Oh course it's only victorious for the main character - everyone else gets the crap beaten out of them.
Title: ''A United Front - Luffy's Victorious Breakthrough''
Chapters Covered: 753
New Characters: None
Episode Director: Aya Komaki (****)
Animation Director: Kazuya Hisada (***1/2)
Time: 8:30PM EST
Watch It: www.crunchyroll.com/one-piece
Streaming Links: http://connectcast.tv/neetball or http://www.ustream.tv/channel/kacorporation
Both down, for now.
http://connectcast.tv/neetball <<– Offline?
The broadcast isn't online.
Can't see a stream anywhere else either, guess I'll have to WAIT. URGH. =3=
another link? you have?
The schedule of this episode was rushed, and Hisada even hadn't finished his work when the episode was airing, leaving many genga un-sakkaned.
But, man, this episode had very nice directing! The camera movement made my day.
BTW, have a compare between #678 and #690, and one may find how important schedule is.
Another good episode but bogged down with bad pacing again
The schedule of this episode was rushed, and Hisada even hadn't finished his work when the episode was airing, leaving many genga un-sakkaned.
But, man, this episode had very nice directing! The camera movement made my day.
BTW, have a compare between #678 and #690, and one may find how important schedule is.
Damn, that's really unfortunate. You can tell that the storyboard and directing were done well, and the art and animation were decent, sometimes even great. But the padding was very noticeable in some scenes. That part with Riku and Usopp even felt like it was missing a bgm of some sort, or at least some background noise.
Overall, it was a pretty okay episode, but you could really tell that it was unfinished.
What a weird episode. Good art and unusual music selections, but tons and tons of padding. The added fighting was alright, I guess, and I actually did enjoy the expanded civilians scene, though not the contrived family part. The art for a lot of those citizens was significantly better than normal, and I think we even got a unique design?
On the other hand, the animation for Farul was cringe worthy. And is that really the sound effect for Gladius's mines? The same sound effect for accidentally grabbing breasts?
Also, I'm betting right now that our two additional named dwarves get KO'd by Kyuinn.
Can someone who reads the manga respond to me in spoiler tags, how many of doflamingo executives have been defeated so far not including sugar and not name who they were defeated by
Can someone who reads the manga respond to me in spoiler tags, how many of doflamingo executives have been defeated so far not including sugar and not name who they were defeated by
! Every single one of them.
@Galaxy:
! Every single one of them.
! I already knew the answer, but it made me smile to read this :happy:
I enjoyed this episode quite a bit. I liked the citizen filler, and the fighting was done pretty well. I really loved the last bit where they all yell to Luffy that they are gonna hold the line while he goes to kick Doffy's pink-feathered ass.
I've really been liking the filler recently. They add to the story pretty well.
Like it does a better joob of showing why the citizens really want to finish the game and it just shows how horrible the Birdcage is.
Also showing Suleiman been caught unawares was pretty good.
Good job Toei.. you've been on a good roll lately.
Kyros, double leg xD
No foot but more than a stump?
!
The animation for Farul's gallop looked pretty bad, but the animation for the final scene showcasing the fighters was great, was that new music too? Sounded very cinematic, I like it!
EDIT: The padded reaction to Doffy's 'As long as I could destroy this world' was plain dumb.
This episode actually covered a full chapter, you don't see that very often. Next episode is back to half a chapter. Dressrosa so far: 54 chapters = 61 episodes.
The part where four people were on Cavendish's horse and how they argued was golden. 
! Can't wait for Hakuba trashing Dellinger.
I really wanna know that cap guy story.
I kinda like how they're adding filler scenes here and there to tie up future scenes. Not that it's important to know the citizens are going to the plateau beforehand but it's better than filler about completely unrelated stuff.
The last piece of music was great, what's it's name?
unrelated to the episode coincidence:
! I just noticed that in the opening, when Luffy is being slingshoted by his crew, there's a line in the song that says "Only those who get back on their feet and look forward laugh last, only winner" similar to what's written in Zoro's shirt in this week's color page "El que rie al último rie mejor".
The last scene was golden. Literally.
@Galaxy:
! Every single one of them.
! After reading this i am so glad since i hear the anime is not that far behind, i am just ready for this arc to be over and all of the crew to get back together. In hopes of seeing Big Mom hope she is Lola mom
Loved the ending scene the new music sounded pretty epic, the chinjo shot with red eyes gold+plus blue shadow looks so cool.
+the bellamy donflamingo scene composition shot looked cool aswell.
Toei has really been on a good roll for qutie sometime.
Komaki Aya for Director of the Next One piece movie!
Dellinger's scenes are always badass in the anime. But that horse's running animations and the noise from the hooves. Oh my god, my 5 year old nephew could do better than that.
No foot but more than a stump?
