Manga

The reunion of Robin and Saul is just so beautiful!

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

One Piece Episode 1163 Review

Everyone, I suggest that you have some tissues by your side when watching this episode of One Piece, because it is going to make your eyes water. And that’s okay, because one of the many, many life lessons you can learn about from One Piece, it’s that it’s perfectly fine for a grown man to cry tears of joy and sadness. And if you know the life story of the Straw Hat’s resident archaeologist, Nico Robin, you are going to want to cry. This is a part of the story that the anime went above and beyond to give us!

Anyone who Hurts Robin must die!!

The episode opens up on a very dark note as we are given a montage of the absolute hell that was Nico Robin’s childhood. For those who don’t remember, she’s from Ohara, the island of scholars and historians. They were trying to uncover the forbidden secrets of the Void Century, and for that, the World Government destroyed their island and everyone on it except for Robin. Then, they lied to the world, saying Ohara was trying to destroy it, and called Robin a demon that needed to be hunted down. She had to spend her life on the run from the brainwashed masses, bounty hunters, and government agents who didn’t know the truth.

I have been a fan of One Piece for half my life, and I have seen all sorts of atrocities committed by bad people. But what they did to Robin and the hell she went through until she found the Straw Hats? It’s enough to make me want to burn everything to the ground in retribution. Honestly, the fact that Robin never decided to become the villain everyone thought she was is a miracle in and of itself.

But enough about that. Picking up in the present day, all of the Straw Hats are now in Elbaph and happily reunited. And the Giants are more than happy to welcome them for all the goodwill they’ve done:

  • Befriending Dorry and Brogy
  • Helping Oimo and Koshi free themselves
  • Saving Hajrudin from slavery on Dressrosa
  • Helping to take down the hated Big Mom in Wano.

The last one wasn’t even at their own hands. Kid and Trafalgar Law deserve the credit for it. Regardless, the Giants hatred of Big Mom makes them good in their book.

Plus, they also punish Rodo for kidnapping half the crew by leaving him on a cross. Let him hang there and think about what he did!

Everyone is eager to start celebrating their arrival in Elbaph, but first things first, it’s time. Robin has waited 22 years for this reunion with Jaguar D. Saul, the Giant who became her first friend and saved her life at Elbaph.

It’s still crazy to think that Saul has been alive all this time, if you ask me. We thought that Kuzan had turned him into a ice pop and left him for dead. As it turns out, though, the heat from the fires melted him enough to fall into the sea, and that took care of the rest. When he woke up, Ohara was in ruins. So he gathered his brethren to retrieve the Oharan’s books, and he’s been living on Elbaph ever since. All said and done, he’s lucky he got out of it with some scars and a missing leg.

And now, the reunion!

Hooray!

So, as it turns out, Saul was perfectly fine. He just didn’t know how to say hi to Robin after so long, so he deliberately recreated the moment they first met: with him scaring her on the beach.

The reunion between Robin and Saul is filled with so many emotions. Saul notes how beautiful Robin has become (he’s right. She’s my favorite girl in the series.) He apologizes for not being able to protect her for all those years. And he is glad to know that Vegapunk got Ohara’s message out to the world. But Robin doesn’t want to talk about the sad stuff. All she wants is for Saul to praise her for making it there.

And this is where the tears start rolling, both with the characters, and with viewers.

Tears of Joy!

I meant what I said when knowing about Robin’s backstory makes me want to burn the world. Knowing the hell that the World Government put this child through is cruel beyond words. No one deserves to be hunted like that, especially a little girl. But it’s best to forget about the pain.

The episode closes on a montage of all the good moments that Robin has had since she joined the Straw Hat pirates, complete with a tearjerker of a song that I think was written just for this episode. It’s a song about how Robin walked through the pain and hardship of her life, hoping that someone would be there to get rid of her sadness. And it is beautiful. And the Straw Hats just star bursting into tears as they’re watching this. I felt like my eyes were about to become waterworks! The only ones who didn’t cry were the stoic Zoro and Jinbei, and Luffy. Luffy, being the radiant sunshine that he is, just laughs in joy for his friend. What a good friend he is!

