One Piece episode 1053 is one of the more classic-feeling episodes of the Wano arc. It has a great mix of comedy, action, character variety, and Nico Robin appreciation. All it takes to win me over is the latter, though of course all the other stuff is nice too.
Unsurprisingly, the fight between Queen and Sanji is the big draw for this week's episode. Sanji always gets a lot of love from the Toei crew when it's his turn to step up to the plate and this week was no different. The mid-air multi-jumps, the flaming kicks, the smoldering looks – it's all done up in the best way and makes Sanji out to be the most unstoppable dynamite kicker this side of Kamen Rider.
Queen is similarly treated well this week. Not only does his absurd dinosaur body look terrific whether it's dealing or taking damage, it also makes for some solid comedy. Queen shooting his head out of his body and claiming it as an ancient dinosaur power remains one of my favorite moments in all of Wano, with hilarious deliveries and reactions from nearby onlookers. I particularly liked the manga-like freeze frame with all its resplendent colors and cartoonish popping eyeballs. I love when One Piece is an epic struggle between titanic forces in a world of salt and sin… but I also like when it's a honk honk silly cartoon.
The reveal that Sanji's body is not entirely “normal” is perhaps the best thing to happen for his characterization in a long time. I am somewhat mixed on the burden of his family being supervillains: I don't think it hits quite hard enough for me. Judge is so monstrous that it makes Sanji's backstory sympathetic of course, don't get me wrong. I think this is when it really hits just how evil all that is though, since Sanji suffered so much abuse for not being a perfect specimen like his siblings, only to find out he's something of a late bloomer. Now the tragedy hits home and it humanizes Sanji that much more.
Of course there's also Nico Robin seeming like the most important person in the entire series and smiling a ton, so for that alone it's a top-tier week. Great stuff, more please.
New episodes slated for September, after selected earlier episodes rerun in Japan in July― The official website for the Naruto anime franchise announced on Thursday that the Naruto television anime will air four "brand-new" episodes starting in September to celebrate its 20th anniversary. (The Naruto television anime debuted in October 2002.) Selected earlier episodes of the Naruto anime will also ...
293rd episode to be 'Part I' finale― The official website for the Boruto: Naruto Next Generations anime announced on Thursday that the anime's 293rd episode on March 26 will be the final episode of anime's "Part I." The website also confirmed that production on "Part II" of the anime has been green-lit. Viz Media is simulcasting the Boruto: Naruto Next Generations series on Hulu as it airs in Japan,...
Ayane Sakura, Kenta Miyake, more join cast― The Pokémon Company revealed four more cast members on Friday for the new anime in the Pokémon franchise. The new characters are part of the "Rising Volteckers" group that Professor Friede leads. The group uses an airship as their base. The new cast includes (in order of appearance in the above video, character name spellings not confirmed) Ayane Sakura as...
yama performs opening theme "slash"― Bandai Namco Filmworks' Gundam Info YouTube channel began streaming a trailer for the second season of the Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury anime on Thursday. The trailer reveals and previews the second season's new opening theme song "slash" by yama, and also confirms that the second season will also have simultaneous streaming. The official website fo...
Manga previously took breaks in February, December due to author's health― The official Twitter account for Kohei Horikoshi's My Hero Academia manga announced on Friday that the manga is taking a two-week break due to Horikoshi's poor health. The manga will not appear in the 15th issue of Weekly Shonen Jump on Monday and the 16th issue on March 20. The manga will return in the 17th issue on March 27...
There's nothing that's actively bad about the movie, and a likable protagonist goes a long way towards keeping things breezy and enjoyable, but its pleasures are mild, and the experience of watching it is almost instantly forgettable.― Blue Thermal fits into the genre of slice-of-life anime centered around students partaking in a school club together. Somewhat unusual for the genre, it takes place i...
It's Ángel's birthday, so Jean-Karlo takes the opportunity to gush about the beloved KOF character and SNK games' unique history in Mexico. Also, Twitch cracks down on deepfakes, Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi returns and more in This Week in Games!― Welcome back, everyone! I hope you're looking forward to starting your weekend with some game news! I could definitely use a break, I had a very busy...
With Hideaki Anno's Shin Kamen Rider hitting Japanese theaters, now's a good time to sink into the series. Here's a guide on the best films and shows available in North America.― With Hideaki Anno's Shin Kamen Rider hitting Japanese theaters, we decided it may not be a bad time to take a look at the slowly but surely growing collection of Kamen Rider series and films available in North America. In t...
Regardless of where the romantic component of the story goes, if it continues to develop its theme of straightforward dedication with believably emotional moments, I definitely will find myself constantly coming back to the series.― I wouldn't go so far as to call Blue Box a traditional sports manga. The story doesn't really go into the mechanics of badminton or basketball. Even though the artwork i...
Beyond arguing about whether your fave made it in, what's the point of anime awards? Chris and Nicky discuss the pros of the various fan and industry awards ceremonies.― Beyond arguing about whether your fave made it in, what's the point of anime awards? Chris and Nicky discuss the pros of the various fan and industry awards ceremonies. Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the participan...
While missed opportunities keep PARANORMASIGHT from being a truly standout game, I still enjoyed the process of uncovering the story, even if it goes into some truly off-the-wall directions in its end-game content.― PARANORMASIGHT: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo is a horror visual novel written and created for me, personally. I do not know how director and scenario writer Takanari Ishiyama tapped into...
Ever wanted to run around the Hidden Leaf Village to team up with Naruto and friends to fight ninjas? Then have I got the game for you.― Ever wanted to run around the Hidden Leaf Village to team up with Naruto and friends to fight ninjas? Then have I got the game for you. From March 21 to May 28, NARUTO×BORUTO VR will be playable on the fourth floor of DiverCity in Odaiba, Tokyo. ANN was able to try...
Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse sadly never came to the United States to the disappointment of many fans fifteen years ago. KOEI Tecmo is here to right that old wrong, giving us the long-awaited localization. Was it worth the wait?― Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse sadly never came to the United States in 2008, to the disappointment of many fans fifteen years ago. KOEI Tecmo is here to ...
After a slow start to the season, Miss Nagatoro climbs into the cumulative top 10! Find out where your favorite shows rank this week.― 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...
So here it is: Immoral Guild is a horny anime. How horny? Monstrously.― I briefly considered burying the lede at the beginning of this review as a joke by acting like Immoral Guild was some decently distinctive little fantasy sitcom if not for just one little caveat that I forgot to mention. But that's disingenuous. It does put "Immoral" right there in the title, after all, and makes no secret what ...
Steve and Nick try to parse what makes for a winning formula in the highly competitive manga magazine, if such a thing even exists.― If you're an avid Shonen Jump reader, you've likely experienced the heartache of your favorite series getting tossed in the bin. Steve and Nick try to parse what makes for a winning formula in the highly competitive magazine, if such a thing even exists. These manga a...