You know what’s worse than political corruption? Religious corruption. Fiction and the real world are filled with examples of people who use religion to justify being a jerk, and it’s the worst. And if there’s one thing that our saint of fisticuffs, Scarlet, can’t stand, it’s people who abuse their power for evil. With the corrupt nobility in her country out of the way, it’s now time for Scarlet’s next victims: this new religion that’s popped up.
They definitely deserve it.
Stupid Religious Jerks
The Prime Minister and his ilk have been dealt with, but Terenezza has flown the coop. With her still out there, Scarlet and Julius cannot rest easy. But for the moment, they have more immediate concerns. For centuries, a young woman has been born with the power to raise a divine barrier to protect Pallistan from monsters, each given the title of Diana. It’s almost time for her annual pilgrimage, but recently, a new religion worshipping Terenezza’s benefactor, the Goddess Palmia, has sprung up. And they are the worst.
Look in the history books around the late Middle Ages and the Renaissance, and you’ll find real-world examples of when organized religion was at its most repugnant. Even the Papacy became bloated by fat, corrupt, and self-serving people. The exact same thing is what’s happening with Palmianism in this episode, with its members actively harassing their rivals. When Scarlet and Julius journey to the religious quarter of the capital, they find the Palmianists have built a wall around the place to mark their territory, and even go so far as to bar their entry. I’m pretty sure that defying the royal family like that is considered a serious offense! Thankfully, their wall and their Inquisitors are no match for the likes of Scarlet. Another piggy gets a pounding.
Right after beating down the irksome swine, though, Scarlet is beset by another problem. A newcomer to the Knights serving under Diana named Dios starts hitting on her, and before she can slap him, Julius gets mad. While she doesn’t understand why he’s reacting like this, it should be more and more obvious what this means to the viewers. Julius may not realize it himself, but he is falling for Scarlet. Having seen what she can do, though, I don’t think any of us can blame her. Scarlet is a top-tier waifu thanks to her fists of justice! She even has her own number one fan!
One would think that someone carrying the title of Saint would be a lady of grace, poise, and dignity. However, the show shuts down that notion when we meet the current Saint Diana, a girl who’s even younger than Scarlet, and acts like it. She and Scarlet have been friends for a long time, and Diana looks up to Scarlet as a surrogate big sister and role model, while also ignoring Julius in the process. It’s humorous to see Julius get put on the backfoot twice in the same episode, but there’s a deeper reason why Diana is so attached to Scarlet. The truth is, she lost her powers recently, and combined with being born in the country and her young age, she’s under a lot of stress. That’s why she sees Scarlet and her willingness to live how she wants as a role model. Anyone who has had to deal with jerks in their lives who deserve a punch would likely feel the same way.
Speaking of jerks, before the episode is over, the Palmians prove to be gluttons for punishment. As the parade that marks the start of the holy pilgrimage begins, they start shooting blanks from their church, threatening to cause a riot. Which means that they’re asking for a double-dose of punishment from Scarlet.
I Give “May I Send This Pig Flying Into the Sky?” a 4/5
One Piece to become a seasonal Anime Starting Spring 2026
This coming January is going to mark the end of an era, not only for One Piece, but for anime as a whole. And I’m not sure how to feel about it.
For almost thirty years, the One Piece anime has been a near constant in the world of anime. Almost every week would see new episodes of the anime air on Fuji TV before eventually making their way online and to the West. That was the norm for a lot of Shonen anime at the time, with its contemporaries like Naruto and Bleach following the same formula. The bad news is that this often meant the anime would have to create filler arcs to make sure it wouldn’t overtake the manga, and most people hate filler. But things have changed since then. Most anime is now released seasonally, a method meant to ensure quality over quantity. One Piece was one of the last holdouts, and even that is about to come to an end!
📢 Breaking News from ONE PIECE NEWS
ONE PIECE will go on a three-month break starting this January, returning in April 2026 with the start of the Elbaph Arc!
Beginning in 2026, the anime series will also kick-off its new production schedule, dividing into two parts for a… pic.twitter.com/EQQI6mv4tB
At the time of this writing, One Piece is airing the climax of the Egghead Island Arc. But over on social media, it was announced that once that is done in January 2026, the anime will be going on another hiatus. And when it returns in April, it will no longer be releasing year-round. From now on, One Piece will be a seasonal anime, releasing episodes in two batches of 13 for a total of 26 per year. In other words, One Piece is finally going seasonal.
End of Longform Anime
This is the end of an era for anime. No longer can fans tune in once every week and expect a new episode of their favorite anime. Now everyone will have to wait until a new season drops. It allows for the people working on the anime to have more time to work on it, ensuring that it’s the highest possible quality. It can potentially mean a less stressful work environment for the people in the industry, because heaven knows they need it. More importantly, though, it means that filler arcs are going to be largely relegated to the history books. Still, having grown up on the weekly anime format, I can’t help but feel sad to see it go. Yet I understand that it’s for the best, as One Piece deserves to be as peak as possible. Especially when you consider what it’s going into once it comes back: the Elbaph Arc.
Elbaph is Worth the Wait
For those who don’t know, the Elbaph Arc is the ongoing arc in the manga, and next to Wano Country and Luffy finding the One Piece, it is the most hyped up thing in the history of the franchise. First mentioned back in 1999, Elbaph is the homeland of most of the Giants, the strongest warriors in the world. It’s a place that Luffy has been dying to visit for years, and fans have waited decades for the moment Oda would introduce it to us outside of flashbacks. Once he did in 2024, he did not disappoint, with it being everything we imagined, and then some. I’m currently covering it on my own blog, and I can promise you that the hiatus will be more than worth the wait, with some of the biggest battles and most insane lore drops that we will ever see. I might even end up reviewing the episodes here if that’s possible!
