"History's Strongest Collaboration VS The Glutton of the Sea" First Viewing Thoughts

Well- that may not have been "the most ambitious crossover ever made," but it is interesting to talk about. Here are my first viewing thoughts on the special "History's Strongest Collaboration VS The Glutton of the Sea."

From left: Monkey D. Luffy, Son Goku and Toriko

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The first thing you may notice is the presence of Toriko and his source material in this crossover. Though I previously made a post recommending it, it's one of the few pieces I actually took down (don't go looking for it, it's gone). Aside from the creator's, shall we say, indiscretions, the series kind of fallen by the wayside among Shonen Jump's catalog compared to One Piece and Dragon Ball (there wasn't even any representation in the now-defunct video game Jump Force). That said, with this special finally getting an English dub nearly ten years after the fact; it certainly was an interesting experience watching it.

The plot is simple- the casts of all three anime gather for a tournament and gourmet feast; which goes awry when a pufferfish known as "Big Chu" disrupts the proceedings. It falls to Goku, Luffy, Toriko and their respective friends to save the day.

Though in hindsight, the special is definitely an unintentional period piece, watching it a decade later is interesting given how much the landscape has changed. As I type this, Toriko has become something of a footnote in Shonen Jump's vast catalog, Dragon Ball remains a pop culture phenom, and One Piece is finally in its endgame (no formal opinion on the AI assist in a recent chapter beyond this: the ethical debates are worth having, though it is kind of fun just messing around making Pokémon characters say CDi Zelda quotes).

However, from a purely objective standpoint, it is still a fun half-hour; with the final battle against Big Chu a highlight in terms of animation. The casts of all three anime reprise their roles; and the interactions between the casts are quite fun. I am making good progress on both Punk Hazard and the remainder of the anime's adaptation of Wano; and I have much in store for this coming spring. Just thought I would offer something different amid what I'm working on. That's all for now, and I will see you all again another time. Later.