Toei turns Bonney's emotional scene into a fan service in One Piece episode 1106

One Piece episode 1106, which was released on Sunday, May 26, 2024, has received a lot of criticism online for fan service. Toei Animation has been consistently impressive with their exceptional work on One Piece, delivering high-quality animation on a weekly basis. The studio is presently adapting the first arc of the Final Saga, the Egghead Island Arc. The new style and use of colors, along with the storytelling itself, has received great appreciation in the fandom.

However, Toei's inclination towards incorporating fan service in inappropriate situations is an area where they are rightly criticized. Many fans have observed that the amount of fan service has also increased in the anime in recent times. It seems a line was crossed today for which viewers have flooded social media with their complaints.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers.

Bonney’s depiction in One Piece episode 1106 draws ire from fans

Expand Tweet

In One Piece episode 1106, Bonney was about to experience Kuma's extremely painful memories which he had stored into a paw bubble kept at Vegapunk’s lab. This was a glimpse into the human side of Kuma that Bonney had not seen for a very long time since he was turned into a cyborg by the World Government, who only wanted a heartless killing machine.

This moment in One Piece episode 1106 was supposed to be both suspenseful and emotional, but the inclusion of fan service, showing Bonney from the backside from an inappropriate angle, right before it arguably lessened the impact for viewers since it moved the attention away from the plot. For some, it may be a minor distraction, but it completely took away from the moment for others.

One Piece mangaka Eiichiro Oda is also guilty of fan service in his manga. While these moments are unfortunate, they are not as brazen as those included by Toei. In the Egghead Island Arc, Toei has already been criticized for unnecessarily and inappropriately depicting Bonney in a revealing manner. The scene in the manga was short, but Toei dragged it and added extra shots as well.

Stussy as seen in the One Piece anime (Image via Toei Animation)

In another recent episode as well, Toei depicted Stussy as a much more bewitching character than her depiction in the manga. This change can be somewhat overlooked because of her vampire-like appearance and the common pop culture depiction of vampires as enchanting figures. However, the situation with Bonney is significantly different.

The issue with fan service involving Bonney is complicated by the fact that she is actually a minor who has only assumed an adult's body using her Devil Fruit powers. Thus, it is no wonder that as a result of this, One Piece fans have taken to platforms like X to express their frustrations.

How have fans reacted to the fan service in One Piece episode 1106

Bonney, as seen in One Piece episode 1106 (Image via Toei)

A significant portion of One Piece viewers do not appreciate the fanservice and are quite vocal about sharing their opinions on the internet. This discontent is particularly noticeable on platforms like X, where reactions to new episodes are immediate.

This is also the case with One Piece episode 1106, which left fans feeling upset, annoyed, and disappointed. Many fans have noted that the portrayal of Bonney undermined the seriousness of the scene rather than embellishing it.

"People aren't focusing on any emotional development.💀

They only care that bonney (a cartoon drawn like an adult) was filmed from behind. People are so sad," wrote one user, disappointed by how the fanservice in One Piece episode 1106 has shifted the focus from what was really important.

“Why they making weird a** shots on an emotional scene man😭??” wrote another.

Viewers are obviously concerned by Bonney's depiction as she is only twelve years old.

“Like why not just have Bonney be an adult

Why does she have to be 12,” questioned one X user.

Some users of X have resisted, arguing that the responsibility lies more with the audience to avoid interpreting the scenes inappropriately rather than the scenes themselves being problematic. Thus, some viewers have tried to defend the scene from One Piece episode 1106 in X.

"Or just collectively all remember that these are fictional characters at the end of the day and how one is perceived doesn’t translate 1 to 1 into reality," wrote one X user.

Such views shift the onus from the creators to the viewers, but fans have also replied to such comments sensibly.

“I don't understand why people are afraid to blame toei. I think it's well established that toei is no saint and how bad they are with fan service. That bonney scene, nami scene from PH and so much more. When people say anime is weird this is the stuff they are talking about”, one X user said.

“I don’t mind those shots cuz it’s not reality

But those who do, are not in the wrong here. Toei knows that the character is a child but still s**** her adult form

Oda also is to blame, although I doubt it was his initial plan to make her true form 12 yo,” wrote another.

These reactions to One Piece episode 1106 highlight the fact that creators must bear responsibility for their works. Just as we praise Oda for his layered storytelling, we should also hold him responsible for the design of his characters. Similarly, while we acknowledge Toei for the recent improvements in animation quality, we should also call them out for their portrayal of female characters.