Shonen

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

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

XENOVERSE 3! XENOVERSE 3 IS REAL!!!

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

The legends are true! XENOVERSE 3 is real!

A few months ago, Bandai Namco revealed that they were working on a new Dragon Ball game under the code name “Age 1000.” That name generated a lot of buzz in the fandom, especially amongst the most hardcore fans, for good reason. As I explained in an article, Age 1000 is the setting for the now-defunct MMORPG, Dragon Ball Online. While the game never officially made it out of Asia, a lot of its DNA would serve as the basis for two other games, Dragon Ball Xenoverse and Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2. I speculated that Age 1000 was meant to be a spiritual remake of DBO, but it seems I underestimated Bandai. On April 19th, 2026, Bandai revealed to the world that Age 1000 was, in fact, a cover for a game ten years in the making: Dragon Ball Xenoverse 3.

Ten Years…Good Times

First released back in 2015 with a follow-up released a year later, the Xenoverse games seem to have maintained a steady popularity despite being over a decade old. With its ability to create characters based on the five most prominent races in the franchise (Human, Saiyan, Namkeian, Majin, and Frieza’s people), the chance to experience the story of Dragon Ball from Z onwards as self-inserts, and online competitive play, the games have remained fairly popular despite being a decade old. It also helps that Xenoverse 2 has regularly recieved updates and DLC. But for years, fans have been wondering when, or even if, there would be a third game to the series, to the point that it became something of a myth in the fandom. It seems that all that waiting is about to pay off, though, as Xenoverse 3 has now been confirmed, and it seems to be the overtly similiar to the premise of Dragon Ball Online out of the games.

What Happens in the Trailer

This announcement trailer doesn’t reveal much in the way of what the story is about, instead focusing on the setting and time it takes place in. As the code name suggested, the game takes place in the year Age 1000, two hundred years after the end of the original manga. The already pretty high-tech world of the series has only grown even more advanced, with holographic billboards now being commonplace. Even better, the diverse population of the previous games has carried over, as we can see characters that are Human, Saiyan, Namkeian (Piccolo), Android, and even a girl from the Demon Realm as a J-Pop artist promoting her new song. More importantly, instead of the Time Patrol, we have something called the Great Saiyan Squad. A clear nod to the late Toriyama’s love for the Tokukatsu genre, the GSS seems like a continuation of what Gohan started as the Great Saiyaman. The fact its members, including the white-haired boy from the first teaser, all wear similar outfits pretty much confirms it.

The thing that everyone is talking the most about, though, isn’t even the fact that this game is the long-awaited Xenoverse 3. It’s the fact that woman sitting behind the chair for the heroes is none other than Bulma. And that has left a lot of people confused.

How is Bulma Still Alive?!?

At this point, it will have been over 200 years since Goku left to train Uub at the end of the manga and Z anime. The longest a human being has been confirmed to live in real life is 122 years, and that’s likely to increase as medical research improves. Even factoring in how much more advanced the world of Dragon Ball is, the idea of a human living into their 200s seems like a stretch. Add in the fact that Bulma looks like she’s hardly aged from her mid-30s, fans are rightfully asking how she’s not only alive, but still so young-looking.

The current leading theory is that Bulma decided to bite the bullet one day and asked Shenron to give her eternal youth. Or, alternatively, Shenron got tired of her using him to take a few years off her life and just decided to give it to her to get her to leave him alone. I speculated that it isn’t even Bulma at all, but one of her and Vegeta’s descendants, but apparently it’s been confirmed that that is Bulma!

How she’s alive is still anyone’s guess, but I am enjoying seeing the theories about it amongst the Dragon Ball-related discord servers I’m a part of. There’s also the fact that she now has an angelic halo around her like Whis and the other Angels which only thickens the plot. Regardless of how it happened, I’m eager to learn how Bulma got this way, and I’m eager to see how the world became this way.

Xenoverse 3 releases in 2027, but it’s already available for wishlisting on Steam and the major consoles. Hopefully, the player base for Xenoverse 2 will start wishlisting it, because I’m looking forward to playing it! I better start coming up with names for my characters!

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

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

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

One Piece Ep 1156 Review

Sorry I’m late, everyone, but I’m ready to get this voyage underway! I wouldn’t miss One Piece for all the money in the world!

