Big Mom's memory has returned and she reflects on the journey that brought her to Wano. We get a short flashback of everything that happened to her from King's kick knocking her overboard all the way up to the present. Queen is understandably upset that she's still standing, but Big Mom, and her hunger, is back with a vengeance. She turns ominously towards Queen, who realizes his goose is cooked with eye-popping clarity. Her power rises but she still wants the red bean soup. She approaches him menacingly and… falls down from exhaustion. Queen requests sea prism stone cuffs and chains which the goons bring over immediately to bring Big Mom Gulliver's Travels style. Queen then leaves Udon with a minimal guard to take Big Mom straight to Kaido.
Udon closes down but Tama and Momonosuke rush in before the gates shut. Luffy feels liberated to do whatever he wants with Queen and Big Mom gone. He boldly declares that he's always been free and that he will take over Udon, shocking the guards. The guards descend on him and he powers up his Haki, continuing to practice on low-level goons to burst them from within. He says that he will master Ryou at any cost.
Chopper and Kiku join the fray to help Luffy. The goons – already not having a great day – are pressed even further. The other prisoners start considering their odds at a successful prison break. Babanuki begins detailing exactly the punishments they will face if Luffy breaks out, including a great deal of highly-specific dismemberment. The prisoners run to grab Luffy because they are terrified of the consequences, and Luffy is reluctant to attack them.
Daifugo decides to add further incentive for the prisoners to do what they're told. He fires Queen's plague rounds that spread through the prisoners to keep them from even thinking of helping Luffy. Luffy cries out for them to run so they don't get infected but no one moves.
In the Never-Opening Cell, Kawamatsu laughs. Babanuki reveals that he is one of the Akazaya Nine, terrifying the guards. Kiku hears Kawamatsu's voice and rushes in to save him. Kawamatsu starts spitting fish bones to paralyze the goons guarding him and declares that he is alive and kicking before the To Be Continued title card flashes.
A solid enough episode that mostly serves as connective tissue for what comes next. Between Big Mom collapsing from hunger and Queen hustling her out in such a rush, everything feels a little anticlimactic given all that lead up to this moment. Narratively, it makes sense that Queen needs to get Big Mom to Kaido pronto given how serious a threat she is, but truth be told, it is slightly disappointing to have Big Mom plunk down and get carted off after weeks and weeks of waiting for her to arrive. It seems more like a way to shuffle the board and help Luffy escape than anything.
That being said, the brief moments of Kiku and Chopper action are welcome. It's also exciting to know that Kawamatsu is about to join the fray as that build-up has been happening for a while now. Tama's determined little “let's go!” is also incredibly precious – she's a sweet bean.
Luffy stating “I've always been free!” is perhaps the biggest moment thematically in this episode. We get the sense that Luffy is stating this beyond merely the prison he's in at the moment, as part of the work writ large. Luffy has always been free – that is why this boy will be king of the pirates.
The real treat that the anime adaptation gives us is in the form of Hiroki Takahashi's performance as Queen. He's been a delight throughout but the ridiculous line reads when Big Mom finally wakes up to her past self are hilarious. The rapid-fire delivery of “No way! No way! No way!” and the mix of tongue-waggling/gargling vocals he gives had me in stitches. Queen was already a big presence in the manga but Hiroki Takahashi brings him to vivid life in the anime. It's great.
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 ...
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...