Elbaph Arc

Loki, THE GOAT GIANT, IS FINALLY HERE!

Aside Roderick J "Jay" Friz Anime, Anime Reviews, Crunchyroll , , , , , , , , , , , ,

One Piece Episode 1160 Review

Oh, I’ve been waiting for this episode to get animated for a long time now! When I said that the Elbaph Arc is going to go absolutely hard, I wasn’t joking. The detail and care that Oda puts into the home of the Giants makes it clear to all that this is a story that he’s been wanting to tell for a long time. And while some people are likely disappointed that the first few episodes of One Piece’s return were a mini-arc in a LEGOland, this is about to make it all worthwhile. Not only do we finally see the size and scope of Elbaph, but we also get introduced to the best character in the arc. A character that I remembers sparking a lot of debate in the fandom about whether he was a friend or a foe: Loki.

Strap yourselves in. Things are starting to heat up.

The Straw Hats Will Reunite in Elbaph

So, while half of the Straw Hats are currently escaping the Block Kingdom of Rodo (or Road), what’s going on with the other half and the Giants Pirates? At this exact moment, Dorry, Brogy, and the other Giants are freaking out since they don’t know where Luffy or the Sunny are. They’re about ready to jump into the ocean and look for them on the sea floor, it’s so bad! Thankfully, this isn’t the first time the Straw Hat Pirates have gotten split up like this. This stuff is nothing to them! So Franky and the others tell their hosts to calm down, because they know their friends will be fine and will find their way to Elbaph.

I know it sounds callous to outsiders, but to us, it shows how much faith the the crew has in each other.

What’s of bigger interest, though, is what they read in the papers. As expected of a stooge of the World Government, the news has pinned everything that happened on Egghead on Luffy and the Giant Pirates. That weasel Morgans even says Luffy killed Vegapunk! Though there’s no way the World Government would admit that they’re the ones at fault, so what else is new?

There is one part of the news that was of particular interest, though: the X mark on Luffy’s arm. Robin vaguely remembers it, but none of the others have any idea what it means. The irony is that, besides the fans knowing what it is, the half of the Straw Hats that would recognize it isn’t present. But if you don’t know, it was a mark the crew drew on their wrists during their adventures in Alabasta with their friend, Princess Vivi. Said Princess is currently on the run with the guy who publishes that newspaper, so this was basically her letting them know that she was okay. Sadly, this won’t become important until after their time in Elbaph ends, and given how the arc’s still ongoing in the manga, we’ve got a while. Thankfully, though, the same doesn’t have to be said about Elbaph!

After making their escape from the Block Kingdom, Luffy’s half of the Straw Hats find themselves on the outside. The bad news? It’s not the fact that everything is just as big as it was indoors. It’s the fact that it’s freezing cold and in the middle of a blizzard.

The good news? Two of Road’s crewmates pass by because they heard he”s been up to his antics of kidnapping humans and have come to reprimand him. And they confirm once and for all that the group is now in Elbaph. Too bad the others tell Luffy and Usopp to be quiet so they can’t celebrate.

Full disclosure: yes, Gerd and Goldberg are part of the same crew as Road and Hajrudin. Yes, I believe that Luffy, Zoro, and Usopp met them back in Dressrosa, so they’re part of the Straw Hat Grand Fleet that pledged itself to Luffy. But since they don’t fully remember, and because the other half of their crewmembers weren’t there when it happened, they can’t ask them for help just yet. Ergo, they cross the giant rope bridge to the other side to safety.

…is what they were supposed to do. But then they hear a roar coming from the forest below, and the Monster Trio can tell right away that it’s coming from someone equally as monstrous. Naturally, Luffy decides to investigate on his own. And this is where things start getting good.

Our First Real Look at Elbaph!

