If there’s a Japanese anime that continues to delight fans worldwide as the years go by, it’s undoubtedly One Piece. Despite being on air for over two decades, the anime adaptation of Eiichiro Oda’s masterpiece keeps growing, and this year is proving to be one of its most triumphant yet – and not only due to the anime itself, but also thanks to the manga’s recent developments and its upcoming live-action adaptation for Netflix.
As for the anime, it has just reached the long-awaited moment that fans have been anticipating for years. This is the scene that manga fans have been eager to see animated for over a year, and it’s a pivotal moment in the evolution of the protagonist, Luffy. It involves one of the most significant spoilers about Luffy, so if you don’t want to know about one of the major milestones in One Piece, I advise you to stop reading further.
How did they adapt Luffy’s Gear Fifth in the anime?
In the midst of the final battle against Kaido in the Wano arc, Luffy finally unleashes his long-awaited Gear Fifth. This marks his fifth “evolution” in which he harnesses the awakened potential of his Devil Fruit. As we know, his true power is not from the Gomu Gomu No Mi as initially thought, but rather from the Hito Hito No Mi: Model Nika. In essence, what unfolds is that Luffy harbors the power of the Sun God Nika.
According to Oda’s work, this translates into Luffy becoming a sort of animated cartoon capable of shaping reality at his will, always infused with humor and in a manner very reminiscent of traditional animations like Looney Tunes. That’s why many were eagerly anticipating this episode, to witness how this concept has been brought to life and adapted on screen.
While the reviews have been mixed, primarily due to the surprise it has been for many, in summary, we can say that they have achieved it: in One Piece, they have managed to adapt this power perfectly. They have complemented it with classic yet highly functional animation and entertaining sounds that fit well with this new ability.
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