One Piece episode 1078 is the culmination of not only the Wano arc but a thread Oda has been laying out still Punk Hazard. Momonosuke is the rightful ruler of Wano country and his journey is at an end. The Akazaya Nine can at last lay down their burden, and the people of Wano are able to enjoy the fruits of their own land free of oppression. The Straw Hats' rugged determination has paid off in spades. Despite the painful losses during the fighting, there is a new sense of hope as twenty years of subjugation come to an end.
Folks, when I tell you I have said just about all I can say about Wano - well, I've been writing about it weekly for over four years now and it looks like it is finally in the rearview. I'm not sure what to say that I haven't said forty times over at this point. But I will offer a few closing(?) thoughts before we head off on the next adventure.
Looking back on the course of the arc, it's clear how big of a risk this was. I know that “risk” isn't exactly something one associates with shonen fighting series, and certainly not with one of the biggest and longest-running series in the space. But the audacity of the arc's scope is quite impressive. Wano is a story that took years to tell and essentially serves as one of the biggest payoffs in the entire series thus far: Luffy's latest form, Momo, and Kinemon's tale, Gol D Roger's backstory, various aspects of Kaido and Big Mom. It's a huge undertaking and one which demands a lot of the audience. There was a high chance that people would simply not like this arc or its themes, or perhaps just become weary of reading about it week after week, and they would drop the series and move on to other pastures.
More than a few did in my circles at least.
There's no telling how the arc will come to be viewed as time passes, but I think Wano has largely been a success. The arc has proved that One Piece is doing something few other works are capable of doing and the audience will stick with it. Anecdotally, I'd say One Piece appears to be more popular now than when the arc started, and while many factors play into that I think the ambition is part and parcel of it.
So enjoy your triumph Momonosuke and friends, you've earned it.
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 ...
The final Spring 2024 Manga Guide update includes not-yet-released series from this month, including Sword Art Online Re:Aincrad,Bungo Stray Dogs: The Official Comic Anthology, A Sign of Affection and more.― Welcome to Anime News Network's Spring 2024 Manga Guide! You may have seen one of our seasonal Anime Preview Guides, where a team of critics writes up each new anime television premiere as it a...
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...