Oden holds on for as long as he can. Shinobu tells more of the truth, shocking the people of Wano. They begin to cheer for him, counting down the seconds as Oden hangs on. Oden then tells his retainers that it is vital that they open up the land of Wano. As he holds on he reflects on the adventures he had and the life he led.
Eventually Oden makes it, much to everyone's joy. But Orochi changes the rules and decides to execute him by gunfire. As the shots start flying from Orochi's retainers, Oden throws his friends to safety. Kinemon and the others scramble to get away, knowing that they had to survive and that they cannot look back. Kaido and Oden exchange few last words before he finally shoots Oden and ends his life. Cherry blossoms fall, the shamisen plays, and the credits roll.
Oden was made to boil.
Talk about an ending. This flashback sequence is still ongoing of course - we've not yet seen the end of it - but the emotional crux of the Wano arc has been laid bare. Oden has done what his name would imply, shifting from mythic folk hero to true legend, and what an ending it is. The sight of Oden holding Kinemon and the others aloft over the boiling water, the dramatic Kabuki theater posing and final gunshots that sent him reeling into the water - it's pure drama. It's what we come to these works for.
Oden is such an interesting case study for me as a One Piece fan. I'm not sure I'd say Oden himself is an all-time favorite character - like Sabo, I find him much more interesting for what he means to other cast members more than I find him interesting in and of himself. His flashback is monumental for precisely that same reason, as I find it so fascinating that he got to go with Roger and Whitebeard and we saw more of those adventures through his eyes. But I cannot deny that even in a series full of iconic characters and iconic scenes, Oden's death stands among the greats for vivid and lasting imagery.
And of course, the Toei team is relentless once again in delivering on the grandiose events at play. Take your pick of brilliant sequences this week: the crowd shifting to all black silhouettes as Orochi's arrows flew into them, or Orochi himself outlined in stark blood red over the dark background, the film reel effect over everyone's memories of Oden, or maybe the simple drama of the cherry blossoms over the ticking clock. Every frame a painting, to borrow a phrase.
Oden was born to boil, and these frames were made to sizzle.
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...