One Piece fandom left wondering if Oda planned the hilarious coincidence surrounding Luffy's birthday

Modified May 20, 2024 14:49 GMT

Luffy in Gear 5 form as seen in the One Piece anime (Image via Toei Animation)

The wildly popular protagonist of Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece, Monkey D. Luffy, celebrates his birthday on May 5. Interestingly, World Laughter Day also falls on May 5, 2024, which is a Sunday. Fans on social media are now wondering if this is just a coincidence or if the genius Mangaka had planned this all along.

Oda is known to meticulously plan everything beforehand, even as he continues to add new details to the story. Thus, it does not seem out of place to suppose that he would do something like this, as he has admitted to having planned out exactly how the story will end.

However, the question arises as to why he would establish such a link, given that the day of the week on which May 5 falls changes every year. This has led to a debate among One Piece fans on X.

Why One Piece protagonist Luffy’s birthday seems to be a big deal this year

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In 2024, Luffy's birthday, which falls on May 5, coincided with World Laughter Day, which is celebrated on the first Sunday of May every year. Some One Piece fans are now questioning if this is merely a coincidence or if there is more to it.

It is undeniable that Luffy has sort of emerged as the embodiment of laughter since he seems unable to stop laughing even in serious situations when in Gear 5 form. His Devil Fruit, which was only recently revealed to be a mythical Zoan type called Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika, established a link between him, the Sun God Nika, and Joyboy. In the Japanese language, Nika is an onomatopoeic word, meaning smile or grin.

The individual who awakens Luffy's Devil Fruit is prophesied to be the Warrior of Liberation, a figure destined to bring joy to the world of One Piece and make everyone smile. Thus, World Laughter Day, which is dedicated to raising awareness about laughter and its many healing benefits, seems like the perfect birth date for a character like Luffy. On the other hand, the association with the sun, and by extension, Sunday, is also quite apparent here.

May 5 is also recognized as Children's Day in Japan, which is perfectly fitting for the One Piece protagonist's childish and playful nature, especially in his Gear 5 form. Hence, the choice of his birth date appears to be more than just a coincidence, except for the fact that the date of World Laughter Day keeps changing each year.

How fans have reacted to Luffy’s birthday this year

Luffy still maintains a smile while in a fight as seen in One Piece (Image via Toei Animation)

One Piece fans continue to debate how much of the story was meticulously planned ahead of time by Oda. With the countless hints, foreshadowings, and other subtle details, it is undeniable that a lot of thought and effort has gone into creating this epic journey that has been going on for over 25 years.

However, some fans are hesitant to believe that Oda had already planned for Luffy’s birthday to fall sometime in the future on a Sunday after his Gear 5 form and its connection to Nika were revealed. This skepticism stems from the fact that Luffy’s birthday was revealed in SBS One Piece Manga — Vol. 15 which was published on September 4, 2000.

“I mean didnt the fans pick the birthdays. I remember all the early SBSs just fans going "hey, i think X's birthday should be y" and Oda just writes "yeah... okay thats cool. cannon",” one X user commented.

"That's got be a coincidence," echoed another user.

However, there is another group of fans who firmly believe in Oda's perfectionism and attention to detail, and they are amazed by the depth of his planning.

“Oda cooked this far back,” one fan wrote.

“First SUN DAY, naaaah Goda,” another fan exclaimed, referring to Oda by the nickname by fans.

“Coincidencia? The goat planned it all along,” commented another.

These reactions highlight the admiration and respect that many fans have for Oda and the depth of planning he appears to have undertaken from the outset. However, in this specific case, it seems far-fetched to consider it anything other than a coincidence. After all, Oda had initially planned to conclude the manga several years ago, and this day might not have arrived within the manga’s original runtime.