I know that the founders of this blog aren’t the biggest of fans of One Piece, but as their primary writer, I’m an absolutely massive fan. I’ve talked about it a lot on D&A Anime Blog. I’ve gushed about the live-action series and other big pieces of news about the franchise. And on my personal blog, I’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 I’ve reviewed an anime of something whose manga I’m concurrently covering, but it’s going to be worth it. Whether you’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 you’re a newcomer, there are going to be a lot things thrown at you that I don’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, I’ll just assume you’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 they’re celebrating by partying. It’s pretty much a law that the Straw Hats end an arc with a party. What I wasn’t expecting, though, and soemthing that was totally original to the anime was getting to hear Brook play “New World.” 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 it’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 doesn’t revolve entirely around what they do. In this case, it picks up with one of Luffy’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 Shanks’ 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 Luffy’s followers weren’t some fair-weather friends, and Barto passed the vibe check. But Yassop still destroyed their ship. They had a reputation to keep up.

I’m sure they’ll be fine!

Blackbeard is Nearing his Endgame

Meanwhile, back on Pirate Island, Blackbeard isn’t happy that the Marines managed to raid the place and rescue Koby while he was gone. However, his crew points out that he’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 Mom’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 I’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, he’s going to try to seize them. That means that nations with people that the Straw Hats call friends will be in harm’s way. Add in the fact that Teach now has Luffy’s grandpa and Sanji’s ex-fiancé 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 doesn’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 LEGO…and 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 would’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 don’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

YUTA OKKOTSU IS THE GOAT

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Jujutsu Kaisen S3 Ep 12 Review

If you weren’t allowed to pick Satoru Gojo, who in Jujutsu Kaisen would you consider the GOAT? I don’t know if it’s possible to settle on a single GOAT, as season three of the show has given us multiple contenders for the title. Maki managed to wipe out her entire clan of frauds. Higuruma was a newbie as a sorcerer but managed to become one of the top players in the Culling Game. Takaba’s rule of funny technique could give even Gojo a hard time! But if you ask me, I think the season finale showed us that the biggest GOAT is Yuta Okkotsu. He not only heads to the colony with four of the heaviest hitters of the Culling Game thus far, he also manages to beat all of them by himself by the time the credits roll!

If you’re an anime fan, then you know that when a series chooses to skip the OP, that means it needs the extra runtime for something big. And Jujutsu Kaisen is no exception, as it starts right where we last left off: with Yuta killing one of the four sorcerers that had the Sendai colony stuck in a stalemate. This wasn’t any sorcerer, either; this was a reincarnated sorcerer who was so powerful that, 2,000 years ago, he managed to conquer all of Japan. And the series still decided that it wasn’t worth showing us how Yuta killed him. And that is only the end of the last episode and the start of this one.

The rest of the episode can best be described as Yuta running a gauntlet of boss fights against the other three bigshots of Sendai Colony: Kurourushi, a cockroach cursed spirit, Uro, an incarnated sorcerer who can manipulate the space of the sky like solid matter, and Ishigori, another incarnation whose pompadour doubles as a cursed energy cannon. Each of them could the subject of a fight that lasts an entire episode, and Yuta fights them all in just one.

If you’ve seen Jujutsu Kaisen 0, you already know this, but even if you haven’t, this episode is meant to confirm what the season premiere implied: Yuta Okkotsu is that guy. Next to Gojo, he is the strongest jujutsu sorcerer of the modern-day, and this episode demonstrates it. His reserves of cursed energy are practically off the charts, his innate technique allows him to copy other people’s techniques, and if that wasn’t enough, he never has to fight alone. He’s got Rika, the cursed spirit left behind by his childhood sweetheart of the same name after the events of JJK 0. Add in the fact that he’s distantly related to Gojo himself, is it any wonder why Yuta is the GOAT of Yuji’s generation?

He defeats the cockroach spirit Kurourushi by giving it a mouth-to-mouth Reversed Curse Technique.

He fights Uro, who has it out for him because of something his ancestor did. Then he fights the battle-crazed Ishigori. And then he almost fights the latter two in a three-way domain expansion that’s only stopped by the return of the cockroach.

And during the entire episode, the anime doesn’t let up on the incredible animation that we’ve come to expect this season. All of it eventually boils down to an epic one-on-one between Yuta and Ishigori, all to the OP of the season, Aizo. When an anime chooses to use its OP or ED in the middle of the episode, you know that things have gotten serious!

https://twitter.com/eagle97jjk/status/2037198355273834776?s=20

In the end, Yuta manages to beat all of them. But since he’s such a nice guy, he doesn’t kill Uro or Ishigori, just taking their points. GOAT status, confirmed.