This was an absolutely beautiful episode to watch. The anime was right to devote the entire episode to this one moment! I’m just so happy for our girl!

I Give “I Want you To Praise Me-The Reunion of Saul and Robin” a 5/5

Welcome to Elbaph! For Real!!!

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

One Piece Ep 1162 Review

Have you guys ever seen that meme of Aoi Todo from Jujutsu Kaisen? The one where he’s crying manly tears of joy when he hears Yuji shares his preference for women? I think that that meme can accurately describe what One Piece fans are supposed to be feeling after watching this episode. Especially if they have been following as far back as Little Garden where we first learned about the land of Giants, Elbaph. Well, after waiting two years for this to be animated, I can say that it was worth the wait just for the rainbow bridge. No, I am not joking. If you have ever seen the Thor movies or read anything about Norse mythology, you are about to witness one of the most magical things in mythology.

Quick Explanation

Before we get into this, I’m going to explain how Elbaph is divided up. The entire island nation is dominated by the series equivalent of the World Tree of Norse myth, the Treasure Tree Adam. The tree’s so big that it blocks out the sunlight to the ground underneath, leaving it mostly cold and always winter. That’s known as the Underworld.

The actual nation of War-land exists on the branches of the tree, in what is known as the Sun Land. The very top of the tree, which we haven’t even seen in the manga, is the astral or celestial realm. But for now, the Underworld and Sun Land are what’s important, as the latter is where everyone is headed. And to keep things in perspective, we are talking about a tree that is big enough to make the biggest of Giants feel small in comparison. From the perspective of a human, this entire country would be the size of one of the biggest islands in the world. Maybe Iceland, since that feels appropriate, given the setting. In other words, it’s big! And right now, the Straw Hats are headed to the Sun Land.

But first things first, they have to take care of a very naughty Giant.

Rodo Gets Punished

After escaping across the rope bridge, Luffy’s half of the Straw Hats finds that they’re still being chased by Rodo! They’ve had enough of dealing with him, so they’re going to do something about it. Since they’re worried about offending the Giants, though, they have to resort to the kind of trickery that would make Jack from Jack and the Beanstalk proud.

Then again, it wasn’t exactly that hard to trick Rodo. All they had to do was have Nami and Chopper act as the bait, and he abandoned all sense of rationality! The crew themselves lampshades how even a wild animal wouldn’t be dumb enough to fall for that kind of trap! Let this be a lesson to my fellow nerds everywhere: never let your nerdy obsessions override your ability to see reason. Rodo gives us nerds and weebs a bad name!

The good news is that the Straw Hats dont have to worry about punishing Rodo any further. His crewmates, Gerd and Goldberg, do it for them, bless their hearts. Especially Gerd. She loves humans as much as Rodo because of how cute they look to her, but unlike him, she respects them as individuals. And it just so happens that she had brought Luffy with her after he came back from his totally normal and uneventful trip to the Underworld! He has to keep his meeting with Loki a secret.

Enough about that, though. What we’re here for is getting to see Elbaph itself. And there’s only one word I can use to describe it: magical.

Just. Magical.

Full disclosure: I have been immersed in the world of One Piece at various points for about 2/3rds of my life. I’ve seen creatures, lands, and locations that defy explanation or common sense on a regular basis. But when I read the chapter this episode is based on, it felt special! Mostly because of the rainbow bridge!

I dont know why, but there’s just something about rainbows that feels magical. Logically, we know that they’re just optical illusions created by light after a storm, but emotionally, they feel like a gift from the heavens. And the fact that the Giants of Elbaph are able to use these stones to draw them out of thin air wherever there’s sunlight just feels otherworldly! And then we get to see the Giant Pirates sail on them like it’s nothing! The only word that could accurately describe that is magic! And I’m so jealous that the Straw Hats were able to enjoy this!

And now, let the Todo meme do the talking.

