One Piece: Gear 5 Luffy Makes a Ton of Tom & Jerry References

One Piece has had one hell of a week, and the fun is far from over. Just days ago, the entire anime fandom rose up to welcome the anime’s best episode in years. At last, the One Piece anime welcomed Gear 5 Luffy to the screen, and its animation was nothing short of incredible. Gear 5 Luffy has taken One Piece to a new level, and after careful viewing, fans have found a ton of Tom & Jerry nods in the anime’s big event.

Over on social media, fans began to piece together the cartoon references in One Piece episode 1071. As you can see below, a number of Gear 5 moves shown in the anime make references to Tom & Jerry. From Luffy’s slapstick laughter to his inflated physique and more, One Piece was not subtle with its homage to Tom & Jerry.

Anime fans were quick to spot these cartoony nods as they watched One Piece episode 1071, but as for manga readers? Well, they already knew to be on the lookout. One Piece made its Tom & Jerry throwback clear in the manga. In fact, series creator Eiichiro Oda confirmed the tribute in an interview overseas as he said making the cartoon homage was very difficult.

“For the concept, think of it as if I suddenly drew Tom and Jerry,” Oda shared. “When I tried to draw it, it was actually difficult. The world of Tom and Jerry works because of the two of them. I suffered because of the difference in attitude when I looked at Luffy being the only one making pranks in battle and his opponent not. But I feel this time I was able to draw it.”

Clearly, the team at Toei Animation was able to bring Oda’s homage to Tom & Jerry to life, and there is more on the way. Gear 5 is all about untapped potential, joy, and the boundless power of imagination. When in this form, Luffy can make just about anything happen and that definitely includes slapstick nods to a classic cartoon. So if you are not caught up on One Piece, we suggest you start binging the Wano arc ASAP.

Not familiar with One Piece? Well, no sweat! The anime is easier to catch up on now than ever as it is streaming on Netflix and Crunchyroll. For more details on One Piece, you can read its official synopsis below:

“As a child, Monkey D. Luffy was inspired to become a pirate by listening to the tales of the buccaneer “Red-Haired” Shanks. But Luffy’s life changed when he accidentally ate the Gum-Gum Devil Fruit and gained the power to stretch like rubber…at the cost of never being able to swim again! Years later, still vowing to become the king of the pirates, Luffy sets out on his adventure…one guy alone in a rowboat, in search of the legendary “One Piece,” said to be the greatest treasure in the world…”

What do you think about this One Piece throwback? Did the debut of Gear 5 Luffy live up to your expectations? Let us know what you think in the comments below as well as on Twitter and Instagram. You can also hit me up @MeganPetersCB to share your take!