Team 7 continues to peel back the layers of the mystery surrounding Kokuri and Tsukiyo in a ninja-flavored whodunit. Having established that one of their three cellmates is responsible for stealing the keycard, Boruto and Mitsuki set to work deducing who the guilty party is, and with Benga threatening to place both the culprit and all of his cellmates in solitary and extend their sentences, time is of the essence. Arai quickly takes the reins of this investigation, first accusing Kamata and then Kedama of the crimes in question. Although both serve as suitable red herrings, Arai eventually gives himself away as the culprit and is subsequently apprehended and taken to solitary. However, with Benga more suspicious than ever about the connection between Boruto and Kokuri, Tsukiyo immediately seeing through Sarada's cover story, and many questions remaining about Kokuri's true nature, our heroes can't afford to let their guard down just yet.
With the exception of a few short scenes, episode 143 is set entirely in Boruto and Mitsuki's prison cell, which imbues the proceedings with the air of locked room mystery. All the ingredients for this type of setup are fully present, with Boruto and Mitsuki occupying the detective role, the various cellmates serving as suspects, and Arai acting as a serviceable fake-out character. While the true culprit shouldn't be hard to ascertain for anyone familiar with this genre, the episode does a decent job of keeping the audience guessing and establishing that none of the suspects are completely trustworthy. This may not be a particularly intricate mystery, but provided you're not looking to Boruto for top-notch detective fiction, it's an entertaining enough 23 minutes.
Since the latest installment is essentially a bottle episode, there isn't much going on visually this week, and the direction doesn't really attempt to offset this by injecting eye-catching visuals or unique framing. This isn't a deal breaker by any means, but given how drab and unadorned the cell is, any attempts at adding eye candy would have been appreciated. On the plus side, the ease with which Arai is brought to justice suggests that twists and turns of a more intricate nature are in the pipeline, and with many of Kokuri's crimes left vague, it would be interesting to discover that this unassuming nerd is a far more sinister figure than his demeanor suggests. (As Arai points out, he was in the Mujina Gang, after all.)
With a limited setting and complete lack of action, the Mujina Gang arc's third chapter isn't as exciting as the two that preceded it, but it does involve the boys solving an integral part of the overarching mystery. Both the ominous ending and post-credits preview suggest that more surprises await, and in light how entertaining this arc has been thus far, the forthcoming endgame is likely to prove memorable.
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 ...
Goodbye, Lara follows reborn mermaid, Ninja Skooler features ninja school― Kinema Citrus announced at its panel during this year's Anime Central event on Saturday that it is producing two new anime titled Goodbye, Lara (Sayonara Lara) and Ninja Skooler. Takushi Koide is directing the Goodbye, Lara anime with character designs by Shiori Tani. The anime is based on a concept by Kinema Citrus, and it t...
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 ...
Honestly, you're getting a solid collection of character art with some disposable comic stories where you might get to enjoy some out-of-context obscure CAPCOM cameos.― As a lifelong fan of Street Fighter, it's easy to get excited about the potential of seeing my favorite fighters doing stuff in different mediums. The flip side is that Udon Entertainment's hold on the comic treatment of the characte...
The cast of the Demon Slayer stage play gave a memorable performance during the Japan Day Parade.― The Demon Slayer franchise continues to prove itself as an absolute powerhouse for fans worldwide. The hit manga by Koyoharu Gotouge has been adapted into multiple mediums, including anime, light novels, video games, and a stage play that has been running since 2020. Cast members of the stage play app...
One Piece season 2 listed for Netflix in "2025 and Beyond"― The licensing news service License Global posted an interview with Netflix vice president Josh Simon on May 1, and included in the interview is a listing of a "Sakamoto Days" project among "Netflix Upcoming Releases" in 2024. The listing does not specify if the project is animated or live-action, nor does it specify a connection, if any, to...
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...