Sanji from One Piece is the chef of the Straw Hat Pirates and one of the wings of the future Pirate King, Monkey D. Luffy. He is a culinary prodigy and is well-known for his chivalry. His most infamous and polarizing trait, however, is his relentless flirtatiousness. The dude doesn’t know his limits and flirts with every female he lays his eyes on.
This attitude of his, while being a comedic gag, has sparked heated debates among fans. Sanji is often labeled as overly pervy, and it’s gotten to the point where it defines much of his personality. However, this One Piece character harbors an ironic twist. He becomes oblivious when presented with a genuine reciprocation of love (relatable). How does this irony add to his character, and does it make him…less creepy?
The controversy of Sanji’s pervy persona in One Piece
Everyone who’s read or watched One Piece knows about Sanji’s flirtatious behavior. The dude can’t control himself when he is around women, and while this was charming Pre-Time Skip, it got out of hand after his training on Momoiro Island. His personality, as of now, is defined by his pervy behavior (Toei had a big hand to play in this).
While Oda may have given him this personality as a comedic gag, it quickly became a double-edged sword. His pervy attitude is now both a source of humor and a lightning rod for criticism. His…“appreciative” nature towards women, defined by nosebleeds, heart-shaped eyes, and melodramatic declarations of love, is a staple of One Piece’s comedic tone.
Sanji’s obsession with women is played for laughs (we blame Oda’s butt-drawing skills. Kidding). While a few fans find this entertaining, many find it problematic. Several fans have argued that his behavior often reduces women to objects of desire and clashes with his otherwise honorable and loyal character.
His actions feel jarring in a series that champions equality and strength across genders (just look at how epic Vivi, Nami, Robin, and Tashigi are). What his relentless flirting also does is that it often overshadows his deeper qualities. Sanji is very selfless and is quite strategic in nature, but his flirting often overshadows these qualities.
The thing I love about Sanji is that he doesn’t be noticing when a woman is interested in him
byu/Ashamed_Fox_9923 inOnePiece
However, controversial as his overly-pervy attitude (we blame Toei again) towards women may be, no one can deny that Sanji has a trait in him that goes against this flirtatious personality of his. It’s honestly an irony. We are talking about how Sanji becomes oblivious to genuine affection and romantic interest.
Sanji is oblivious to genuine affection and romantic interest
(must be relatable for a lot of you out there, huh?) For all his relentless flirting and nosebleeds, Sanji’s flirtatiousness crumbles when faced with genuine romantic interest. The dude legit can’t take a hint. This transforms him from a serial flirt (who flirts with even minors. Ahem. Bonney) into an oblivious little guy, unaware of the signals he receives.
Remember when Sanji saved O-Some from Queen? Later, when they meet again, O-Some gazes at him with admiration and thanks him. Rather than seizing the moment, Sanji brushes off her gratitude with sincerity. She was blushing while looking at you, dude. Take a hint. This scene encapsulates his paradox: he chases every woman he sees, but misses the ones chasing him.
This is exactly what happened with Pudding. While she originally hated Sanji, she later fell in love with him. Sanji, however, dismisses her advances and doesn’t even realize that she has fallen for him. This trait softens the criticism of his perviness and suggests that his flirtations are less about conquest and more about admiration (tone it down, though).
Sanji’s flirtatiousness remains one of One Piece’s most controversial elements. While his pervy antics can feel excessive, the ironic drawback of his obliviousness adds depth to his character. As One Piece continues, Oda will hopefully try to balance Sanji’s quirks with heroism, and revert him to his pre-Time Skip personality.
One Piece is currently available to stream on Crunchyroll and Netflix.
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