I don’t think anyone expected One Piece to be amidst the many political headlines in the last days of summer. The Straw Hat’s Jolly Roger has flown as a symbol of resistance during protests across the world. Including, Indonesia, Nepal, the Philippines, France, and several other countries. Each filled with citizens who cannot fathom another day of their government carrying on the charade of public betterment while deliberately screwing them over. Make no mistake, this isn’t Gen Z trolling for clout or another shallow trend. This is the result of watching cartoon villains materialize and run your country into the ground. But what does this have to do with an anime about pirates? Anime isn’t political, right?… Right?!
“Why would the protesters choose One Piece?“
Well, with a main character that’s easy to identify with, why wouldn’t the masses be inspired? Luffy comes from humble beginnings. He is a kid who grew up poor with his brothers, partly raised by his militant grandfather, and fantasized about seeing the world. His crew is full of misfits and rebels who’ve suffered and overcome challenges just like him. The Strawhats are the embodiment of freedom! Is it such a surprise that viewers would want to achieve that for themselves? Many of the protesters come from disenfranchised or poor communities stuck under the boot of oppression.
When you’re at the bottom of the barrel, seeing yourself represented by your heroes can be the most empowering thing in the world.
In a time where young people feel discarded and ignored by their governments, it makes sense that they’d take the morals of the Straw Hats to heart. Famine, slavery, ethno-cleansing, environmental terrorism, corrupt government – One Piece has touched it all. Luffy has pummeled consequences into every corrupt person in power he could get his hands on, and for what? Not for wealth, fame, or power. Sometimes it’s not even for becoming the king of the pirates. Most of the time, he falls into these misadventures to repay a kindness or to save his friends. Luffy’s not a schemer or strategist, just a nineteen-year-old with a heart of gold.
And IDK about you, but I’d follow a smile that big anywhere.
“Please. What’s so great about freedom anyways?“
Well, what does it mean to be free? Does it just mean not having to work to survive? Is it the absence of oppression? Could it be that everyone in your country gets to see a doctor without having to spend rent money? Maybe it’s having no bills, permanent snack time, and no homework. What if it’s unlimited internet? Free water? Borderless countries? The abolition of A.l— I mean, uh, government cheese?
Freedom, much like art, is subjective. While its definition varies, it always comes back to an unfettered way of being. Whether by the state of being free, being exempt from something, having unrestricted use, or political right. To me, it means to receive something without cost, or to be as l am without oversight. Maybe to someone else, freedom is getting out from under their parents’ roof. For the protagonist of a series, it usually falls somewhere between resisting authority and toppling the ruling class.
No one can tell you what it is, you have to ask yourself. What does freedom mean to you? What’s it worth?
To the captain of the Straw Hat Pirates, it means living to achieve your dreams, no matter their size. Sometimes it’s worth declaring war on the World Government. Maybe it’s even worth risking your life for what you believe in. Either way, violence seems to be the answer in the world of One Piece, and I can’t say they’re always wrong for it.
“I’m still confused. WTF do politics have to do with anime? They’re just cartoons!“
Honestly, there are more anime that acknowledge something political within their universe than those that don’t. It can be as low-stakes as having a power-hungry student council rep in a slice of life school romance. There’s so much media created because of the artist’s political beliefs and their desire to convey them.
Everything is political because everything has more than one side. No matter the stakes, people have their beliefs. Kill La Kill is about fighting capitalistic fashion monopolies. Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken is about three girls trying to break into the male dominated animation industry. Fruits Basket goes against familial duty and expectations. Rising of the Shield Hero battles corruption. My Hero Academia is blatantly an anti-discrimination campaign. Hell, even Wotakoi is about maneuvering office politics as a nerd!
People hear the word politics and gear up to take one side of a basic human rights debate. It is not always that extreme.
I won’t sit here and explain what politics are or why everything is political because so many people can word it better. What I will tell you is that if you’re someone who turns their nose up anytime a socio-economically relevant point in fiction is compared to real life, it’s because you’ve closed yourself off to connecting the dots. You may use anime as a mode of escapism, but that does not mean an artist wants their work to be. As the saying goes…Art imitates life!
Did you know that Hayao Miyazaki got a degree in political science before he went to work as an animator at Toei? Neither did I, but it makes sense with how much of his early childhood was riddled with war. He turned his lived experience into a lesson for future generations. We wouldn’t have Studio Ghibli if Miyazaki didn’t want to make anti-war propaganda. Though it isn’t at the forefront of his films, it’s in a character’s profile, a town’s dynamic, or mentioned passively in the film’s news.
Much like Eichiro Oda, the creator of One Piece, Miyazaki seems to believe in the triumph of right over wrong.
Though much isn’t known about Oda’s personal life, he’s made his beliefs pretty clear. When Iñaki Godoy, the live action Luffy, met Oda in his office, fans got a peek into what inspired the man to write about resistance and friendship for a quarter of a century. There’s literally a picture of Che Guevara, a leader of the Cuban revolution. Being as how Luffy is meant to be Brazilian and the son of a revolutionary -it’s intentional.
If you aren’t immersed in the modern odyssey of the Straw Hat Pirates, now’s a good time to start. Exposing yourself to media that questions authority is the only way to keep yourself from conforming to it. “But being woke is exhausting! Why can’t I just enjoy it and turn my brain off?” Why are you unable to enjoy things and think? Why is it exhausting to draw parallels between fiction and real life? Art is made to make you think and/or feel. To turn that part of yourself off does a disservice to you and the creator themselves. One could argue that it even disrespects the time and effort they put into crafting it.
I’ve come from under my rock to emphasize how insane it is to say “Anime isn’t political.” I know critical thinking is getting steadily defunded, but come on. In an era where ignorance fuels decisions and affects livelihoods, thinking caps need to be turned ALL the way on.
I’m not saying you should only consume anime that makes you want to rip your shirt open and usurp your leaders. I would never encourage physical revolution as an American citizen. (*Stares into mockumentary camera.*) What I am saying is that our minds should always be open to others’ perspectives.
If we lack understanding between each other, not only will we remain divided, they will continue to pit us against each other with ease.
Get into the habit of thinking for yourself if you haven’t already. Always question what your leaders do and say. The people who want to keep you underfoot don’t expect that you’ll grow a spine, they’re counting on it. Look at Nepal! If protesters only watched One Piece as a form of escapism and ignored how it made them feel, nothing would’ve changed. They’d still be living unhappily under their government, and the Straw Hat’s Jolly Roger never would’ve been tied to the gates of a burning regime.
“Fine. But does it have to be a thousand episodes?“
Of course not, Oda’s just a very detail oriented mangaka! There are plenty of other anime that have resistance as a central theme. If you’d like something that’ll take less time, here’s twelve shows that carry the same torch:
- Castlevania: Nocturne
- Attack on Titan
- Gurren Lagaan
- Kill La Kill
- Code Geass
- The Promised Neverland
- Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron Blooded Orphans
- Rideback
- Deca-Dence
- Kabineri of the Iron Fortress
- Last Exile: Fam, the Silver Wing
- Seraph of the End
Getting into ONE PIECE as an adult and witnessing the world shift into eras that are referenced in it is both chilling and inspiring because it really feels like we can become the pirates needed to take down this World’s Government. Even having anime/manga/OP fans come out and say, “Leave my anime/manga out of politics” is absolute b******* (hogwash) when from the beginning, manga and anime have been used to teach it’s watchers something (stopping history from repeating itself, maybe). Becoming the revolution and freedom we crave (Luffy) is perfectly attainable. Yes, it takes pain and undeniable blood and sweat to achieve but it’s possible. Absolutely loved this post!