Oda, you’ve always given this story your all, but it’s clear that you wanted to tell this for a long time. Thank you for the peak!

I Give “A Gargantuan Wave of Emotion – The Dreamlike Scenery of Elbaph” a 5/5

Luffy and Loki are Like Abbott and Costello

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

One Piece Episode 1161 Review

Everyone, let’s give a big round of applause to the MVP of the Elbaph Arc, the man, the myth, the legend, Loki the Accursed Prince of Elbaph! Even though he had been name-dropped several arcs back, the last episode of One Piece marked the first time we actually saw this mysterious Giant. And a lot of our first impressions about him in the manga generally revolved around the same idea: he’s dangerous. And while we would remain in the dark about his true nature for a while, his subsequent appearances only reinforced that menacing aura he had about him. Well, for most people, at least. Loki has never met anyone like Luffy, but the events of this episode teach him that he shouldn’t mess with the guy.

Loki Used Intimidation on Luffy! But it Failed!

As the Elbaph arc progresses in the manga (its still ongoing), one aspect that makes it great but gets understated is the dynamic that develops between Luffy and Loki. It was only after watching this episode and remembering what happened, though, that I had that realization in the first place, as this is where ther dynamic is established. And I have to admit, it’s a bit like watching a bizarre comedy duo.

On the one hand, we have Loki. He is a man who is so feared by the rest of Elbaph that they didn’t put him in a normal prison. They tied him to the giant tree that makes up War-Land with chains made out of sea prism stone, on the actual island where it’s always dark and covered in snow thanks to the lack of sunlight. The Giants call the place the Underworld for a good reason, with Loki claiming its filled with the bones of people banished there, victims of the cold or the kaiju-sized wild animals that call it home. And Loki boasts about how he befriended them all as a kid like its nothing! Add on the fact that he’s got a “special bounty,” and we are looking at a man who would terrify most normal people!

But Luffy is not like most people.

Loki Insulted Shanks! Luffy Becomes Enraged!

Right from the start, Luffy proves to be someone that Loki is almost completely unprepared to deal with. His first attempts to intimidate him fall flat because Straw Hat’s more excited about finally making it to Elbaph to care. His initial attempts to bargain for his freedom fall flat because Luffy’s not interested in his offer of wiping out an entire pirate crew. And when all of his giant animal friends try to intimidate Luffy? He tames them in two seconds.

It seems as though there’s nothing that will get under Luffy’s skin. In fact, the only thing that does manage to get Straw Hat’s attention is Loki mentioning how Shanks had recently visited him. But when Loki proceeds to badmouth him, that sets Luffy off! And Loki quickly learns that he should think twice about trying to mess with Luffy…or does he?

Full disclosure: I think I knew from this moment that this was going to lead to Luffy eventually setting Loki free. He would do that to learn about where his hero and idol was. There was the fact that Loki scared everyone in Elbaph that made it feel like that was a bad idea, though. But, honestly, I’m used to it. I’ve been reading One Piece for half my life, and watched the anime even longer. I’m used to Luffy getting himself into trouble and getting out of it. If Loki caused trouble, I figured Luffy would just kick his ass.

But enough about that! What are the other Straw Hats up to?

I missed Robin’s old hairdo

So, while Luffy is on his field trip to the Underworld, his half of the Straw Hats are trying to make their way across that rope bridge and away from Rodo (or Road. The fan translation isn’t specific.) But they have to hoof it when they see that Rodo is after them again. For irony, he’s now being pursued by his crewmates, who have found out he kidnapped the Straw Hats and are not happy about it. The real highlight, though, is back on the Giant Pirates ship.

By this point, we have had years to get used to the Straw Hats new appearances after the timeskip, but I was never fully on board with Robin’s new hairdo. So when she decided to switch back to her old one so Saul would recognize her, I was elated! And so were a lot of the fans, as I recall! What can I say? Robin just looks better with bangs! Unfortunately, our jubilation at the fanservice was cut short by what happened next, with Saul having apparently passed out on the beach.

