We return to Yasui's execution. After disparaging the state of Wano under Orochi's greedy leadership, everything is beginning to come to a head. Every party in Wano is either watching the execution snailstream, present at the capital, or rushing there. This is the final grand moment where it all comes to a head.
Yasui explains the meaning behind the flyers. Turns out it was all just a prank, a sentimental bit on his part for missing the way things used to be. He says that even those others locked up are innocent people that Orochi wrongfully imprisoned, and that there is no rebellion. Obviously this is a lie, but it sows the seeds of doubt in the people and guards who have already witnessed Orochi's paranoia and violence first-hand.
Orochi arrives on his speeding litter. He raises his rifle and fires the first shot at Yasui to begin the execution. At the same time, the surrounding guards let rip with their rifles as well. Yasui is riddled with bullets and his body is thrown about on the stand. Droplets of blood and tears fly from him, reflecting on past situations with the Akazaya Nine and how they connected with Oden through his graciousness. He also witnesses Toko as his eyes begin to close and he apologizes to her for leaving her alone like this. At last his body falls to the ground and Orochi is left cackling with sadistic glee.
That is when the newly arrived people of Ebisu begin to laugh hysterically, including Toko. Zoro and Brook are dumbfounded by this reaction, but Komurasaki explains their terrible curse. Thanks to Kaido and Orochi's experiments they have had every other emotion taken from them, and now all they can do is laugh.
Lord, what a powerful episode. Even knowing what was coming from having read the manga this was a powerful piece of television. In fact, I would say that the episode hit me a lot harder than the manga chapter did. Having the extra time to really drag out Yasui's final moments in slow motion sequences and flashback was really effective. I got chills more than once, especially when it came to him reflecting on carrying Toko through the wasteland on his back.
The cinematic language was stellar as well. There were so many stellar sequences: the grainy old-film sequence of Momonosuke training on the gator's back while framed in an outline of Yasui's hair, the flashback transitions brought in and out through the reflection of autumnal leaves in Yasui's tears, the way the bullet impacts on his body weren't shown but instead there were cutaways to black screens with shining sprays of white petals, the muted colors and sounds as Zoro is surrounded by the laughing villagers - hit after hit, scene after scene. Marvelous work all around from the team at Toei on making this a poignant, powerful episode.
Orochi is truly shown to be as his most cruel and sadistic in this moment. The people of Ebisu are laughing because they have no choice, and Yasui is laughing out of defiance, but Orochi's gleeful laugh is the most disturbing of all. Both the shots of his glowing red eye full of rage are disturbing, and I really loved the moment of him raising the rifle where half of his face was faded into an inky shading with glowing white outlines, the violence obscuring our view of him and his view of the world. Really great stuff.
Hats off to Kokoro Kikuchi this episode too. Her performance as Toko is gut-wrenching. Managing to laugh in a way that sounds like it is natural enough while still being forced and desperate is hard to do, and she nails this delivery. An absolute punch in the chest hearing her belt out those cries, amazing work.
I can't recommend the series, nor think that any hypothetical viewer would enjoy it, but it is the kind of trash TV that's rewarding to dissect.― Have you ever wondered what Baki would be like if it had a conservative bent instead of queer undertones? Well, look no further because the answer is Kengan Ashura! While Kengan is trying to convey the same spectacle and white-knuckle action of the long-ru...
Film also available to rent, purchase digitally on several major outlets in N. America― The official X/Twitter account for TOHO's Godzilla franchise announced on Saturday that Takashi Yamazaki's Godzilla Minus One film is streaming worldwide on Netflix. The film is available worldwide, but is currently not available in Japan. Godzilla Minus One/Minus Color, the black-and-white version of the film, w...
One Piece: Heroines novel also licensed― Viz Media revealed its new licenses and new print releases planned for spring 2025 on Friday. Kazuyoshi Seto's Minecraft: The Manga: Announcement: Add this book to your enchantment room! Join Nico on his chance to escape the blocky confines of his home and prove how strong he's become when zombies attack! Minecraft: The Manga, by Kazuyoshi Seto, releases Spri...
