You'd think writing the One Piece weekly anime review column would be the easiest job in the world. "Wano is good, so all you have to do is say it's good, and bam, you're done, right?" Oh dear reader, if only it were so easy! The challenge, you see, is that I have to talk about this series week in and week out, and come up with new things to talk about. Honestly, it's easier to talk about when there are more critical things to say! That's a terrible irony—when a work is struggling or has flaws, it's often a lot easier to get that keyboard clacking with my thoughts on why. It's a lot harder to muster up the words when the work is flawless.
And buddy, One Piece Episode 1066 has left me speechless.
Because we all know what I'm going to say, you watched it with your own eyes. It's peak fiction. It's high-class kino. It's cinema in the truest sense: brilliant, bold, and impossible to look away from. I don't know what I can tell you that your own experience can't. One Piece Episode 1066 is another half-hour of weekly television that manages to be like the greatest thing you've ever seen.
There is a major difference this week as Henry Thurlow takes the helm as director and storyboard artist. Previously, he has worked as an animator (among other things, I'm sure) on the show, and this marks his debut in the big chair, so to speak. And what a debut it is – a nearly wordless opening seven minutes followed by one of the most bombastic and colorful fight sequences in a legendary arc chock full of them. It's had to stand out when Wano's catalog is already packed with hits, but by God, 1066 stands alongside them.
What continues to astound me is the incredibly deep bench of talent that the Toei team has at this point. The quality – and the quantity of said quality – coming out of there is just amazing. It's some of the best work being done in the animation space, and I don't say that lightly. It's an incredible gift to witness the passionate outpouring of such skilled artists, directors, and voice actors week in and week out. These talents have come together to bring to life a fun story about a rubbery pirate and a dream, in all the vivid colors and fluid motion you can imagine. I hope that the team at Toei knows how much the community appreciates their work and dedication because the evidence of their incredible craftsmanship is right there on the screen.
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...