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If there is one thing that One Piece's fandom has been waiting to see animated, it is Luffy’s Gear 5 form. Since its first appearance, it has quickly become one of the most beloved and hyped forms in the entire franchise.
Fans have been waiting for a long time to see this amazing transformation get animated for the first time. Unfortunately for them, Gear 5 will be making its debut in the upcoming One Piece Film: Red instead of the animated show. Fans were appalled by the news and have been complaining all over Twitter because of it.
Continue reading to learn more about the importance of Gear 5 to the franchise's story and what the One Piece fandom has been saying about this revelation.
Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers.
One Piece fandom is not happy with Toei Animation for debuting Gear 5 in Film: Red
Why is Luffy’s Gear 5 so important?
Throughout the years, Luffy has been gaining power and more control over his various powers, becoming the amazing warrior we know today. With the help of the abilities granted to him by his Gomu-Gomu no Mi, Luffy’s power has been growing exponentially, reaching levels no one in the world expected him to.
In reality, his Devil Fruit is the Mythical Zoan-type, Hito-Hito no Mi, Model: Nika. This means Luffy has the abilities of the ancient Sun God, Nika, a being revered by slaves in the past because of his power to liberate people and bring smiles to their faces.
Luffy awakening his fruit and becoming the embodiment of Nika was a moment of the outmost importance for the One Piece fandom. It meant that Luffy was finally becoming the next Joy Boy, the warrior that would unify the world and stop the tyrannical government that had been abusing innocents for years.
Fans love this transformation, not only because of what it signifies in the story, but also because it is just incredible to look at. The design is outstanding, the powers it grants are incredible and hilarious, and it is the culmination of Luffy's years of training.
Fans enraged against Toei’s management team
The One Piece fandom was expecting Gear 5 to make its animated debut in the anime series during Luffy’s fight against Kaido. Sadly, this will not be the case, seeing as it has been that theealed the transformation will debut in the upcoming One Piece Film: Red.
While fans are excited to finally see this new power in an animated form, they are sorely disappointed Toei did not wait for the anime to reveal it before using it in a movie. Not only will this take away from the hype of seeing the form for the first time in the anime, but it will also confuse fans who have not read the manga.
Naturally, fans have been complaining about this decision from the moment the news was revealed. The One Piece fandom cannot comprehend what decisions the film's team made.
Some fans have been comparing this situation to the revelation of Gear 2 Luffy in a movie before it was animated in the manga.
Nonetheless, others have been remarking that Gear 2 was a power Luffy was working on for a while before it was revealed. His Gear 5 form is something he acquired because of his determination to defeat Kaido.
The reveal should have been a special moment for the One Piece fandom, seeing it in action for the first time against the Yonko, as it was supposed to happen. That is why so many fans are dissatisfied with the choices Toei is making regarding this transformation.
Final thoughts
It is likely that Oda himself was approached about this idea and he was okay with showing Gear 5 in the film. But it could also be Toei's executives taking advantage of the hype that surrounds this form to make the movie more appealing to fans.
Gear 5 will always be an iconic and beloved transformation for the One Piece fandom and seeing it will be great. But the community feels that marking the move's debut in a movie that is not confirmed to be canon to the main story seems a little disrespectful.
Since the movie is only days away from being released, fans will be expecting it to be an enjoyable experience that can do justice to Gear 5 Luffy’s legacy.
