The long game has been played by Eiichiro Oda. That is not news to anyone who is reading One Piece, his globally popular Manga, which has been dropping Easter eggs and seeding revelations for two and a half decades. This past weekend, the biggest one and the most divisive one among its many fans was revealed, and it has irrevocably changed one of the longest-running Manga ever.
If you're not familiar with One Piece, this is the short version of what happened. This is an important turning point in the series because his normally black, tousled hair has become a half-smoky, half-gooey mess.
It is a time-honored tradition in shonen Manga, which is Japanese comics that are geared towards young boys. Many of the readers who were preteens when One Piece started in 1997 are still reading it at 40. The most famous is when Dragon Ball's Goku has his hair turned from black to spiky yellow when he evolved into his more powerful Super Saiyan form.
The main character in One Piece, Monkey D., underwent a major transformation a quarter of a century from the first chapter. Although Luffy has become more powerful, he is also much, much silly, which has left some fans crying that One Piece has been ruined forever.
There are things called Devil Fruits in the One Piece lore, and if someone eats one they receive powers in exchange for not being able to swim. The Smoke-Smoke Fruit allows them to control and transform into smoke, while the Cat-Cat: Leopard Fruit allows them to become a were-leopard. The Gum-Gum Fruit that Luffy ate in Chapter 1 turned him into a rubber man with the ability to stretch his arms to ridiculous lengths. The many battles he fought in through the series have been exciting and cool, and it can make it hard to remember how silly his powers are.
I feel I need to remind you that this is issue #1044 and that it was not the Gum-Gum Fruit that was revealed. He was transformed into a new incarnation of a legendary figure named Joyboy, who was inspired by a real and eerily prophetic 12th-century Javanese king named Joyoboyo. One Piece's Joyboy is supposed to bring laughter, joy, and freedom to people by using a power described as ridiculous.
Millions of readers thought rubber powers were cartoon powers. It is possible that they are similar to Bugs Bunny powers, as they are able to do anything their imagination and sense of fun desire. Kaido's wide eyes look like classic comic strips when he is killed by him. When Kaido fires an energy blast from his mouth, Luffy bends reality to his will, pulling up the ground like a sheet to block it, like Wile E. Coyote. There is much more to come.
Fans were left reeling and fans were upset by this incredible revelation, 25 years in the making. Some feel that turning a random kid with a goofy power who set sail to become King of the Pirates into the secretly prophesied Savior of the One Piece world makes him less unique in a genre filled with heroes who turn out to be some kind of Promised One. I think some One Piece readers forget this, because the series has always been so creative and unique, and the bad guys have had to surpass Luffy over the course of his journey. One of the tried-and-true shonen trope is that Luffy was always going to be the one to save the world.
Most fans seem to be irate about how silly this is. While the world of One Piece is a highly imaginative fantasy world already, full of giants and superpowers and sky islands and cyborgs, turning the badass hero into the anime equivalent of Roger Rabbit seems like a betrayal to the epic story they've been so invested in for so long. I think that these powers are inspired by American cartoons, instead of Japanese ones, so they rub the more ardent fans the wrong way.
This isn't a betrayal of One Piece for many reasons. Oda has always been upfront about his inspiration from American comics and Disney films. You'll see exactly what The Little Mermaid to One Piece and The Nightmare Before Christmas have to offer. Oda has used these visual conventions in One Piece from the very beginning, whether characters' mouths drop open to indicate fear, their teeth turn into fangs, or they grow bumps on their heads. The new Joyboy powers are just a more textual use of these visual cartoon tropes.
The other thing that fans don't know is that the new powers of the character are perfect for the series. He wants to be the King of the Pirates, because he thinks he is the freest person in the world. Even though he was seconds away from being executed, he was always happy and laughing. He has fought against villains who have enslaved and trapped people, and when those people have been freed they celebrate with parties filled with food, drink, and laughter. Oda's goal for Luffy is to have him bring joy to the world by freeing it from the tyranny of the World Government.
Mickey Mouse and the rest of the cartoons were meant to make people laugh. Bugs Bunny is a beloved character not because he is a realistic rabbit, but a mischievous one who can bend reality to his will, whether it is for a cheap gag or to give some ill-intentioned and/or snooty antagonist. Someone whose power is bound by nothing but the limits of their imagination is the freer of the two.
Some fans think that this is the end of One Piece. This is a series that can be so heartbreaking that it can bring kids and adults to tears. One Piece has always been a good place to watch action and melodrama, even if it has gotten more ridiculous. There is oppression throughout the world. The villain Blackbeard has yet to make his move, and other sinister forces are at work. Kaido has already defeated Luffy three times.
The silliness of the series has been part of the series since 1997. It should make the readers of One Piece smile as well.
Wondering where our feed went? The new one can be picked up here.
All Rights Reserved © 2024
