When the clock strikes midnight, it's time for the dog to go to sleep and for the cat to take over the night. This episode introduces us at last to that cat, the Duke of the Night known as the Cat Viper. Unlike Dogstorm who seems fairly collected and withdrawn, Cat Viper is wild and unhinged. He has a big poofy lion's mane and dresses like a Japanese crime boss, meaning that's he's obviously one of the coolest new characters in recent memory.
However, he's only present for about the last fourth of this episode, if even that. The rest of the episode is the padded continuation of Dogstorm and the Musketeers fighting off Jack and the rest of Kaido's men in flashback form. There's something very unfortunate about the direction of this episode, because it's so notably lifeless for large chunks of it. Panels that I remember being amazingly cool in the manga (like Dogstorm stopping Jack's trunk in a big explosion of dust) are nowhere near as impressive here, and the pacing and music choices throughout demand little attention. My first thought when the episode started up was, “Wow, we've done nothing but watch this mammoth guy stand in place for three episodes now,” and that's really how it feels.
I've got mixed feelings on Jack at the moment. When one of his henchmen announces to the Minks (and more importantly, the audience) that his boss's bounty is a whopping one billion berries, my heart did a little pitter-patter of excitement. I've always loved bounties as a device in this series to create a hierarchy among the strong characters and establish who is a big deal and who is not very quickly. One billion is so much higher than what we've seen in the series so far (Luffy's 500 million is about as high as it's gotten), and yet Jack is still technically an underling of Kaido's. We've essentially just established the next ceiling for Luffy to break.
My mixed feelings come from just how unimpressive he is in this anime. Again, there's a lot of just standing around and talking, but even the big action highlights feel bereft of energy. We can safely assume that Jack and his henchmen are only being introduced at this moment, and that they will become more present and familiar as the Straw Hats get more and more entangled with Kaido, but there's still something that feels undefined. Like, could you imagine these guys being the common battle fodder in a Dressrosa-sized arc? Because that's what we'd have to expect.
Otherwise, this episode does give us the wonder that is Master Cat Viper. I was in awe when midnight hit, as we see his eyes open in the dark and hear his booming “nyaaaaa~" echoing throughout Zou. Dogstorm vanishes between shots like a slasher movie villain, aware that his turn has ended. There's still some wonkiness to the animation when Cat Viper arrives, but he enters the scene with so much speed and energy that I can forgive it. Jack and his men seemed like they were at least starting to sweat after hours of fighting with Dogstorm, and now they have a much wilder, well-rested opponent to fight.
Aside from Cat Viper, these last few episodes have been a bit draining. The fantastic production of the initial Zou episodes is on break, and we're in the middle of a slow-burn exposition dump as Luffy and friends get filled in on the happenings before their arrival. Both Dogstorm and Cat Viper are pretty cool dudes, but I'm hoping we get some forward momentum again soon.
As Slam Dunk reached its final stretch, I can see why this series is considered the sports classic that it is today.― This is the largest batch of Slam Dunk episodes that I've reviewed thus far. Originally, I wanted to review the show in more even seasons, but given its overall pacing and release, it wasn't easy to find a moment where it felt right to stop and start again. However, as we approached ...
Main cast, staff, teaser visual, video revealed― A website opened on Thursday to reveal a television anime adaptation of Kogitsunemaru's Izure Saikyō no Renkinjutsu-shi? (Someday Will I Be The Greatest Alchemist?) light novel series, which will premiere in January 2025. The website also revealed the anime's main cast, staff, and a teaser promotional video and visual. The novel series' illustrator Hi...
James and Lynzee discuss the latest episode of Yatagarsu. Plus, GoHands keeps making anime, and we don't know WHY.― Yatagarasu Gets Violent! James and Lynzee discuss the latest episode of Yatagarsu, in which Wakamiya plays his hand to find out the truth behind his older brother's scheming to obtain the throne. Plus, GoHands keeps making anime, and we don't know WHY; Hunter x Hunter manga is on its ...
Making a sequel to Code Geass is a daunting task. But with its fantastic main character and a story that doesn't undercut what came before, Rozé of the Recapture is on the right track.― Making a sequel to Code Geass—especially one set close to the end of the series—is a daunting task. Any story that involves an ongoing war massively undercuts both the finale of the original anime and the sacrifices ...
The Switch sequel console is finally happening! The details are scarce, but you can find out more in this week's column. Also: an interview with El Shaddai's Sawaki Takeyasu, Microsoft layoffs, and more.― Welcome back, folks! What a wild week this has been for the gaming industry. We'll go further into it, but jeez. This past week also saw the disappearance of Capcom's Dark Void and Dark Void Zero. ...
The Code Geass creator discusses his new project with Web3 company Azuki, Enter the Garden, and his hope that this new path could help the medium evolve.― Los Angeles-based Web3 anime-styled brand Azuki and advertising conglomerate Dentsu debuted the first nine-minute episode of their joint anime endeavor, Enter the Garden, on April 30. The episode, which has already racked up a quarter of a million...
Wandering Son creator's manga about girls in opera school ran from 2011 until this past March― Ohta Publishing announced on Thursday that Takako Shimura's Awajima Hyakkei manga is inspiring an anime. Ohta Publishing has not revealed any further details about the anime adaptation. The coming-of-age omnibus series follows the girls at an opera music school, with each chapter centering around different...
Special cereal box honors Goku Day― Dragon Ball Z... for breakfast?! Alright, it isn't actually that surprising since General Mills' Reese's Puffs cereal has been rocking the dragon with a limited-time collaboration with Dragon Ball Z since earlier this year. The collaboration is still ongoing, but now Reese's Puffs has reached its FINAL FORM! In honor of Goku Day (May 9 because the numbers for "5" ...
If I were to sum up Hokkaido Gals Are Super Adorable! in a single word, that word would be “cute.”― If I were to sum up Hokkaido Gals Are Super Adorable! in a single word, that word would be “cute.” Shiki and Fuyuki's interactions are a mixture of playful (and sometimes sexual) teasing and heartfelt feelings as the two come to value each other. They have real chemistry—and that drives the anime stra...
Final volume ships in fall― The 25th compiled book volume of Yuki Sato's Tomodachi Game (Friends Games) manga revealed on Thursday that the series will end with the 26th volume's release in fall. The story, based on Mikoto Yamaguchi's original concept, centers on Yūichi Katagiri, a young man with a perfect student life who has four friends with difficult lives. His peaceful daily life comes to an e...
Lucas and Steve catch up on the Hunter × Hunter manga in time for the long-awaited new chapter and gush about why, even with years between releases, Hunter × Hunter is worth it.― Lucas and Steve catch up on the Hunter × Hunter manga in time for the long-awaited new chapter and gush about why, even with years between releases, Hunter × Hunter is worth it. Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed...
Based on the novel by former Nogizaka46 member Kazumi Takayama, trapezium asks its audience to follow one girl who will use anything, and anyone, to achieve her dream.― Trapezium is a strange movie, to say the least. On the surface, it's a rather simple movie that explores youth, their dreams, and the lengths they'll go to achieve those dreams. It's a coming-of-age story wrapped in the veneer of the...
ZeroReq011 remembers what made Spice and Wolf a story for the ages, from its fully realized world and economics to Holo and Lawrence's romantic chemistry.― Back when Funimation was still its own company and not owned by Sony, long before its in-house streaming service was terminated in favor of Crunchyroll's streaming platform, it owned a TV channel. Legal streaming had yet to dominate the Western a...