Two important things happened in the chapter that this episode is adapting, and Toei did an incredible job adapting it into the anime. The first is that after all the teasing we’ve got in flashbacks and quick looks, we finally get our first full look at the island of Elbaph. And…calling it massive would be an understatement. It is absolutely gargantuan in size. In the first moments Luffy and the others step outside, they see mountains that are probably big enough to qualify as small islands in any other part of the world. The forests tower over even the biggest of Giants, and the animals are roughly the same size. To a normal Human, this is the equivalent of a sizeable insect waking up to find themselves in a city the size of New York or Tokyo. And then there’s the tree. The absolutely massive tree standing in the center of the island that dwarfs even the tallest of the mountains. I don’t know how to do the math, but that tree has to be dozens, or even hundreds of miles, in size. It’s so big that we can’t even see the top! Some fans have speculated it might be tall enough to allow someone access to Sky Islands.

But all of this pales in comparison to the character that we will get to know very well in the coming weeks. Arguably, the most important character introduced in this entire arc, a man who the Giants call an absolute terror and the “Shame of Elbaph.” The Giant Pirates tell Dorry and Brogy that he was the son of their late king, whom they believe he murdered to gain the Royal Family’s incredibly powerful Devil Fruit. The Prince of the Kingdom of Warland, and the self-proclaimed Sun God who will end the world, give it up for LOKI!!!!

And guess who just met him? Luffy.

Loki: Friend or Foe?

If you only watch the anime, then you have no idea how much of an uproar the introduction of Loki caused throughout the fandom. If you’ve seen any modern depictions of Loki in media like the MCU, or as Atreus in the God of War games, then the name alone should be enough to worry you. Regardless of if he’s a good guy or a bad guy, Loki tends to cause trouble. Heck, in Norse Mythology, he got so bad that his fellow gods had to imprison him, only for it to be said he would be set free at Ragnarok. AKA, the end of the world.

What I was most concerned about, though, was how Loki was calling himself the Sun God. We thought that Luffy was supposed to be one who had the powers of the Sun God, Nika. That he was meant to be this person who would liberate people from oppression! But here Loki was claiming to be this destroyer of the world! It had us all so confused!

Anime watchers, prepare to remain confused, as a large part of this arc involves Oda doing his best to make us question if Loki can be trusted or not. I won’t spoil anything, though!

It’s great to know that we can finally start the Elbaph Arc in earnest. I know that the Block Kingdom took up a lot of time, but trust me when I say it will be worth the wait. We are going to see things that will blow your mind! If you haven’t started watching One Piece, then now is the time to do so!

I Give “An Encounter on a Snowfield-Loki, the Accursed Prince,” a 4.5/5

I’m Calling Nami the Weather Queen after This

Aside Roderick J "Jay" Friz Anime, Anime Reviews, Crunchyroll , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

One Piece Ep 1159 Review

Well, it looks like my prediction was spot-on! This is the last episode that we will be spending in this little mini-arc that was the Block Kingdom! On the last piece of One Piece, Luffy, Zoro, Nami, Usopp, and Chopper managed to confront the “Sun God” who created the LEGO set they woke up in and thoroughly enrage them. Now, they’re on the run from an angry Giant who wants to keep them captive forever for his own amusement. But, as I felt when I was reading the manga, this guy must not be very smart if they think they can hold Monkey D. Luffy!

RUN AWAY FROM THE GIANT!

The vast majority of this episode can be summed as resembling the climax to the classic fairy tale, Jack and the Beanstalk. Well, the parts where the main character is being chased by the Giant, at least. The only thing the Straw Hats stole was the blueprints to the Block Kingdom, and given how they woke up unwilling captives and want to escape, they’re justified. Using the giant cat that Luffy is forcing to obey them, they’re making a dash for the other side of the Block Kingdom. Which, in case it wasn’t obvious, is actually an old cell designed to hold Giants prisoner. Which, given how Luffy is stronger than most Giants by this point, is really not a problem.

I know people are still going to have some problems with the pacing of the episodes, but the anime makes up for the extended scenes with the high quality of its animation. The series has come a long way from the simpler look it had in 1999, with its look evolving to better suit the evolution of the craft. That means that it feels a lot closer to what Oda draws in the manga as he’s grown more and more confident over the years, much to fans’ enjoyment. And, if I’m being honest, I like seeing the Straw Hats continuously outsmart their captor as they try to catch them.