Series starring Miku Martineau, Ayo Solanke, more starts production in Toronto― The Hollywood Reporter entertainment news site reported on Thursday that showrunner Simon Barry (Warrior Nun creator) and Boat Rocker Media are producing a live-action series for Netflix titled BET that "is based in part" on writer Homura Kawamoto and artist Tōru Naomura's Kakegurui - Compulsive Gambler manga. The show h...
Jean-Karlo attempts to condense two big video game showcases into a coherent column, from the revamped Silent Hill 2 to the grazing pastures of Story of Seasons.― Welcome back, folks. This is related to a big story for this week, but this past weekend, I listened to Utada Hikaru's re-recording of "Simple And Clean". It's very emotional. Utada Hikaru is a good twenty-plus years older than when she or...
In the Eisner-nominated work, Maki Fujiwara chronicles her daily life with her husband, lionized mangaka Yoshiharu Tsuge. Though deceptively simple at first glance, a foundation of abuse is slowly revealed.― At first blush, Maki Fujiwara's My Picture Diary does what it says on the tin. It tells the story of her daily life as a housewife and mother, spending time with her daily activities, noting the...
Now streaming on Netflix, Tomotaka Shibayama's first feature animation mixes the magical with reality to share a simple but important message.―
Director Tomotaka Shibayama's latest film, My Oni Girl, is an action-adventure drama with elements of a buddy comedy and a relatable coming-of-age story. The film, produced by Studio Colorido, was released in theaters in Japan and on Netflix on May 24, foll...
Miyano, Nukumi play original characters for August 2 film― The official website for My Hero Academia the Movie: You're Next (My Hero Academia: You're Next), the fourth anime film in the My Hero Academia franchise, announced on Friday that the film has cast Mamoru Miyano and Meru Nukumi as original characters. Mamori Miyano as Giulio Gandini, a butler who serves the Scervino family Meru Nukumi as Ann...
Kaiju No. 8 takes the top spot this week while Tonari no Yōkai-san pushes to #3 in the cmulative! Check out our weekly user rankings!― 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 in...
Mospeada is a work very much of its time, riffing on ideas and tropes that were all the rage when it was made, and doesn't do anything exceptional with them.― It can be easy for even longtime fans to forget that alongside Macross, there were two other 80's sci-fi anime that got Frankenstein-ed into what we'd eventually call Robotech. While this isn't the first time one of those series has made it to...
Following the upcoming retro programming block Toonami Rewind, Chris and Lucas look back fondly on the afternoons spent watching Naruto and Sailor Moon.― Following the upcoming retro programming block Toonami Rewind, Chris and Lucas look back fondly on the afternoons spent watching Naruto and Sailor Moon. Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the participants in this chatlog are not the v...
Yeah, yeah, Kaiju No. 8 has all the great action scenes, but Yatagarasu is chewing up the scenery as the royal ladies absolutely lose their minds!?― Why Aren't You Watching This Anime Yet? Yeah, yeah, Kaiju No. 8 has all the great action scenes, but Yatagarasu is chewing up the scenery as the royal ladies absolutely lose their minds!? The ANN After Show streams live on YouTube, Facebook, and Twitte...
Here we have a from-the-ground-up remake, but does this beloved classic still hold up in a modern sense, or is that praise just nostalgia talking?― It's nice when Nintendo surprises us with a remaster or re-release of one of their more difficult-to-obtain games. The original Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door for the Nintendo GameCube is a classic for many. However, since the game was never re-rele...
Miles Atherton crunched Netflix's latest numbers for some surprising anime discoveries, from the popularity of My Happy Marriage to the One Piece juggernaut.― Since the advent of streaming, it's been notoriously difficult to gauge how popular a specific anime is with international audiences, both for publishers looking to make informed decisions for a market that generates most of its revenue outsi...