Roger and crew finally arrive at the land of Wano. Sadly, Toki collapses from illness; the length of their journey has begun to take its toll. Everyone onboard advises Oden that Toki should stay at Wano rather than continue travelling. Oden wants to stay behind, but Toki tells him to push on with his journey. When they arrive at Wano's shores, the Akazaya Nine greet them and find that Oden is married and with children. Toki and the children stay behind under the Akazaya Nine's care while Oden returns to sea with a copy of Wano's poneglyph.
With Oden back on Roger's crew, they set out once again. They visit Zou and find the last Road Poneglyph. They are closing in on the last pieces of the puzzle, but in the background Roger's health continues to worsen. He manages to keep going, but then Buggy falls ill and will not make it to the last island, prompting Shanks to get off the ship with him to ensure that he can recover. Finally, after years of searching, Roger and crew arrive at the island with the One Piece...and break into roaring laughter upon seeing it. Thus, Roger decides to name the island Laugh Tale and the episode draws to a close.
A legendary moment in a legendary series.
So much happens in this episode, but it's hard to talk about anything other than this: Roger found the One Piece, and Roger laughed.
The image of Gol D Roger finding the One Piece and breaking out into laughter is the perfect encapsulation of this series as a whole. Not only is it a brilliant bit of writing in-universe, it works even better as a metatextual statement. For many of its fans, One Piece has always been propelled by a joyful energy—In this land of walking elephant islands and talking cat ninjas, of rubber-armed pirate youths and sword-wielding giraffe assassins, you can't help but laugh. Eiichiro Oda's work has brought happiness to many people around the world for over twenty years, and I think it's wonderful that we get to witness this event where the man who began the series with his promise of a quest during his brutal execution gets this moment of pure levity and victory.
The anime does this moment immense justice. From the soft music and shojo-esque clouds of sparkling soft lighting to the shared laughter of the entire crew, every aspect of this episode is handled with a loving care that solidifies this as a terrific animated adaption of a terrific manga. What a gift this series has been to us all. What a welcome uplifting moment before the dark events that are to come...
Laid-Back Camp narrowly claims the top spot this week, but Delicious in Dungeon is having none of that and bumps it down in the cumulative. Find out where your favorites rank this week!― Let's have a look at what ANN readers consider the best (and worst) of the season,
based on the polls you can find in our Daily Streaming Reviews
and on the Your Score page with the latest simulcasts. Keep in mind ...
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2019-20 anime was itself a follow-up to first 2013-16 Ace of Diamond anime― Production on a sequel to the 2019-2020 television anime of Yūji Terajima's Ace of Diamond Act II (Daiya no A Act II) manga has been green-lit. Terajima drew an illustration to commemorate the news: Terajima's original Ace of Diamond baseball manga inspired a television anime that premiered in 2013, and Crunchyroll streamed ...
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Natalie Van Sistine plays Star and Stripe in dub on Saturday― Crunchyroll announced on Friday that it will premiere the English dub for the seventh season of the My Hero Academia anime on May 18. New cast members include: Natalie Van Sistine as Star and Stripe Kyle Hebert as Agpar William Ofoegbu as Ethan Aiden Call as Biggs Sean Letourneau as Wedge Additional voices include Tyson Rinehart and Wyat...
2-hour programming block airs on Fridays starting on May 31― Adult Swim's Toonami programming block announced on Friday that it is creating a new block called Toonami Rewind that is dedicated to running anime, or versions of the series, that aired on the original Toonami prior to its 2012 revival. Toonami Rewind will air on Fridays starting on May 31 at 5:00 p.m. EDT, and it will feature Sailor Moo...
Pokémon Horizons continues to display some of the best the franchise offers with great character work, creative setpieces, surprisingly strong direction, and a focus on a plot that continues to feel engaging.― Pokémon Horizons felt like a breath of fresh air as a new mainline Pokémon series. With a more timid and empathic main character and a stronger emphasis on the adventuring aspect of being a Po...
Sony and Square-Enix are both reorganizing, from new CEOs to staff cutbacks. Also, sad news about Penny Blood, more Cotton, and the latest video game news!― Welcome back, folks! You know, it's always nice to discover old stuff from a franchise you love that you didn't know existed. For example, I didn't know that the old Captain N: The Game Master cartoon had an episode that featured the world of Dr...
Ahead of the romance anime's second season, director Takehiro Kubota discusses the choices, the challenges, and balancing the story between the everyday and the supernatural.― My Happy Marriage began its life as a series of novels written by Akumi Agitogi, and it has since been adapted both as manga and, as of July 2023, an anime series simulcast by Netflix. Agitogi's tale, set in a nebulous time t...
Steve and Chris compare some of the highs and lows of an anime studio change-up, from Attack on Titan and One-Punch Man to Spice and Wolf.― Steve and Chris compare some of the highs and lows of an anime studio change-up, from Attack on Titan and One-Punch Man to Spice and Wolf. Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the participants in this chatlog are not the views of Anime News Network.S...
You've probably read some version of this story before, but I doubt that you've ever seen it be this adorable.― You've probably read some version of this story before, but I doubt that you've ever seen it be this adorable. You and I Are Polar Opposites is based on the tried-and-true formula of a thousand romantic comedies: Suzuki is a popular girl, and Tani is the class nerd. She's bright and perky,...
James and Lynzee look into Hideaki Anno's latest hint that there might be more Evangelion after the last movie and news on the Lord of the Rings anime film!― Could There Be More Evangelion on the Horizon? James and Lynzee look into Hideaki Anno's latest hint that there might be more Evangelion after the last movie and news on the Lord of the Rings anime film! Plus, we catch up with Kafka and the Ka...
Grant Jones dives into the wild world of giant monsters and how Kaiju No. 8 builds on their legacy.― Kaiju No. 8 is a series that wears its influences on its sleeves. As the first word in its title suggests, it comes from a long line of works in the kaiju genre, using giant monsters and burning skylines as a backdrop to tell stories. While many likely know kaiju in a passing sense, it may help to h...
This steamy manga's appeal is going to depend on how much you can stomach a female protagonist who kicks off the romance by assaulting her former fiance.― This is a tricky one. Before You Discard Me, I Shall Have My Way with You is, to all appearances, a story that opens with a sexual assault. Agnès has been betrothed to Crown Prince Lucilleur since childhood, and she's been in love with him just as...