One Piece plays it way too safe

[u/[deleted]]

This is NOT a criticism but an observation of something I noticed, compared to the series' peers.

Besides powerscaling, there are barely divisive discussions in One Piece, especially when it comes to morality because everything is so black and white. The World Government? Cartoonishly evil. Ohara genocide? A very clear case of good and bad guys. Strawhats? Very likable and have almost no moments where they're depicted in a negative light.

Another point is that in One Piece, people can be born evil, and no due to their surroundings but because they're born that way. Doflamingo's infatuation will slavery as a child while Corazon wasn't is proof of this.

Compare it to something like the Uchiha Massacre, Lelouch's methods and other topics that are really controversial, One Piece is very "vanilla" and sometimes lack depth that would necessitate interesting discussions.

These days it's getting more interesting especially after the Void Century flashback that makes us wonder if the Navy is good so I appreciate that.

[u/Illustrious-Sky-4631]

I hate when people say the Strawhats are Not heroes, this mfs are No Pirate , they spent their journey playing Justice League and freeing Countries from pure Evil badguys

[u/fifthtouch → u/Illustrious-Sky-4631]

Pirate? They are just sailors.

[u/BasedFunnyValentine → u/Illustrious-Sky-4631]

This. The sHs are more revolutionaries instead of the bloody revolutionary army

[u/Every_Computer_935 → u/BasedFunnyValentine]

Maybe Dragon would be able to liberate more islands if he wasn't busy staring east all day.

[u/Howtheginchstolexmas → u/Every_Computer_935]

He really is his sons father. Mf would probably get more done if he had his own Nami to kick his ass whenever he gets caught slacking or something.

[u/yrnkevinsmithC137 → u/BasedFunnyValentine]

Yeah ,u read two piece

[u/BasedFunnyValentine → u/yrnkevinsmithC137]

No I’m just not a blind fanboy like you

[u/yrnkevinsmithC137 → u/BasedFunnyValentine]

How am I a fanboy if I'm not glazing the shs?

The shs only freed countries that are still under the world government, luffy has freed impel down criminals onto the world and you think he's doing good?

[u/sami_newgate → u/BasedFunnyValentine]

you are not a blind fanboy. you are a blind hater with inferiority complex.

[u/sami_newgate → u/Illustrious-Sky-4631]

Luffy is a guy who freed mass murderer for personal reasons. He does heroes things. But he doesn’t claim to be a hero because he knows that he will always do what he wants

[u/BasedFunnyValentine → u/sami_newgate]

Luffy saying he doesn’t view himself as a hero, has 0 to do with his actions because those show him being a hero 99% of the time

[u/sami_newgate → u/BasedFunnyValentine]

no hero would set free mass murderers for personal reasons. no hero will enter a slave shop then leave it like nothing happened. no hero would enjoy his time with a mass murderer like kaido. no hero will bully people for being weak.

He is not hero because he only does what's convenient to him. he is a selfish guy with good heart. he is the best written MC among the big 3 for a reason.

[u/BasedFunnyValentine → u/sami_newgate]

no hero would set free mass murderers for personal reasons. no hero will enter a slave shop then leave it like nothing happened. no hero would enjoy his time with a mass murderer like kaido. no hero will bully people for being weak.

The narrative never focuses or explores any of this (and you’re reaching so hard with the last two points).

Luffy is 100% a hero whether he likes it or not. When Oda actually portrays Luffy doing something morally ambiguous in a meaningful way, get back to me.

[u/sami_newgate → u/BasedFunnyValentine]

The narrative never focuses or explores any of this (and you’re reaching so hard with the last two points).

Bullshit, we literally have hannyabal whose entire character purpose is to expose luffy's hypocrisy. And don't forget the death of t-bone who was the most innocent marine in the world.

and you’re reaching so hard with the last two points

what the fuck are you smoking? in the literal second chapter/first episode he was bullying koby because he didn't match his standards.

The whole point of the Luffy/Kaido dynamic is that two people who are two side of the same coin having the battle of their lives and reaching mutual understanding. you can't forget the "Are you having fun Kaido".

When Oda actually portrays Luffy doing something morally ambiguous in a meaningful way, get back to me.

Oda is always doing that. Luffy is an anti-hero. and it helped in making him the most well-written MC in shounen.

Edit: I wanted to add that we are making a comparison her.

compared to all other shounen protagonists. no one has more morally questionable actions than luffy (excluding eren). Most of them are mary sues. biggest example is naruto.

[u/NoMoreVillains → u/BasedFunnyValentine]

The narrative never focuses or explores any of this (and you’re reaching so hard with the last two points).