I dont remember my exact words when reviewing this chapter on my own blog, but I believe I said that Oda was messing with us. He’s not the kind of storyteller to end a beautiful reunion before it begins. Also, he had us believing that Saul died for years now, and he’s not gonna yank that away from us now. Thankfully, our next episode is going to quit beating around the bush. We are going to see Elbaph in full, and you guys are gonna like it! Or dont! I’m not making you!

I Give “A Dangerous Deal! Loki of the Underworld and Luffy” a 4/5

How did Mariabel Think this Plan would Work

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

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime S4 Ep 6 Review

Okay, who’s bright idea was it this time to try and antagonize Rimuru? Because this is just getting embarrassing. Well, not for us; it’s hilarious. But for them, it’s just embarrassing.

If you’re wonder what I could possibly be referring to, then I’m talking about what some of the people in the Council of the West just tried to pull with Rimuru. It was another attempt by Mariabell Rozzo to manipulate Rimuru into a corner, but just like her other attempts, it didn’t work. Why? Not just because Rimuru is GOATED. He’s also surrounded by GOATED people!

WHAT KIND OF DEMANDS DID THEY MAKE?!?!

So, I remember mentioning last time that I couldn’t remember what it was that pissed Rimuru off. Thankfully, though, the new episode doesn’t waste any time in explaining to us why he’s angry. The new terms that the Council gave for admitting Tempest were as follows:

Basically, they’re trying to rob Tempest of everything and make them their servants. Or rather, the ones pulling the strings made these unreasonable requests knowing it would set Rimuru off, and thus make him look bad and justify a forceful response to make him kneel. Which they were going to do using some half-baked plan involving the Prince of Engrassia, some armed guards, Team Green Fury, and that one jerk from the Tempest Opening Festival. Oh, and they wanted to use this magic bracelet to make Rimuru serve them.

I’m sorry, but exactly what part of this plan did Mariabell and her puppets expect to work? Because I fail to see any scenario where this would work on Rimuru. But it does make it incredibly satisfying to see him and his friends pull up and put everyone in their place.

Rimuru Pulls the Uno Reverse Card

Firstly, Rimuru realizes that everyone is being manipulated by some mental magic, so he cancels it out. Suddenly, most of the room realizes “wait a second, what the heck are we doing? This is completely unreasonable of us! We can’t expect Rimuru to agree to this!”

Second of all, when the Prince of Engrassia comes barging in and yapping about getting everyone to agree to subjugate him, hardly anyone agrees to it. And the ones who did had to be bribed. Not that it would’ve worked, anyway. Raphael confirmed that their trinket wouldn’t have worked on Rimuru.

Finally, thanks to Souei, Rimuru is able to produce documented proof that a bunch of the Council members were bribed. Busted!

Again, we shouldn’t be surprised to see Rimuru and his friends embarrass their enemies. That’s nothing new. But what makes it so much fun is getting to see the look on the faces of whoever’s antagonizing them when they realize they messed up. Priceless! He didn’t even have to retaliate; his friends did that for him!

So, the personal knight of the Prince of Engrassia is incredibly rude and disrespectful towards Hinata, putting hands on her and making crude remarks. So he gets humiliated.

But the real highlight of the episode has to be what Shuna did to Gaiye.

Shuna is My Favorite Girl in this Series! Here’s Why!

I know that despite her young age, Shuna is sort of like the mother to everyone in Tempest, given now sweet and kind she is. But I saw a YouTube short saying how there’s a golden rule all Tempest citizens follow: don’t make Shuna mad. Even Rimuru is not safe from her when she gets angry! And if you manage to piss her off beyond belief, then you might as well dig your own grave, because she will end you! Case in point, Gaiye makes her so angry that she summons a killsat attack on him guaranteed to leave no trace behind! And she didn’t even kill him! She just destroyed his clothes!

It’s like Issei’s dress break from High School DxD, only funnier!