Sadly, this is where season three of Jujutsu Kaisen comes to an end. Even worse, we likely have to wait a year for the second half of the Culling Game. It feels more than a little cruel to know that we have to wait that long, but maybe that’s why the anime chose to end things here. They wanted to give us absolute peak before we had to wait. It’s sad, but we have to give great shows like this time to cook. Plus, this season already managed to leave its mark in pop culture, from the stunning animation to the memes that it inspired. The Game shall continue, but until then, we have other shows to watch!

I Give “Sendai Colony” a 5/5

The OG Dub VA for Luffy Returns as Joy Boy

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They’re Bringing Back the OG VA for Luffy for One Piece

After all of these years, the OG dub VA for Monkey D. Luffy is getting some recognition.

These days, it’s hard to imagine a world in which One Piece isn’t one of the most popular media franchises in the world. But like anything great, it didn’t start off that way. It’s taken decades for One Piece to become the globally mainstream hit it is now, and I think that part of the reason why it is that way is due to how bad its initial debut in the West was. The people who enjoy the English dub tend to think of the ongoing Funimation (now Crunchyroll) dub of One Piece, but like Dragon Ball and other anime that came westward in the 90s and 2000s, there were other English dubs. It just so happens that the OG dub of One Piece is infamously considered one of the worst ever made: the One Piece 4Kids dub.

Anyone Remember 4Kids?

Before the rise of Funimation, 4Kids Entertainment was the premier company when it came to localizing anime in the West. From the original Pokemon anime to Yu-Gi-Oh! and its numerous sequel series, 4Kids was once the king of anime. I was one of the kids who grew up loving everything they did, but looking back on it now, you can tell just how much they changed things for their audiences. The shows they dubbed were subjected to a lot of censorship and changes meant to make them what they deemed to be suitable for kids because they thought it was what was best for them. In doing so, though, they removed a lot of the tension and stakes that made the shows so compelling, with questionable results. They could get away with in Pokemon since it was meant for kids, but it starts becoming noticeable in shows like Yu-Gi-Oh! And then came the show that would ruin them: One Piece.

And they never wanted to do it in the first place.

4Kids didn’t know what it was doing

4Kids never had any intention of dubbing One Piece in the first place. The only reason that they did it is because it was part of a package deal they got with Toei that included shows that they actually wanted. They didn’t know anything about it going in, and when they saw all the more mature themes (smoking, death, fanservice) and said “we can’t show this to our demographic!” So they censored like they never censored before…with disastrous results.

There’s a reason why the 4Kids dub of One Piece is considered one of the worst dubs of all time, and if you grew up watching it, find it on dvd, or find it online, you’ll understand why. All the blood was removed, alcohol was replaced with other drinks, they removed the guns or replaced with ridiculous props. Not to mention just how bad the voice acting was. I didn’t realize it as a kid, but it was absolutely terrible! And worst of all was how they cut out key moments from the story. I didn’t even know until years later about Laboon or Little Garden because they were outright removed!

Ultimately, their attempt to dub One Piece the beginning of the end for 4Kids. It was so poorly received that their reputation would never fully recover, and several years, the company went belly up. Now all that remains is the memory of it and the dubs they left behind. As for One Piece, Funimation would eventually take up the role of dubbing it, but it would take years for them to undo the damage. These days, the English dub is in a much better position, but I’m willing to bet that there are plenty of fans that prefer sub over dub partly due to what 4Kids did. Honestly, I don’t blame them. I look back on the 4Kids dub, and realize just how bad it really was.

The sad irony? I actually stopped initially watching One Piece after the 4Kids dub ended.

At Least 4Kids Introduced me to One Piece

I was only ten years old when I started watching One Piece, and I had no idea just how bad a hand I had gotten with it. Even with all the censoring and changes, One Piece still looked so cool to me, to the point where I started going around wearing the closest thing I could find to Luffy’s straw hat. And when it ended and I think Toonami switched to the Funimation dub, I was so confused that I walked away from it altogether. Again, I was just a kid who didn’t know any better. Plus, I wasn’t able to find ways to watch the anime and read the manga until I was in high school, so there wasn’t much that I could do. Yet despite knowing how bad I got it, I can’t truly bring myself to hate the 4Kids dub of One Piece, if only because it was how I got into the series in the first place. Which is why this next bit of news brings a smile to my face.

It will have likely already passed by then, but on March 24th, for the first time ever, the dub of the One Piece anime will be caught up to the subbed. For decades, fans have had to deal with the fact that the English dub remained dozens, even hundreds, of episodes behind the subbed version. That alone is a big win. But it just got even bigger: they’re bringing back the original dub VA for Luffy.