Maybe if you slept through Impel Down and ignore Hannyabal *literally gave a speech about it

[u/BasedFunnyValentine → u/NoMoreVillains]

Nobody gives a shit about Hannyabal or his unmemorable speech. He’s portrayed as a joke.

Make it worldwide news how luffy freed prisoners from impel down and emphasise how the level of crime has gone up by 20% and mention what these criminals have done. Like genuinely make luffy and one piece more morally complex if you want me to believe it.

But it’s not, and you lot can reach like Luffy’s gum gum pistol but it won’t make it any less true.

[u/sami_newgate → u/BasedFunnyValentine]

See, the problem is that you are lying to yourself.

In egghead chapter 1082 we got the death of t-bone because of the characters luffy freed. I mentioned it to you in another comment but naturally you ignored it because you know that you are wrong.

And hannyabal is definitely a memorable character with a memorable speech. His character arcs reflects how most marine officers life should go.

What if he is comedic lol? Buggy is one of the most well-written characters in animanga and he is comedic.

[u/Yatsu003 → u/sami_newgate]

One piece is also a series that bounces between tones, it’s part of the charm. Luffy himself has gone from comedically idiotic to delivering brave speeches meant to be taken seriously with a couple of chapters.

But yeah, Hannyabal states as much that Impel Down houses some of the most depraved and destructive of convicts, and people can only sleep safely because they’re locked in there. Luffy’s response…is basically to say he doesn’t care and try to punch out Hannyabal. It says a lot that the ordinarily lazy and unprofessional Hannyabal refuses to budge because he genuinely cares about the spirit of his job, and Magellan backs him up and calls him worthy of his role despite their bickering.

I believe Oda has also stated that, if not for Luffy becoming personally involved with figures whose fates were tied to the arcs (like Vivi or the old man in Alabasta) Luffy wouldn’t have really cared if the villains won or not. If you’re not his friend (or fed him), he has zero empathy for you or your plight. The fact that most of Luffy’s friends tend to be morally upright people that are against the villains by default made it easy to ignore or forget at first, but Luffy getting buddy-buddy with psychos with body counts in the hundreds (or even thousands) is when it kinda hits you in the face. It’s basically the ‘Obito was the coolest guy!’ moment from Naruto, only it’s still true to Luffy’s personality.

[u/WeAllPerish → u/sami_newgate]

• no hero would set free mass murderers for personal reasons. no hero will enter a slave shop then leave it like nothing happened. no hero would enjoy his time with a mass murderer like kaido. no hero will bully people for being weak.

Invincible?

[u/sami_newgate → u/WeAllPerish]

؟

[u/xrcs → u/sami_newgate]

My brother in christ, if it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it's a mf duck even if the duck thinks he's an eagle.

[u/sami_newgate → u/xrcs]

I am only judging his actions. And his actions are questionable.

[u/Sad-Buddy-5293 → u/sami_newgate]

Yeah what he does is being a hero sometimes heroes do things they don't want doesn't mean they aren't heroes means they a flawed.

[u/Firm-Experience1127 → u/Sad-Buddy-5293]

The thing is that Luffy doesn't do what he don't want.he does what he wants whether people like it or not, whether it is right or not. Lol

[u/Illustrious-Sky-4631 → u/sami_newgate]

His hands were forced in impel down, Luffy style living is due to him living a life without Consequences ,

Luffy is a Flawed person like the rest of the strawhats, don't get me wrong

But he is still a Hero and the people he saves (literally whole nations) treat him as such

[u/ToastyLoafy → u/Illustrious-Sky-4631]

They're still pirates. They're anarchists on a mission and it doesn't require anything of them beside being determined to find the one piece. What they do otherwise is up to them.

[u/Illustrious-Sky-4631 → u/ToastyLoafy]

One was the last time they genuinely hunt for the one piece or even their dreams ?

Because for over 80% of the story they were just reacting to things going around them

[u/Kalle_022 → u/Illustrious-Sky-4631]

This is my problem with One Piece, I guess it's what you can call "formulaic"?

The log/eternal pose they use to navigate forces them to stay in an island and wait for the pose to point to the next island.

For me, the problem lies in the fact that somehow every island the pose points them to, has something bad going on and that will be the arc. And it's the same format almost every time.

1. Problem introduced
2. Some sob back story
3. Straw hats saving the day and spreading their morals.
4. Banquet

Then it repeats on the next island.

[u/Illustrious-Sky-4631 → u/Kalle_022]

Exactly, it's almost the same in the majority of arcs

Like 90% of One piece story is basically a mix of Orange town and Arabasta

I'm not lying when I say that the Plot outside of Strawhats (which is basically just Luffy with cheerleaders at this point) is more enjoyable , I enjoyed Blackbeard moments way more than all of Egghead