So, after thoroughly showing everyone the error of their ways, you’d think everything gets wrapped up? As it turns out, Mariabel had a few extra contingencies. She had an assassin with spatial magic attempt to put a bullet in Prince Idiot’s brain, planning to frame it on Rimuru. And this was actually pretty scary because of how close it came to succeeding. Using spatial magic to teleport a bullet until it’s point-blank is pretty effective, not gonna lie. If it weren’t for Raphael, the plan might have worked!

After that mess is solved, though, everything gets wrapped up. The Council gives terms that are heavily in Rimuru’s favor as recompense for what’s happened. The Prince of Engrassia is grateful for having his life saved and decides to turn over a new leaf. And Rimuru decides that he hates this kind of cutthroat politics and decides to let Raphael handle it. The episode ends with Souei going to confront the wannabe assassin, and, given how it’s Souei, they will be dragged back for interrogation very soon. After that, it’s only a matter of time before Rimuru is onto Mariabel, and she is screwed.

I really like these kinds of episodes of Slime Tensura! I know the politicking isn’t for everyone, but I find watching the heroes outwit their foes to be as interesting as an actual fight. And I especially love seeing a villain have that smug look wiped off their faces!

I Give “The Council of the West” a 4/5

What did they Do to Piss off Rimuru?

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

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime S4 Ep 5 Review

When you’re the cool new kid on the block, everyone in school is going to want to befriend you; it’s what they do. When you’re the leader of a nation that’s been waking waves in the world in recent memory like Tempest, you get people trying to suck up to you. That’s just how the politics of the powerful tend to work. And given how the main reason Tempest has been invited to join the Council of the West is so Mariabel can try and manipulate him under the table, that idea is in full play here. Since Rimuru is HIM, he obviously isn’t going to play ball. At the same time, though, he’s not looking to antagonize the West, right? Right?

They have Guns now?

So, as Rimuru and his entourage of Shuna, Benimaru, and Souei arrive in Engrassia for the conference with the Council, one of the first things the group does is buy some new clothes for the occasion. Benimaru and Souei both look like they could be runway models while Shuna’s warm and inviting attire reflects how sweet she is as a person. Unfortunately, Rimuru’s child stature makes the shopkeeper give him kids clothes by mistake. It’s not often that his androgynous appearance has this happen to him, but when it does, it’s funny. Demeaning, but funny.

The more important thing, though, is that Hinata meets up with the group to let them know they everything they suspected is true. The only reason the Council is inviting Rimuru is because they either want to take advantage of him and his nation, or outright put him under their collective thumbs. Worst-case scenario, they’re hoping to make Rimuru crash out, make him look untrustworthy, and use that as an excuse to deny Tempest’s entry.

Then there is also how Duke Muese was assassinated. As Souei saw, he was fine one moment, and then he was slumped over, dead. The only sign of injury was a hole in his head. Being Otherworlders, Rimuru and Hinata are quick to recognize that someone had to have used some kind of long-range sniper rifle to kill Muese; a gun.

This is not good. Guns are considered one of the greatest equalizers in combat. You could pit the strongest person in the world against the weakest, and if the weakest has a gun, they could kill that person. Now imagine what it would be like if someone found a way to channel magic into them? You could have a bunch of people with less than noble intentions running around killing people. That’s a recipe for disaster.

Okay, What did they do?

But then comes the actual conference. And this is when we get to see firsthand what Rimuru is facing.

As soon as Rimuru and the others enter the HQ of the Council, they are immediately beset by representatives from other nations. Some of them, mostly the weaker and those who were actually impressed with the Grand Opening Festival, seem genuine in wanting to be friends. Then are the bigger nations. The ones with more power, wealth, and influence. First, they rudely shoo off the other reps under the guise of decorum. Then, they try and pressure Rimuru into adding lines for his upcoming Magitrain to their countries. Thankfully, Rimuru was a bussinessman in his first life, so he knows how to give them the runaround. After that, the meeting begins.

The Council’s requests for Tempest’s admission are simple, and can basically summed up as them wanting to use Tempest for its military might and promising market. This is another example of how Rimuru being a businessman in his former life comes in real handy, as it helps him make deals that work out in his favor. But then…this happens.