The One Piece Netflix Series is Returning.
The good news is that we won’t be entirely bereft of One Piece until April. The Netflix series is finally returning.
Two years ago, Netflix and Eichiro Oda worked together to give us a live-action adaptation of One Piece. And it didn’t stink! While it had to do away with the more cartoonish aspects, it still managed to capture the heart and soul of the series. The Japanese dub even got the series’s seiyu to reprise their roles! Since then, fans have been waiting for the second season to come out, and it looks like we don’t have to wait much longer. The second season will drop on Netflix on March 10th, 2026, and it looks to be bigger and better than the first. With the story taking us into the Grand Line, longtime fans know that this is when One Piece starts to pick up as the Straw Hats come into conflict with the evil Baroque Works. More importantly, though, we get our first appearance of fan favorites like Robin and Chopper. If I had to guess, I’d say that the season will cover the Loguetown arc to the end of Drum Island, with the next season bringing us to Alabasta. And there will be a third season; Netflix has confirmed it.
Bottom line: now is a great time to be a fan of One Piece. And if you’re not, then you’re welcome to come aboard. Even if you don’t have the patience to watch the entire anime, there are plenty of people on YouTube that cover the series and the important parts.
Welcome back to another episode in the life of the Queen of crashouts, Scarlet El Vandimmion! In the last episode, Scarlet and Julius put their plans to shut down the slave trafficking ring run by Minister Godwin into action. But the plan gets complicated when Godwin tries to flee with his ally, Prince Alflame of the Vankish Empire. In a surprising turn of events, Scarlet saves Godwin from Alflame while also rejecting the Prince’s marriage proposal. But the biggest surprise is that Terenezza, the girl who seduced Scarlet’s horrible fiance, is from another world. So, what’s next? Find out!
ZA WARUDO!!!
So, the slave ring has been wiped out by Scarlet and the CIO, with all its members being arrested. However, not before Scarlet decides to repay Godwin for being the man pulling Kyle’s strings and inflicting years of pain and suffering on her and the kingdom. She uses her time magic to a “Za Warudo” and proceeds to give the corrupt ministry that would make DIO or the Joestar family proud. And she finishes it by dropping the line “thank you for the feast,” like a badass.
As the others come to the now-exhausted Scarlet’s side, though, Godwin pulls out the gun Terenezza gave him and makes one last attempt to kill her. But then Julius jumps in and takes the shot for her! Out of pure rage, Scarlet finds enough energy to move again and beats him down even more. Thankfully, Julius survived and his wound is healed. Hopefully, the story wont have the foresight to make things worse by having the bullet remain lodged in his body. That could cause infections down the line.
At any rate, everyone is fine, Scarlet is now a hero, and she gained a pet in the form of Alflame’s former dragon mount, Rex, much to Nanaka’s dismay. Not even a dragon is willing to go up against the likes of Scarlet! All is right with the world!
Except for one small problem: Terenezza is still out there.
Terenezza Could Be a Problem
I already mentioned it in my review of the last episode, but ‘May I Ask for One Final Thing’ is, in fact, a role-reversal isekai. Instead of being the typical isekai heroine, our otherworlder Terenezza is firmly the villain serving her master, the Goddess Palmia. Whether it’s due to her own desires or Palmia is manipulating her, though, Terenezza still sees herself as the hero. Yet her actions contradict this as she sneaks into where Godwin is being held and uses hypnosis to make him commit suicide.
There is also the matter of Terre’s master, Palmia. She’s the goddess of love in Scarlet’s world and has been the focal point of a growing religion in Pallistan that many of the corrupt nobles have been gathering around. Despite being called the goddess of love, though, the general impression is that Palmia is an unpleasant entity. And fewer things are more annoying than that of an unpleasant god.
More Shipping Fuel
Despite the danger that they may be facing in the near future, for now, Scarlet and Julius have the chance to rest and recuperate from the raid. While Julius quickly recovers, Scarlet spends the latter half of the episode taking it easy. By overusing her blessing, she’s caused her hair to partially turn black, something that does go away before the episode ends. It does, however, give us another opportunity to see the pair have another moment of “flirting.” By which I mean Julius teases Scarlet to get her riled up, which will no doubt earn him a beating. He probably thinks that it’s worth it, though.
And with that, we have another episode in the books. And if the manga is anything to go by, things are only going to get more interesting from here on out.
There’s good news and bad news. The good news is that Scarlet and the agents of the CIO (Julius’ task force) are ready to infiltrate the slave auctions and shut them down. The bad news is that an outside power is meddling in things, as Godwin has called in aid from the kingdom’s rival nation to help him take Scarlet out. But it’s already too late to back out on things, and Scarlet’s fists will not be denied their punching bag.
This is gonna be good!
Don’t Get Between Scarlet and Her Punching Bag
So, the operation goes off almost without a hitch. As expected, countless nobles are there and flaunting their presence, ignorant of the fact that their good fortune is about to sour. Before that happens, though, Scarlet finds herself accompanied by none other than Julius himself. He was supposed to be coordinating everything, but he wanted front-row seats to what comes next, so he went AWOL. Which leads to the two continuing their cat-and-mouse game of not-flirting. Julius may claim to not be attracted to Scarlet romantically, but the anime makes it clear that there is some chemistry going on. Which only grows when Scarlet, in order to get the chance to beat up Godwin, she makes a promise to serve him loyally from here on out. Granted, that will also mean serving the kingdom, but Julius can’t wait that long.
So, anyone whose shipping these two might have hope yet. Unfortunately, her brother, Leonardo learns of this, and it can easily be misinterpreted as a marriage proposal. Poor Leonardo. He loves his sister dearly, but the stress of dealing with her antics will bring him to an early grave. Considering how he had her repress her nature for years instead of finding a healthier way to channel it, though, I would say he partially brought brought this on himself.
