Accusations of Whitewashing Surround Netflix’s One Piece Remake Following Release of Concept Art

The recently announced One Piece remake has sparked controversy, with certain fans accusing the production of whitewashing the main characters.

The upcoming One Piece remake, a collaboration between Netflix and WIT Studio, is set to be one of the most highly anticipated anime projects. It will retell the East Blue Saga, the first arc of the One Piece series, and follow Luffy and his crew as they embark on their journey to the Grand Line.

On August 11, the creators announced the team behind the project, which includes one of the directors from Attack on Titan, and unveiled a variety of concept art. This included the character designs for the initial five members of the Straw Hat crew: Luffy, Zoro, Nami, Usopp, and Sanji.

Although the majority of fans are thrilled and amazed by these, there are a few who have noticed a specific issue. Numerous individuals are utilizing social media to highlight that certain characters appear to be whitewashed, specifically Usopp.

One Piece consistently emphasizes the diverse ethnic backgrounds of the Straw Hat crew. Among the initial five members, only Nami and Sanji are depicted as white, while Zoro and Luffy have darker skin tones and Usopp is portrayed as black.

Despite the One Piece remake artwork depicting their character designs in much lighter shades compared to the original series, this change has caused frustration among many fans who are not shy about expressing their opinions.

Nami and Ussop character design by the onepiece remake by Wit pic.twitter.com/jSH3nfOWRZ

— Pew (@pewpiece) August 11, 2024

One X user expressed their opinion by stating, “Even if you refuse to acknowledge the whitewashing, it’s hard to ignore the fact that all the characters have the same pale skin tone. It doesn’t even look pale, just gray.”

A third person expressed their opinion, stating, “But what’s wrong with us wanting Usopp to have a darker skin tone? He is clearly depicted as a black character!”Another individual commented on Usopp’s new character design, comparing his skin color to that of Nami’s and expressing confusion.

“The situation was unbelievable. Usopp’s complexion had become even paler than usual. I was genuinely surprised. His hair was still as dark as ever, making him look even more pale in comparison to the anime, which has already been heavily whitewashed. A fourth person chimed in, joining the conversation.”

Despite this, many fans are also noting that these are merely initial designs for the One Piece remake. The final animated series may feature the characters with their original skin tones intact.

“One user commented that it is like comparing a rough, unrendered sketch to a fully rendered anime opening. The two are different mediums and have varying levels of completion. The user also expressed their belief that children should not be allowed to share their opinions online.”

Another person pointed out that the medium used tends to work best with lighter colors, making it an unfair comparison. This is also why all of the characters have white highlights on their skin, giving the appearance of being coated in oil. They also noted that half of Robin’s face is completely white.

Knowing that Eiichiro Oda has openly shared his concept of the Straw Hats being from diverse countries and ethnicities if they existed in reality, it would be highly unusual for the One Piece remake to disregard this aspect and alter the main characters to be predominantly white.

Until a teaser or trailer of the One Piece remake is released, the truth about it remains unknown. In the meantime, take a look at what occurs in One Piece Chapter 1123 and discover the change that fans are raving about in the remake, as well as the anime’s latest world record.