I was so curious about what comes next that I read the manga ahead of time, but for the life of me, I can’t remember what it was that set Rimuru off. Then again, this is probably Mariabel trying to manipulate him through her pawns, so it’s understandable. I know something big happens next, but I don’t remember the full details to it. All I know is that next episode is going to be interesting. Can’t wait!

I Give “The First Step” a 3.5/5

That Time Gobta (Almost) Found Love in Slime Tensura

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

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime: Tears of the Azure Sea Review

I’m not sure if this is accurate or not, but I suspect that a lot of Slime Tensura fans were as upset as me when we found out there wasn’t going to be a new episode on May 1st. I didn’t even know the series would be on break! So, even I had told myself to not spend the extra money, I talked myself into going to see the new Slime movie, Tears of the Azure Sea. Unfortunately, the closest movie theater that had it in dub was too far for me to want to drive that weekend, so I found another movie theater closer, but with it subbed. Subbed or dubbed, though, the movie was still pretty fun to watch. Especially since it manages to give our boy, Gobta, something that he’s been wanting for a very long time.

Like a lot of movies of dubious canonicity to an anime, Tears of the Azure Sea takes place in the time gap between major events of Slime Tensura. In this case, the time between the third and fourth seasons of the show. The Opening Festival of Tempest finished a month ago, and Rimuru and his friends are looking forward to a much-needed break. So Elmesia offers to let them visit a famous resort island in her country, leading most of Tempest’s leadership and their allies to go on a giant vacation. But then Gobta runs into this blue-haired woman, Yura, from Kaien, a famous kingdom located under the sea, who is being pursued by evil forces. And from there, it doesn’t take long for the entire group to get roped in.

Gobta (Almost) finds Love!

Full disclosure here: this movie is pretty much about Gobta. Rimuru and everyone else are in it, but from the moment Gobta notices Yura following them to ask Rimuru for help, it’s pretty much his movie. At best, Rimuru is there to help provide support when fighting the bad guys. If that sounds disappointing to anyone, you have to remember that Rimuru is one of the most broken protagonists in all of anime. When a character is that overpowered, you either have to have them face threats that can push them further, or set things up so that their use is limited. Tears of the Azure Kingdom opts for the latter by having Rimuru only step in to face the threats that could kill everyone.

As a sidebar, they also do the same for Milim and Veldora by having them stay behind to guard the island. They could solve everything, but also wreck everything, LOL. And this is Gobta’s film.

If it isn’t obvious at this point, the fact that Gobta is the first of the group to meet Yura, as well as the one who spends the most time with her, means that she’s meant to serve as a love interest for the goblin. It’s not brought up that often in the main series, but if you watch the OVAs or the spin-off anime Slime Diaries, you’ll see that Gobta is the one in the group that really wants to find love, but whose behavior gets him slapped by the girls. And while they start off on the wrong foot at first, getting to run around the island whil avoiding assassins was a great way for Gobta to show off how badass he is. And when the ultimate big bad of the movie tries to use her as part of his plan to conquer the world, it’s Gobta who ends up saving her! Way to channel your inner Krillin, dude!

Too Good to be True

Of course, since this is a movie with dubious canon placement, though, we all knew that Gobta’s chance at love wasn’t going to work out. We were totally right, by the way! I don’t want to spoil how it ends, but here’s a hint: you know what happened with Sokka and Princess Yue in Avatar. Let that sink in.

As a film, there really isn’t much substance to Tears of the Azure Sea. The most that it’s got going for it is that its film budget allows for some really stellar action sequences, especially at the climax where they are fighting the big bad. Though, if you’ve watched a lot of anime, then you should know that when they make a film based on a popular series, it’s usually not going to have much substance to it. It’s more or less an excuse for us to see more of the characters do cool things. Off the top of my head, I can name only seven times the events of an anime film had an actual impact on the plot of the series, and all of them were from Shonen series. Yet these franchises keep pumping them out because we like seeing these one-off adventures so much. It’s fun! It’s a good way to kill time, too. Besides, it’s not like everything in the film is going to have zero relevance to the actual anime. There’s a post-credits scene that hints at the arrival of a new character to Tempest in the near future. So, there’s that!