But not as much as Prime Minister Godwin brought Scarlet’s fists upon herself.
So, it’s revealed that Godwin has secretly been backed by the Pallistan Kingdom’s rival, the Vankish Empire, in the hopes he could destabilize the country. Now that he’s been outed, though, the man whose supposed to be his backup, Crown Prince Alflame, decides they dont need someone like him anymore and tries to kill him. But Scarlet isn’t having of it, and she hits him so hard he winds up flying into a wall. And instead of getting angry, Alflame is enamored by this, and asks her to marry him on the spot!
I can’t even with this episode, everyone. First we got to see Scarlet pummel Godwin’s entourage while dancing around to classical music and throwing them around like ragdolls. That alone was hilarious. But this? This almost had me in mental stitches from laughter. Though in Alflame’s defense, I can understand the appeal. As Spike Spiegel once put it, “I love a woman who can kick my ass.” Some people find a strong person naturally attractive, and there is no denying that Scarlet is awesome. But it takes a special kind of person to win the heart of someone like Scarlet, and Alflame isn’t it. All he gets for his troubles is being blasted off like Team Rocket.
Having disposed of the distractions, Godwin starts pleading for mercy, and manages to reveal something interesting about Terenezza: she wasn’t born in their world, but in Japan. She died there, and some goddess reincarnated her into this world of magic and swords. In other words, this was an isekai in disguise!
This is honestly an intriguing premise for the show. In most isekai’s, the person who winds up in a new world is the protagonist, while someone like Scarlet would be an antagonist. However, the story reverses the roles, making Terenezza the bad guy and Scarlet the one everyone roots for and wishes they could date. Color me impressed! I guess I made the right choice choosing to watch this instead of Let’s Play. I’m going to keep reviewing it for as long as this show runs, because the Queen of Crashouts is only getting started.
I Give “May I Go To See My Fists’ Beloved One (Punching Bag)?” a 4.5/5
Slavery, one of the oldest and most recurring crimes found throughout history. No one should be allowed to another person without their consent, so skavery is a most universally frowned upon by the world. It also means that, with a few exceptions (I’m looking at you, Naofumi), anyone caught partaking in this trade is fair game for a butt-whooping. And that is precisely what Scarlet proceeds to give over the course of these next few episodes.
Also, I’ve decided to cover this show instead of Let’s Play. No offense, but that anime is not looking that good, and TBATE already made me hit my yearly limit for bad anime.
Scarlet Continues Her Crashout
So, after proceeding to have the greatest crashout in the history of her kingdom, what is next for Scarlet El Vandimion. The good news is that Prince Julius, Kyle’s smarter older brother, has offered the best job ever: rooting out all the corrupt nobles in the country and punching their lights out. And thanks to Scarlet’s rampage, they now know that all the nobles who backed Kyle were doing some incredibly illegal things, and the worst is that of Minister Godwin. He has to go, and thankfully, Scarlet’s rampage has given her, her brother, and Julius the perfect in.
Meet Nanaka, a beastkin slave working undercover on Godwin’s orders at the Vandimion’s estate. After Scarlet punched his son’s face in, he was ordered to kill her while she slept, only to fail miserably. So Scarlet earns his loyalty by reversing time until he no longer has his slave crest (yes, she can do that.) After that, he was more than happy to help her, even if it means going back into the slave auction. In other words, they’re pulling off a sting operation, and as long as Scarlet keeps her cool, everything should work out fine.
Of course, this is still Scarlet. And when she sees the slaver’s bodyguard brutalizing Nanaka, she can’t help but send him flying.
I now see why Julius finds her so interesting.
I Can already see the Shippers at Work
This third episode serves as a means to further the relationship between Scarlet and Julius, and explains why he’s so adamant about annoying her: he’s bored. He’s bored about a lot of things in the world, and he knows that he will never get to see all of it for himself. So when he finds something interesting, he wants it around him. And while his feelings for Scarlet are not romantic as we think of them, they are very strong, much to Scarlet’s annoyance.
If I had to properly explain the sort of relationship that Scarlet and Julius have, its similar to Jinshi and Maomao’s dynamic in Apothecary Diaries. Julius likes pushing Scarlet’s buttons because she’s one of the few people who won’t bend over backward to please him. So it’s no wonder that he’s so fascinated by her.
But there might be someone even more fascinating out there: Terenezza.
As Scarlet made clear in the first episode, she’s never met Terenezza until the day of her crashout. She didn’t even know she existed. But whatever it is she’s planning, Kyle’s downfall hasn’t stopped it in the slightest. Now she’s working directly with Minister Godwin to take Scarlet out, and she’s given him something very interesting: a flintlock pistol. In a world of magic and swords, the presence of firearms is something that sticks out like a sore thumb. What’s even more concerning is that she claimed to get this from a deity called Palmia. If there is a goddess involved in all this, then that could be a problem for Scarlet.
Then again, this is Scarlet. She’ll probably be fine.
I give “I Considered A Negotiated Resolution, But May I Biff and Pow Those Noblemen Instead?” a 4/5
The Shibuya Incident, AKA the turning point of the original Jujutsu Kaisen manga. On Halloween night, 2018, Jujutsu society was rocked by an event that would change it forever and take a dark story and make it even darker. With season three of JJK coming next year and a compilation movie set to release in December, now is the perfect time for us to recap what happened on that Halloween Night. If you haven’t read the manga or seen the anime, then I highly recommend that you stop reading this, because there will be spoilers from here on out!
