When most people think of Anime, people will think of a number of things. People might think of shows such as Death Note, Sailor Moon or even Pokémon with many seeing this form of media being childish or juvenile, almost like an animated movie targeted towards children that is made by Dreamworks, Disney or Paramount. However, when people speak of Anime, I think of one thing: One Piece. A story about a pirate named Straw-Hat Luffy and his crew of pirates trying to find a hidden treasure called “The One Piece”. This anime might seem just a show about some pirates trying to find treasure but it is actually much bigger than that, especially in today’s society and climate.
It tackles themes of slavery, government corruption, racism, the genocide of a whole island of people and the idea of freedom as well as many other themes that could be talked about at length. Due to its themes, some people might stray away from shows such as this but with everything going on in the world today as well as in the United States, more people should be watching a show like this because it is inherently political.
When it comes to me, I actually hadn’t started One Piece until the Fall semester of 2024 when I was sitting in my dorm room, scrolling on my phone through the many messages I had gotten in the Discord server I shared with some friends. Food from Panera Bread
was right in front of me and I decided to take the chance to watch it for myself after constant berating from friends to watch it. It was the best decision I ever made when it came to picking up a TV show. Never have I cried, laughed or been hyped up when it comes to a piece of media. Having such a deep emotional tie to the anime just shows the testament of the show’s importance.
This is why I advocate so many people to watch an anime like One Piece since its themes aren’t just a backdrop like many shows such as Family Guy or The Office but front and center when it comes to the story. Don’t take my word for it however, just look at the numerous flags used in protests whether that be in Jakarta, Indonesia for Human Rights violations or in Nepal for government corruption which has now become a photo seen around the world.
This just shows how the anime’s themes aren’t just for those who watch the show or know about it but integral to those who feel like their voices aren’t being heard whether that be from government corruption or self silence out of fear. So stand up for the voiceless, for the hope of a better world and put your hope to the future even if that means just watching episode one of One Piece.
