“Luffy is a walking revolution”: One Piece Has Always Been Political but the Genius of Oda Was to Give Luffy a Single Brain Cell

One Piece fans agree that witnessing the journey of Monkey D. Luffy, how he readily helps people and liberates countries has turned them into better people. It’s taught them kindness, fighting for freedom, and how to be open-minded. Luffy simply does what he wants, and it inspires us.

The real-world allegories and striking parallels in One Piece are not lost on fans, but some are in denial. Shonen fans don’t want their anime to be “political” but, little did they know, Eiichiro Oda had a reality check in store for us.

He did, however, find a loophole around making it digestible for even the most annoying fans. Luffy might seem simple-minded, just like most Shonen protagonists, but this was a strategic decision by Oda. His mentality keeps the peace even beyond the fictional barriers of One Piece.

Luffy is beyond stupid but he is the face of freedom and revolution

To say One Piece isn’t political is like saying Zoro isn’t a swordsman. It simply isn’t true or a fact. The discrimination the Fishmen face is a direct parallel to the segregation and racism perpetuated against Africans. The slavery and human trafficking by the Celestial Dragons should be obvious.

The overarching villain of the series, the World Government, isn’t a subtle parallel by any means. Eiichiro Oda isn’t sugarcoating it for fans. Even when antagonists like Crocodile or Doflamingo are encouraged by them to continue their oppression.

The only person who has been brave enough to face them, head-on and no questions asked, is Monkey D. Luffy. While other characters have done so subtly, the One Piece protagonist openly voices it out. Luffy may be the face of the Revolutionary Army, but his son will shake the world.

One Piece is only digestible for many fans because of how humorous Luffy is. His stupidity is often a bandaid for the tears. So even when we get a tragic backstory that involves genocide, Luffy is there to put a smile on your face.

However, as this Reddit fan puts it, his stupidity doesn’t stop him from seeing the true nature of the World Government. He knows right from wrong and acts on it. He might have selfish motives at times, but he does it for freedom.

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So while Luffy is a simple-minded kid, he isn’t a coward. He hates any form of oppression and can recognize it better than most of us have in real-life cases. Eiichiro Oda found a powerful yet uplifting way to deliver a message.

One Piece will always be political

Whether you like your entertainment to be political or not, One Piece is a political series. It wasn’t subtle from the beginning and it’s certainly amping up in the Final Saga.

While we don’t know what Luffy’s dream will be, it definitely will have something to do with freeing the world. He has always been set on becoming the Pirate King but there’s something bigger he’s set his heart on too.

One Piece will always be inherently political. From defying fascism to dismantling oppressive systems, you cannot escape how blatantly leftist it is. It works because Luffy is entirely too lovable and kind as a protagonist.

One Piece is available on Crunchyroll.

This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire