Anime Action: Week Three

Anime Action is the Neek’s anime focused segment. Every Friday I, Kweku, will round up and review a selection of Anime that I have watched in the past week. Be warned: spoilers ahead!

Apologies for the late edition this week, it’s been a busy time recently especially as we work towards finishing the proper Neek website. Anyways, with the conclusion of Hajime No Ippo last week, I’ve been looking for some more anime to plug the hole. I’ve gotten back into Bleach and Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann (a title that really should be 3 words shorter) and will start serving out reviews next week. If you have any suggestions, please leave them in the comments section at the bottom. Covered this week are: Naruto Shippuuden (117) and One Piece (245-285) Read on after the break...

Naruto Shippuuden
(Episode 117: Juugo's North Hideout)

Another slow one this week as we were introduced to the bizarre Juugo, the final piece in Sasuke’s puzzle. His ability isn’t very original: he can transform into the same demon form as most of Orochimaru’s followers however Juugo is the first original demon form curse user and sees himself as most powerful, something he gives a strong indication of towards the end of the episode when he slams Sasuke into a wall. Juugo, on top of having a past history with the deceased bone warrior Kimimaru Kaguya (who also featured in one of my favourite anime fights) also appears to be utterly mad with a murderous bloodlust. Before Sasuke and co. even get to him, he mutters to himself dark words about killing the first person to come through his locked cell door if they’re a man, then he changes to a if it’s a women, then back again. Don’t know about you, but this is not the type of individual I want in my team. He may be powerful but it seems more likely than not that he’ll turn on his allies.

Other than that the only other thing of note in this episode was finally seeing Naruto again after a long absence from, well his own show. There was some funny banter between him and Jiraya after Naruto and Sakura were summoned to Tsunade’s office but the whole point of their cameo was to show their reaction to news that Orochimaru’s death possibly at the hands of Sasuke. “That means he’s coming back right?” Naruto asks hopefully. I was half expecting all that “Home is wherever the people thinking of you are” mantra from the 3-tails filler arc to start up again but mercifully before it could the action cut back to Sasuke’s confrontation with Juugo.

Right now the pacing of the episodes is incredibly slow and quite frustrating because while there is some disposition and we are learning more about Sasuke’s new allies, it’s a very, very slow trickle of information. I’m hanging on really, on the promise of much awesomeness just around the corner once Sasuke is ready to begin his assault on the Akatsuki.

One Piece

(Episode 286-318)

So this week I completed the Save Robin arc after watching a dangerous amount of episode, but that’s how compelling One Piece is if you have the time and I’ve been squeezing an episode into an break I have from my duties.

Well as suggested in last week review, things have certainly been heating up (literally for Luffy and Sanji with their hot new abilities) and it’s been really hyping things up for the final confrontation between CP9 and the Straw Hat which was wonderfully highlighted in a amazing scene where the members of CP9 are arrayed on a balcony of the Tower of Justice while one by one, as they arrive on the scene, the Straw hats line up opposite to them on the roof of the Gatehouse in similarly epic stances. The image below sadly doesn't do it justice.

To brush over what I’ve seen: following on from the epicness above the snivelling partially insane Spandam has taken Nico Robin toward the gates of justice with Lucci (the de facto leader of CP9) in tow. The key for Robin’s Kairoseki hand cuff have been given to another member of CP9 forcing the Straw Hats to split up engage each of them while Luffy charges after Spandam, but naturally despite the freakish strength of the CP9 members they are eventually beaten in a series of high octane duels and the keys are smuggled to Luffy via Frankie with some help from Chimney and Gonbe. Meanwhile Luffy races desperately after Robin but as he draws closer he gives away his position to Lucci who breaks off from the other two to fight Luffy. Lucci doesn’t attack much and seems more content with preventing Luffy, and soon Frankie too, from passing. Frankie does get past though eventually with the key to Robin’s cuffs once Luffy switches thing up to Gear Two, occupying all of Lucci’s attention. We learn that Gear Two basically involves Luffy increasing his blood flow dramatically by using his legs as pumps and increasing his response rate but can only be used in a short burst.

Meanwhile Spandam moronically activates his Buster Call to Robin’s horror; the psychological damage done to her with the Buster Call’s destruction of her homeland is more than apparent throughout this story arc. Eventually with the marine battleships raining shells on Enies Lobby, the Straw Hats manage to get to the Bridge of Hesitation, the safest point in the entire island complex, and after an insane battle Luffy defeats Lucci with literally the last of his strength after going to Gear Three, back to two and then delivering an explosive coup de grace in the form of a Jet Gatling Gun attack. Lucci ain’t getting up from that one. Ever.

Robin is freed but as they ready their escape on a captured Marine transport, the marine battle fleet surrounds the Bridge of Hesitation and begins pouring troops onto it. The bridge is slowly destroyed section by section as is their captured transport leaving the Straw Hats fighting for their lives against increasingly more skilful Elite Marines on a dwindling bridge. To make things worse Luffy is completely burned out and though conscious he can’t move after that fight. It looks like the gig is up but out of no-where an old friend returns: the Going Merry, their ship. I missed this out in last week’s Anime Action but the merry is fatally damaged after its many arduous adventures with Luffy and co., so to see it appear at their darkest moment to rescue them guided by it loving spirit was nice.

To round things off, the Merry evades the lumbering marine fleet and Robin even manages to gloriously execute Spandam, an incredibly satisfying moment, and meets up with a Galley-La ship from Water-7 city. The Straw Hats despite effectively destroying Enies Lobby, an incredibly powerful symbol of Marine power and the home of it judiciary, are treated like the heroes they are upon returning to the city and after a very emotional farewell to the Merry, Frankie decides to make the Straw Hats a new ship (which should be interesting based on his past designs!) From there things slow down nicely from the hectic heights of the earlier fights. Still there is heavy hinting of much epicness to come with the introduction, or rather reintroduction, of Luffy’s grandpa, Marine admiral Monkey D. Garp as well as Helmeppo and Coby from the opening arc of One Piece. Garp is very much like Luffy and accidentally reveals that Luffy’s dad is actually a powerful revolutionary opposing the world government (who actually saved Luffy from Captain Smoker during his escape from Loguetown) Monkey D. Dragon. After trashing Luffy around a bit, Garp leaves with his army of marines without too much more incident and we are treated to a distant confrontation between Shanks and the enormous Whitebeard. It’s unclear exactly what’s going on there but big is definitely about to happen very soon.

Overall I’m still enjoying One Piece and am very eager to get up to date, which I’m guessing by my current pace will be sometime early next month.

Additional Things

I’m also re-starting on the Bleach Anime starting from just before Inoue’s kidnapping by Aizen and his crew. I actually got quite far ahead in the manga but stopped reading it last year but I always enjoyed the anime and am looking forward to getting back into it. On top of that the mouthful that is Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann has recaptured my attention after I saw a pretty cool looking scene from one of the later episodes in the anime. I had watched the first 5 or so episodes a couple of years back but something really put me off the show... since I’m starting again from scratch I should know what that is pretty soon. Will keep you updated in next week Anime action.

Peace.

Remember you can see all the shows reviewed the week and many more at www.animeseason.com. Check it out and I’ll see you for some more Anime Action reviews this time next week.