Censorship in 4Kids A piece are often hated by fans for good reason, but the one localization choice they made was secret genius. One Piece is one of the most popular anime in the world, masterfully balancing a lighthearted tone with serious and complex plots and characters. Unfortunately, the 4Kids adaptation only retains its sillier aspects.
To make the show more suitable for children, 4Kids censored a lot of its adult elements. Most notably, this resulted in the company cutting out much of the anime’s violence and gore as well as cutting out some arcs and characters from the series (which ironically brought 4Kids’ One Piece to an end. with an extremely dark note). It also made 4Kids cut out any mention of alcohol and tobacco. While this is mostly reflected in the characters drinking a lot of juice, it also directly changes an iconic part of a main character’s design.
Sanji’s lollipops from One Piece’s 4Kids Dub is Secretly Brilliant
Sanji is the chef of the Straw Hats, who in the original anime and manga is often seen smoking a cigarette. Many fans consider this cigarette an interesting part of his design, and much later in the series, it even amplifies a tragic Whole Cake Island moment when Sanji tries and fails Can light a fire in the rain. However, in the 4Kids dub, this cigarette is transformed into a lollipop, which many fans consider an insult to the character. After all, it made him seem much more silly and many characters mocked him for sucking on it. But it’s really a great assortment based on his plot and philosophy. Sanji and his father, the character Zeff, were stranded on a deserted island when he was a boy, and he almost starved to death there. Since that time, he has committed to providing food to anyone who needs it regardless of the consequences. So it really makes sense that he will always suck on a lollipop, to make sure he always has something to eat and has the ability to provide it to those starving who need it.
Even silly isn’t really a big deal given the silly character designs of many other One Piece characters. For example, Genzo from Arlong Park wearing a pinwheel on his hat looks completely goofy with his serious and scarred look. But this pinwheel actually stems from a tragedy, with him doing it just to make a young Nami laugh. Sanji’s lollipop can be viewed from a similar perspective as a character’s initial silly joke that takes on a tragic meaning after his past story is revealed. This tendency to dramatically reconstruct the quirks of this silly character even continues in the latest installments of One Piece. However, other aspects of Sanji’s character in the 4Kids dub overshadowed any dramatic weight this awe-inspiring change might have had.
Unfortunately, Sanji speaks with a heavy Brooklyn accent in the 4Kids dub, making it extremely difficult to take him seriously. This combined with all the other negative aspects of that dub makes it hard to see his lollipop as anything more than a sick joke spoiling a well-received character. favorite fans. But while it may not get the appreciation it deserves from many A piece fan, sanji4Kids’ lollipop is one of the few really cool changes that 4Kids’ voiceover has made.