Did One Piece anime reference Willem Dafoe in Episode 1133?

Fans of the One Piece anime have been on an emotional rollercoaster while experiencing one of the most traumatic backstories of a character known as Bartholomew Kuma. Since Episode 1133 aired, there is one panel that became the highlight amidst the emotional intensity and action. In just a single frame, a random marine character caught the eyes of fans, proving that viewers were not just being casual watchers but really paying attention.

In the frame was a recreation of a meme that went viral, and in just a second of screentime, the built-up tension was broken. Yes, our beloved show gave us a Willem Dafoe “looking up” meme reference. Interestingly, it did not take much time for fans to take this to the internet.

In the middle of a dramatic fight while Kuma was launching his attack towards the Marines, there was one random officer who was shown looking upward with a stunned, slightly unhinged expression, which is an unmistakable mirror to Willem Dafoe’s now-iconic scene from the 2018 film At Eternity’s Gate.

Even in the anime, this Marine had no lines but just one iconic look as Kuma rained destruction from above. To the casual viewer, this second of animation might have been easy to miss, but for those who have been keeping up with the meme culture, it was impossible to look past it. While this was not part of the manga, this reference can be seen as an easter egg from the animators' side.

In the grand scheme of the narrative of One Piece, this tiny reference made a difference, maybe not to the story but to the hearts of the viewers. At no point did it undercut the gravity of Kuma’s actions or the visuals of the scene. Rather, it could be seen as adding a new layer; it shows that the animators are equally invested in delivering something that the viewers would respond to.

How One Piece proved that anime studios are embracing modern culture

If we look at any anime from the past, it is noticeable that whenever the studio tried to incorporate any reference from the real world, the content would usually involve Japanese traditions or long-standing genre tropes.

But now that anime is a global phenomenon, these studios are considering overseas viewers and delivering something enjoyable to everyone. That is why most fans strongly believe that this Willem Dafoe reference in One Piece episode 1133 was an intentional move.

Furthermore, it is a testament to understanding how fluid and playful modern anime can be. The best part of taking the risk of adding a funny reference in an emotional scene played in favor of Toei Animation. As ans responded positively.

Finally, this move might have been risky, but after all the controversy Toei had after releasing the news of using AI, this single reference made fans forget about it and are celebrating the genius of blending real-life memes into a fictional story.

Trending

Final thoughts

This single Willem Dafoe reference might look like an insignificant scene in the One Piece anime, but it is proof that the world of anime is not rigid anymore. They are open to new ideas that keep this show fresh. With this shift, we can likely expect to see modern references in many different series too.

×

Was this article helpful?

Thank You for feedback