Parallels in Trigun and One Piece.
Today I would like to share my thoughts about the parallels and references in One Piece, which I noticed for myself when watched the anime Trigun — both versions old and new (and yes, I came to them after I caught up with OP ongoing). I may have imagined something, but some parallels suggest themselves. I think Oda-san, like many other mangakas, took a lot of inspiration from Yasuhiro Naitou's classic work.
Analysis may and does content ! spoilers !
1. First of all, from the direct references and easter eggs of Oda-sensei, I would note the similarity of Sanji holding a wounded Zoro on his shoulders, bandajed like a cross, in the Wano arc with Nicholas D. (!) Wolfwood, with his big weapon-cross at the ready. It was a funny gag from Odacchi :)
2. Then, the "Sandsteamer" in Trigun reminded me very much of the "Sea Train" in OP. I don’t know if this is a reference or not, but they definitely have something in common. The principle of movement of steam vehicles in an atypical environment.
3. Another point - the antagonist character of one of the episodes (just about the Sandsteamer), Brilliant Dynamites Neon, very much reminded me of Arlong, both with his toothy design and his charisma.
4. Well, the gang of the Donquixote family reminded me in many ways in its diversity of Knives’ organization “The Gung-Ho-Guns”. (And also it reminded me the BB crew too).
5. Well, the most important parallel for me is the clear and definite similarity of the story and the contrast between the main characters of Trigun - Knives Millions and Vash the Stampede with the Donquixote brothers. I’ll go into more detail here, because there are plenty of references, besides the fact that each of them is a handsome blond.
💙💙💙
▪️If Vash, in fact, bears little resemblance to Rocinante, except for his wounded and scarred body and the fact that, unlike his brother, he is also kind and soft-hearted. Both of them often play the fool, posing as awkward, stupid simpletons (with different goals, of course), and at the same time almost never show outsiders their deeply sad soul, traumatized by losses and experiences.
▪️Doflamingo personality as character imo was largely inspired as personality of Knives, as it seemed to me. The parallel is that he and his brother are similarly representatives of a superior (in their opinion) race, but they only treat ordinary people differently.
▪️Knives and Doflamingo, unlike their kind brothers, are evil incarnate. Proud, arrogant and cruel. Intolerant and merciless towards human weaknesses and any manifestations of kindness and gentleness. Both have a justified and (from their pov) very logical reason to hate people as a race and the whole world order.
And both also have a plan to destroy the world that does not suit them and build their own, ideal one. Both of them are involved in the murder of people dear to their brothers (father for Roci, Rem for Vash). Well, in both cases, the good brothers are trying with all their might to prevent the implementation of the grandiose plans of the evil brothers.
▪️Well, I must say that the showdown between Vash and Knives ends in the anime much less disastrously than that of Doffy and Roci. But even in the general plans of these scenes, analogies and parallels are visible, as it seemed to me. 😢
Well, as you know, the brilliant refers to the great. I'm glad that for all their similarities, these stories and characters turned out to be different. Oda may have been inspired by the work of his predecessor, but he created his own epoch-making story with a great plot and beloved, touching characters.
Russian translation below 👇