ShadowKnight508 (Level 19)

Welcome to this of what I hope becomes a regular series of anime blogs, my fellow AnimeVice members! Inspired by the recent blogs from JJOR64 and sickVisionz that highlights the anime that they have been watching, I have decided to try it out as well. I have been on a anime-watching spree over the past 5 days, completing 25 One Piece episodes as well as the first two Needless episodes. Below is my life in anime since Wednesday. 

One Piece (Grand Line Saga: Skypiea Arc)

The following list details the episodes that I have watched in the past five days:

• One Piece: Episodes 140, 141, 142, 143, 144, 145, 146, 147, 148, 149, 150, 151, 152, 153, 154, 155, 156, 157, 158, 159, 160, 161, 162, 163, 164, and 165. 

Spotlight Episode: One Piece #163 (Mostly Spoiler-free)

At the moment in the story, the Straw Hat Pirates have been split in two groups and are now on the forbidden island of Upper Yard fighting to stay alive. Nami, Nico Robin, Roronoa Zoro, and Chopper were abducted and taken to the Sacrificial Alter deep in the thick forests aboard the Going Merry as a sacrifice to the God Enel. Meanwhile, Luffy, Sanji, and Usopp are enduring the challenging Ordeal of Balls, the trials of the powerful Priest Satori in the Lost Woods, and are engaged in a tough struggle against a crafty, mind-reading enemy. 
Pros: 

• With the Straw Hats Pirates split up, the plight of Luffy, Sanji, and Usopp against the abilities and powers of Priest Satori and his thousands of "Surprise Balls" leads to a series of quick, painful losses against their enemy in combat. Watching them struggle on against towering odds makes the fight more interesting.
• Nami, Robin, and Zoro go off exploring by using a vine to swing across the Skyshark-infested waters. Zoro channels his inner Tarzan by yelling "AAAaaaAAAaaaAAA!" as he swings to shore.
  
• The plot thickens when Chopper gets involved in a life-threatening struggle with the Priest Shura and his winged mount Fuza. Chopper enlists the aid of the Knight of the Sky, but the end result leads into a cliffhanger for Episode 164.

Cons:

• I noticed that the animation regarding the fight with the Knight of the Sky and Priest Shura was off compared to the animation quality of the rest of the episode. 
• The annoying laugh of Satori really got on my nerves. I look forward to Luffy and company overcoming their Ordeal and taking down this strange character.
  

Needless

I watched the following episodes in the past 5 days:

• Needless : Episode 1 and 2

 

Spotlight Episode: Needless #1 (Mostly Spoiler-free)

We are first introduced to the war-torn world of Needless with a surprise attack by hundreds of armed rebels as they seek to take out the wicked Adam Arclight, the leader of the Simeon Orginization. Using the combined efforts of his Elite Four, the four super-powered allies make quick work of the rag-tag rebels and leads to the brutal slaughter of hundreds of lives. Meanwhile, Cruz and Aruka Schild are fleeing for their lives from one of the massive robots that hunts down Needless, special individuals who have powerful abilities and are considered dangerous by society. After getting pinned in the sewers by the robot, Cruz encounters Adam Blade, who defends the hapless boy and in the process is badly injured. Now teamed with the ranks of Adam, Eve Neuschwanstein (who is a Needless), and their scientific ally Gido, Cruz begins his adventures to stop the powerful Adam Arclight, Simeon, and the Elite Four that threaten the world and who hunt them as part of their "Needless" hunt. 
 
Pros:

• This show reminds me of the wonderful times I had with Gurren Lagann, from the humor and action down to the characters. Adam Blade could easily be related to Kamina for they share the same drive, pride, and make fights more epic. 
• The fight at the end of the episode introduces to the powers and abilities of both Eve and Adam, who team up to take down the individual who hunts them.
• The animation is of great quality, and the humor had me laughing at several points.
  

 
Cons:

• Not much to complain about. Other than Cruz suffering a "sister complex" (as Eve tells the poor lad as he cries over what became of his sister), this episode was enjoyable.
• Oh...the end credits were full of what I deem to be Loli content...young girls doing some things that are questionable in my opinion and was perhaps the one thing that stopped me from saying that the episode was the best 1st episode of any anime series that I had watched in recent memory.