Episode 1099 does a good job reviving the audience's fear of Rob Lucci and co while also raising the stakes enough to keep things interesting.
I'm very glad to see how this week we see Rob Lucci's brutality front and center. As I mentioned last week, even though Lucci, Kaku, etc. are all iconic villains from perhaps One Piece's best arc, it is initially challenging to take them seriously as threats again. The Straw Hats have grown so much in the years since they faced off against CP-9 that it is hard to quantity. Not only have our plucky little seaborne criminal goobers gained an exponential amount of power since those bygone days of Water 7/Enies Lobby, but they've also added more permanent shipmates to the roster who bring their powers to bear. That's not to say that the former CP-9 gang couldn't have grown too (that would only be fair after all, plus they have cool new masks). But with CP0 appearing - at first blush - to be lesser in number in addition to facing off against much stronger Straw Hats, well, it's a tough sell to buy them as credible threats.
This is all a preamble to underscore that I think Rob Lucci comes off as very menacing in this episode. The way he dispatches Atlas - in terms of how quickly it was resolved, how one-sided it was, and the brutality of it - reminds us that these government killers are not to be trifled with, even for otherwise imposing defenders powered by Vegapunk's technology. Of course, it gives Luffy the emotional investment needed to lock in and get to slugging it out with his old nemesis.
Another dimension that I think deserves particular mention this week is the music and sound design. The background mix did excellent work modulating the tension of each moment. Furthermore, the various laser and techno-esque bleeps and bloops had a crisp sound that was appealing and (for whatever reason) noticeable.
Rating:
"What other five-star anime are you watching? Vote on the latest episodes here: Your Score"
I cannot imagine how Square Enix could top themselves after this.― Final Fantasy VII Rebirth initially launched on the last day of February, and if you look at the date of this review's publication, you will immediately be able to discern one thing about this second entry of the FF7 Remake series: It is gargantuan. The first game got plenty of praise (and plenty of flak) for taking the relatively sh...
Anime's first season premiered in 2018― The official website for Kakuriyo -Bed & Breakfast for Spirits-, the television anime of writer Midori Yūma and illustrator Laruha's Kakuriyo Yadomeshi (Afterlife Inn Cooking) light novel series, announced that the series will have a second season in fall 2025, and revealed a teaser visual on Wednesday. The novels' 2023 manga adaptation artist Tsugaru Toba als...
The Manga Guide library expands with six more series, including Trinity Seven -Revision-, Watch Dogs Tokyo, Fed Up With Being the Spoiled Queen's Genius Butler,, 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 airs at the beginning of a season. N...
With a new Nintendo Switch port available, even more gamers can experience Enoch's transcendental adventure across the world. How does it fare on Nintendo's portable device?― El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron was a curious game when it released in 2011. The world wasn't quite ready for it then, but time (and a PC port) helped people accept it. With a new Nintendo Switch port available, even more...
Manhwa is starting to find its footing in American comic book sphere, but it's not just another version of "manga." Find out what makes Korean comics unique.― The door to English-translated manga opened in the 1980s, and despite some fits and starts, essentially never looked back. Manhwa, or Korean comics, have had a much more troubled journey to popular visibility in English. Around 2006, manhwa be...
The new anime series is far more forthright about the idol and seiyū industry, from maintaining relevance on social media to subsisting on substandard wages.― The new anime series is far more forthright about the idol and seiyū industry, from maintaining relevance on social media to subsisting on substandard wages. Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the participants in this chatlog are...
Ultimately, my biggest problem with Shaman King Flowers is that it mostly just feels like a set-up to a much larger story that has yet to actually happen.― [Warning, this review will contain major spoilers for the ending of Shaman King (2021)] If there's one thing that can be counted on with battle shonen properties, it's that any of them that go on long enough will inevitably get some sequel series...
Dahlia in Bloom staff state they are investigating the situation― The official X/Twitter account for the Dahlia in Bloom: Crafting a Fresh Start With Magical Tools anime and the official website for the Hokkaido-based anime studio Ekachi Epilka have both released statements, after the 38 North website posted a report on Monday claiming that North Korean animators worked on Dahlia in Bloom and an unn...
The Grimm Variations is one of those shows that tries. It almost tries too hard, and the result is that some of the tales are beyond recognition, while others play it too safe.― At the end of The Grimm Variations, Charlotte, the real-life younger sister of the Brothers Grimm (who were, in fact, only two of many Grimm brothers), remarks that she would like to see fairy tales where the protagonists ar...
The critically-acclaimed historical drama captivated audiences, but if you're craving more battle tactics and court intrigue, these anime will scratch your Shogun itch.― For the past couple of months, it's been hard to ignore the loud promotion of Disney+/Hulu's mega-budget Shogun. Based on James Clavell's feted 1975 novel, it's a compelling and glossy historical drama following a large cast of fic...