With the release of the first teaser for Netflix’s live-action adaptation of One Piece, longtime fans of the series are seeing the Straw Hat Pirates from a new perspective. Thanks to the delightful core cast of the show, these versions of Luffy, Zoro, Nami, Usopp, and Sanji feel familiar. And yet, purely because the medium is so different, it’s making fans think critically about translating the Straw Hats into the real world. To that end, an old SBS in which mangaka Eiichiro Oda discussed characters’ real-world nationalities is coming back into the conversation in a major way.
The SBS is a question-and-answer segment at the end of each chapter in every volume of One Piece. Fans send in letters—sometimes with questions, very often with gags—and Oda will respond. It’s a beloved affair that illustrates an intimate relationship between author and audience rarely seen elsewhere. Sometimes, Oda will give important canon information in the SBS. Recently, he dropped Zoro’s entire family tree. Other times, he’ll give impressions which could be canon but are definitely subject to change if need be.
The “real-world nationalities” thing is decisively the latter. The question was, “If One Piece was set in the real world, which countries would the nine Straw Hats come from?” (The question pre-dates Jinbe’s official recruitment, though Oda was asked about Jinbe later.) Oda replied with the important stipulation, “Well, I’ll just put what fits with the character’s image.” He also doesn’t elaborate on his decision-making.
I mention this because the nature of clickbait has created an over-emphasis on these answers, which should all be taken with a grain of salt. Oda definitely followed these vibes while casting the Straw Hats, which shows that these answers didn’t come from nowhere and are consistent with his vision. But they are not canon. These answers are also 12 years old. One would hope that if someone asked Oda about this now, he would have a better answer for Usopp, for reasons we’ll get into shortly.
Luffy: Brazil
This makes a lot of sense to me. The stereotypical image of Brazil is a place where people play lots of music, eat lots of food, and generally prioritize having fun—they’re famous for Carnival, after all. All of that is just Luffy in a nutshell.
Luffy’s live-action actor, Iñaki Godoy, is Mexican, not Brazilian. Still, seeing Oda have a role in casting and choosing a Latin actor feels right.
Roronoa Zoro: Japan
Zoro exudes a lot of the characteristics of a more typical shounen protagonist—and, therefore, the mainstream idealized version of Japanese manhood. He’s stoic and cool under pressure, but beneath that, he cares deeply for those close to him. He’s also the resident swordsman and (spoiler alert, even for anime watchers) descended from samurai. So, honestly, no surprises here. Zoro is wildly popular in Japan to boot. His popularity nearly eclipses Luffy’s, especially among the show’s male fan base.
As far as the Netflix adaptation goes, Mackenyu’s parents are Japanese, but he grew up in LA. He currently resides in Japan and is downright famous there. So there’s a callback to Oda’s SBS answer here as well.
Nami: Sweden
This is one where I think Oda saying that he was mostly basing the call on the character’s appearance checks out. The most Swedish thing about Nami is undoubtedly her orange hair. Beyond that, Sweden’s healthy arts funding, lovely healthcare, and general socialist policies feel at odds with Nami’s fierce money-grubbing. Which was born out of trauma—no judgement.
Emily Rudd, Nami’s live-action actress, told me she’s from Minnesota. There are historically so many Scandinavian settlers in Minnesota, there is literally a page on the state’s tourism website titled “Embrace the Nordic Lifestyle in Minnesota.” Apparently “the Nordic lifestyle is on trend like never before.” Who knew? (I’m also a Midwesterner, for the record.)
Usopp: “Africa”
Yeah, see, I told you this wasn’t going to be great. Ye olde “country” of Africa. Not the best answer, especially considering Usopp is the only Black Straw Hat (unless we want to get into the Robin post-time-jump skin-lightening discussion, which is definitely for another time). Like I said, this is based on an answer Eiichiro Oda gave 12 years ago. Hopefully, he would be more specific now. Especially given that the live-action Netflix series filmed in South Africa.
Speaking of the Netflix adaptation, Usopp is played by Jacob Romero Gibson, a Black actor who was born in Denver, not on the continent of Africa. It’s unclear if Oda reductively consolidated Africa and Black people, or if he really meant for Usopp to be from a country in Africa—referring to Africa as a country and depicting the anime version of Usopp in a style associated with racist caricatures of Black people (a frequent debate among One Piece fans) doesn’t exactly inspire confidence.
Sanji: France
This match-up doesn’t come as a surprise. Sanji is the chef of the Straw Hats, and a lot of his dishes seem French-inspired. Most of his attacks even have names which borrow from French cooking lingo: Collier, Concassé, Basse Côte, etc.
Sanji is the last of the Straw Hats to have a live-action actor at the moment. Taz Skylar is European, yes, but he’s British-Lebanese and was born in Spain. None of those places are France, but we love him just the same.
Tony Tony Chopper: Canada
OF COURSE my beautiful boy is Canadian! He’s so nice, so sweet! Canada is America’s lovely, kind cousin, and Chopper is the world’s lovely, kind cousin. And, you know, Canada is famous for its doctors. Or something?
Nico Robin: Russia
This choice is truly fascinating. Nico Robin grew up on an island famous for its knowledge. She was surrounded by scholars from an early age. But the World Government figured out they were looking into a forbidden history and erased the entire island from existence. Robin is the only survivor. Fast forward two decades, and she has a stint in the Revolutionary Army. Her nickname is “the Light of the Revolution.”
Kind of a heavy pick for Eiichiro Oda to make, no?
Franky: America
Franky being American makes so much sense. The man wears a Hawaiian shirt, has zero self-consciousness about wearing a speedo for pants, is very loud and talkative, and loves cola. He’s even got a red, white, and blue motif going on, if you consider his skin tone as the white. As such, he’s pretty much the best thing America can currently claim. Frank(l)y, we don’t deserve him.
Brook: Austria
Brook is the musician of the Straw Hat crew. He’s a talented violinist, guitarist, piano player, singer, and songwriter. Austria is famous for cultivating many of the greatest talents in the history of Western classical music and opera, like Gustav Mahler, Joseph Haydn, and Franz Schubert. Very different genres, but sure.
Jinbe: India
A part of me would’ve expected Oda to say “Japan, part two” for Jinbe. Instead he said India, and I love this for Jinbe. Jinbe is essentially the dad of the Straw Hats. This perhaps plays into a stereotypical image of India as a place with a lot of wisdom and spiritualism, much of which is held by elders.
(featured image: Toei Animation)
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