This Guy Technically Works for Luffy

Speaking of which, it’s already obvious that the one holding them isn’t a God, but I don’t think any of us were expecting him to be who he turns out to be. The Giant that built this fake world is named Road, a member of the New Giant Warrior Pirates led by Hajrudin. Introduced back in Dressrosa as mercenaries working for Buggy, they were one of the groups that chose to pledge their loyalty to Luffy and form the Straw Hat Grand Fleet. That means that Road is technically supposed to be one of Luffy’s allies, but he can’t stand the idea of Giants working for a tiny human. So when one of his pet crows found the Sunny and half the Straw Hats fast asleep on it out at sea, he got the bright idea of putting them in his Block Kingdom so he wouldn’t have to work under them. And, for extra renegade points, he stripped them of their clothes so he could put new ones on them, including Nami.

It’s been months since these events took place in the manga, and my thoughts on this whole reveal haven’t changed: this guy’s an idiot. I can forgive him for ignorantly thinking that he could hold someone like Luffy because he hasn’t seen how strong he is like his crewmates have, but he really didn’t think this through. If the other Giant Pirates found out that he was holding Luffy captive, then they would punish him for it! And while I respect him for the LEGO model he built and the hand-made outfits, he’s still giving our fellow nerds a bad name. The part where he pauses mid-chase to gush about how this unscripted conflict in his world is so awesome comes off as creepy coming from him.

So, he must be punished. And it’s fitting that it’s Nami who’s the one who pays him back.

One of Nami’s Best Moments Yet!

The way that Nami has Zeus grow to the size of a storm and then has him hit Road with a lightning strike was already amazing. But that smug, s*it-eating smirk on Nami’s face as she claimed it was “divine retribution” was hilarious! That might not have been divine retribution, but that was a case of karma at work!

So, much to no one’s surprise save for that of Road, the Straw Hats manage to escape from the Block Kingdom. And I am happy to say that next week, we are going to head straight into the good stuff: Elbaph. The actual Elbaph is about to appear, and it is going to be amazing, you guys!! You are going to love it!

I Give “Destroy the Miniature Garden – Escape Block Kingdom!” a 4.5/5

Nami’s Misadventures in LEGOland!

Aside Roderick J "Jay" Friz Anime, Anime Reviews, Crunchyroll , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

One Piece Ep 1157 Review

If youโ€™re a fan of the One Piece anime, then youโ€™ve probably heard people complain about one thing: the pacing. It is notoriously slow when it comes to adapting the story of the manga, which is a consequence of it starting in an age when anime filler was necessary to keep something from overtaking its source material. Thatโ€™s why one of the biggest selling points of the new seasonal format has been the expectations of improved pacing. Less filler, more of the actual story, as some fans had hoped. However, it feels as though those hopes were dashed with the showโ€™s second episode since its return, as Toei is still relying on the same tricks as before: padding the episodes out and making parts of the story longer than necessary.

LEGO’S?!?

On the last piece of One Piece, the Giant and Straw Hat pirates were all celebrating their escape from Egghead Island with a party. The next thing we know, Nami is waking up someplace made out of LEGO in an outfit she doesnโ€™t remember putting on. And trust me, manga readers were just as confused about this as the people watching the anime probably were. Things only managed to get even stranger when the episode starts off with some people in the vicinity are talking about some kind of trouble with one of the local deities. What should catch everyoneโ€™s attention, though, is the name they give to the giant tree in this blocky kingdom: Yddragsil. Thatโ€™s the name of the cosmically-sized tree from Norse mythology that connects the worlds together.

One thing that Oda seems to like doing, and is very skilled, is foreshadowing well ahead of time. If the name of someone or someplace weโ€™ve never heard of before gets mentioned, that means that its going to be important at some point in the future. And as manga readers were quick to figure out, Nami had somehow woken up someplace thatโ€™s tied to Elbaph, if not Elbaph itself. The clothes and name of the tree were a dead giveaway, but what I really like is how the whole place is built out of LEGOs. LEGOโ€™s from Denmark, AKA the region of the world where Vikings came from; it makes sense.

