Here it is in all it’s glory:
As a person I enjoy both art and literature. When those are mixed they can tell a mature and realistic story, relevant for when and after they were written, something very few pieces of media can claim. Some of these are books, which can serve as a commentary on life or an escape from the author's harsh reality. In other cases these are artworks, which no matter when they were made are still recognizable to this day. Romeo and Juliet and the Mona Lisa, both pieces of work that are recognizable and known to this day. Even television shows can be placed among these works with pieces such as Star Wars, Law and order and Doctor who, all series that started years ago and are still going strong without a decrease in quality.
Though to me there is one series that stands above all the rest in it’s quality, storytelling and real world connection. That series is One Piece by Eiichiro Oda, it first started as a manga or Japanese graphic novel and then got adapted into an anime and very recently it got a live action version on Netflix. Not only does it connect almost every from of art but since it’s start in July of 1997 it is still receiving new chapters weekly. One Piece is a story of adventure, discovery and revolution where the main character, a pirate named Monkey D. Luffy dreams to find a treasure known as the one piece and become the pirate king. At first this is a lighthearted and fun story but as the story progresses you get to see the more mature storytelling elements come into play. One of these is the corrupt world government which wishes to quell individuality and erase any knowledge of their wrongdoings. Another one of these complex and mature themes is the theme of trauma and losing loved ones as well as overcoming that trauma and learning to connect with others in spite of it. A third theme that can be seen is that of learning how to deal with loss in a healthy way.
In One Piece we can see a very accurate portrayal of a corrupt government, one who wishes for total control over its people and the destruction of any opposition. This can be seen in the real world, both in the past and present where governments silence their people to stop them form revolting and stopping the corruption in their government. Another thing that is mirrored between One Piece and the real world is how those at the top stay at the top and those who are at the bottom stay at the bottom. In One Piece there are a group of people who are immensely rich and look down upon normal people, treating them as lesser and even treating some like playthings and pets. In the real world there are politicians and royals who see normal people as lesser and only care about their own opinions and ideals. Lastly, in One Piece the government tries to erase anyone or anything that knows of the atrocities they’ve committed, sending their highest ranking members to take care of the “criminals” who hold the “forbidden” knowledge. This can be seen in the real world as history is written by the victors. The winners of wars and battles write themselves at the top and use that liberty to destroy the history of their opponents. Even on a small scale this can be seen as those who protest against corruption are quickly snuffed out.
Another theme in One Piece is trauma, in the story one character; Nico Robin, is a woman who has repeatedly lost everything in her life. Many other stories often venture into loss and the death of loved ones but rarely ever do it well, One Piece is one of those series that do it well. When she was young Nico Robin was an orphan, her father presumably leaving before she was born and her mother having to leave due to being a revolutionary, someone who opposes the world government. This is the first layer of trauma for Nico robin, being left alone by her parents for reasons unknown to her. As she lived, passing from family to family she was ostracized by others for something she could not control. After that she became a scholar, studying the history of a forgotten time, which was purposefully erased by the world government. For even knowing about this time the island she lived on was marked for destruction by the world government all for simply learning. After ending up as the lone survivor of this attack Nico Robin is then marked as a criminal by the government, living her life in hiding before eventually working as a pirate where she is betrayed by her superior and left to die. Up to this point her life has been nothing but pain and a struggle, something most books fail to write well as they try to use a character's trauma as a plot point for later as opposed to making it truly a part of a character. Later on in the story Nico Robin, now allied with the main character, is captured by the government and is set to be executed but, due to all of the trauma she no longer sees herself as a helpful person and feels like her execution would be more beneficial to the main cast than her survival. But, at the end of that section of the story she utters one sentence that changes everything: “I want to live.” these words end her life of trauma and start her new life with the main cast, one full of hope and opportunity, free of the horrors of her past.
Lastly, One Piece is a story about loss and dealing with loss healthily as well a s coming to terms with it. In the story very few characters die but when they do it is incredibly important to the story. When Luffy’s brother is set to be executed he stops at nothing to help him, not even stopping after being separated from all his friends. He is willing to face the entire world government all to save his brother, facing incredibly powerful people who could easily kill him. But, when his brother sacrifices himself for Luffy, he is incredibly distraught, not knowing what to do at all. At first he tries to save him despite knowing he’s already dead. But he slowly begins to come to terms with his brother's death. Instead of breaking down and entering a deep depression he uses it to push himself forward, using his brother's sacrifice as a reason for living. He is an incredible example of dealing with loss healthily, he doesn’t let it stop him, he lets it fuel him.
As I continue to experience One Piece’s story as I grow and mature I realize that it is more true to life than I ever knew, it is a story not about pirates and supernatural powers but one of individuality, freedom and expression.