Every creator ends up saying something controversial or in poor taste, and Eiichiro Oda is no exception, even when writing. A piece turned him into Japanese toast. Despite giving Shueisha one of its most valuable assets, Oda’s comments on the printing of Volume 89 caused quite a headache for the publisher. As a result, both had to issue a public apology for disregarding Japanese history.
The original text can be found on the inside cover of the volume, usually reserved for authors to leave notes or funny personal anecdotes. Unfortunately, Oda’s attempt at comedy seems a bit tasteless due to its reference to World War II. The joke, only a few sentences long, ended up overshadowing the rest of the One Piece book due to the resulting drama.
How did Oda’s World War II joke get such a bad reception?
On the cover, Oda has a picture of a haggard soldier, before the following line:
“You know, sometimes, when you’re sharing a plate of karaage [fried chicken] everyone, is there any last piece left on the plate? I decided to give it a name: Sergeant Yokoi.
So I thought, ‘Sergeant Yokoi is still on the scene! Someone, end the war!’
Any kids who don’t know who I’m talking about, look him up.
What a shame I started Episode 89!”
The Yokoi in question refers to Shoichi Yokoi, a soldier who served the Empire of Japan during World War II. After being posted to Guam, he held out after Japan’s surrender until he was subdued in 1972. He famously said, “I’m ashamed to go back” when he finally turned returned to Japan many years later. Oda clearly thought that time would heal all wounds, and that the reference decades later would create some light-hearted gossip about his work in Volume 89. As for the rest, however of Japan, that joke never happened and is known to the public. Outcry ensued over its inappropriateness or insensitivity.
Finally, Shueisha wrote a public apology on their website, also on behalf of Oda:
In the author’s comments section of ‘One Piece Volume 89’, which went on sale on June 4, there was an inconsiderate announcement. The editors, along with the author, regret their actions. In the future, we will pay more attention to such issues.
Currently, the digital version of One Piece has cut out the violation notice, leaving a blank space.
Whatever Oda’s intentions, Yokoi is definitely a bad reference choice. Even within Japan’s already testy relationship with its imperial past, the soldier remains a particularly controversial figure, with both supporters and detractors. Some people consider Yokoi a respected folk hero for his tenacity and patriotism, while others argue that he is just another symbol of the country’s dark history related to World War II. Monday. Either way, Oda’s joke was a losing situation: if his comment wasn’t seen as mocking a man stuck abroad for nearly 30 years, it was still considered grossly flawed. about wartime.
Gossip about Japan’s past military adventures and the inflammatory reactions to them are likely to be a headache for Japanese publishers for some time. Oda’s joke has been somewhat tamed: the novel is notoriously popular [New Life+] Young Again in Another World attempted to use a soldier from the Second Sino-Japanese War as an isekai protagonist, and objections quickly led to both the novel and the planned anime adaptation being canceled. boxed. With A piece Continuing to be a lucrative franchise – which now includes a critically acclaimed live-action version of Netflix’s One Piece series – Oda remains unscathed despite a PR stumble.
