By now everyone has had the chance to watch the Live Action trailer and make their own opinions on it. And among the incredible outpouring of positive reactions I’ve seen, there’s one comment type that I have been seeing consistently; “Arlong looks weird” “Arlong looks off”. So I wanted to take this moment to ask: We all understand that’s the point. Right?
I want you all to think about this for a second. Arlong is a Fishman, (I know, I know. Stating the obvious,) He is not human, regardless of how human he may seem. The Uncanny Valley exists for a reason. It’s the result of our brain processing something we see and coming to the conclusion that something in that sight is “wrong”. So yes, Fishmen, a species that looks human, but definitively and categorically isn’t human are going to look “weird” or “off” to us. And that’s the point. That’s why Fishmen in One Piece are discriminated against. Because to humans, they look wrong. They look strange.
So to everyone who has said “I don’t like how Arlong looks,” or “Arlong looks weird,” congratulations, you have experienced what it would feel like to be a human in the world of One Piece seeing a Fishman.
*by Kolgarith
