Switch 2 features 4K resolution, 1080p LCD screen, audio/video chat, magnetic Joy-Con 2 controllers― Nintendo unveiled new details for its new Nintendo Switch 2 system during the "Nintendo Direct: Nintendo Switch 2" livestream on Wednesday. Nintendo will release Switch 2 worldwide on June 5. The system retails for US$449.99 in the U.S. The system will also get a bundle with the newly announced Mario...
Simply put, this is the apex pant.― TRIPP pants have always been the final form of pants, but this factoid poses the question: what, then, is the final form of TRIPP pants? Enter: the physical manifestation of what it means to dress to impress, Death Note TRIPP pants. Let's back up a bit: for those unfamiliar, TRIPP NYC is a fashion brand that's particularly well known for its bondage pants. If you ...
Lucas and Steve rage at the recent influx of terrible AI "Ghibli" images.― Lucas and Steve rage at the recent influx of terrible AI "Ghibli" images. Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the participants in this chatlog are not the views of Anime News Network. All Ghibli shows are available streaming on Max.
The Red Turtle is available on YouTube. @RiderStrike @BWProwl @LucasDeRuyter @ves...
Get ready to rock with Rock is a Lady's Modesty! Also check our reviews for The Brilliant Healer's New Life in the Shadows, Devil May Cry, The Too-Perfect Saint: Tossed Aside by My Fiancé and Sold To Another Kingdom, and more.― Welcome to Anime News Network's Spring 2025 Anime Preview Guide! Here's how it goes: our team of critics writes up their impressions instantly, to be posted here as they go ...
Zero relies heavily on CGI, not just for its mech battles, but also for some backgrounds and scene transitions. Sometimes this works, and sometimes it looks horribly dated.― A five-episode OVA released over the space of almost two years (2002-2004), in
release order, Macross Zero sits between 1997's Macross Dynamite 7 and 2008's Macross
Frontier. Chronologically, its events occur before every other ...
Jerome digs into the details of inserting explicit references to anime in western media.― Jake asks: Hey Answerman, I was recently watching The Bookie on MAX and Sebastian Maniscalco's stepson in the first episode is cosplaying as Levi from D. Gray-man. This happens a few times throughout the show's run as well. His actor even openly references anime and manga. This had me wondering about Hollywood...
These first five episodes are more than compelling in their own right and set the rest of Lazarus up to be the exact mirror that our global society needs at this moment.― First and foremost, you should know that this ain't Cowboy Bebop, partner! While Lazarus is the most stylistically and tonally similar to Bebop out of all of director Shinichirō Watanabe's subsequent works, it's not trying to be Co...
Grow your crops, romance your neighbors, and sell them goods in the upcoming Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar remake!― Once again, the future of the Story of Seasons series lies in the franchise taking a look at its past! Marvelous was generous enough to give us a first look at the upcoming Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar remake. Longtime fans might remember this game from the Nintendo DS; the years h...