What didnโ€™t make sense, though, was how massive the animals were. No sooner had Nami woken up than she was being attacked by bees twice her size! Iโ€™m able to tolerate bees, but stinging insects are enough to make me run for the hills! Thankfully, she and Zeus are able to roast them, no problem. But then theyโ€™re attacked by a giant hedgehog!

This is where I noticed how those complaints about the pacing began to resurface on social media. In the manga, Nami getting chased by that hedgehog takes up half a page, at best. The anime translates that into a full minute of her running around this blocky castle before she runs into Usopp and saves him from a giant cat. And from there the entire episode more or less revolves around them trying to get away until the Monster Trio of Luffy, Zoro, and Sanji save their bacon.

The Animation is Still Good

Say what you want about the whole thing, but at least the animation is still amazing. Iโ€™m little surprised at the fact that theyโ€™re choosing to make an eye catch just for this blocky kingdom. It feels unnecessary considering how theyโ€™re likely not to be in it for that long!

So like Nami and Usopp, the Monster Trio has no idea where they are or how they got there. But they donโ€™t really care. If someone was dumb enough to put them in this place, then whatever happens next is on them. Besides, Luffy and Usopp are too excited about Elbaph to be worried.

I know that this first half of the season is only about 12-13 episodes, so you might be worried about this taking up too much time. But donโ€™t worry, you guys. By my estimations, the group will be out of this Block Kingdom inโ€ฆtwo episodes.

I Give “Nami in a Fix! An Adventure in Block Kingdom” a 3/5

El-balph! El-baph! LAND OF THE GIANTS!

Aside Roderick J "Jay" Friz Anime, Anime Reviews, Crunchyroll , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

One Piece Ep 1156 Review

Sorry Iโ€™m late, everyone, but Iโ€™m ready to get this voyage underway! I wouldnโ€™t miss One Piece for all the money in the world!

I know that the founders of this blog arenโ€™t the biggest of fans of One Piece, but as their primary writer, Iโ€™m an absolutely massive fan. Iโ€™ve talked about it a lot on D&A Anime Blog. Iโ€™ve gushed about the live-action series and other big pieces of news about the franchise. And on my personal blog, Iโ€™ve been reviewing each chapter of the manga since partway through the Wano Country Arc! But with the anime having gone seasonal, I decided that now was the best time for me to try my hand at reviewing the anime. This will be the first time Iโ€™ve reviewed an anime of something whose manga Iโ€™m concurrently covering, but itโ€™s going to be worth it. Whether youโ€™re a long-time fan of the series or a newcomer, you might have picked a great time to come aboard, because we are about to arrive at a location so awesome, so amazing, so mind-bendingly cool, that nothing short of finding the One Piece itself can compare! The story that Oda has wanted to tell since he was a little kid is here. The story of ELBAPH!!

Full disclosure: if youโ€™re a newcomer, there are going to be a lot things thrown at you that I donโ€™t have time to explain. In that case, either go read the manga or go find one of the many, many people on YouTube who can recap and explain the series. Otherwise, Iโ€™ll just assume youโ€™re caught up so I can enjoy myself!

After a brief flashback to the end of the Little Garden Arc where Luffy and Usopp resolve to one day visit Elbaph, the episode returns us to the present day. The Straw Hats, Giant Warrior Pirates, Lillith, Bonney and Kuma have just escaped from Egghead Island and are on their way to Elbaph, so theyโ€™re celebrating by partying. Itโ€™s pretty much a law that the Straw Hats end an arc with a party. What I wasnโ€™t expecting, though, and soemthing that was totally original to the anime was getting to hear Brook play โ€œNew World.โ€ There are a lot of good songs in One Piece, but New World has to be one of my favorites. Upbeat, exciting, and optimistic, it encapsulates the positive messages that the series sends us. That, and itโ€™s a pretty good bop.