How it all Started
The root cause of the Shibuya Incident stems from the existence of one man: Satoru Gojo, the CHAD-master and strongest Jujutsu Sorcerer alive. Time and again, the group of “Geto” and the special-grade Cursed Spirits had tried to kill Gojo, only to fail. So long as Gojo was around, they could never enact their plans of causing chaos in the Jujutsu world. So they decided to change tactics by doing the next best thing by sealing him away. Over the course of several months, their group gathered allies and tools they would need to fulfill their goal. And by Halloween night, 2018, they were ready, with the Shibuya District chosen to be their stage.
At 7 pm local time, a massive curtain was drawn up around the Shibuya District. All civilians and non-sorcerers were trapped inside and unable to escape, and all phone service was cut off. The only way they would be let out is if they started demanding the arrival of Satoru Gojo. So the leaders of Jujutsu society (who are total jerks) told Gojo to head in and take care of the people responsible for this, alone. Four other squads would remain outside to act as backup.
Being the Jujutsu equivalent of Superman, Gojo would be able to handle everything inside the curtain on his own. That’s why Pseudo-Geto and the Curses rigged everything in their favor. The civilians would slow him down while Mahito transfigured hundreds of random people to slow him down even further. Being Gojo, though, he manages to deal with all of this in about five minutes or less while also battling the Curses. But that was all the time that Pseudo-Geto needed to get the Prison Realm close to him and activate it. In one stroke, Satoru Gojo, the strongest Jujutsu Sorcerer, was sealed within it, much to the shock of all of his comrades. Yuji’s team races to get to the Prison Realm before the enemy can escape, but they already prepared for this. They’ve filled Shibuya with Curse Users, Cursed Spirits, and transfigured humans to attack anyone that gets inside the curtains. It’s pretty much open season as everyone starts fighting all over the place. But this was only the beginning, as two even bigger threats soon join the fray: Toji Fushiguro and Ryomen Sukuna.
The Return of the Chick Magnet Toji
If you know Gojo’s backstory, then you know about Tojo Fushiguro, the father of Megumi, AKA the man who came closer to killing Gojo than anyone else. Despite not having any cursed energy, nature compensated him by giving him strength and durability beyond that of any sorcerer alive, allowing him to make a living hunting them. Gojo only survived because he unlocked his reverse curse technique. And in the midst of all this chaos, this old woman decoded to use her grandson as a medium to call Toji’s spirit back to the land of the living. Her plan was to use the strength it gave her grandson to have him start killing all the sorcerers they could find. But it backfired when Toji’s spirit overtook the grandson and left him in full control, bringing him back from the dead. And since he didn’t use cursed energy, there was no way to stop the technique. It’s honestly surprising that that old woman didn’t think this through in the first place!
Toji would proceed to go on a rampage throughout Shibuya, fighting anyone with cursed energy. At one point, he even entered the domain of one of the Special Grade Curses the others had been fighting, and proceeded to slay them without almost no effort. His relative, Maki, and her comrades had been struggling, and he did it so effortlessly. After that, he went after Megumi as he tried to escape. However, that proved to be unnecessary, as Toji stopped his assault as soon as he realized that Megumi was his son all grown up. Rather than keep on killing, Toji regained his senses and, content that Megumi had taken his mom’s last name, chose to take his own life, removing himself from the equation.
But that was just a prelude to the real carnage that was about to go down.
The Dawg Has Returned
In the middle of all this chaos, Yuji is trying to make his way to Geto, whose currently guarding the Prison Realm. However, he gets waylaid by multiple Cursed Spirits, Curse Users, and lastly, Choso, the last of the Death Paintings, these hybrids of Cursed Spirits and Humans that Yuji and his friends defeated. They fight, and Yuji ultimately loses. But before Choso can kill him, he gets these memories that tell him that, somehow, Yuji is related to him. But before that can be explained, he leaves, and then these two girls that were raised by Geto show up and feed Yuji one of Sukuna’s fingers. They wanted Sukuna to save Geto for them, but all they were doing was sealing their own fate. Then Jogo the Special Grade Curse shows up and proceeds to feed Yuji ten of Sukuna’s fingers. And this feeding session was all that was needed for the dog to be let off the leash. And without Gojo around to stop him, he wasn’t going to pass up this chance to let loose.
The first thing that Gojo did was murder those two girls for trying to order him around by saving Geto. Jogo was a little more tactful, though, and Sukuna was in a good mood from the fingers. So they made a deal: if Jogo could land one hit on Sukuna, he would work under him and kill everyone in Shibuya except for Megumi. But this was just Sukuna wanting to play with his food before going in for the kill.
Sukuna proceeded to go on a rampage, throwing off everything Jogo and everyone else threw at him while killing anyone unfortunate enough to get in his way. Jogo can’t keep up, and while the King of Curses says he put up a good fight, Jogo still dies. And then he proceeds to go after Megumi, saving him from another enemy just so he could fight him himself. Not even Megumi’s Mahoraga is able to stop the King! But Sukuna stops just short of killing Megumi, leaving him with his allies. And with his control over Yuji running out, his last act is to head to where the Shibuya Crossing once stood just so Yuji can see the full carnage for himself when he comes to so he can break the kid.
And it works. When Yuji regains control and sees what has happened, he is absolutely traumatized! But his suffering was not over.
Mahito is a Worthless Nobody
At this point, the only major enemies left were Pseudo-Geto and Mahito, the latter of whom was continuing to hurt innocent people. He made Yuji watch as he killed his mentor, Nanami, and proceed to main Nobara. And for a long time, we weren’t even sure if she made it out alive or not. Not to mention how he kept mutating innocent people, forcing the Sorcerers to kill them. And all of this just destroys Yuji in mind and spirit. The young man is scarred for life by what’s happened. But it is at this point that Yuji crashes out.
