The Revolutionary Mastery of One Piece: Redefining Shonen Conventions

Highlights

In One Piece, Luffy stands out from typical shonen protagonists by prioritizing the well-being of his friends over a selfless duty to safeguard the innocent.

In One Piece, the distinction between heroes and villains is uncertain, as pirates often assume the role of heroes while the Marines oppress the populace. Good and evil are found in both factions, as well as in the ambiguous realm in between. One Piece defies typical shonen conventions, deviating from extended training sessions and tournament arcs, instead opting for off-screen training and a distinctive pirate battle.

Without exaggeration, One Piece stands as one of the most exceptional shonen manga in history. Its continued dominance in both sales and popularity, nearly three decades since its inception, is truly astounding.

The staggering success of One Piece can be attributed to numerous factors, one being its remarkable knack for subverting traditional shonen tropes. Here, we explore the various ways in which One Piece ingeniously flips these tropes on their head, offering a unique and invigorating experience.

Luffy Doesn’t Want To Be A Hero

In the Fishman Island Arc, Jinbe implored Luffy to take on the role of the fishmen's champion. Without hesitation, Luffy responded, "I appreciate heroes, but I don't aspire to be one. Do you really understand what it means to be a hero? Picture this: there's a delectable chunk of meat! While pirates would devour it, a hero would share it with the people! Personally, I just want to enjoy the meat!" This quote perfectly captures Luffy's fundamental beliefs as a character.

Unlike most protagonists in Shonen series, who act out of selflessness, characters like Goku from Dragon Ball, Deku from My Hero Academia, and even Tanjiro from Demon Slayer put their lives on the line to safeguard others, particularly the vulnerable. These selfless heroes, along with countless others, exemplify this noble attribute.

Luffy's motivations differ significantly from others. While he has indeed saved numerous individuals and even entire kingdoms on multiple occasions, his actions are solely driven by the fact that his friends happen to be citizens of those kingdoms. This is evident in his involvement with Nami's hometown, Chopper's Drum Island, Vivi's Alabasta, and Rebecca's Dressrosa, among others.

Luffy's intentions do not stem from a desire to be seen as a hero who saves innocent people. Rather, his actions are a direct response to his friends being hurt by the antagonist, and he seeks to avenge them. It is important to note that everything he does is driven by his own personal desires, and not for the sake of some greater good or to establish himself as a champion of the people. Fortunately, his desires often align with the well-being of the people, resulting in positive outcomes.

Who Is The Good Guy?

Luffy stands apart from traditional heroes in the world of One Piece because he, along with his crew, is regarded as a criminal. This sets him apart from the majority of heroes found in Shonen manga. However, being a pirate does not automatically make Luffy evil, nor does it mean that those who enforce the law, like the Marines, are inherently good. The dynamics are much more complex.

In the series, Luffy, along with many other pirates, often serve as the champions of justice, while the Marines, who are meant to uphold the law, are the ones who oppress the people. Nonetheless, there are also ruthless and dangerous pirates like Kaido and Doflamingo, who show no hesitation in taking countless lives, as well as benevolent and heroic Marines like Garp and Koby, who are dedicated to protecting innocent individuals.

Unlike other popular shonen series such as My Hero Academia, Demon Slayer, Naruto, Bleach, Dragon Ball, and many more, One Piece presents a unique challenge in determining the clear distinction between heroes and villains. In this world, both sides have the potential for goodness and evilness, blurring the line between them. Furthermore, there are even individuals who dwell in the ambiguous gray area.

No Training, No Tournaments

Training and tournament arcs are two popular themes frequently found in Shonen narratives. Famous series such as Naruto, Dragon Ball, Fairy Tail, My Hero Academia, Black Clover, Jujutsu Kaisen, and many others incorporate both of these arcs within their storylines. While some series like Demon Slayer and Bleach may not feature tournament arcs, they heavily emphasize training. On the other hand, series like Record of Ragnarok or Kengan Ashura revolve entirely around massive tournament arcs.

In regards to One Piece, the majority of the characters' training was not shown on screen. It seems that each character discovered how to enhance their abilities during their own personal time, away from the view of the audience. The only glimpses of training montages are brief clips following the conclusion of the Marineford Arc, when the Straw Hats crew members are separated from one another. Regarding the tournament aspect, one could argue that the Davy Back Fight mini arc in the early days of the Straw Hats' pirate journey fits the bill. However, it is more like a peculiar yet captivating battle between two pirates, rather than a full-fledged tournament involving multiple factions.

These instances exemplify some of the innovative and invigorating ways in which One Piece strays from typical Shonen tropes. Nevertheless, even One Piece cannot completely escape certain tropes that are characteristic of Shonen as a whole, such as tragic pasts, shouting the names of their special techniques, lengthy revelations, and various others.

Despite following the rules, they also break them and forge new paths in tackling these tropes. This paves the way for other subsequent series to follow their lead, as evident in shows like Attack on Titan, Chainsaw Man, and the latest addition, Dandadan. Stream One Piece on Crunchyroll.