Oden holds on for as long as he can. Shinobu tells more of the truth, shocking the people of Wano. They begin to cheer for him, counting down the seconds as Oden hangs on. Oden then tells his retainers that it is vital that they open up the land of Wano. As he holds on he reflects on the adventures he had and the life he led.
Eventually Oden makes it, much to everyone's joy. But Orochi changes the rules and decides to execute him by gunfire. As the shots start flying from Orochi's retainers, Oden throws his friends to safety. Kinemon and the others scramble to get away, knowing that they had to survive and that they cannot look back. Kaido and Oden exchange few last words before he finally shoots Oden and ends his life. Cherry blossoms fall, the shamisen plays, and the credits roll.
Oden was made to boil.
Talk about an ending. This flashback sequence is still ongoing of course - we've not yet seen the end of it - but the emotional crux of the Wano arc has been laid bare. Oden has done what his name would imply, shifting from mythic folk hero to true legend, and what an ending it is. The sight of Oden holding Kinemon and the others aloft over the boiling water, the dramatic Kabuki theater posing and final gunshots that sent him reeling into the water - it's pure drama. It's what we come to these works for.
Oden is such an interesting case study for me as a One Piece fan. I'm not sure I'd say Oden himself is an all-time favorite character - like Sabo, I find him much more interesting for what he means to other cast members more than I find him interesting in and of himself. His flashback is monumental for precisely that same reason, as I find it so fascinating that he got to go with Roger and Whitebeard and we saw more of those adventures through his eyes. But I cannot deny that even in a series full of iconic characters and iconic scenes, Oden's death stands among the greats for vivid and lasting imagery.
And of course, the Toei team is relentless once again in delivering on the grandiose events at play. Take your pick of brilliant sequences this week: the crowd shifting to all black silhouettes as Orochi's arrows flew into them, or Orochi himself outlined in stark blood red over the dark background, the film reel effect over everyone's memories of Oden, or maybe the simple drama of the cherry blossoms over the ticking clock. Every frame a painting, to borrow a phrase.
Oden was born to boil, and these frames were made to sizzle.
When even the author says this story will hurt, you know it will be bad.― When even the author says this story will hurt, you know it will be bad. That's assuming, of course, that you weren't prepared for it going in. The fate of Astrea Familia is well-known to readers and viewers (and players) of the various Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon iterations, and the most recent season of ...
The documentary was full of cool tidbits about the 82-year-old producer and the anime he's worked on—including Ninja Scroll, Pluto, and In This Corner of the World.― Late last month, Japanese television network NHK put out a documentary on anime producer Masao Maruyama as part of their Anime Manga Explosion series. In it, the show delves into the now 82-year-old producer's life, philosophies, and so...
Masaki Watanabe directs anime at TMS Entertainment― Shueisha announced on Monday in its first "Jump Press" video that Yuuto Suzuki's Sakamoto Days manga will get a television anime series in January 2025 starring Tomokazu Sugita as Taro Sakamoto. The video also revealed the main staff. Masaki Watanabe (KADO - The Right Answer, Bartender, several Battle Spirits anime) is directing the anime at TMS En...
This is where the series earns its place in anime history, setting a precedent that other magical girl shows will follow.― It's a moment of magical girl history, right there on the screen: in episode forty-six of Fairy Princess Minky Momo's original 1982-83 television series, Momo is hit by a truck and dies. Even putting aside the question of whether or not this is Truck-kun's first victim, this is ...
Ayane Sakura, Daisuke Ono join cast as Tokyo Blade play's creative team― A Sunday live-streamed program for the second Oshi no Ko anime season debuted the first main promotional video, a new main visual, and new character visuals for the season. The program and the video both revealed two more cast members, the opening theme song, and the July 3 premiere for the season. Sunday's program also announc...
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This is a movie I never want to watch again. However, this is not because it's bad. Rather, it's a testament to just how incredible this film is.― Dead Dead Demon's Dededede Destruction Part 2 is a film I never want to watch again. However, this is not because it's bad. Rather, it's a testament to just how incredible this film is. The film is full of well-developed and memorable characters—especiall...
Company acquires studio behind Lu over the wall, Inu-Oh, Scott Pilgrim anime, Tatami Time Machine Blues― The entertainment company Toho announced on Thursday that its board of directors has decided to acquire all shares of the anime studio Science Saru, effective on June 19. Toho will then make Science Saru its consolidated subsidiary from the second quarter (June-August) of the fiscal year ending i...
Chillin' in Another World pulls off a major dramatic spike and goes from trawling the bottom to #2 this week! See how all your favorites fared in our weekly user rankings.― 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 that these ran...
If you're a Haikyu!! fanatic, or if you can overcome this background knowledge hurdle, you're in for a pretty good time and some of the best editing to come from an anime in recent memory.― To begin, I should note that this film is a continuation of the Haikyu!! anime and a canon adaptation of the manga. As such, if you're not caught up on the anime or at least generally aware of the franchise and i...
The touchstone visual novel Kanon is coming to Steam! Plus, Gundam in Call of Duty, Nintendo's latest studio buy, and more!― Welcome back, folks! Last weekend, I had a sudden pang of nostalgia, and I started missing Avalon Code. Avalon Code was one of the many offbeat RPGs released on the Nintendo DS, this one by Matrix Software (and released in the US by Xseed). It had a fun concept: the world is g...
We sat down with game creator Suda51 ahead of his MomoCon appearance to talk about his new game Hotel Barcelona, his current must-watch TV shows, and more.― The renowned Suda51 has been responsible for countless cult-favorite video games. From the psychedelia of Killer7 to the hells of Shadows of the Damned, from the sunny streets of Santa Destroy in No More Heroes to the blood-soaked setting of the...
Nestled in a Japanese neighborhood is the Tokiwaso Manga Museum, a detailed replica of the sharehouse that Osamu Tezuka, Shōtarō Ishinomori, and more manga artists called home.― In the midst of the modern Toshima ward in Tokyo, there's a two-story, multi-flat building with an appearance straight out of the 1950s. It sits behind a wrought-iron gate, flanked by children's play equipment. The outer fa...