Summary
- One Piece anime finally reveals Kuma's backstory with stunning animation in Episode 1133.
- The episode features a sly reference to Willem Dafoe's distressed meme, sparking fan speculation.
- Kuma's emotional turmoil and reluctance to violence are highlighted in a pivotal battle against the World Government.
Every One Piece fan was waiting for Toei Animation to adapt Kuma's backstory in the anime series. Well, we are finally at this point in the story, and the studio has done a great job with the direction and animation so far. Kuma's backstory had always been a mystery, but now, anime fans were finally blessed with the much-awaited origin story of the former Warlord of the sea and his adoptive daughter, Jewelry Bonney.
The latest episode of One Piece shows Kuma going against a fleet of Marines, and each frame of the battle sequence is spectacular and worth every praise. However, there's something apart from the fight scene that caught the community's attention. Yes, we're talking about the sly reference to the legendary Willem Dafoe meme in Episode 1133.
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One Piece Anime Sneaks In Willem Dafoe's Popular Meme In Episode 1133
It's Hard To Miss Willem Dafoe's Distressed Meme
In Episode 1133 of One Piece, titled "To Save His Daughter - Kuma the Timid Pacifist," we see Kuma using his Paw Paw Fruit ability to fight a fleet of Marine ships. The ships were escorting Bekori, the person who had caused several problems for the Sorbet Kingdom in the past. Kuma not only wanted to protect the kingdom but also wanted to find a cure for his daughter, Bonney. It was crucial for Kuma to win, and for that, he unleashed the full power of Nikyu Nikyu no Mi.
At that point in the episode, we see a Marine who, oddly, looks very similar to Willem Dafoe. He is obviously shocked to see the full extent of Kuma's powers, and the expressions on his face clearly mimic Willem Dafoe's iconic distressed and "looking up" scene from the 2018 film At Eternity's Gate. As soon as the episode aired, fans wondered if the similarity between the marine's reaction and Willem Dafoe's meme from At Eternity's Gate is purely coincidental. However, Doctorbean, one of the animators who worked on the latest episode, hinted on X that the meme reference was intentional.
So long as Bonney is cured!! I am so grateful!! I'll happily accept any fate.. - Kuma
One Piece fans were quick to notice the meme reference in the episode, and they went on social media to discuss it. Of course, we see Willem Dafoe's distressed meme for a brief moment, and you can surely miss it if you blink at the wrong time. That being said, a Japanese animated show referencing a meme originating from a Hollywood film is still an exciting event for fans to discuss. The playful gesture, while being small, is possibly an effort to bridge the gap between anime and Western cinema. Over the years, we've seen several Hollywood films and TV shows being inspired by anime. So, it's sort of refreshing to see a massive animation studio referencing a Western movie in one of the most popular anime shows.
One Piece Highlights Kuma's Emotional Turmoil In The Latest Episode
The World Government Made A Pacifist Resort To Violence
Backed by the World Government, Bekori wanted to reinstate his tyrannical rule over the kingdom, but no one expected Kuma to stand in their way. Kuma hates the idea of violence, and he likes to resolve matters without having to pick up arms. He holds tremendous power because of the Nikyu Nikyu no Mi fruit, but he has always used those abilities for the good of people. However, he couldn't simply leave the fate of the Sorbet Kingdom in the hands of the World Government and Bekori.
Despite being a pacifist, Kuma decides to take on this fight head-on. He creates a massive shockwave to sink the Marine Fleet without having to fight Marines or Bekori one-on-one. When Kuma unleashes the early version of Ursus Shock, we see massive ships rising up into the sky before sinking into the sea. Kuma won the fight against the Marine Fleet, but his eyes held shame and worry instead of pride or joy. Using his abilities to hurt someone instead of healing the world was the last thing Kuma wanted to do, but in this case, he had no other choice.
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Regardless, a single demonstration of his Paw Paw Fruit power was enough to destroy the Marine Fleet. However, as we all know, this creates even bigger problems for Kuma in the story. He is not only labeled a traitor by the World Government, but he also lays the foundation of future conflicts with Bekori.
- Release Date
- October 20, 1999
- Network
- Fuji TV
- Directors
- Hiroaki Miyamoto, Konosuke Uda, Junji Shimizu, Satoshi Itō, Munehisa Sakai, Katsumi Tokoro, Yutaka Nakajima, Yoshihiro Ueda, Kenichi Takeshita, Yoko Ikeda, Ryota Nakamura, Hiroyuki Kakudou, Takahiro Imamura, Toshihiro Maeya, Yûji Endô, Nozomu Shishido, Hidehiko Kadota, Sumio Watanabe, Harume Kosaka, Yasuhiro Tanabe, Yukihiko Nakao, Keisuke Onishi, Junichi Fujise, Hiroyuki Satou
Cast
-
Mayumi TanakaMonkey D. Luffy (voice) -
Kazuya NakaiRoronoa Zoro (voice)
WHERE TO WATCH
One Piece is a Japanese manga written and illustrated by Eiichiro Oda. The series follows protagonist Monkey D. Luffy and his Straw Hat Pirate crew as they explore the Grand Line to find the King of the Pirates' ultimate treasure, the One Piece, in order to become the next king. The manga's popularity helped it spin off into a larger media franchise, including an anime with more than 1,000 episodes.
- Main Genre
- Anime
- Seasons
- 21
- Studio
- Toei Animation
- Number of Episodes
- 1122
- Streaming Service(s)
- Crunchyroll, Netflix, Hulu, Pluto TV
- MyAnimeList Score
- 8.72
- Creator(s)
- Eiichiro Oda