The Barto Club Screws Up

The episode then cuts away to another series tradition that accompanies the start of a new arc: checking up on events around the world. Oda is great when it comes to world-building, and moments where he takes the focus away from the main characters remind us of that by showing that the world doesnโ€™t revolve entirely around what they do. In this case, it picks up with one of Luffyโ€™s allies/biggest fans, the Barto Club, and one of his greatest enemies, the Blackbeard Pirates.

So, after they parted ways with Luffy, Bartolomeo and his crew went to a particular island to sell some Straw Hat pirate merch. However, they chose to go to an island under Shanksโ€™ protection, and they refused to buy anything. In response, Barto torched their flag, leading to Shanks to give them a butt-whooping. And then he decided to test/troll them by ordering Barto to make Luffy drink poison or else their lives were forfeit. And you can guess where this is going.

Anyone who has been with One Piece long enough knew that Shanks was just messing with Barto. He just wanted to make sure that Luffyโ€™s followers werenโ€™t some fair-weather friends, and Barto passed the vibe check. But Yassop still destroyed their ship. They had a reputation to keep up.

Iโ€™m sure theyโ€™ll be fine!

Blackbeard is Nearing his Endgame

Meanwhile, back on Pirate Island, Blackbeard isnโ€™t happy that the Marines managed to raid the place and rescue Koby while he was gone. However, his crew points out that heโ€™s now in an arguably better position. Not only do they have Luffy’s grandpa and hero of the Marines, Garp, prisoner, but they also raided Big Momโ€™s territory and abducted Pudding. And with Caribou newly arrived and ready to spill everything he knows about the locations of two of the three Ancient Weapons, things are about to get a lot worse.

I think I mentioned it on my blog when reviewing the chapter, but Iโ€™m going to say it here: Blackbeard is being set up as the final enemy that Luffy must face to become King of the Pirates. Once he knows where and who the Ancient Weapons are, heโ€™s going to try to seize them. That means that nations with people that the Straw Hats call friends will be in harmโ€™s way. Add in the fact that Teach now has Luffyโ€™s grandpa and Sanjiโ€™s ex-fiancรฉ prisoner, as well as what he did to Ace, the Straw Hats have all the motivation they need to go to war with the Blackbeard Pirates. Unfortunately, this will mark the last point for a while where the anime doesnโ€™t focus on anything outside of their next destination (not counting flashbacks.)

Speaking of which, where are the Straw Hats?

Where did half the Straw Hats Go?

When I read the chapters where the Giants woke up to find half the Straw Hat Pirates and their ship missing, I was as confused as everyone else. How the heck did they get separated from everyone else? Then it got even weirder when Nami woke up in a place that looked suspiciously like it was made out of LEGOโ€ฆand wearing an entirely different outfit. None of us knew if she was tripping from the alcohol, or if this was a detour from Elbaph. If it had been the latter, though, I think the fans wouldโ€™ve lost it! And then we had to wait an entire week (or two) to find out what was happening. Thankfully, the anime will be sticking to a weekly release schedule, so anime only people donโ€™t have to worry about that!

This was a good start to the return of One Piece, if you ask me. I have been reading the manga for years, and I can say that you guys are in for something very special. Welcome to the Elbaph arc, everyone! Hope you enjoy the trip!

I Give “The Long-sought Elbaph! The Big Reunion Banquet” a 3/5

I’m Reviewing the new Season of One Piece, and you Can’t stop Me!

Aside Roderick J "Jay" Friz Anime, Anime Reviews, Crunchyroll , , , , , , , ,

Primer for One Piece Elbaph Arc

After all these years, weโ€™re finally here. The One Piece anime has officially made it to Elbaph.

A few months ago, Toei Animation shocked the world of anime with some unbelievable news. After almost three decades of near-continuous running, the One Piece anime would no longer be an all-year-round show. Starting from the end of the Egghead Island Arc, the anime would switch to the same seasonal format that has come to define the industry in recent years. While some got upset about this, others understood the need for the switch. The anime was catching up to the manga, and with Eichiro Oda prioritizing his well-being in recent years, that meant fewer chapters were out. Between that and the higher quality of animation the series has gotten in recent years, releasing a new episode every week isnโ€™t sustainable for anyone. Plus, no one wants to see more filler episodes and we hate those recap specials that keep popping up! Hence the need to move to a seasonal release schedule. But trust me, it will be worth it, because if you only watched the anime, you have no idea how crazy the Elbaph Arc is going to get. But I do.

