Manga “One Piece” and social commentary – issues of racism

The news that Netflix is making a live-action adaptation of “One Piece” came as a big shock to me, having grown up with the manga “One Piece” written by Eiichiro Oda. It has never once relinquished the top spot in the 25 years since “One Piece” was first serialized.

One Piece as microcosm of the real world

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When I first read this manga in middle school, all I could think of was that it was funny, moving and exciting. However, the storyline and the theme get deeper and broader as I grow older, and now I believe it is no exaggeration to say One Piece is my textbook that I can learn not only human relationships but also social issues such as racism, slave trafficking and child soldiers. Oda makes various social commentaries through long series as though One Piece is a microcosm of the world.

Discrimination against fishmen and merfolks

There are issues of racism even in the One Piece world, where has diversity and is a place where anything can happen. The best example of racism is the conflict between fishmen and humans. I assume that no one (including straw hat crews) ever could have imagined fishmen have been persecuted and discriminated against by humans when they appeared as indomitable strongmen first in Nami’s hometown and continuing until they visited the Sabaody Archipelago.

Fishmen and merfolk disguise themselves on the island and pretend to be human. It is because once their identities are discovered, they are scorned and become targets of human trafficking. When Hachi, Luffy’s octopus-men friend, accidentally takes his eight arms out of the clothing, humans around him start screaming “So creepy…Look at all those arms…!” “Scary! Don’t let it near me.” It shows how much humans don’t know about fishmen but just discriminate against them based on their appearance. The reasons for this deep-rooted discrimination will be revealed later in the Fisherman’s Island Arc, and audiences will find similarities between what is told in “One Piece” and what is happening in the real world.

It’s not a hero comic, it’s a story about friendship and humanity

There are a variety of social problems, not just the problem of racism, that are ironically solved by pirates, or straw hat crews. They are not political, they are not on anyone’s side (Luffy hates being called a “hero”), but just trying to help their friends out of their natural ethics. Indeed, our real world is much more complicated than that of One Piece. However, at the very least, Luffy and the characters’ straightforward determination to right wrongs and combat evil impart essential lessons to us, particularly adults who have grown accustomed to believing that they lack the courage to take action.