! [qimg]https://i.imgur.com/uNQRC5s.jpg[/qimg]The animation for Farul's gallop looked pretty bad, but the animation for the final scene showcasing the fighters was great, was that new music too? Sounded very cinematic, I like it!
EDIT: The padded reaction to Doffy's 'As long as I could destroy this world' was plain dumb.
This episode actually covered a full chapter, you don't see that very often. Next episode is back to half a chapter. Dressrosa so far: 54 chapters = 61 episodes.
Didn't Oda accidentally draw his leg there too?
If you get dunked on in the dream, you get dunked on in real life
Yes he did
Toei LOVES Dellinger it seems, and I couldn´t be happier about it
These last few episodes have been pretty solid and this is no exception. Some great action animation here including with some very active direction, much like 689. In addition, the anime added more emotional weight to the unnamed father about to kill his family (the manga just cuts to him being stopped by another native resident). In addition, the town posse looks much more distinct and memorable here while in the manga they had more of a faceless symbolic quality than anything.
Also, this episode has some further inconsistent censorship. 689 heavily reduced the Abdullah and Jeet impaling and slicing of puppet Doflamingo to the point where we don't even get the illusion of his flesh being pierced. Now here in 690, Dellinger's horns are allowed to completely impale Suleiman. Censorship is funny that way.
But we're still dangling at the biggest mystery of 689–how is Bartolomeo going to get his pants up by the time he's near the plateau?
Didn't Oda accidentally draw his leg there too?
Possibly, but it's nowhere near as noticeable. The manga panel is just mostly white space there with some indeterminate bit of texture that could easily be smoke. It could be his regrown leg, but it just makes more sense for it to be part of the smoke trail.
A more definite Toei goof there.
Edit: never mind–there is definitely a manga goof, but it's a later panel viewed from the rear where Kyros clearly has a second foot.
His Robin senpai can grow arms to pull up his pants for him.
I kinda like how they're adding filler scenes here and there to tie up future scenes. Not that it's important to know the citizens are going to the plateau beforehand but it's better than filler about completely unrelated stuff.
I kind of agree with you, but i can literally feel how they drag out this whole scenario until the fights begin.
Makes the recent episodes hard to watch for me, even when i think it could be worse.
Hope they will add a bit to each upcoming fight, that would be interesting to watch.
@Don:
I kind of agree with you, but i can literally feel how they drag out this whole scenario until the fights begin.
Makes the recent episodes hard to watch for me, even when i think it could be worse.
Hope they will add a bit to each upcoming fight, that would be interesting to watch.
I feel you. The padding is pretty noticeable. This was a low part in the manga as well so i think not much can be done to save it.
Hmmm. Well the animation felt pretty good this episode. Dellinger all the way.
The townsfolk part wasn't too bad either for padding. The Tontta's though…I found myself browsing my phone during that part. It really didn't engage me.
The Tontatta sequence was just dragged out too far here, with many instances of additional padding.
Also the very beginning with that long pause after Doflamingo announced his intentions was another bit of anime overkill. Could have been half as long and for the better.
Since this covered slightly less than the full chapter, it's pretty much expected that they'd wring out every scene.
Doffy:"….as long as I can destroy this world!"
Tuduuduuuuuuu!
The townsfolk part wasn't too bad either for padding. The Tontta's though…I found myself browsing my phone during that part. It really didn't engage me.
@Mr.:
The Tontatta sequence was just dragged out too far here, with many instances of additional padding.
I hate to say that, but the Tontatta bore me to tears pretty much everytime they're on screen. Everything about them is so kiddish (which is made even more evident animated), that they feel kind of disconnected from the situation, toning down the tension and sense of danger of the arc.
I have to wonder if Oda is deliberately creating these kind of characters (like the Punk Hazard kids) to reel in younger fans, giving them some aspects they can relate to, as OP has an ageing fanbase after all these years and it must be getting harder and harder to get children hooked. Maybe i'm reading too much, but it seems like a new trend that old OP didn't use to have (can we picture those groups running around Alabasta, Skypiea or Enies Lobby?).
Child-like characters are nothing new in One Piece. I have noticed there is often a child or child-like character involved somewhere. There was Aisa in Skypeia arc. There was Chimney in Water 7/Enies Lobby, Shirahoshi in Fishman Island, the Kids in that annoying rainbow filler. You had that young boy in Alabasta, Apice in the dragon Filler, not to mention the various children who have turned up in the movies and Specials. And without them you still have Chopper.
The ending song is very very very much like one of the Neon Genesis Evangelion pieces (for the original show). I'll look to see if it's from the film Z ost? BRB.
edit: only one close to it I could find is this
… maybe the one in the episode is from Strong World? I don't think so, maybe, but yeah it sounds like something new. I've completely lost track of One Piece music since Strong World started.I hate to say that, but the Tontatta bore me to tears pretty much everytime they're on screen. Everything about them is so kiddish (which is made even more evident animated), that they feel kind of disconnected from the situation, toning down the tension and sense of danger of the arc.
