The Egghead Island arc of One Piece comes with a lot of spectacular fights and moments that move us, but it also brings a lot of fan service, which could be a negative point for those who are just arriving. Eiichiro Oda’s saga about pirates with superpowers has gained more and more fans, making the series more popular than ever. However, the emphasis on Robin and Nami’s somewhat revealing looks in the Egghead arc may not be welcome for everyone.
This arc didn’t hold back on jaw-dropping episodes, and the anime still has a lot of story ahead. In episode 1094, we see that several characters from the Straw Hat Crew got a visual upgrade. This includes Nami and Robin, who are wearing stylish new clothes, but which leave a lot of skin showing.
The costumes were given by one of Dr. Vegapunk’s machines, and while the guys in the crew got futuristic clothes with an elegant touch, Nami and Robin’s clothes are much more revealing, lacking parts like pants or shorts. Eiichiro Oda even talked about this, but his explanation may not be very encouraging for those who prefer to focus more on the story than on female anime characters.
One Piece has always stood out for including everyone and developing characters in a captivating way, so it draws attention when fan service appears too much, something done to attract the attention of Shonen Jump’s young male audience. Oda even answered a question about why there is more “butt” in this arc, saying he wanted to do something different and ended up having fun drawing buttocks. This shows that, even with criticism, he made these choices because he thought it was fun.
One Piece is a worldwide phenomenon, but episode 1094 with Egghead’s bold outfits for Nami and Robin may alienate those who don’t like fan service. There’s nothing wrong with having fan service, but when it’s too much it can take attention away from the main story. One Piece is a series with an engaging plot and rich characters, but overdoing it with fan service can make some people not take it seriously and miss the chance to follow a great story.
After all, a Japanese artist follows a very different logic than Western audiences, so perhaps criticism about excessive fan service won’t reach Oda, especially if he designed these costumes more for himself. Oda has already shown that he is a master at creating complex worlds and characters. Still, fan service in One Piece can be a hindrance for those who want to give the story a chance.
