Luffy’s recent form, Gear 5 was first introduced in chapter 1044 of the manga and episode 1071 of the anime and has amazed fans ever since. This new form of our protagonist proved itself to be one of the most powerful abilities in anime history. Along with granting Luffy impressive powers, the Gear 5 form is also a fascinating shout-out to the history of classic cartoons.
The history of animation goes way back in Japan. The first anime film ever created in Japan was The Dull Sword in 1917. American cartoons have surprisingly supported the shaping of the history of the anime industry. They’ve impacted several classics like Osamu Tezuka’s Astro Boy. After watching Luffy’s Gear 5 in One Piece, Watching Gear 5 Luffy in action, it’s clear the entire premise of the Gear 5 form is a callback to classic American cartoons.
Eiichiro Oda knowingly depicted Luffy’s Gear 5 in One Piece as cartoonish and exaggerated
According to Eichiro Oda’s admission, the design and power of Luffy’s Gear 5 are simply deliberate and artistic. The Mangaka elaborated in a recent interview that he wants One Piece to be fun. He also explained how he intended to depict Gear 5 cartoonish and exaggeratedly. Powers of Luffy’s most powerful form is a conscious tribute on Oda’s part to the more lighthearted style of classic manga and cartoons. As we have seen in the series, Gear 5 allows him to turn his imagination into reality, which mirrors Oda’s desire to take his story in a more imaginative direction.
Luffy’s Gear 5 has been proven to be his most powerful form since it was introduced in the series. Oda has done a great job portraying how classic cartoons have influenced the anime industry with the cartoonish design and fighting style of Gear 5. It was also an excellent way to create room for many new narrative directions as One Piece moves forward.
How did One Piece fans react to Luffy’s Gear 5?
Fans of the series had a plethora of reactions when Luffy’s Gear 5 was first introduced in One Piece. Several viewers were addressing the form’s cartoonish nature and over-the-top fighting style. Regardless of these diverse reactions, Gear 5 is told to be the most potent form of Luffy. Anime fans were thrilled at the clear demonstrations of Gear 5’s impressive power level. However, Shonen fans have the tendency to compare their favorite character with other powerful characters like Goku and Naruto. They wondered who’d win a hypothetical fight between these characters.