I have to wonder if Oda is deliberately creating these kind of characters (like the Punk Hazard kids) to reel in younger fans, giving them some aspects they can relate to, as OP has an ageing fanbase after all these years and it must be getting harder and harder to get children hooked. Maybe i'm reading too much, but it seems like a new trend that old OP didn't use to have (can we picture those groups running around Alabasta, Skypiea or Enies Lobby?).
Well, to be fair, the kids in Punk Hazard were drugged so much that they became addicts and were used for cruel experiments. In contrast to the Tontattas, the situation of the children wasn`t really "kiddish" at all, but rather added some dark subject matter to the arc. I think it would be a little twisted if Oda would use a plot where children are mentally and physically abused to reel in younger fans
I hate to say that, but the Tontatta bore me to tears pretty much everytime they're on screen. Everything about them is so kiddish (which is made even more evident animated), that they feel kind of disconnected from the situation, toning down the tension and sense of danger of the arc.
I don't mind the cute whimsical stuff in this series, and they have been there through much of the series. Alabasta in particular had several cute, lightheated characters that clashed with the serious elements of the arc. Like the Kung-fu, Dugongs, The Super Spot-Bulled Duck Squad, Eyelashes, that crab, and probably other things I've forgotten.
The Tontatta aren't really all that new in this regard given that One Piece often offers a very generous dose of comic relief to lighten the mood–some are just cuter or more child-friendly than others. I will agree that they've dominated a lot of the arc, but they provided some laughs and introduced some truly bizarre situations as per usual in One Piece.
The Punk Hazard kids I don't feel the same way since their situation was rather grim most of the time. Kidnapping, deadly human experiments, drug addiction--hardly the stuff aimed at very young children. Sure there were some cute gags, but that was about it. Other than situations relating to Franky being a robot, there really wasn't a whole lot of comic relief on their part either. Whether it was engaging was another matters altogether.
Child-like characters are nothing new in One Piece. I have noticed there is often a child or child-like character involved somewhere. There was Aisa in Skypeia arc. There was Chimney in Water 7/Enies Lobby, Shirahoshi in Fishman Island, the Kids in that annoying rainbow filler. You had that young boy in Alabasta, Apice in the dragon Filler, not to mention the various children who have turned up in the movies and Specials.
Come on, you're talking about minor characters that had a lot less screentime and plot relevance..except for Shirahoshi, but that's recent and not really a child.
Toei almost always found a way to put a kid in their fillers and movies, usually an annoying one, but that's a different story, i'm talking about Oda here.
Well, to be fair, the kids in Punk Hazard were drugged so much that they became addicts and were used for cruel experiments. In contrast to the Tontattas, the situation of the children wasn`t really "kiddish" at all, but rather added some dark subject matter to the arc. I think it would be a little twisted if Oda would use a plot where children are mentally and physically abused to reel in younger fans
Forget what they're going through, focusing on the "young characters that kids can relate to" instead.
I'm sure that appeal is the reason Toei is so fond of it, as OP is a rare example of shonen series where the main cast was always 17+, if we exclude Chopper. A character acting 'child-like" isn't really the same thing.
Oda said that he has a difficult task of having to appeal to a new audience every 3 years, I think that if he had the opportunity he wouldn't have as many child-like characters, but the Tontatta's are key to the story anyway so I don't see any problems except for their scenes being dragged out.
No wonder this wasn't Chioka Kimitoshi's best storyboard. He must have done this episode on the quick so he could focus on his new series as series director, Dragon Ball Super.
Forget what they're going through, focusing on the "young characters that kids can relate to" instead.
I'm sure that appeal is the reason Toei is so fond of it, as OP is a rare example of shonen series where the main cast was always 17+, if we exclude Chopper. A character acting 'child-like" isn't really the same thing.
But…you have to look at it in its context :ninja:Yeah, the story arc features children, but they are being completely mistreated and abused the whole time through. Id say Punk Hazard is actually a pretty dark story arc for One Piece, so its just kinda weird logic to go from that to "Oda is totally doing this to bring in younger readers". I mean, if a cop show would feature a story line where kids get drugged, you wouldn`t argue that the writers were trying to reach a younger audience, would you?
The ending song is very very very much like one of the Neon Genesis Evangelion pieces (for the original show). I'll look to see if it's from the film Z ost? BRB.
edit: only one close to it I could find is this
… maybe the one in the episode is from Strong World? I don't think so, maybe, but yeah it sounds like something new. I've completely lost track of One Piece music since Strong World started.
I haven't seen the full episode yet, but the track you're talking about does appear to be new. And yeah, it does sound rather Evangelion-ish.
Dellinger has been handled very well in the anime so far and they got the right VA for him as well.
OP 