Changes to Sanji Spark One Piece Controversy
The return of the One Piece anime with the start of the Egghead arc has stirred more controversy than excitement among fans. The premiere of episodes 1123 and 1124, aired on April 5 and 6, 2025, brought changes to Sanji that upset many fans of the charismatic Straw Hat cook.
Changes to Sanji Spark One Piece Controversy
Among the most criticized points is the removal of Sanji from a crucial scene directly adapted from the manga. In the original material, he appears in the background along with the rest of the crew. However, in the anime version, the character was simply left out, sparking heated debates on social media.
Another controversial moment was the addition of a scene where Sanji shows romantic interest in Jewelry Bonney. Although she is in her adult form, the character is only 12 years old — a detail that the series’ author, Eiichiro Oda, deliberately avoided exploring in the manga.
Fans argue that these insertions not only clash with Sanji’s original personality but also tarnish his image. Additionally, there was a role reversal in the scene where Nami saves Sanji from S-Shark’s attack — when, in fact, in the manga, it was Sanji who protected Nami.
Such changes have reinforced the perception that the anime is downgrading Sanji while glorifying other characters like Zoro, who often receives additional, more heroic scenes.
Directors Explain Creative Decisions in the Anime
In response to the criticism, Henry Thurlow — an American animator and director of One Piece episodes — spoke publicly about how decisions are made behind the scenes. According to him, directors often have to stretch a few manga pages into several minutes of anime. This requires creativity, which doesn’t always sit well with purist fans:
“You have to take three pages and turn them into five minutes of content. Some directors go with still frames, others recreate the scenes with new angles or add content,” Thurlow stated.
He also condemned the personal attacks against staff members, such as director Megumi Ishitani, who didn’t even participate in the episodes in question but still received hateful messages from outraged fans.
Fan Threats and Divided Opinions
One fan wrote: “Apparently adding a scene with him having hearts in his eyes was essential, but faithfully adapting a scene with all the Straw Hats was too much work. I hope they get the Kyoto Animation treatment.”
On social media platforms like Twitter, Sanji fans have been voicing their discontent, with some — like in the case above — going as far as threatening the staff, referring to the infamous “KyoAni treatment,” alluding to the arson attack that killed over 30 people.
Hashtags and direct mentions to Toei Animation’s official accounts have been used as a form of protest. For many, these changes hurt the original story’s integrity and devalue one of the franchise’s most beloved characters.
Even though the production team claims these decisions are meant to enrich the adaptation, part of the audience remains dissatisfied, demanding more respect for Oda’s work and his characters.
via Você Sabia Anime
