One Piece Trailer Teases Luffy's Gear 5 - How Does It Compare To The Manga?
Contains spoilers for the "One Piece" manga
During his climactic Wano Country Arc fight against Beasts Pirates Captain Kaido, "One Piece" protagonist Luffy attains a new, powerful form called Gear 5. Ahead of this pivotal scene's debut in the anime — and following a very brief look at Gear 5 in 2022 release "One Piece Film: Red" — the official "One Piece" YouTube channel released some preview footage of the episode in which Luffy will finally attain this form prior to its August premiere.
Discounting the altogether inconsequential glimpse of his Gear 5 abilities in "Film: Red," this clip marks the first look at Luffy's ultimate form fully animated. One notable difference that will be apparent to fans familiar with the "One Piece" manga at this footage's start is that, after using the ability, Luffy is surrounded by a large aura. The addition of auras to "One Piece" anime fights is already a frequent subject of discussion on sites like Reddit and MyAnimeList.net, and this new Gear 5 aura is hardly surprising given their recent prevalence.
Similarly, seven seconds into the preview, Luffy appears as a shadow save for a glowing red smile and eyes on his face. This is likewise not a part of the manga and a new addition to the scene's anime adaptation. That said, while these particulars may differ somewhat considerably from the source material, it appears that the anime will, of course, retain the most important components of Luffy's Gear 5 transformation.
Gear 5 Luffy still acts like an old school cartoon character
Rather than overflow with energy as he seems to in the upcoming anime episode, Luffy first appears in his Gear 5 form in Chapter 1044 silhouetted from a distance in front of a full moon. However, once he's in action in this anime footage, Luffy behaves just as he does in the "One Piece" manga, perpetually laughing as he embodies the spirit of the mysterious Joy Boy.
About 12 seconds into the new preview, Luffy grabs Kaido after extending his arm to a comically absurd length. Shortly after that, he increases his muscle mass and winds up his fist for a punch to Kaido's face. Fans familiar with Luffy's Gear 5 fights in the manga know that the ability grants him what might best be described as "Looney Tunes" powers, allowing his body to contort in nonsensical ways reminiscent of classic cartoon characters. Fittingly, the way Luffy is animated in this scene is similar to some of Masaaki Yuasa's best projects, which oftentimes utilze almost surreal, shifting lines rather than the flat, rigid style typical of most popular anime.
Presumably, some of the more explicitly cartoonish moments from Luffy's fight with Kaido are absent from the trailer to retain interest in watching "One Piece" Episode 1071 once it officially premieres on August 6.