@taboo:
I would say Im glad I'm seeing who has shitty opinions because of this thread but probably wouldn't give a shit about them anyway
Is it bad I laughed at this quote because I read it as if your avatar was reading it while DJing?
@pRopaaNS:
I can understand why some people would feel offended, but I don't understand why would they take it seriosly. Everyone is different indeed, but that's also the main reason why I see such discussions pointless. Not because we won't ever come to a common agreement, but because Oda himself is different as well. In my opinion one of main traits what makes OP manga unique is that Oda isn't afraid to go overboard and exaggerations are common occurance in OP. If Oda wasn't like that then wouldn't draw this scene and he wouldn't draw so much more from what we enjoy in OP.
I'm sure he would be able to adapt his writing regarding this issue if a message got through to him, but I'm not sure if it wouldn't negatively affect other qualities of this manga as cost. Also I think it's asking too much from him to demand something like this, considering what he's accomplished through using this style.
I'll answer your question first. I think all this really blew up because a number of people haven't liked this arc/last X number of chapters, and leave it up to Franky to cause this thread to blow up. I think the problem to is that reading weekly, everyone focuses on what happened in one chapter, and interpretations are made, and in which this case, there was some sexist implications.
I've been debating whether or not to post in this thread, and decided to make one post of what I feel. I'll come right out and say that I am a Male, and that I can be pretty ignorant about how some of this stuff is. I will most likely miss some points, but please bear with me, and PLEASE, tell me if I am wrong, missed something, or missed the point entirely, as that is the only way I will learn. With that out of the way.
Before getting into One Piece directly, I want to talk about the Manga/Anime industry in general. The fact of the matter is that this thread started up because if one looks at the popular series, the male characters do the heavy lifting, and Female characters are left mostly as eye candy, even the ones that do stuff. From what I gathered in this thread, it's not that people are angry at Oda per say, but the fact that this industry won't change the roles. Females are capable of fighting stronger characters, and should take damage just like the male characters. Female characters should also be varied the same way male characters are. Series that do this either are in the minority, or they are used to amp up fanservice and jokes. If the industry wasn't saturated with this kind of stuff, people may not like it, but they wouldn't complain as much, but since it is saturated, it's a problem that needs to be fixed.
For this particular chapters, we have two characters that were introduced that raised eyebrows with the execution. The Factory boss was brought in for the sole purpose of the punch line brought by Franky and Pink, and while that isn't necessarily a problem, it's hard for me (even as a huge Franky fan) to not see where they are coming from. The Ladies cheering them on is one thing, but when overall in the industry there is a lack of tough, non-beautiful women, bringing one up, especially randomly, is not the best idea. I don't know much about Oda, and I'll give him a benefit of a doubt that he was trying to make a harmless joke, but when two guys tell a female to stay out of their way, this is a man's fight, that comes off as sexist. I agree that it wasn't supposed to be taken seriously, but being the punchline that was built up for most of the chapter makes things worse. If it was a page or two dedicated to the joke, it may have gone over better.
We got a glimpse of Mansherry, and the first time we see her, she is crying. While it's reasonable with her situation, after what already transpired in this chapter, it makes people angrier. It's compounded that she asks for a specific character, who is a male. While most of the rescue situations work in this Manga, having another Damsel in distress character, while not necessarily bad, shows lack of originality, and also weakens the character already since it's our first time seeing her. I won't go into the debate about what she should look like or how she should act, but it seems people were complaining about her more on top of what happened this chapter.
As far as the rest of the story, while not the worst offender, it does fall under the problems of having some sexist stuff in it, even if it's not intentional. The female characters tend to not get wounded terribly, and either fight the weaker elites or just fight the mobs. While better than a number of others, it would be good for Oda to let them get in a more gruesome fight, and fight some of the stronger opponents. While the females are capable, they need to be rescued at times, which is okay if done with other characters, which is done at times. A lot of the females are pretty/nice to look at, which while not sexist, when there is a lack of female variety compared to males, that is a problem.
I feel these are the big, overall problems, and while there are moments that can be debated, it's best to look the big, overall problems. I'm not saying that the authors are sexist themselves, but there is an inherent problem that needs to be fixed.
 
