One Piece has once again worked its magic, infiltrating everyone’s Twitter feeds and beyond. Following the premiere of Luffy’s Gear 5 form in episode 1070, the internet imploded with hype, and for a good reason.
Aside from Luffy’s fruit awakening – which is exhilarating in its own right – the anime also unveiled an entirely new animation style previously unseen in the series. While manga readers were already aware of the author’s intention for a cartoonish Looney Tunes style, the One Piece animators took it to another level, delivering some of the most remarkable and zany moments in the show’s history. In fact, the distinctive animation style and the Gear 5 left such a lasting impression that some fans even attempted to replicate it in their favorite cartoons.
Sporting Luffy’s iconic Gear 5 with its billowing white hair and his iconic red eyes, the artist behind these drawings fully captured the essence of the Straw Hat’s awakened fruit, changing the style of the series that inspired Luffy’s re-design. Cartoons like Bugs Bunny, SpongeBob, and Popeye have all been given their own Gear 5 treatment and honestly, I can’t fathom why anyone would choose to design an animated character that doesn’t resemble Gear 5 Luffy. It’s simply too legendary to overlook.
The comments immediately began flowing in, with fans of the series sharing their thoughts on the artwork. Many users promptly clamored for more – and by ‘more,’ they meant a whole lot more – of these Gear 5 interpretations, hoping to see their favorite animated series receive the Luffy treatment. Some of the commissions included Felix the Cat, The Mask, and Freakazoid. After all, everyone deserves their own Joyboy-esque version of their favorite cartoons.