One Piece episode 1037 acts as a solid preliminary to the Yamato versus Kaido fight.
Nami and Usopp take up most of the episode's runtime. Generally speaking, I don't mind this at all. I love both characters dearly and think they have a great brother/sister dynamic that makes them fun to watch, particularly when they are in mortal danger and act like big scaredy cats. Their fight sequence in Onigashima can feel drawn out at times, but here I think it mostly works. There is some fun banter between the two of them and they are understandably shaken by the battle they've just been through. Their efforts to comfort Tama add an extra layer of wholesomeness too.
The big surprise in this bit is Zeus residing in the climate baton. I've said before I don't have much interest in Zeus – he barely moves the needle for me, despite my general feeling that Big Mom's power for conjuring spirits is cool – and this does not do much to change that. It's funny that Nami is still mad at him, but other than that I could take him or leave him. Still, the climate baton having a little face and emoting is a fun image, and I enjoyed her reaction to him appearing.
Ulti really shows her chops as a menace for the first time here, at least in my estimation. The “not my pay pay!” shtick has not done much for me, though I really enjoy her overall design and cool dinosaur transformation powers. Her relentless pursuit plus general battle-damaged look does work really well here though, and in this moment it makes their fight feel less like another also-ran in Onigashima's long line of running battles and more like a main event with top billing.
The real draw of this episode is the final square-up between Yamato and Kaido. This was a battle that really hit hard in the manga and I'm beyond hyped to see what the Toei team does with these sequences. I have scooted my butt all the way to the edge of my seat and I'm ready for next week.
Crystal Kay previously sang themes for 2004's Fullmetal Alchemist and Nodame Cantabile― Recently, Anime News Network was able to sit down with singer-songwriter Crystal Kay and talk about not only her involvement with anime over the years but also what it was like to grow up in Japan as the child of a Korean-Japanese mother and an African-American father. Anime fans likely know of Crystal Kay throug...
The plot is excellent in the romance camp. Everything that happens is to get Eui-joon and Gunwoo together, and it works pretty well.― You can read The Dangerous Convenience Store in English two ways. The first is to read it on the manhwa site/app Manta, which has all seventy-five chapters and four bonus stories available. The second is to read Seven Seas' print (or ebook) edition, which, as of this ...
Some older mysteries inch closer to resolution as the true nature of the Abyss slowly comes into view, and long-posed questions start to be answered.― Sometimes, being a fan of Akihito Tsukushi's acclaimed Made in Abyss series means acclimating to suffering. Like many Western devotees, I was introduced to this bizarre, squishy, disturbing world via the 2017 first season of Kinema Citrus' fantastic a...
Anime premieres in 2024― Adult Swim's YouTube channel began streaming a first look video for the Rick and Morty: The Anime series on Saturday. The show will premiere on Adult Swim and Max in 2024, and will also run on Adult Swim Canada. The anime will be an original work, with adapted themes and events from the main Rick and Morty animated series. Takashi Sano (Tower of God) is writing and directing...
As Slam Dunk reached its final stretch, I can see why this series is considered the sports classic that it is today.― This is the largest batch of Slam Dunk episodes that I've reviewed thus far. Originally, I wanted to review the show in more even seasons, but given its overall pacing and release, it wasn't easy to find a moment where it felt right to stop and start again. However, as we approached ...
2nd part opens in Japanese theaters on June 7― The staff for the four-part Code Geass: Rozé of the Recapture (originally titled Gode Geass: Z of the Recapture, or Dakkan no Zetto) anime project revealed a trailer and a visual on Saturday for the second part in the project. The below video previews MIYAVI's opening theme song "Running In My Head." The anime's first part premiered in Japan on Friday. ...
James and Lynzee discuss the latest episode of Yatagarsu. Plus, GoHands keeps making anime, and we don't know WHY.― Yatagarasu Gets Violent! James and Lynzee discuss the latest episode of Yatagarsu, in which Wakamiya plays his hand to find out the truth behind his older brother's scheming to obtain the throne. Plus, GoHands keeps making anime, and we don't know WHY; Hunter x Hunter manga is on its ...
Making a sequel to Code Geass is a daunting task. But with its fantastic main character and a story that doesn't undercut what came before, Rozé of the Recapture is on the right track.― Making a sequel to Code Geass—especially one set close to the end of the series—is a daunting task. Any story that involves an ongoing war massively undercuts both the finale of the original anime and the sacrifices ...
The Switch sequel console is finally happening! The details are scarce, but you can find out more in this week's column. Also: an interview with El Shaddai's Sawaki Takeyasu, Microsoft layoffs, and more.― Welcome back, folks! What a wild week this has been for the gaming industry. We'll go further into it, but jeez. This past week also saw the disappearance of Capcom's Dark Void and Dark Void Zero. ...
The Code Geass creator discusses his new project with Web3 company Azuki, Enter the Garden, and his hope that this new path could help the medium evolve.― Los Angeles-based Web3 anime-styled brand Azuki and advertising conglomerate Dentsu debuted the first nine-minute episode of their joint anime endeavor, Enter the Garden, on April 30. The episode, which has already racked up a quarter of a million...