Well, hopefully next week, we will get to see Rimuru confront the Western Council. I read part of the manga in advance, so I can happily say that things are going to get interesting real quick!

I Give “That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime: Tears of the Azure Sea ” a 3.5/5

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

Rimuru Got Invited to Join the Isekai UN

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

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime S4 Ep 4 Review

You know what’s one of my favorite things about Slime Tensura? It’s not the fighting, or the power-scaling, or the fanservice. It’s the politics. As the series has progressed and Rimuru becomes more important, the story shifts away from fighting to dealing with nation-building as the human-turned-slime works to build a world for humans and monsters to live in peace. And that means that there’s going to be people taking advantage of him and trying to take him down, and he’s got to put them in their place. Case in point, the Rozzo family has just used their influence on the nations to the west to invite Rimuru to join their international club as part of a plan to get him under their control. But they don’t know who they’re messing with.

So after they managed to send Team Green Fury packing, the avatar quartet, humorously, didn’t stop there. They liked hunting adventurers so much that they got carried away and went on an absolute tear, to the point that people are calling them the “Dungeon Dominators.” Unfortunately for them, that lands them in hot water for neglecting their other roles, with Millim being the first to suffer. It turns out she snuck off to Tempest to get out of her Demon Lord duties, leading to Frey to have to drag her back home to do her homework.

Poor Millim! I know how you feel about hating homework! And shame on her friends for selling her out like that. At least Rimuru gets some karma when Shuna realizes he’s been goofing off in the Dungeon.

But with that out of the way, Rimuru has to face the more important task at hand: the Rozzo family and the Western Council.

Made up of the human nations located to the west of the Jura Forest, the Council of the West is sort of like a fusion of the real-life United Nations and groups such as NATO. They’re an economic and political alliance meant to help the whole of humanity prosper, and the rise of the Monster nation of Tempest has been of great concern to them. Unfortunately, much like the UN, their effectiveness and competency vary a lot.

The latter half of the episode is all about the Council members arguing about whether to invite Tempest to join. Can they be trusted? What’s to stop Rimuru from wiping them all out? How can we use them for our own benefit? Some of them even question if Rimuru is as strong as they say he is. Hinata was invited to serve as a witness on Rimuru’s behalf, but her thoughts are exactly what the viewers are meant to feel about this: not impressed. It’s clear that they’re only thinking about their own interests and looking down on Rimuru. It becomes even more apparent when they suggest inviting Tempesr to join so its military power can serve as a check on the Eastern Empire, a name that keeps popping up in conversations lately.

Even if Mariabel’s monologues didn’t confirm it, it’s pretty obvious that the Council is being puppeted by the Rozzo family with the way they talk. The manipulation becomes even more apparent when Hinata is approached by the Prince of Englassia and asked to serve as his bodyguard and fight Rimuru if the time comes.

Those fools know not what they are doing. They’re lucky that Rimuru is so chill, or else he would torch them all. Hinata was right to bail out of this.

So, Rimuru and the others are getting invited by the Council to see if they will let him join. Given how useless they were, though, I wouldn’t be surprised if he takes one look at them and says “Nah, we’re good!” Good thing that they’re leaving Shion behind! If she went and someone insulted Rimuru, she would level the city.

I Give “Invitation” a 4/5

This Little Girl is a Problem

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

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime S4 Ep 3 Review

I’m pretty sure I’ve talked everyone’s ears off about how much I hate Witch, AKA Bitch, Whore, and formerly known as Malty S. Melromarc. She’s everything wrong with elitist mindsets rolled into an ugly package that’s so easy to despise. The good news is that she also matches Cersei Lannister in terms of idiocy, so if you know her game, it’s easy to beat her. Can you imagine if Witch was as smart as she thinks she is and how screwed the world would be? Well, Rimuru may not know it yet, but he might have just made an enemy out of someone with the same mindset and the competency to back it up: Mariabel Rozzo.