Over the past several years, I have been covering the One Piece manga on my personal blog, recapping and reviewing each chapter from the end of Act One of the Wano Country Arc onwards. And Iโ€™ve been reading the manga for about fourteen years, with it currently in the middle of the Elbaph Arc right now. Which is Iโ€™m going to do something that I havenโ€™t thought of doing before: Iโ€™m going to review the One Piece anime.

In the past, Iโ€™ve never considered reviewing the One Piece anime because I never felt it necessary. I already knew what was going to happen, so I didnโ€™t think that I could properly review it. But then it occurred to me that I review plenty of shows that I already know the outcomes to, both on here and on my personal blog. With that not being an excuse, and the shift to a seasonal format becoming more appealing, why shouldnโ€™t I review the anime? If anything, the fact that Iโ€™ve been covering the manga should help me review everything better!

Plus, when I say that the Elbaph Arc is going to be crazy, I mean that itโ€™s going to be crazy. The first look that just dropped on YouTube is just the beginning.

Why this is So Hype!

I donโ€™t know how many people who read this blog like One Piece or have been a long-term fan of it, but indulge me as I explain why this arc is so hyped up. Next to the island where the One Piece is said to be located, Elbaph has been the most anticipated location in the entire series. Ever since it was first mentioned in an arc twenty-seven years ago, Elbaph has been one near the top fo the places that Luffy has wanted to visit. Itโ€™s the homeland of most of the Giants, who, as we have seen throughout the series, are some of the strongest warriors in the world. More importantly, itโ€™s a land thatโ€™s heavily influenced by Norse culture, AKA the Vikings. Next to the real-life golden age of piracy, the Vikings are who most people think of when they think of pirates. But they’re more than just pirates; they were explorers, traders, nation-builders, and had a culture that has had influenced the world long after the actual civilization faded away. Case in point, we have what Marvel and God of War have done with Norse mythology. Culturally, theyโ€™re a pretty big deal! And Eichiro Oda has spent the majority of the manga feeding us tiny hints of what this fantastical land is like, longer than he has for any other location.

There is a reason for why Oda has devoted so much attention to Elbaph. When he was a kid, he grew up watching Vicky the Viking, a German-Japanese show about a smart but timid boy who used his brains to help out his village. That show is what made him want to become a mangaka, and eventually led him to create One Piece. Part of what makes the series so great is that Oda draws influence from real-world cultures for almost every location the Straw Hat Pirates visit, and in the case of Elbaph, itโ€™s the Vikings. To put it simply, Odaโ€™s spent most of his life wanting to tell a story like that of Elbaph, and so far, he hasnโ€™t held anything back.

You are Not Ready for Loki

If youโ€™ve read the manga already, then you already know just how crazy the Elbaph Arc gets, but this quick teaser is more of the โ€œshow-but-donโ€™t-tellโ€ variety. Thatโ€™s understandable, given how itโ€™s only 30 seconds long, but it makes the best of it to hype us up for what weโ€™re about to see. Granted, by the time this goes out, the first episode will already be released, but thatโ€™s besides the point. The main focus of the trailer, though, is the introduction of a new character that plays a major role in the arc. A character, as of where the manga is right now, is considered a prime candidate to join the Straw Hat Pirates: Loki, the accursed Prince of Elbaph.

If you know anything about Norse mythology, then you know Oda wasnโ€™t playing around naming this behemoth of a Giant Loki. The fact that the first time we see him, he is blindfolded and chained to a tree should be enough to tell you that this guy is dangerous. If that doesnโ€™t convince you, the fact that he tells Luffy that heโ€™s the Sun God who will destroy the world should tell you how dangerous he is. The fact that heโ€™s claiming to be the Sun God, a title that we thought Luffy unknowingly has thanks to his Devil Fruit, only cements this.