Thanks to the arrival of his self-proclaimed brother, Aoi Todo, Yuji locks in with the single-minded goal of making Mahito pay. The sadistic embodiment of Mankind’s hatred of itself throws everything he has left at the two, but it’s not enough. They plow right through it until, finally, Mahito runs out of gas in the tank. And then Yuji just looks at him and tells him that his existence is less than worthless, and that he needs no reason to kill him. Terrified, Mahito runs, only to be stopped by Pseudo-Geto. Instead of helping him, though, Geto decides he has no use left for him and proceeds to absorb him into himself. Crazier still, Choso shows up and reveals that “Geto” is an imposter whose been jumping from body to body for centuries. And in one of those bodies, he had been the creator of the Death Paintings, and might somehow be related to Yuji.
That’s when the fake Geto reveals he did all this to unleash chaos by making cursed energy users stronger than ever. To that end, he activates a technique that causes hundreds of people across the country to awaken as Jujutsu sorcerers, some of whom being possessed by the spirits of sorcerers from ages past. With that done, Geto manages to escape with Prison Realm, despite the best efforts of everyone to try and stop him.
Thus, the curtain falls on the Shibuya Incident, AKA the worst Halloween Japan has ever seen.
Where Season 3 Picks Up
The next episode and chapters show how Japan has been plunged into chaos in the aftermath of the Shibuya Incident. Hundreds of people are dead, hundreds more have become Jujutsu Sorcerers, and tens of millions of Cursed Spirits have been unleashed upon Japan. Tokyo’s a warzone, the economy is in shambles, and the existence of the Jujutsu World has been exposed to the entire country. Jujutsu Society has been rocked to its core, and it only gets worse thanks to the leadership.
If you’ve read or seen Jujutsu Kaisen, then you should know by now that the leaders of Jujutsu Society are the epitome of toxic conservatism. They’re made up of a bunch of backward-thinking, sexist old men who refuse to change with the times and run things the same as always even when it’s clear that won’t work anymore. The forward-thinking Gojo has been their greatest opposition due to being the strongest and able to keep them in check. But now that he is gone, the higher-ups decide to do everything they want, declaring him an accomplice of Shibuya and unsealing him to be a crime. They sentence his and Geto’s teacher to death, reinstate Yuji’s death sentence, and assign it to be carried out by Gojo’s other student, Yuta Okkotsu. Thus, Yuji has to go on the run, while his allies are left to deal with the aftermath of everything on their own.
And with that, we have now covered a general overview of the Shibuya Incident. Hundreds are dead, Japan is on the brink of collapse, and the main protagonist is a fugitive. Yet the real fight has only just begun. In January 2026, we will see the start of the Culling Game Arc with Season Three. However, a compilation film will be released on December 5th, covering the Shibuya Incident and giving us a look at the first two episodes of Season Three. That should be plenty of reason for fans to get excited!
Well, well, well, Studio MAPPA. It’s about dang time you decided to give us more Chainsaw Man! It only took you three whole years to get to what might be one of the best arcs in the entire series, the Bomb Girl Arc. I chose to forgo reading the manga so that I could fully enjoy what would come next, but when I learned that the arc would be getting its own movie, I knew I had to see it. So, how was Chainsaw Man: the Movie-Reze Arc? Was it a worthy return for the series and can it pave the way for another season?
Honestly, yes to both.
Welcome Reze
Its just after the end of the Katana Man Arc, with Denji and his friends working to deal with the aftermath. Power is stuck having her blood drained, while Aki is working with the Angel Devil, so Denji has to fly solo for a while…sort of. This fanboy Shark Fiend gets assigned to be his bodyguard, much to his annoyance. But at least Denji gets to have a movie date with Makima, so he can’t complain. Until, that is, he encounters a beautiful woman his age named Reze, and now his heart starts getting torn in two. He wants to stay loyal to Makima, but it feels like Reze is really into him! If only he had to deal with something like a love triangle. Because Reze is, in fact, a Devil hybrid with the ability to create bombs and explosions. And all she wants is that special heart that Denji has on him!
Just Let Denji be Happy!
I’m just going to come out and say it: Denji’s love life is just the worst. That’s coming from me, and I’ve had a hard time getting any dates. The girl he’s mainly interested in is basically emotionally manipulating him (you dont need to read the manga to see the red flags.) And now this new girl shows up and is doing the same thing. And poor Denji is so starved for affection that he’s letting himself be played like a fiddle! It’s honestly depressing to watch!
Ok guys i watched Chainsaw Man: The Reze Arc and i'm literally both happy and broken… just WHAT WAS THIS MOVIE ?! This was an experience to remember for ages !!! 😍🥹😭 pic.twitter.com/RA8bJ5gLM4
What makes it even more depressing, though, is that the first half of Reze Arc is a slow burn focusing on Denji’s unfortunate love life. Even though Reze is ultimately going to betray him, you can’t deny that she manages to give him a taste of the normal life that he hasn’t had up to this point. Yes, the Devil Hunters do feed him and give him a place to stay, but as Reze points out, he’s still not living a normal life at age 16. Normal can often be subjective, and there are plenty of shonen protagonists his age who deal with danger. But at some point, you can’t help but wonder if this is really the life that Denji should be living.
The worst part, though, is that even after Reze shows her true colors, a part of Denji still likes her. Enough to even consider running away with her. Surprisingly, Reze actually considers doing so, mission be darned. And if you’re caught up on the manga, then you may agree with me when I say that I really, really think Denji should’ve gone through with that decision. If he had, then it would’ve prevented a lot of pain and suffering. But instead, any second chance is left to bleed out unceremoniously in an alleyway, which only makes the whole thing even more tragic.
