Spoiler warning: This article refers, among other things, to the advanced chapters of the One Piece manga, respectively the anime series of the pirate universe by Japanese mangaka Eiichirō Oda.
Compared to many other anime adaptations, Japanese production studio Toei Animation remains very faithful to the manga template by mangaka Eiichirō Oda in the production of One Piece, deviating only slightly from the original. Since 1999, it has thus produced the anime series of the same name, as well as 16 feature films and various TV specials to date. The few filler episodes in the series fit into the canonical plot quite well, while not adding any new characters or locations.
However, there are some minor deviations or censorships in the anime series, which are not included in the manga original in this way. Some of them concern the clothes or tattoos of some characters or differently portrayed scenes. In our special on the pirate epic One Piece, we introduce you to some of these deviations in more detail.
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One Piece: These are the differences between the manga and the anime series
1. bell-mère’s tragic end
Bell-mères was once a Navy member and later becomes Nami’s adoptive mother. In the Arlong Park Arc, she finally meets her end in battle with Arlong. In the manga, the fish-man pirate points his gun directly at her head during the fatal shot. In the anime, however, they defuse this depiction and he shoots her in the chest there.
2. ruffy’s scar on face
Right at the beginning of the manga and even before Ruffy’s journey as a pirate, he wants to prove to Shanks that he has what it takes to be a real pirate. To do this, he takes a knife and stabs himself in the face under his eye, leaving him with a scar in the same place. In the series, this scene is not shown until episode 878 as part of a flashback. The presentation hardly deviates, however, the series creators decided to show this scene to the viewers much later.
3. the original tattoo on the back of Ace
This fact is among the fewest changes where the mangaka Eiichirō Oda took an example from the series adaptation. In the early drawings of Ace, he is shown sitting in a bar with the distinctive tattoo on his back. This tattoo is a mixture of a manji and the logo of the Whitebeard pirate gang. However, the manji resembles the swastika, which the Nazis used in the early world wars. After the anime changed the depiction to a bone cross, Oda also liked this depiction and adopted it in the manga.
4. with this the cooks threaten Sanji on the baratie
In the early manga chapters of One Piece, the pirate named Krieg and his men stop at the floating restaurant Baratie to regain their strength after a battle with hostile pirates. However, the cooks on the ship initially refuse to provide the pirate gang with food. Sanji is the first to break the ice and wants to start cooking, but the other cooks react with incomprehension and warn him not to. In the manga you hold firearms in his face, in the anime series they became harmless kitchen utensils.
5. sanji and his habit of smoking
As one of the best fighters in the Straw Pirate crew, Sanji has become known for his fighting style with his legs and feet. One of its obvious characteristics is smoking cigarettes. In the early manga issues, he is shown with a cigarette at a young age. His mentor and chef Zeff dislikes this and asks him to stop. But Sanji retorts that it would make him a man and doesn’t stop smoking in the years after. In the series, you only get to see him as a grown man with a cigarette in his mouth.
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6. how baratie chef Zeff loses his leg
Let’s stay with the theme and the floating restaurant, the Baratie. The chef named Zeff appears there already at the beginning with one leg and a wooden prosthesis in place of the other leg. The reader of the manga also learns later how he loses this. He cuts it off with a stone and then consumes it to ensure his own survival. In the anime, however, this representation was changed: There, his leg gets caught in the iron chain of an anchor during the rescue attempt of his protégé Sanji at a young age. The leg is torn off by the force and weight of the anchor and sinks into the sea.
7. zorro’s interaction with animals
Zorro is known for his excellent sword style in combat. In his early days in the manga, he kills the House Wolf of Helmeppo with a sword blow. In the anime, however, he is more forgiving and throws a chair at the wolf to scare it away.
8. this is how pirate clown Buggy treats his subordinates
Pirate Buggy clearly stands out with its appearance and is one of the most popular One Piece characters for creator Eiichirō Oda among others. When someone makes fun of his clown nose, it really upsets him. In the manga, he kills those who dare to make fun of his nose without a second thought. In the anime series, however, he merely yells at them.
9. bentham (bon curry)
Bentham (also known as Mr. 2) is initially an opponent of the Straw Hat Pirates in the Alabasta arc of One Piece, and later becomes an ally. His arguably striking appearance, combined with his particular fighting style, sometimes makes him an unpredictable opponent. However, the ability to change one’s appearance to match someone he has seen once is also likely to cause confusion among his enemies.
Bentham identifies as “Okama,” which in Japanese refers to someone who refers to several different queer identities. Some people who feel they belong to the LGBTQ community often use this term. However, the term is sometimes used as an insult. In the anime, his appearance and some of his techniques were slightly modified and thus toned down. For example, instead of “Okama Way,” he says “Oh come my way.”
10. whitebeard’s injuries in the fight with akainu
The fight between Akainu and Whitebeard is depicted a bit more drastically in the manga than it is in the anime. In the manga, a magma attack hits Whitebeard in the face, injuring him severely. In the anime, however, only his mustache burns off.
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11. law’s vulgar gestures
In the manga, when Law can’t stand someone, he gives the middle finger to his opponents like Donquixote Doflamingo or Eustass Kid. In the anime, he only addresses it verbally and does not show this one.
12. the fight between Ruffy and Kaido
One of the first encounters of the pirates Ruffy and Kaido in the manga template passes rather briefly and painfully. Ruffy attacks on Kaido seem to cause little to no damage. Kaido, on the other hand, ends the fight with an exceedingly strong attack with his thorny club. In the anime, this fight is dragged out a bit.
13. Bartolomeo’s obsession with Ruffy
Bartolomeo is probably by far one of the biggest fans of the protagonist Ruffy. He so does not like it when someone talks bad about him in his presence. In one scene in the manga, he unceremoniously cuts off the tongue of a Ruffy critic. In the anime, however, he only hurts him and lets him have his tongue.
14. how Bellamy deals with cheaters
To say the least, Bellamy can’t stand cheaters to death. This becomes very clear when he is cheated by Roshio in a card game and realizes it. In the anime, he twists his arm, shoots him and throws him out the window. In the manga, his reaction to the betrayal is even more drastic: he twists his arm, shoots him, spills alokale on Roshio and sets him on fire.
15. vivi’s clothes
In One Piece, when Vivi is still acting under the alias Miss Wednesday, she wears a top with a round pattern that accentuates her bust. In animated form, the pattern was replaced with wavy stripes.
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