I wonโ€™t spoil anything, but for a good part of the arc, Oda does a good job of leaving readers unsure of what to think about Loki. I still remember how people were debating about whether Loki is as bad as his countrymen say he is, or if heโ€™s misunderstood. Oda keeps us guessing for a while, and it was interesting to listen to the debates about it amongst the fans. But Iโ€™m getting ahead of myself.

The Elbaph Arc will begin on April 5th, 2026, and with our release schedule for new posts, itโ€™s likely that has already passed. Hopefully, I will have already reviewed the first episode by the time youโ€™re reading this and it will be scheduled for publishing. If so, I hope you enjoy it!

SO MUCH PEAK FOR SPRINGTIME

Aside Roderick J "Jay" Friz Anime, Crunchyroll , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Everything RJ Writing Ink Wants to watch Spring 2026

Time to put away the snow shovels and cold-weather jackets, people. Itโ€™s finally spring. That means going outside to touch grass, watching the flowers and cherry blossoms bloom, and most importantly, enjoying a new season of anime. And there is a lot of anime for us to enjoy this year. From a new season of a few of the Seven Summits of Isekai to the return of some legendary Shonen anime, we have a lot to look forward to over the next few months. I donโ€™t know how much I will actually be able to watch, but here are a few of the ones that I know are on my list. And who knows? I might end up reviewing them for the D&A Anime Blog!

Rooster Fighter, March 15th-

When it comes to fearsome animals, chickens arenโ€™t exactly high on peopleโ€™s tier lists. But then you remember that theyโ€™re related to dinosaurs like the T. rex and that some people pay to watch them fight each other and think, โ€œdang. These birds are tough!โ€ And someone in Japan to take that premise and run with it with a web manga thatโ€™s now getting welcomed onto Toonamiโ€™s block. Set in a world where demons have appeared in Japan, Rooster Fighter follows Keiji, a rooster who wanders the land like a ronin of old, beating the snot out of demons in search of the one that killed his sister. If it sounds incredibly silly and over-the-top, thatโ€™s because it is. But the fact that Keiji acts so serious despite being a rooster somehow makes it both funny and awesome. Plus, heโ€™s dubbed by Patrick Seitz, the voice of Franky, Endeavor, and DIO. The idea of man who voices DIO playing a fighting rooster is too good to pass up!

Speaking of DIOโ€ฆ.

Steel Ball Run: JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, March 19th

Let the race begin! After four long years of waiting, JoJoโ€™s Bizarre Adventure returns with the long-awaited adaptation of Part Seven, Steel Ball Run. Serving as Hirohiko Arakiโ€™s love letter to spaghetti westerns, the premise behind Part Seven is the titular Steel Ball Run, a race that stretches from one end of the United States to the other with a massive cash prize awaiting the winner. Since this is JoJo, though, that means that thereโ€™s a bizarre conspiracy at work and supernatural powers at play. Regarded by many as Arakiโ€™s magnum opus, Steel Ball Run also has the distinction of being the first part to take place in an entirely new timeline, featuring reimaginations of many characters fans have come to know and love. Jonathan Joestar is now Johnny Joestar, Zeppeli is a mysterious vagabond, and best of all, Dio is now a cocky horse jockey. And thatโ€™s just the start, from what I hear! The best part is that it seems Netflix will be releasing new episodes weekly rather than dumping an entire cours at once!

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime, Season 4, Pt. 1-April 2nd

We here at the D&A Anime Blog are massive fans of That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime, and if youโ€™ve seen the show, itโ€™s not hard to understand why weโ€™re excited for his return. Having solidified his status as a Demon Lord and debuted his country on the world stage, Rimuru and his friends continue their efforts to build a world where humans and monsters can live in harmony. Much like before, though, there are people working in the shadows trying to knock him down, and he will have to show them why that is a terrible idea. It should also be noted that this is just part one of the fourth season, with the entire thing being broken up into a staggering 5 coursโ€™ spanning 50 episodes! Thatโ€™s either madness or sheer brilliance, but either way, weโ€™re not complaining.

