In a revealing interview back in 2018, translated for wider audiences by a prominent social media personality, the acclaimed Japanese manga artist Eiichiro Oda articulated his philosophical opposition to portraying scenes of death in his epic pirate fantasy series One Piece.
Known for its colorful cast of characters and creative worldbuilding celebrated both in its native Japan and abroad, One Piece takes place in a dangerous yet surprisingly non-lethal fictional world.
Oda explained that he purposefully avoids directly showing characters die not out of squeamishness or censorship, but rather out of a heartfelt commitment to preserving the upbeat, joyful tone of the series.
“I want the final chapter to culminate in a massive celebratory party with all the characters enjoying friendship and camaraderie,” he said.
Oda (2018): The reason I don't want to draw scenes where people die is because I want to draw a party after the battle. If someone dies, you can't have an enjoyable party. A party is my ideal form of friendship. I want to end with One Piece with a *big party*.🍕 pic.twitter.com/2deehxom3L
— sandman (@sandman_AP) December 12, 2023
“It’s my vision for the ideal, loving community. But if central characters are killed off throughout the story, it undermines that spirit of fun and friendship and makes it impossible to fully realize that party at the end.”
Thus, for Oda, refusing to depict death is an artistic choice aligned with his humanistic themes of fellowship and community ultimately triumphing.
Eiichiro Oda’s Stance on Death and the Celebration of Unity
In a telling translation of a past interview, famed manga artist Eiichiro Oda elucidated his philosophical position against portraying explicit scenes of mortality in his fantastical piratical epic One Piece.
Revered both domestically and abroad for its vibrant characterization and imaginative worldbuilding, One Piece unfolds in a hazardous yet oddly non-fatal fictional realm.
Oda clarified that his steadfast avoidance of directly depicting death stems not from timidity or censorship, but an earnest adherence to preserving the upbeat, jubilant ethos at the story’s core.
“I envision the climactic chapter culminating in a massive celebratory bash with the full cast reveling in friendship and fellowship,” he illuminated. “That represents my ideal of a loving, harmonious community.
However, if integral characters are killed off left and right, it corrodes that spirit of enjoyment and camaraderie, obstructing that culminating festive vision.”
Hence for Oda, excluding death is an artistic choice aligned with his humanistic themes of alliance and unity ultimately prevailing.
Of course, this is not to suggest One Piece lacks profoundly poignant moments of loss, like the death of Nami’s adoptive mother. But generally defeats in the story tend to subdue enemies rather than kill them off outright – a marked contrast to the Grimmer Shonen series.
Even the demises of hugely popular characters give Oda pause. Hence through this lens, the casual killings in Netflix’s live-action adaptation starkly diverge from the uplifting essence of the original epic.
About One Piece
The sprawling pirate fantasy epic One Piece chronicles the adventures of Monkey D. Luffy, a plucky young man whose body gains rubber-like properties after inadvertently eating a Devil Fruit.
Inspired by deceased former Pirate King Gol D. Roger, Luffy sets sail to locate Roger’s ultimate treasure, the eponymous “One Piece,” and claim his mantle.
Assembling a motley crew bound by friendship and dreams of glory, Luffy is joined by Roronoa Zoro, a stoic swordsman longing to become the greatest by surpassing miracle blade wielders; Nami, a wily navigator fixated on cartography and profit; Usopp, a boastful marksman prone to fabrication; and Sanji, an amorous chef with chivalric ideals.
Together on vessels like the nimble Going Merry and later the formidable Thousand Sunny, they encounter notorious pirates, cutthroat bounty hunters, shadowy government Cipher Pol agents, revolutionaries, rogue military factions, scientists of shifting ethics, and a colorful cavalcade of friends and foes.
Later allies expand the crew, including wisecracking cyborg shipwright Franky; undead musician Brook, revived by an occult fruit; Tony Tony Chopper, an outcast reindeer doctor; Nico Robin, an archaeologist with scores to settle; and fish-man knight Jimbei, who relinquishes his Warlord status for brotherhood.
Through tragedy, turmoil, and triumph sailing perilous seas, the Straw Hats chase interwoven dreams.
Navigating Grand Line’s Perils and the Mystique of the Blues
The vivid realm of One Piece is composed of two vast oceans separated by the towering Red Line mountain ridge.
Sandwiched between the oceans is the notorious Grand Line – a maritime corridor running perpendicular to the Red Line, bounded by the Calm Belts, placid waters teeming with leviathan Sea Kings.
These landmarks partition the globe into four subsidiary seas: North Blue, East Blue, West Blue, and South Blue.
Thus passage between seas is tremendously treacherous, save for a few mystical maritime gateways.
At Reverse Mountain, waters from the four peripheral seas flow uphill and converge, merging into turbulent rapids and entering the Grand Line.
Government ships also covertly cross the Calm Belts by cloaking their presence with Sea Prism Stone.
The volatile Grand Line itself bifurcates into two segments – the relatively mild Paradise, and the lethal New World, with the Red Line as the dividing marker.
So through mastery of waves and weather, intrepid seafarers can traverse between isolated seas via the pirate-infested Grand Line, seeking fortune, glory, and death-defying adventure on the ultimate suicide voyage.