Watched the chainsaw man movie in theaters.. She looked so good bro idc if she supposed to be the villain pic.twitter.com/81NeszDV8e
But we don’t watch Chainsaw Man just for the drama. We want it for the over-the-top violence. And lucky for us, the second half of the film is devoted almost exclusively to the action!
The Real Action Was Awesome!
For those who need a quick refresher, Devil’s get stronger the more they inspire in humans. Given how dangerous bombs can be, Reze is an extremely dangerous foe once she decides to take Denji by force. Her attacks are stronger than Bakugo from My Hero Academia, and considering how the young hero can hold his own against Shigaraki and All for One, that’s very concerning. A good part of the second half is the Devil Hunters trying to play keep away until they can get Denji to heal, with her blowing up sections of the city in the process. And then she summons another Devil working for her and proceeds to turn the place into a disaster zone! It honestly makes me question how human civilization is able to remain intact in this universe!
Of course, though, the real show starts once Denji joins the fight. The fight itself is like something out of a JRPG game, so I’m not going to spoil it for you. I will, however, leave you with this tantalizing image: Chainsaw Man riding a shark and battling a Devil the size of the Colossal Titan. Have fun with that.
In summary, Chainsaw Man: the Movie-Reze Arc was everything the fans wanted and then some. And if Studio MAPPA knows what’s good for it, it will give us more of the anime. SOON!
Why the World Government of One Piece is just the worst
Anyone who has read or watched One Piece long enough can agree on one thing: the World Government is the worst. Over the course of the series, they went from simply being the people chasing after Luffy because he’s a pirate to being worse than any outlaw could ever hope to be. If I were to rank dictatorial regimes in fiction, I would put the World Government right next to the Galactic Empire in terms of how vile they are. There’s a reason why people have been using the Straw Hats flag at protests around the world, and that’s because the fans know that it is a symbol of defiance against injustice. They know this because they’ve come to know the ones who rule the world of One Piece are more evil than any outlaw could ever hope to be.
I’m RJ Writing Ink, and I wanted to talk about what is it that makes the World Government such an effective villainous organization in One Piece. Because if there is one thing that Eichiro Oda is excellent at doing, it’s making some of the most vile and disgusting villains you may ever find in a world of manga.
The World Government: EVIL
In the world of One Piece, the shadow of the World Government has been present long before it is formally introduced into the story. They are the ones in charge of the Marines, the forces tasked with maintaining law and order across the world by protecting it from criminals and outlaws. Like any large organization, they have a series of uniform rules and ideals that members are expected to follow. And just like any other large organization, there are going to be people who don’t always conform and subscribe to different beliefs as well as those who only care about their own personal gain. That much is made clear early on in the series thanks to Luffy’s encounters with Marines like Axe-Hand Morgan and Nezumi. The former was a man who effectively bullied those under his command and charge, while the latter was openly taking bribes from pirates like Arlong. However, they’re both counterbalanced by the introduction of Smoker and Tashigi, two Marines who actually do the job they’re supposed to be doing. However, that does not mean that they cannot think for themselves.
When the Straw Hats run into Smoker and Tashigi again during the Alabasta Arc, they wind up dragging them into their fight against Crocodile and his criminal organization. In doing so, they expose this supposed ally of the Marines for his crimes, leading to his arrest. Seeing as how they helped save an entire country, they ultimately decide to let the Straw Hats go when they had the chance to arrest them, with Smoker giving them credit for stopping Crocodile in his report. However, he is disgusted when the higher-ups choose to give him all the credit and cover-up the Straw Hats involvement. On the surface, it’s understandable. They’re trying to save face because they don’t want to admit that a pirate did their job. As we come to learn later, though, this was our first hint that something was wrong with the people running the world.
The Enies Lobby Arc was a Turning Point
I’ve seen several video essays already covering the subject, but the way that Oda reveals just how dystopic the world of One Piece can be is brilliant. In most instances of a dystopian setting, the story makes it clear from the get go just how unfair and cruel something really is. The Empire from Star Wars doesn’t even hide how evil it is. In contrast, though, Oda chose not to let people know straight away just how corrupt the World Government is. Instead, he did it gradually, dropping hint after hint as Luffy and his crew journeyed across the Grand Line that they the World Government was not what it seemed. Until, finally, he proceeds to blow the whole lid on everything several arcs later during the events at Water 7 and Enies Lobby.
For those who haven’t read the manga or seen the anime, here’s a basic summary of the Water 7 and Enies Lobby arcs. While the Straw Hats are dealing with tension between themselves, one of their members, Nico Robin, opts to turn herself into Cipher Pol 9, the World Government’s black ops team. In truth, Robin is actually the sole survivor of Ohara, a nation of scholars that sought to uncover the mysteries of the Void Century, a hundred-year gap in historical records during which the World Government rose to power, and something that they made a crime to research. In response, they burned the entire nation to the ground, killing everyone but Robin, and then lied to the world by claiming Ohara wanted to uncover ancient superweapons.
This moment was a major turning point for the story of One Piece. It made it clear as day to the Straw Hats and to readers that the World Government was, in fact, a tyrannical dictatorship that would stop at nothing to maintain its power, even if it meant killing the people it was supposed to protect. And in response to this, and rightfully so, the Straw Hats declare war on the World Government to get Robin back, utterly embarrassing them in the process. But this was only the beginning of readers learning about the crimes the World Government has committed.
The Celestial Jerkwads
From Enies Lobby onwards, Oda continues to escalate the level of atrocities committed by the World Government. At Sabaody, we are introduced to the Celestial Dragons, descendants of the founders of the organization who live atop the Red Line and see themselves as gods. They can kill, enslave, and torment who or whatever they want, and they can do it because they’re considered gods by everyone. In reality, though, they’re just delusional jerks who represent everything wrong with humanity wrapped into grotesque caricatures. The only reason no one defies them is because the Marines will step in to protect them, even if they’re doing things that are supposed to be illegal.
