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One of the most likable aspects of mangaka Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece manga series is the sociopolitical commentary. Dealing with topics of corrupt governments, inequitable differences in wealth, slavery, racism, and more, the series is a surprisingly deep one.
Even before major arcs such as Alabasta and Fishman Island, early One Piece has story beats such as the Arlong Park arc, which also delve into similar topics. While some dislike this aspect of the series’ writing, many fans praise it for how it is used as a narrative device and its real-world commentary.
Such praise can be seen in a post to the r/TrashTaste subreddit made by u/Intelligent-Neck-401. In the days since the post was originally made, fans have taken to discussing this aspect of One Piece’s writing and how it improves and elevates the series to something special. From Alabasta to Dressrosa, fans are discussing the several key appearances of these mature topics in the series.
Trending
One Piece fans praising series’ political commentary, stances, and more on unaffiliated subreddit
As mentioned above, the latest trending post among One Piece fans wasn’t even posted to a series-affiliated subreddit. Instead, it can be found on the subreddit for the Trash Taste podcast, where it was made due to commentary from a previous episode of the podcast. Given the title for the post as seen above, this seems to be riffing on something one of the podcast members said on the series.
While Trash Taste followers, who are also fans of the anime and manga series, are discussing the take made in the comments below, other fans of either or both are focusing on other topics. This sect is instead choosing to focus on the series’ political moments and commentary, as well as how they serve to deepen the story in addition to sending a message.
Fans are also commenting on how Oda acknowledges that he references several historical events with various One Piece plotlines. A key example of this is that Grey Terminal, the massive junkyard where a young Luffy, Sabo, and Ace once played, is based on the tragedy of the Smokey Mountain landfall once located in Manila in the Philippines.
Expectedly, many are also pointing out the more apparent sociopolitical commentaries found in the series, such as government-sanctioned slavery, racism, and corruption of those in power. One fan even brings up Wapol from Drunk Kingdom, a king whose villainous deed boils down to withholding healthcare from his people except for an extremely high cost.
Additionally, many are discussing how the claim of One Piece being political being viewed as a hot take is shocking to them. While these fans are acknowledging some of the nuances may be lost, they also correctly assert that there are plenty of obvious examples of sociopolitical commentary throughout the series.
In any case, it’s clear that series followers are as passionate about the political commentary it has to offer as Oda is about working it into his series. With a commentary on the real world that is also used as a narrative device, Oda masterfully weaves such messages into his story perfectly, often blending the two purposes seamlessly together.
Be sure to keep up with all One Piece anime, manga, film, and live-action news as 2023 progresses.
