The Influence of Anime One Piece on Youth Identity and Pop Culture Consumption

Anime, which is a Japanese word for "animation" and is now a commonly used English term, is a type of cultural expression which developed exclusively in Japan in the decades after World War II and has grown popular worldwide since the 1970s.

The history of anime began in 1917. 6,673 of the 14,710 anime titles produced between the 1910s and July 2022 were aired on terrestrial television, according to the Association of Japanese Animations' (AJA) database of anime works (Kawashima, 2024). One of the anime that is a favorite is One Piece, This is a story about the journey of a person called Monkey D. Luffy who want to be greatest pirate and found the “one piece” (Avriarno et al., 2022). As the ship's captain, Luffy gathered a number of crew members for his journey, each of them brought special skills to the hunt for One Piece. There are just nine members on Luffy's Straw Hat pirate crew. Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates communicate in special ways that remain in the memories of the viewers. After Luffy helps or rescues the crew and they learn about Luffy's ambition to become a pirate king, the crew is asked to join the Straw Hat Pirates. The pirates who discovered One Piece will be crowned the "king of pirates." Luffy always asks his crew to be his "nakama" in order to recruit them based on particular needs (Kharismawati & Wahidati, 2023).

Anime often features strong and inspiring characters. These characters possess various extraordinary skills and abilities, such as intelligence, creativity, or specific martial arts expertise. These characters can motivate students to develop their own skills and abilities. For example, a student who watches an anime with a smart and diligent main character might be inspired to become more diligent in their studies. Anime also often raises themes related to everyday life and certain moral or ethical values, such as: friendship, love, courage, and perseverance. Anime has the power to convey moral messages and evoke the emotions of its viewers. These moral messages and values can inspire and influence students' attitudes and behaviors in their studies. The problem of students' thinking is at stake with the presence of this anime (Gaol, 2024). no exception anime one piece, as an anime that always exists across generations, because it has been with us since childhood. Indonesia is also one of the countries affected by pop culture anime, as evidenced by the many Japanese events held in Indonesia, then what makes one piece create perceptions and also change the consumption of pop culture for young people in Indonesia

II. Body

As the best-selling anime in Indonesia, One Piece has a crucial role in building the identity of its audience. Like the loyalty exemplified by Luffy's crew, they teach about how loyalty exists. Like in episode 377, Luffy and his friends almost died because they were defeated by the enemy. Then a statement came out from one of Luffy's crew to take the pain of all the crew and give it to him. In this anime there are several cultures that can be brought to real life. Just like tolerance between people of different races, and this is make sense with the goals of luffy, He really hates it when the Tenryuubito oppress the people who are enslaved just because they are a different race from them. So One Piece can teach us not to be racist towards people who are different from us. Another thing that can be taken from One Piece is the way people dress, one study stated that some fans bought clothes that had the same model as Luffy's character in a chapter (Geronimo et al., 2024). Due to the rapid trend of social media nowadays, There are many iconic One Piece moments that have an impact on many people following the trend, such as the photo of SHP (Straw Hat Pirates) clenching their fists upwards, this has become something that many people have followed. Plus, recently an episode came out showing a father entertaining his child with a dance. The dance went viral and was followed by many people. Another thing that is a strengthening factor is that many big brands are collaborating with One Piece and this makes young people and all groups want these items.

III. Conclusion

The anime One Piece has significantly influenced youth identity and pop culture consumption, especially among Indonesian audiences. Through its compelling storyline, moral values, and iconic characters, One Piece has become more than just entertainment—it has become a source of inspiration and cultural expression. The themes of loyalty, courage, and acceptance of diversity, as well as the show's impact on fashion and social media trends, demonstrate how deeply this anime has shaped the behaviors, preferences, and worldviews of its fans. As globalization continues to blur cultural boundaries, the role of anime like One Piece will likely become even more prominent in shaping youth culture and identity across generations.

IV. Literature

Geronimo, R. A., Sari, S., & Sapto. (2024). One Piece Anime As Popular Culture (Study On Millenials In Bengkulu City). Multidisciplinary Journals, 1(1), 15–24. https://doi.org/10.37676/mj

Avriarno, A. Y., Bernadtua Simanjuntak, M., & Danti Aulia, P. (2022). THE VALUE OF FRIENDSHIP IN ONE PIECE MANGA VOLUME 80-85 WRITTEN BY EIICHIRO ODA. FORDETAK: Seminar Nasional Pendidikan: Inovasi Pendidikan Di Era Society 5.0, 375.

Gaol, D. A. L. (2024). PENGARUH PERKEMBANGAN ANIME TERHADAP MINAT BELAJAR MAHASISWA DAN SOLUSINYA DALAM ISLAM. JournalofEconomicsBusinessEthicandScienceofHistory, 1.

Kawashima, N. (2024). THE ECONOMIC ECOLOGY OF JAPAN’S ANIME INDUSTRY: THE TRIANGLE OF ANIME, TELEVISION AND ADVERTISING, FROM THE 1950S TO THE 2000S. https://shs.hal.science/halshs-04714049v1

Kharismawati, M., & Wahidati, L. (2023). Nakama: Reception on the Audience of One Piece Anime by Eiichiro Oda. ProTVF, 7(2), 218. https://doi.org/10.24198/ptvf.v7i2.41676