The Celestial Dragons are really the ultimate symbol of how the World Government is built on lies. They tell everyone that they’re an alliance of equals that works to maintain peace and justice, but to them, it means doing what they want without consequence. That is how they’ve likely always been, and that is why they are so determined to keep the truth of their origins a secret for 800 years, no matter how many people they have to slaughter in the process. To be fair, eight centuries seems unbelievable for a group so corrupt to be in power, but it shows just how effective their methods of maintaining power have been. If anyone tries to step out of line or learn the truth, they will brand them an outlaw and hunt them to the ends of the earth, something that most people cannot afford to be put through.
Now, to be fair, not everyone in the Marines and the World Government are as corrupt as the people in charge. In fact, people like Smoker and Tashigi are some of the most morally upstanding people in the entire series, and there are plenty of others like them. Yet despite these people having a greater sense of justice and could, in theory, change things for the better, they are ultimately forced to stop short of doing so. This is the ultimate trap of the World Government. They make it so that the most moral and just people, AKA the people most likely to effect change, are forced to become cogs in their massive machine. While they can do plenty of good in the Marines, they are ultimately unable to change the status quo without risking being branded outlaws themselves. It’s how the Celestial Dragons have been able to stay in power, and it’s one of the reasons why few have discovered the ultimate lie at the heart of the World Government: Imu.
Imu is the Heart of Darkness
The World Government claims that it is an alliance of equal nations where none are meant to stand above the other. As we know, that is a lie, as the Celestial Dragons and their leaders, the Five Elders, do just that. Yet only a handful of people realize that even this is a lie. In truth, the Five Elders serve their own master, a figure that, for the majority of the series, no one even knew existed: the true ruler of the world, Imu.
To date, we know almost next to nothing about who, or what, Imu even is, as not even the higher-ups in the World Government are aware of their existence. It’s not even clear if Imu is even human, with some believing that they are some sort of demonic entity or dark god. What is known is that they are the embodiment of order and oppression itself, ruling the world from the shadows with an iron fist, and they are determined to keep it that way. Any outsiders who learn of their existence will be hunted down and killed to keep this knowledge from becoming public. Yet that has not stopped some people from finding out anyway and living to tell about it. Were that to happen, then all of their plans would come undone.
For the longest time, fans have thought that the ultimate goal of the World Government was to maintain its power no matter what. And I do mean no matter what. Murder, torture, genocide, racism, brainwashing, whatever heinous act you can think of, the World Government is willing to do it. But I don’t think that even the most die-hard fans could imagine what their endgame might be. If you’re an anime-only watcher or not caught up yet, then turn back now, because there’s going to be a major revelation from this moment on:
The world of One Piece is slowly sinking into the ocean. And the World Government is likely counting on it to happen.
Armageddon is on the World’s Doorstep
During the Egghead Island Arc, it’s revealed that a thousand years ago, the world was once covered by massive continents and a civilization more advanced than anything in the present day. Yet the events of the Void Century would not only see to that civilization’s destruction at the hands of the future World Government, but most of the world being swallowed by the sea. All of the islands that we’ve seen throughout the series were just the tallest points on these continents that survived the flooding. Even that might not be enough anymore as the sea levels continue to rise.
While the person who shared all this information said that it’s unclear who’s responsible for the current state of the world, most fans have guessed that the predecessors to the World Government were responsible. Or, at the very least, took advantage of things to seize control. They’ve kept people isolated on their islands and unable to travel the dangerous seas without them, all while using the Marines to control the seas. They did all of this to keep people in the dark about how their homes would eventually be lost to the sea, leaving the Celestial Dragons atop the Red Line in control of the only remaining dry land. In other words, they’ve spent the last eight hundred years herding the world like cattle to the slaughter.
Ultimately, the world of One Piece may seem like a fun and colorful world of adventure; and for the most part, it is. But underneath that fun and whimsy, Oda has created a world ruled by darkness. And it is this darkness that Luffy is supposed to be fighting against. Why? It’s not just because he wants to be King of the Pirates. It’s because he might actually be the savior of the world. It’s messiah. Pirate Jesus!
Eichiro Oda is one of the most influential authors in the entire world, and it’s all thanks to his absolute epic, One Piece. Since it began publishing in Shonen Jump back in 1997, One Piece has become the best-selling manga of all time. There’s a list of the best-selling fictional authors in history on Wikipedia, and he’s at number eight. One Piece has changed the world to the point where a generation of young people are waving the Straw Hat Pirates flag at protests, showing how they believe in the series themes of freedom and liberation from oppression. Needless to say, Oda is a big deal in the world of anime.
Which only makes it harder for fans to watch as their hero threatens to work himself into an early grave.
Oda started serializing One Piece when he was twenty-two and in the prime of his life. He could afford to work himself to the bone and run on a fraction of the sleep he needed. But over the last few years, it seems as though his commitment to his creation has begun taking its toll. He’s started taking scheduled breaks every few chapters or so, but at the same time, unscheduled breaks are becoming more and more frequent. And it’s making fans ask the same thing: Is Oda alright?
No one is going to question whether or not Oda is losing his work ethic. However, people are more aware of how grueling working in the anime and manga industries is now than they were when he started. The long hours or ceaseless work can be incredibly stressful, and that stress can start to add up as we get older. The worst-case scenario, they could end up working themselves to death. That’s something that Dragon Ball fans know all too well.