In one of the final batches of episodes before the anime went seasonal, One Piece introduced us to the voice of Joy Boy, a legendary figure in the lore of the series who was said to be the first pirate, and the last person to wield the powers that Luffy now has. In a fun twist, the Seiyuu for Joy Boy is Uraka Takano, the original voice of Luffy. Most people don’t know this, but there was actually an OVA of One Piece released in 1998, predating the Toei series and with different animation and voices. So it’s poetic to have Joy Boy voiced by the OG Luffy.

The dub seems to have taken a similar stance on the matter, as it was announced that the English voice actor for Joy Boy is Erica Schroeder, aka the original English voice for Luffy from the 4Kids days.

I can’t help but smile at this small tribute to what came before it. Even if it was one of the worst dubs of anime in history, 4Kids is still a part of the history of One Piece. It’s how I fell in love with One Piece in the first place, so I at least respect it for that. Getting to hear the OG voice of Luffy is going to be something that I hope makes me very happy, and I’m glad that it’s getting acknowledged.

Plus, for all its faults, yjere was one thing that 4Kids did right by One Piece: the opening rap. Say what you want about everything else, but that rap song isn’t half bad.

Megumi Almost Broke his Back!

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Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3 Ep 11 Review

Megumi is a badass. Well, we already knew that he was a badass. After all, he is the son of the guy who came close to killing Gojo and was the boogeyman of the Jujutsu world. Even Sukuna has a vested interest in keeping him alive; given how Sukuna doesn’t care about anyone but himself, that speaks volumes about his potential. And the Culling Game is giving us yet another example of how much of a badass Megumi is, as he manages to win a contest of endurance and will against one of the deadliest opponents in the Game. All while almost breaking his back, to boot!

Megumi is a Badass!

When we last left off, Megumi had laid a trap for the Sorcerer Regie Star using his Domain Expansion. Since he hasn’t fully mastered it, he got around that problem by luring him into a closed gymnasium. Thanks to that, Megumi is able to turn the tables while Tengen narrates how his plan is supposed to be working. And as is the case for the entire season, the animation is superb.

Unfortunately, those receipts of Regie’s are super powerful, as is his mind. He was able to figure out that Megumi’s shadow has a finite carrying capacity. He needs to make room for himself or risk bearing the weight of everything in his shadow. So Regie uses his receipts to summon a trio of cars to get sucked into the domain, essentially threatening to crush him!

This fight then becomes a battle of attrition as the two throw the heaviest things they have at each other in an attempt to crush the other. And this is where we get a visible reminder of just how tough Jujutsu Sorcerers are compared to normal humans. The two of them are forced to endure several tons of weight on their backs that could cripple or kill a normal human being. And despite being pushed to their limits and risking internal damage, they are able to make it out alive. And one of those things is a house. An actual house. I don’t even know how Regie got a receipt for a house.

Thankfully, though, Megumi managed to pull a big brain move by cancelling his Domain, sending them down to the pool in the basement and ruining Regie’s receipts. Checkmate! And with that, Megumi takes another W and manages to all of Regie’s points before he dies.

The bad news is that Megumi ends up passing out right afterwards. The good news, though, is that he is attended to by the Angel girl that he and Yuji were looking for in the first place! Talk about a lucky break!

As for Takaba, we get to see the end of his fight with the exploding guy as the latter calls it quits and leaves. The narrator then explains everything that I already did in the last review about how his powers work. Like I said, it’s the rule of funny in jujutsu form.

Everything that we’ve seen, though, is nothing compared to what Yuta is facing.

Yuta is Just Built Different!

If you have seen JJK 0, then you should know just how much of a badass Yuta Okkotsu. Next to Gojo, he is the strongest Jujutsu Sorcerer alive. And the strongest JuJutsu Sorcerer gets sent to the strongest battlefield in the Sendai Colony. The episode explicitly states that it is far deadlier than what we’ve seen in Tokyo, with multiple heavy-hitters caught in a stalemate due to their incredible power. Two are reincarnated sorcerers, another has crazy cursed energy, and the last one is a special-grade Curse! And Yuta manages to kill one of them right after he arrives.

This isn’t an ordinary Sorcerer, either. This was a reincarnated Sorcerer who was powerful enough to conquer all of Japan two thousand years ago. And Yuta killed him like he was nothing. Not even worth showing the fight!

I don’t know how many episodes are left in this part of the season, but if this next episode is the last, then I’m going to enjoy it. I knew that Yuta was holding back against Yuji, so I want to see what it’s like when he goes all out! This is going to be so cool, you guys!!!

I Give “Tokyo Colony No 1-Part 5” a 3/5