One Piece Creator Expresses the Importance of a Strong Female Cast

One Piece's creator explains why his female characters are so strong and independent.


One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda has said it was vital for the heroines of the manga to be strong, capable women.


Oda recently sat down with the New York Times to discuss the popular franchise ahead of its live-action adaptation debut. Many topics were brought up during the interview and things eventually shifted to the portrayal of the women in One Piece. At this, Oda happily noted that to him, it was important to show his female characters, especially his heroines, being capable characters alongside the male characters.


One Piece Creator Supports Powerful Women in Fiction


He spoke about “women with intelligence like Robin, or with abilities like Nami.” He further noted that even the villainous women of One Piece had strength and capabilities that put them on par with the male cast, both good and bad. Other characters that have stood out over the years thanks to Oda’s writing include Black Maria, Cindry, Boa Hancock, Yamato, Reiju, Tashigi, and more. The series has been praised over the years for how its female characters have been handled in the franchise.


To Oda, that instinct to write his female characters a certain way was due to the mangas he read as a child. He revealed in the interview that many of the mangas he went through had female characters “exist just to be rescued,” a trope that has permeated many forms of media over the years. Oda didn’t like this kind of story and endeavored not to use it in his series. Instead, he made women who could hold their own with their brains, brawn, and skills, and should they be in trouble, they knew their shipmates could be there to back them up in a pinch. Plus, they would do the same for their counterparts without hesitation.


His belief in strong characters, specifically strong female characters, is one of the many reasons why fans are curious about the upcoming Netflix adaptation of One Piece. The trailers have already shown the fan-favorite character Nami, and other female characters will likely appear in the first season. Plus, if the second season is approved, even more characters, both good and bad, will arrive to deal with the Straw Hat Pirates. Live-action anime adaptations have a mixed record, at best, and Oda himself noted that he’s pushing for his series to be the one to break the streak.


One Piece season one will be available on Netflix on August 30, 2023.

Popular posts from this blog

Sofía Vergara Is the Cocaine Godmother in First Griselda Photos

Netflix shares a sneak peek of the miniseries Griselda, created by the team behind Narcos & starring Sofía Vergara as Miami drug lord Griselda Blanco. Netflix gives viewers their first look at the upcoming miniseries Griselda, produced by and starring Sofía Vergara. First shared by Entertainment Weekly, the preview images show Vergara in the title role as Griselda Blanco, a Colombian immigrant who became involved in America's burgeoning cocaine business in the 1970s and a prominent figure in the Miami drug wars of '80's. The series was created by Eric Newman and Ingrid Escajeda alongside Doug Miro and Carlo Bernand, who previously created the similarly-themed Narcos for the streamer. Another Narcos alum, Andrés Baiz, will direct the series, though he specified that Griselda will have a different feel to the team's previous collaboration. "The stylistic landmarks of Narcos are not in Griselda," Baiz explained. "Griselda has its own identity ... its own
Read more

Rami Malek’s 20th Century Thriller ‘Amateur’ Among First Studio Shoots To Get Rolling In UK After Strikes

After a grueling few months for UK film and TV producers, there are signs that the industry is starting to head back to work following twin actors and writers strikes in the U.S. Amateur, the 20th Century terrorism thriller starring Rami Malek, will be among the first studio shoots to resume filming in London next month, sources tell Deadline. Amateur, which also stars Rachel Brosnahan and Laurence Fishburne, was halfway through production when the feature’s hundreds of cast, crew, and contractors were put on hiatus in July. The film’s cast has prioritized the project ahead of other commitments they would be shooting had the strike not happened. “Productions needing lead actors back to complete means other shows and films cannot schedule starting,” said a source. Amateur is directed by James Hawes, whose debut feature, the Anthony Hopkins vehicle One Life, has generated plenty of buzz during the fall festival season. Bleecker Street has acquired U.S. rights. Amateur follows a CIA crypt
Read more

Every Underworld Movie, Ranked by Rotten Tomatoes

Fans and critics have shared opinions of the Underworld franchise, and Rotten Tomatoes is no exception. The Underworld series is made up of action-horror films revolving around the ongoing war between vampires and werewolves, each trying to destroy the other. Amidst this conflict, the love story between Selene, a powerful vampire, and Michael, a hybrid being, is a recurring theme. Throughout the series, figures on both sides prove to have hidden agendas. At times, it's hard to tell who is an ally and who is an enemy. One group may be on the brink of extinction, but this might just be what they want the enemies to think. Eventually, even humans learn of the secret war. The Underworld franchise, made up of at least five films and an animated short, has an interesting history. There have even been planned canceled crossovers with I, Frankenstein, Blade, and Resident Evil. Thanks to its fan base, an Underworld reboot had also been planned for the small screen. This is in addition to th
Read more