Last spring, the anime world was shocked by the sudden news of the death of Akira Toriyama, the legendary creator of Dragon Ball. His death at the relatively young age of 68 sent shockwaves throughout the industry. Many people started to question if the hard lifestyle of a mangaka led Toriyama to an early grave. Oda, for his part, seemed to take the hint, as he went on a vacation so he could process his hero’s passing. However, that hasn’t stopped people from worrying about him. He’s fifty years old, been working on One Piece most of his life, and it could be another 5-10 years before the story is finished. He needs to look after himself.
Oda has become beloved in the world of anime and manga for creating One Piece, and he’s managed to change the world for the better. Millions of people have been inspired by his characters and how to live their lives by their example. There are people out there waving the Straw Hat Pirates flag as a symbol of rebellion against oppression right now. His legacy has already been secured. But none of that will matter if One Piece leads him to an early grave. If that happened, I don’t think the fans would be able to live with themselves.
Fortunately, it seems the One Piece Fandom is among the most understanding in anime and manga. Every time Oda has to go on break, fans have been understanding and wishing him well. None of us wants to see him work himself to death, including myself. And when the day comes for him to end One Piece, he should be able to enjoy retirement for decades to come with his wife, kids, and hopefully grandkids. It’s the least that Oda deserves.
May I Ask for One Final Thing? Initial Series Review
Crash outs; a slang term commonly used to describe what happens when someone becomes angry to the point where they can’t control it. Usually, it’s because they hit the limit of how much grief they can tolerate, or they just saw someone hurt someone they care about. The important thing, though, is that when people crash out, they tend to lose all restraint and just tear through anyone foolish or unfortunate enough to get in their way. There have been some legendary crash-out moments in anime before, and most of them are downright enjoyable to look back on. However, I think I might have just found my favorite crash out in a good, long while. And the best part is the fact that it’s pretty much an entire anime: May I Ask for One Final Thing?
Scarlet El Vandimion, the Mad Dog Princess
Meet Scarlet El Vandimion, the daughter of a Duke in the kingdom of Pallistan. On the outside, she seems like the epitome of a Kuudere. She’s poised, beautiful, and gets the top scores at school. But underneath her icy persona, she’s got a secret: she loves nothing more than to pummel people who act like jerks. She’s been like that since she was a kid, but for the sake of her family, she’s done her best to repress it.
Unfortunately for her, it’s like the universe is trying to find ways to make her blow her stack. She is engaged to Kyle von Pallistan, the second prince of Pallistan, and he is an absolute jerk. He spends the next ten years treating her like a slave, bullying her, demeaning her, and being utterly insufferable. And the whole time, she has to keep repressing the urge to punch his face in for the sake of her family. So she just keeps this icy exterior and acts as stoic as Nano Eiai from 100 Girlfriends. And almost everyone buys that this is who she is, when in reality, she might be the long-lost sister of Eris Greyrat from Mushoku Tensei, because her anger keeps building the entire time until it threatens to boil over.
It actually almost does one day while they’re at school. Kyle barges into Scarlet’s classroom and starts running his mouth, complaining about she did better than him on the recent exams. So she just stands there and lets him yap, until he gets the idea of cutting off her hair as punishment. And this is where the crash out almost begins. Thankfully, Kyle’s smarter older brother is nearby, sees what Scarlet is about to do, and steps in to defuse the situation. Not to save Scarlet, but to save his brother from getting his butt kicked. But all Julius did was buy his brother a temporary stay of execution, because the pain was going to come to him. And he was going to deserve all of it.
— Vincent Sophuok (FU, Musk) (@VincentSophuok) October 4, 2025
This finally brings us to the start of the first episode, and the moment when the crash-out begins.
The Crash Out Begins
So, Kyle summons Scarlet to this gathering where he and a bunch of other nobles are in attendance, along with some girl that she’s never met before. Then Kyle starts saying how her name is Terenezza and that he had fallen in love with her. Kyle then started spouting all these lies saying that Scarlet had been bullying her during their time at school, when in truth, she had never even met her until that very moment. And the other nobles are all in on this, acting like he’s doing the right thing. And Scarlet just listens to this whole thing until he finally declares that he’s ending their engagement so he can marrying Terenezza.
Little did Kyle know that he just signed his own death warrant. Because after she heard all of this, Scarlet feels this…release. She realizes that she just wasted ten years of her life holding herself back for nothing. But she also realizes that now, she has no reason to keep holding back.
And this is when the crash out ten years in the making finally begins as Scarlet asks for one final request: “Can I punch this b**** in the face?”
After years of suppressing her rage over mistreatment from the nobility and her insufferable fiancé, Lady Scarlet knows it’s time to uncork a well-aged bottle of fine Whoop Ass. @morganlaure, @KyleIggy and the rest of the dub team are in title belt form!#MayIAskForOneFinalThingpic.twitter.com/Q7iXm2yCUW
And from that moment on, Scarlet was off the leash. And Terenezza is the first victim.
She Crashed Out, and Got Rewarded for it.
Now, one would think that beating the ever-loving tar out of a Prince and all those nobles would get Scarlet in trouble. After all, she did attack royalty during her crash out. But what does Julius do? He congratulates her for finally showing her true self. The royal family disinherits Kyle for his utter stupidity, so he gets punished while she gets off scot-free. Even better, since all the nobles that were mocking Scarlet were corrupt scumbags involved in the slave trade, they’re all getting punished.
All of this leads us to the main plot of May I Ask for One Final Thing? Julius offers Scarlet a job helping him to weed out all the corrupt nobles in the kingdom and punish them. Which means that she’s got an excuse for her to continue crashing out on people who deserve it. And which leads me to say that I like this show, and I think I’m going to be watching it a lot this season. Scarlet is like the kuudere version of Eris Greyrat, and I’m all for female characters who can kick butt and take names.
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