Look, we all know Oda has issues with gender essentialism and especially with writing female fighters, I've literally complained about that latter point at length myself
But I'm getting really tired of the fandom massively over-exaggerating the problem and in the process also dismissing any arc for a female character that isn't about fighting or being a strong independent woman or whatever
And also ignoring all the female characters who don't look like "Oda-women"
Just recently I saw someone say that Chiffon is a bland character because apparently she's got nothing going on aside from being a mother and a wife, which... I can tell you didn't pay ANY attention to her AT ALL
Chiffon is such an underrated character, I swear to god. She's someone who suffered in silence for so long, who was used as the scapegoat for her twin sister but never resented the sister for it, who survived as best she could, who learned to love the man she was forced to marry because he's a genuinely good husband and actually worthy of her love, who chose his side against her own abusive mother, who continues to look out for her sisters and is ready to risk her life for their sake, who is not a fighter in the physical sense but who is doing what she can to contribute to the fight in her own ways.
And other than Robin's mother, I think she's the only sympathetic mother character who's shown leaving her child behind to go do what needs to be done, even though it might lead to not being there for the child anymore. We see fathers in One Piece do that all the time, but mostly mothers just die. Chiffon not only does it, has her husband fully and happily accept taking over fulltime childcare duties while she's away, and she returns alive. And at no point does the narrative shame her for it either, because she isn't defined by her roles as just a mother and a wife, actually, she's allowed to have other priorities. In fact I would argue that her roles as mother and wife are actually only minor points in her story in comparison to her story of surviving abuse and her relationships with her sisters. It's just that people look at a character who is both and wife and a mother and that's suddenly all they can see of her, unless she gets to punch people ig
I also love that as much as Lola is the rebellious one and the one who seems to be a fighter and who is the captain of her own crew, and as much as Chiffon was the quiet one, Lola is so sweet and so idealistic and naive while Chiffon is cynical and ruthless. It's a fun contrast. And yet they both share a deep commitment for their loved ones and an unshakeable sense of honour. And they both get to be very cool about it
And I love that Lola chose to fight for her right to marry for love while Chiffon found love in a political marriage, and both are treated as valid and neither is shamed for their approach
They're so good, they're such good characters. But people dismiss them and I can't help but suspect that it's because they have the nerve to be unattractive while being women
And then the same people complain about how Oda draws all the women the same.... MAYBE HE WOULDN'T DO IT THAT MUCH IF PEOPLE DIDN'T MAKE IT CLEAR THAT THAT'S WHAT THEY PREFER
I mean yeah I can blame Oda for caving to the pressure to make the women appealing and I'm sure he also has a bias in that direction himself, but it really doesn't help that the fandom, including the ones who make themselves out to be all holier than thou about Oda's sexism, just completely dismiss the female characters who aren't drawn to be conventionally attractive. And especially so if they are also very feminine like Chiffon
That one's not on Oda, that's on you
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