One Piece Crew Shares Stunning Behind The Scenes Art of Gear 5 Luffy

One Piece's animators have once again shared a new behind-the-scenes look at Luffy's ultimate transformation.

By Evan Valentine

One Piece didn't just unleash its biggest anime moment of the year this summer, it might have unveiled one of the biggest anime moments of 2023 period. In the continuing fight against Kaido in the War For Wano, Luffy was able to dodge death and in doing so, access the power of Gear Fifth for the first time. Transforming himself into a living cartoon, Toei Animation has once again taken the opportunity to show the work of animators that helped bring Monkey's ultimate form to life.

We are currently two episodes into Luffy accessing the power of Gear Fifth, and Monkey has wasted little time in using his new abilities to his advantage. In the latest anime episode, Luffy did discover that there is a big drawback to the new form, as it drains his stamina to a wild degree. At one point in his confrontation with Kaido, Monkey loses his ability to maintain Gear Fifth and comes to the realization that he has to pace himself when maintaining his cartoon stature. Luckily, the Straw Hat Captain is able to think of his friends and allies and use his commitment to them to regain Gear Fifth and battle Kaido anew.

One Piece: Gear Fifth Behind-The-Scenes

An animator responsible for One Piece's television series shared a sketch of Luffy's new form, showing only a small piece of the work that goes into creating the anime adaptation. From what anime fans have seen from Gear Fifth's arrival, and the War For Wano overall, it's clear that Toei Animation is taking things up a notch with its animation. With the battle for the isolated nation's future inching toward its end, it will be interesting to see what other animated techniques are used to depict Luffy's new transformation.

Animating Gear Fifth is clearly no easy task, as Luffy's rubber body now allows him to not just transform himself to look like a Loony Tune, but also whatever Monkey touches around him. In the recent episode, it's clear that while Luffy might gain some serious strength thanks to the new form, there are some drawbacks and Kaido continues to be a very big threat to the Straw Hat Pirates and most of the denizens of Wano. 

What is your favorite moment of Luffy's Gear Fifth so far? Feel free to let us know in the comments or hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics, anime, and the world of the Grand Line. 

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