One of the stars ofOne Pieceseason 2 is already facing backlash, but her co-stars have been quick to defend her. The first full trailer forOne Pieceseason 2 is out, and while it didn’t show much, it offered a great first look at new characters like Vivi, Robin, Smoker, and Brogy.
Unfortunately, not everyone has reacted positively to the trailer, as many fans are criticizing Charithra Chandran for either not being light-skinned like Vivi or for not being Egyptian to complement Alabasta’s Egyptian theme. Whatever the case, the criticisms levied at Chandran are nothing but racist, and fortunately,the rest ofOne Piece’s cast is already speaking out in Charithra’s defense.
Why One Piece’s Cast Is Right To Defend Its Controversial Casting
Why The Haters Are Wrong About Live-Action Vivi
In a recent Instagram post, Rob Colleti, who will play Wapol inOne Pieceseason 2, defended Charithra Chandran’s casting as Vivi, first and foremost, by pointing out how it made sense in-universe. For starters, Alabasta is analogous to Egypt, and if Vivi is from Alabasta, then it makes sense to cast a minority actor like Chandran to play Vivi.
As for not casting an Egyptian actor to play Vivi, while Alabasta is mostly based around Egypt, it also references India with some of its architecture, so Charithra Chandran being Indian shouldn’t disqualify her, either. If anything, it’s odd that Vivi is light-skinned in canon, so her live-action casting can be seen as rectifying that mistake.
Additionally, Rob Colleti pointed out that Eiichiro Oda personally approved of Vivi’s casting; everyone knows aboutEiichiro Oda’s heavy involvement with Netflix’sOne Piece, so if Charithra Chandran got his approval, then she’s the perfect choice for Vivi in every regard, and there’s no reason to argue that outside of blatant racism.
One Piece’s Racist Criticisms Ignore What Makes Its World So Special
The Biggest Reason Why One Piece’s Latest Controversy Makes No Sense
Above all else, the reason why these criticisms are so appalling is that they go against the central conceit ofOne Piece.One Piecehas always been a story that championed diversity and freedom of expression, soanyone who has a problem with Charithra Chandran because of her race is actively fighting against what makesOne Pieceso special.
Rob Colletti said as much when defending Charithra Chandran, and of every point he made, that one is the strongest. Raceswapping will always be an issue for the wrong reasons, but there will only be positive change if people have an open mind, and if they can’t do that forOne Piece, of all stories, they might be beyond help.
