I already had a problem with the One Piece manga introducing the character of Cosette just so Niji could show off how evil he is by beating her up. It's definitely shocking, but how on earth could you be comfortable with something like that? It's not like it's imperative to the story that we learn what a bad boy Niji is to begin with. We already know.
But it turns out that I'm not a big fan of the anime toning the violence down, either. In the manga, it's brutal. Cosette's bloody, swollen face is one of the most striking and violent panels of the Whole Cake Island arc. The anime has been known to lessen the bloodshed in certain scenes, but we've also seen it commit to moments that have surprised me, so I never know what to expect when it comes to adapting the darker parts of this series. In this version, the anime keeps Cosette's face off-screen, focusing much more on Sanji as he grits his teeth in seething anger. The fact that the violence feels so impersonal is the most disappointing part. They went so far as to show the moment before, when Niji approaches Cosette later that morning just to make it that much creepier, but this whole episode has a very arm's length feeling to it.
All of that is on top of how ugly it looks. The production values are currently bottoming out, which usually means we're on the verge of a massive up-swing in quality, but this is still one of the worst looking episodes of the arc yet. Everybody is falling off-model, body language is stiff and unnatural, and the molasses pacing is not helping any of it. We keep cutting back and forth between the Cracker fight and the Carrot and Chopper mirror world shenanigans, but that's ultimately the same bunch of repetitive time wasting we've been seeing the past few episodes. It's a bummer.
From there, the story moves to the revelation about how the Germa 66 army works. It turns out that Sanji's father was once a brilliant scientist and a peer of the infamously elusive Vegapunk, (which would also make him a peer of Caesar Clown, perhaps?) and it turns out they've discovered the secret to DNA cloning, thus the hundreds of powerful men growing in test tubes in Germa's basement. You can definitely see the value in Big Mom and the Vinsmokes pooling resources. There's also some emphasis put on Sanji's discomfort and disbelief of the situation, but coming off the Cosette stuff, it feels like such an extraneous element to add to the story. The direction here is very lifeless and matter-of-fact.
I really hope the quality upswing for the anime is coming soon, because this is not a great time for One Piece. I was already lukewarm on this part of the arc in the manga, but the adaptation quality is especially poor right now. You can feel how thin the production is being spread, and it makes me very sad whenever it gets like this, because I love this show and I want to see the best in it, but that's just not happening this week.
With seven full routes and one mini-route with a character from the previous game, if you enjoyed Cupid Paradise, Sweet & Spicy Darling is worth playing.― The first order of business is this: if you haven't played the original Cupid Parasite otome game, there isn't much point in picking up Sweet & Spicy Darling. There is one new route for this sequel, but even that relies on you knowing the backgrou...
With the release of Dead Dead Demon's Dededededestruction, Nick and Steve take a look at it and some other manga that were thought to be "unadaptable"—and see if that was truly the case.― With the release of Dead Dead Demon's Dededede Destruction, Nick and Steve take a look at it and some other manga that were thought to be "unadaptable"—and see if that was truly the case. Disclaimer: The views and...
LiSA performs 'Black Box' opening theme― The official website for NieR:Automata Ver 1.1a, the television anime of Square Enix and Platinum Games' NieR:Automata action role-playing game, started streaming its "promotion file 11" on Tuesday. The video previews the opening theme song "Black Box" by LiSA, and reveals the premiere of the anime's second cours (quarter of year) in July. (The video below re...
When even the author says this story will hurt, you know it will be bad.― When even the author says this story will hurt, you know it will be bad. That's assuming, of course, that you weren't prepared for it going in. The fate of Astrea Familia is well-known to readers and viewers (and players) of the various Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon iterations, and the most recent season of ...
The documentary was full of cool tidbits about the 82-year-old producer and the anime he's worked on—including Ninja Scroll, Pluto, and In This Corner of the World.― Late last month, Japanese television network NHK put out a documentary on anime producer Masao Maruyama as part of their Anime Manga Explosion series. In it, the show delves into the now 82-year-old producer's life, philosophies, and so...
Masaki Watanabe directs anime at TMS Entertainment― Shueisha announced on Monday in its first "Jump Press" video that Yuuto Suzuki's Sakamoto Days manga will get a television anime series in January 2025 starring Tomokazu Sugita as Taro Sakamoto. The video also revealed the main staff. Masaki Watanabe (KADO - The Right Answer, Bartender, several Battle Spirits anime) is directing the anime at TMS En...
This is where the series earns its place in anime history, setting a precedent that other magical girl shows will follow.― It's a moment of magical girl history, right there on the screen: in episode forty-six of Fairy Princess Minky Momo's original 1982-83 television series, Momo is hit by a truck and dies. Even putting aside the question of whether or not this is Truck-kun's first victim, this is ...
Teaser video streamed― Bandai Namco Filmworks announced on Saturday that the Ghost in the Shell franchise is getting a new television anime series in 2026. Science Saru will produce the anime, which is tentatively titled Kōkaku Kidōtai (The Ghost in the Shell). Bandai Namco Filmworks, Kodansha, Science Saru, and Production I.G are on the production committee for the series. Bandai Namco Filmworks al...
This is a movie I never want to watch again. However, this is not because it's bad. Rather, it's a testament to just how incredible this film is.― Dead Dead Demon's Dededede Destruction Part 2 is a film I never want to watch again. However, this is not because it's bad. Rather, it's a testament to just how incredible this film is. The film is full of well-developed and memorable characters—especiall...
Company acquires studio behind Lu over the wall, Inu-Oh, Scott Pilgrim anime, Tatami Time Machine Blues― The entertainment company Toho announced on Thursday that its board of directors has decided to acquire all shares of the anime studio Science Saru, effective on June 19. Toho will then make Science Saru its consolidated subsidiary from the second quarter (June-August) of the fiscal year ending i...