Happy news, everyone! There's going to be a wedding! Sanji and Pudding have vowed to live happily ever after, and I'm sure there's no way it could go wrong. No siree.
These are the parts of the series that get the most frustrating, because execution becomes so important. I was impressed by Luffy and Sanji's big fight because it made what was already a relatively weak thread of the arc (Sanji's departure from the crew) a lot more potent, and I wish that was the case more often. The heart of this episode lies in Sanji and Pudding's private conversation away from their parents, where Pudding sees the hurt that Sanji's family is putting him through, so they promise each other to make their marriage a happy one. They're two peas in a pod in this unwanted marriage, after all. From Sanji's point of view, there's no going back to the Straw Hat pirates, but living with a beautiful, caring young woman seems to be the next best thing. It's a glimmer of light in the darkness.
The animation's not pretty enough to keep up with the soft piano decorating the scene, so a moment like this gets lost in the shuffle given the scope of the arc. Pudding's role in this story is in a precarious position for a number of reasons, and the only thing that can save her from being a snore is to go all in. Make her so sweet my teeth hurt. Right now, I think her charms are working on Sanji a lot more than they're working on us, and I just find myself hitting my head against my desk, wishing this show could be drawn better or moved faster or something.
This conversation between Sanji and Pudding is sewn between scenes of Luffy and Nami fighting off Big Mom's army. There's a moment of empowerment as all of Mom's henchmen doubt that Luffy could have been the one to defeat Cracker, only for Luffy to put up a surprisingly good fight against so many enemies. Again, this is a sequence let down by so-so animation, and the fact that this battle of futility appears to be going on for yet another episode is disappointing. That said, it is nice to see the smaller names of Big Mom's family have a moment with Luffy before the rest of the arc happens.
We're tumbling into the lowest point of the story for our heroes, after a brief victory at the end of the Cracker fight. We can be pretty certain that Sanji will return to the crew at some point, but right now there are enough complications to keep it interesting. What would it take for Sanji to leave Pudding and put Zeff's life back at risk? What happens if Luffy can't keep his promise to stay waiting in that spot? That last one is a self-imposed rule for Luffy, who's assuming Sanji's coming back as much as we are. It's a gesture that anchors the whole story, no matter how much things go out of wack in the episodes to come.
I like the ideas behind the story enough to enjoy the episode, but am really worn down by the pacing and presentation. I really wish that Luffy vs. Big Mom's army wasn't being divided between at least three episodes, and you can feel the production running thin once again.
Manga went on hiatus in 2019 due to Yū Sasuga's health issues― This year's 17th issue of Shueisha's Weekly Young Jump magazine revealed on Thursday that Kenichi Tachibana and Yū Sasuga's Terraformars manga will resume in the magazine's 18th issue on April 4. The manga will feature on the cover of the 18th issue, and will have an opening color page. The magazine will also bundle a sticker to commemor...
Company's Japanese anime studio to double output― Warner Bros. Discovery president of Asia-Pacific James Gibbons stated to entertainment news website Variety last Friday that the company's Japanese anime studio will produce more than 10 titles per year as opposed to its output of five to 10 titles in past years. He stated that "anime is one of the best ways to reach the 18 to 30-year-old audience, w...
What you're left with is a dull fantasy with stock, underdeveloped characters with uninteresting relationships that never look as good as they insist they should.― The isekai subgenre is no stranger to harems. These days, it seems like every Tom, Dick, or Harry who gets transported to a fantasy world is instantly gifted with a gaggle of giggling girls glomming over his gormless gonads. Tales of Wedd...
With no less than three new golf anime coming this spring season, Chris and Steve as the big question: Is this Birdie Wing's fault?― With no less than three new golf anime coming this spring season, Chris and Steve ask the big question: Is this Birdie Wing's fault? Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the participants in this chatlog are not the views of Anime News Network.Spoiler Warnin...
As we approach the end of the season, Delicious in Dungeon and Undead Unluck are steadily climbing the cumulative. Find out how your favorite shows performed in 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...
As we look in despair to a future without new episodes of Frieren, you may be wondering what could possibly fill the hole in your heart (and watch schedule). We're here to help.― With the end of one anime season comes the start of another. As we look in despair to a future without new episodes of Frieren: Beyond Journey's End, you may be wondering what could possibly fill the hole in your heart (an...
This week, Nick and Lucas talk about the recent, ongoing, and not-yet-released works of the late, great Akira Toriyama—as well as the potential future of his most popular franchise.― This week, Nick and Lucas talk about the recent, ongoing, and not-yet-released works of the late, great Akira Toriyama—as well as the potential future of his most popular franchise. Disclaimer: The views and opinions e...
From shows that are "just not for me" to pure animated shlock, here are our editorial team's picks for the worst anime of the winter 2024 season.― Yesterday, we gave you our list of the best anime Winter 2024 had to offer. Now it's time for the opposite. From shows that are "just not for me" to pure animated shlock, here are our editorial team's picks for the worst anime of the season. Note: The co...
The second part of a double-feature currently in U.S. theaters, when Sakuta finds he's become invisible, he'll have to face some significant changes in his life to create the future he wants.― As an overarching story, The Rascal Does Not Dream series hit its central climax in the 2019 film Rascal Does Not Dream of a Dreaming Girl. The previous film to this one, Rascal Does Not Dream of a Sister Vent...
With the end of the Winter 2024 anime season upon us, it's time to look back at the best of what the season had to offer.― With the end of the Winter 2024 anime season looming, it's time to look back at the best of what the season had to offer. And so here's a list of our editorial team's favorite anime series this season. The big takeaway? We really like Delicious in Dungeon. Note: the commentary ...