One Piece Episode 1064 is another perfectly solid episode, and like 1063 before it, its only sin is not being a medium-defining high watermark in weekly television.
Luffy and Kaido reclaim the center stage as the primary battle of consequence. The other supporting battles between Sanji versus Queen, as well as Zoro versus King, have now concluded. While there are still plenty of other events unfolding at Onigashima and in Wano at large, these were the last two big narrative hurdles to overcome before the last dance, so to speak. Despite being considered "side" dishes to the main course, these battles are still huge and momentous in scale and character importance. Sanji and Zoro worked through some things in those fights - for once with other people and not with each other - and there's a lot of dust that has to settle before the big finale.
So, this episode doesn't move the needle forward much. Kaido says some things and bonks Luffy. Luffy says some things and bops Kaido. Wano has been running for so long that we've seen a half dozen episodes like this at minimum (I'm probably lowballing it). But it is meant to set the baseline for the big finale coming up and try to establish the emotional stakes again.
I think the smartest move here is juxtaposing Otoko and Kaido. Whereas Otoko has experienced genuine loss and cannot even cry because the smile fruit has robbed her ability to express anything more than a cruel parody, Kaido is weeping over the silly disruption of his big festival. It's the petty nature of the conflict - "You messed up my party, Luffy!" - that makes him the perfect villain in need of defeat. And Lord knows that's coming.
The plot is excellent in the romance camp. Everything that happens is to get Eui-joon and Gunwoo together, and it works pretty well.― You can read The Dangerous Convenience Store in English two ways. The first is to read it on the manhwa site/app Manta, which has all seventy-five chapters and four bonus stories available. The second is to read Seven Seas' print (or ebook) edition, which, as of this ...
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Anime premieres in 2024― Adult Swim's YouTube channel began streaming a first look video for the Rick and Morty: The Anime series on Saturday. The show will premiere on Adult Swim and Max in 2024, and will also run on Adult Swim Canada. The anime will be an original work, with adapted themes and events from the main Rick and Morty animated series. Takashi Sano (Tower of God) is writing and directing...
As Slam Dunk reached its final stretch, I can see why this series is considered the sports classic that it is today.― This is the largest batch of Slam Dunk episodes that I've reviewed thus far. Originally, I wanted to review the show in more even seasons, but given its overall pacing and release, it wasn't easy to find a moment where it felt right to stop and start again. However, as we approached ...
2nd part opens in Japanese theaters on June 7― The staff for the four-part Code Geass: Rozé of the Recapture (originally titled Gode Geass: Z of the Recapture, or Dakkan no Zetto) anime project revealed a trailer and a visual on Saturday for the second part in the project. The below video previews MIYAVI's opening theme song "Running In My Head." The anime's first part premiered in Japan on Friday. ...
James and Lynzee discuss the latest episode of Yatagarsu. Plus, GoHands keeps making anime, and we don't know WHY.― Yatagarasu Gets Violent! James and Lynzee discuss the latest episode of Yatagarsu, in which Wakamiya plays his hand to find out the truth behind his older brother's scheming to obtain the throne. Plus, GoHands keeps making anime, and we don't know WHY; Hunter x Hunter manga is on its ...
Making a sequel to Code Geass is a daunting task. But with its fantastic main character and a story that doesn't undercut what came before, Rozé of the Recapture is on the right track.― Making a sequel to Code Geass—especially one set close to the end of the series—is a daunting task. Any story that involves an ongoing war massively undercuts both the finale of the original anime and the sacrifices ...
The Switch sequel console is finally happening! The details are scarce, but you can find out more in this week's column. Also: an interview with El Shaddai's Sawaki Takeyasu, Microsoft layoffs, and more.― Welcome back, folks! What a wild week this has been for the gaming industry. We'll go further into it, but jeez. This past week also saw the disappearance of Capcom's Dark Void and Dark Void Zero. ...
The Code Geass creator discusses his new project with Web3 company Azuki, Enter the Garden, and his hope that this new path could help the medium evolve.― Los Angeles-based Web3 anime-styled brand Azuki and advertising conglomerate Dentsu debuted the first nine-minute episode of their joint anime endeavor, Enter the Garden, on April 30. The episode, which has already racked up a quarter of a million...