Mariabel of Greed

So, the OP and ED for this season of Slime Tensura have put a lot of emphasis on the girl known as Mariabel. In anime, that typically means that they’re important to the plot. Plus there’s also the fact that we’ve seen Mariabel always hanging around her grandfather, AKA the one who orchestrated that stunt with the merchants in the last season. Their plan was to con Rimuru into a situation where he’d owe them a favor, but he was too smart for that. It’s not the old man that’s the problem, though; it’s Mariabel. She’s a reincarnator like Rimuru.

Whereas our lovable slime was a working man on Earth, Mariabel was the opposite. She was born into the upper crust of European aristocracy, and she did not let her gender get in the way of her Littlefinger arc. She spent her entire life amassing wealth and power from the shadows until she ruled Europe from behind the scenes! The anime even implies that she profited off World War I, AKA the most pointless war in human history. That’s how you know that she’s evil. And she managed to die of old age, before getting reborn in the Tensura world as a baby princess. And she got a terrifying unique skill to boot: Greed.

Remember how Rimuru has that unique skill, Gluttony, lets him eat and gain the abilities of anyone he wants? Mariabel’s Greed lets her use other people’s desires to brainwash them. And the more the target wants, the easier it is to control them! By the time she was out of diapers, she had already brainwashed most of her house, until finally she became the right-hand of her grandfather, Granbell Rozzo, the thousand-year-old founder of the Kingdom of the Siltrosso and, like I said, the puppet master behind that merchant stunt!

Rozzo’s ultimate goal is, at first glance, actually pretty noble. He doesn’t want normal humans to live in a world ruled by monsters and Demon Lords, so he’s been pulling strings in the west to create a place where humans can live in peace. And Rimuru’s idea of a world where all races can live in peace is getting in the way of that. Hence the whole scheme with the merchants. And while I don’t entirely get it, I’m pretty sure the Rozzo’s and Yuuki are the ones funding Team Green Fury, AKA the guys cheesing their way through the Tempest Dungeon. So, they have to be dealt with.

There’s just one problem: Rimuru, Veldora, Ramiris, and Millim’s avatar bodies suck!

Avatar Team PWNS CHUMPS

We saw how the newly formed Avatar Team got their butts whooped at the end of the last episode, but this episode gives us an even better look at why. Not only are the Demon Lords and Veldora weak in their artificial bodies, but their teamwork stinks! They’re so used to being so OP that they can solo everything that they don’t know how to fight in a team. So while Kurobe makes them some sweet armor, Rimuru has them go through some intense training. Since they’re basically operating like the typical RPG team, they also have to learn teamwork. Which is good, since they could stand to learn that.

Rimuru’s plan ultimately works, and the timing couldn’t have been better. Green Fury was about to beat the 49th floor. So it was time for the admins to assert their authority.

I have to admit, it was nice seeing the Avatar Team put a stop to Green Fury before they could ruin everything. Hopefully, they can patch things so that no one else can use that exploit any further. As a gamer, I understand how much that sucks, but it’s better to win without resorting to cheap tricks like that. Good riddance, Green Fury!

The real problem, though, remains Mariabel. With her family’s plan with the merchants having backfired and Rimuru suspicious of Yuuki of the Free Guild, Mariabel’s going to change tactics. She plans to invite Rimuru to the West to the Council so she can get him alone and try to use Greed on him to turn him into her puppet. Little does she know that she’s grasping at straws, because a.) Rimuru is our protagonist, and has that protagonist plot armor; b.) he’s Rimuru. He’s got GOAT status. He’ll be fine! In fact, I say he should accept the invitation just so we can see him embarrass her! But that doesn’t make her less of a threat. She managed to kill the merchant who organized that fuss under Souei’s nose!

I Give “The Avatar Team is Formed” a 3.5/5

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