Flashbacks are akin to holy territory in One Piece, and you can always tell that the anime wants to go the extra mile in getting them right. Last week's episode began with Sanji's father disowning him so hard that he faked his own son's death and locked him up in a blatant Man in the Iron Mask allusion, all while Sanji's siblings get to grow up basking in approval.
It's here that we get the show's trademark flashback-within-a-flashback, as an imprisoned Sanji remembers his first attempt to cook food for his sickly mother, Sora. I think there's a good balance in giving Sanji a fascination with cooking, even back then, while also making it clear that he's awful at it and misguided at this point in life. A lot of his general philosophies both in and out of the kitchen will eventually be a product of his experiences with Zeff, so it's good to know that we can get this tragic prequel story and still preserve Zeff as his most important role model.
One of the things I found noteworthy was the use of distinctly old East Blue era tracks in the music, the kind of stuff that's sparse nowadays but always added a tender charm to the series. Child Sanji is especially emotional in this episode, looking cuter and sadder than I think I've ever seen. The scene where his mother eats his rotten dirty food after he trudged through a storm to give it to her is as genuinely sweet and adorable as you can imagine. There's a lot of contrast between happy Sanji and sad Sanji, especially once his mother passes away. It's heartbreaking.
There's also some down time spent with his sister Reiju, who cleans him up after his brothers discover him in the basement and decide to beat on him once more. There's a potential parallel between adult Sanji's love for women and the fact that women were the only nurturing figures in his life during childhood, but then you're kind of contradicting the Zeff stuff, and I don't find it all that compelling a connection to begin with. The most striking dynamic here is between Sanji and his father, where during the climactic scene of the episode, Judge gives him a chance to escape under the condition that they never discuss their familial relationship to anyone. It's a threatening scene that highlights Judge's patheticness. Obviously Sanji flees, and it ultimately leads him to a better life, but you can really feel how much damage it does to his own self-worth to be reminded that his father doesn't love him, even in an otherwise cathartic escape.
This is an episode that I wish could have looked a little nicer for the sake of the content that's being covered, but it's otherwise an installment that juggles a lot of unusual tones expertly. It's sad, it's scary, it's pleasant and hopeful. The episode ends as we return to the present where Sanji's brothers are giving him another brutal wallop, showing off how nothing's truly changed. The tragedy is that Sanji ever had to cross paths with his family again at all, and you really feel it as we close out.
If I were to sum up Hokkaido Gals Are Super Adorable! in a single word, that word would be “cute.”― If I were to sum up Hokkaido Gals Are Super Adorable! in a single word, that word would be “cute.” Shiki and Fuyuki's interactions are a mixture of playful (and sometimes sexual) teasing and heartfelt feelings as the two come to value each other. They have real chemistry—and that drives the anime stra...
Lucas and Steve catch up on the Hunter × Hunter manga in time for the long-awaited new chapter and gush about why, even with years between releases, Hunter × Hunter is worth it.― Lucas and Steve catch up on the Hunter × Hunter manga in time for the long-awaited new chapter and gush about why, even with years between releases, Hunter × Hunter is worth it. Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed...
Series previously inspired 52-episode anime in 1993― This year's 24th issue of Shogakukan's Weekly Shonen Sunday magazine revealed on Wednesday that Gosho Aoyama's Yaiba manga will be getting a new anime adaptation. Aoyama is supervising. The series follows the titular Yaiba Kurogane, a young samurai boy inspired by Miyamoto Musashi, the real-life swordsman who pioneered the Hyōhō Niten Ichi-ryū sty...
Based on the novel by former Nogizaka46 member Kazumi Takayama, trapezium asks its audience to follow one girl who will use anything, and anyone, to achieve her dream.― Trapezium is a strange movie, to say the least. On the surface, it's a rather simple movie that explores youth, their dreams, and the lengths they'll go to achieve those dreams. It's a coming-of-age story wrapped in the veneer of the...
ZeroReq011 remembers what made Spice and Wolf a story for the ages, from its fully realized world and economics to Holo and Lawrence's romantic chemistry.― Back when Funimation was still its own company and not owned by Sony, long before its in-house streaming service was terminated in favor of Crunchyroll's streaming platform, it owned a TV channel. Legal streaming had yet to dominate the Western a...
Anime will star Hiroshi Kamiya, Kotaro Nishiyama, Kotaro Nishiyama― Distribution company Remow announced on Tuesday that Yura Urushibara's Tougen Anki: Dark Demon of Paradise manga will get a television anime in 2025. The company revealed the trailer, key visual, and main cast for the anime. The anime's cast includes:
Kazuki Ura as Shiki Ichinose, the protagonist who inherits the blood of an Oni. Sh...
Nick and Chris recount some of the most frustrating anime cancellations, from the Yuri on Ice movie to the second half of Stars Align.― Nick and Chris recount some of the most frustrating anime cancellations from the second half of Stars Align to the 2007 JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Phantom Blood movie. Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the participants in this chatlog are not the views...
Welcome to the rankings for the Spring 2024 season! The perfect place to check out which hidden gems might have flown under your radar.― 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 ...
Producer Masakazu Kubo shares the animation team's dedication to realism, including bringing in a pro golfer to produce the anime's sound effects.― 64-year-old Masakazu Kubo has been planning and producing anime for decades. He's had a major hand in everything from Pokémon and Detective Conan to Teasing Master Takagi-san and Dorohedoro. Recently, he sat down with us to talk about Tonbo!, his attemp...