Daemons of the Shadow Realm, April 4th-

Fullmetal Alchemist is considered by many to be one of the greatest anime of all time and a must-watch for anime fans. But did you know that weโ€™re about to get an anime adaptation of another one of its creatorsโ€™ works, Daemons of the Shadow Realm? Set in a world where people can control supernatural creatures called Daemons, Daemons of the Shadow Realm, much like Fullmetal, is a story about two siblings, Yuru and Asa. Separated while young, the two embark on a journey to reunite as they discover that they are meant to control all Daemons in order to save the world. So, pretty standard shonen stuff. But the fact that it was created the woman behind FMA and is getting animated by Studio Bones should be all the reason why fans should check this out.

Dr. Stone-Science Future Part 3-April 2nd

Full disclosure: I actually skipped over watching the second part of Dr. Stoneโ€™s fourth season. I know that everything works out in the end, but given how close Senku and the others came to biting it in part two, I didnโ€™t feel like dealing with that kind of stress. However, given how close the series is to the end, and Senku and the Kingdom of Science are to making it to the moon, I think Iโ€™m going to hop back on.

Now before we get to the last anime Iโ€™m looking forward to seeing, letโ€™s talk about the one that I wonโ€™t be watching.

The Beginning After the End, Season 2, April

Last year, one of the founders of D&A Anime Blog had told me about this webcomic that was getting an anime adaptation, and I wound up binge-reading most of it in a few days and loved it. It combined the best aspects of Mushoku Tensei with powers systems and abilities that reminded me of Avatar: The Last Airbender, one of, if not, my favorite show of all time. Unfortunately, the anime has gone down in infamy as the biggest disappointment of 2025. The animation was complete trash. I knew it, the fans knew it, and I think even the creator of the series himself knew he got screwed over. I stuck with it out of principle, but Iโ€™m not going through that again!

One Piece, Elbaph Arc Cours 1-April 5th

I donโ€™t think that everyone was happy when Toei announced they were moving One Piece to a seasonal release schedule, but letโ€™s be honest: it was inevitable. Anime that release every week year-round have been phased out for years, with One Piece being the last big holdout. Having read and covered the manga on my own blog, though (which I welcome you to read), I understand why theyโ€™re doing this. Next to the island where the One Piece is located, Elbaph, home of the Giants, was the most anticipated location that fans wanted to see the Straw Hats visit. And Oda has made the decades-long wait worth it, as Elbaph is one of the most fantastic places in the entire series. If youโ€™re not caught up on the manga, then you are going to be in for a wild and crazy ride as the Straw Hats make it to the land theyโ€™ve dreamt of for years. In addition to the usual Straw Hat shenanigans, weโ€™re poised to get one of the most important flashbacks in the entire series, while Luffy has his first encounter with one of the two characters I consider to be in the running for the ultimate antagonist of the series. Honestly, Toei needed this extra time to cook!

After All these Years, One Piece Goes Seasonal

Aside Roderick J "Jay" Friz Anime , , , , , , , , , , ,

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 Iโ€™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 wouldnโ€™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!

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 itโ€™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 canโ€™t help but feel sad to see it go. Yet I understand that itโ€™s for the best, as One Piece deserves to be as peak as possible. Especially when you consider what itโ€™s going into once it comes back: the Elbaph Arc.

Elbaph is Worth the Wait

For those who donโ€™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. Itโ€™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. Iโ€™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 thatโ€™s possible!

The One Piece Netflix Series is Returning.

The good news is that we wonโ€™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 didnโ€™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 seriesโ€™s seiyu to reprise their roles! Since then, fans have been waiting for the second season to come out, and it looks like we donโ€™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, Iโ€™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 youโ€™re not, then youโ€™re welcome to come aboard. Even if you donโ€™t have the patience to watch the entire anime, there are plenty of people on YouTube that cover the series and the important parts.