Character Discussion Odas way of writing female characters, especially after Timeskip

#21
I read a decent amount of manga actually.

Me trying to find a manga that has good female characters that is treated well is like trying to find a needle in a haystack or finding a diamond inside a mass pile of cow shits. It's possible to find a hidden gem, just gonna takes some time lol.
Black Clover, Ragna Crimson, Strike it Rich and Shaman King are good mangas with awesome female characters.
 
#24
I read a decent amount of manga actually.

Me trying to find a manga that has good female characters that is treated well is like trying to find a needle in a haystack or finding a diamond inside a mass pile of cow shits. It's possible to find a hidden gem, just gonna takes some time lol.
Agree.

I was recently asked about my top 10 anime/manga characters, and 80% of them were male, not because I dislike female characters, but because it is so damn hard to find one.
Sure, there's Revy from Black Lagoon, Mereoleona from Black Clover and FMA has Winry and General Armstrong, but you really have to look for a good female character. Guess Japanese patriarchy still is going strong and that's reflected in the manga as well. Especially if it's shonen or seinen, since the audience is supposed to be predominantly male.
 
#26
I’ve increasingly come to feel that Oda intentionally sexualizes female characters in One Piece as a way to avoid giving them deeper personalities. It seems like their physical appeal is meant to do most of the work—almost as if it makes up 70% of who they are. The remaining 30% is then filled with shallow or cliché traits that lack real substance.

Nami is a good example of this. Especially after the timeskip, her personality seems to revolve mostly around two things: her obsession with money and her exaggerated fearfulness in certain situations. Everything else that once defined her—her emotional struggles, her growth, her inner strength—has been pushed to the background. Instead, her appearance takes center stage, as if that’s enough to make her an interesting character.

It almost feels like Oda avoids writing female characters who aren’t overtly attractive because that would require him to give them real depth, layered motivations, and believable development. And that’s something he often seems unwilling to do with the women in One Piece.
This is literally a matter of reading comprehension because Nami had at least major moment in every post-timeskip arc concerning her empathy, bravery, kindness or intelligence. Being sexy and well-written are not mutually exclusive concepts.

FMI: Forgave Jinbe and showed emotional growth from her times of despair with Arlong
Punk Hazard: Took initiative to help the kids despite the danger involved
Dressrosa: Advised Luffy to split the crew and have one half with Momo and Caesar go to Zou
Zou: Pushed to rescue Sanji, despite knowing about Big Mom being a Yonko
WCI: Too many contributions to list, most notably helped Luffy beat Cracker though
Wano: Earned Zeus's loyalty, stood up to both Ulti and Kaido, finished off Ulti with Zeus

Didn't have much in Egghead but she did fight S-Shark and apparently even captured him and the other Seraphim according to the anime. She's already been one of the best SHs in Elbaf with how she took down Road, guided the crew out of his Legoland, helped Luffy and Zoro get to Aurust Castle, and now is taking the initiative to help the Elbaf children by finding the Holy Knights.

It's kind of insane to say only Nami's money obsession and fearfulness are focused on, when her money obsession has come up like three times in total since the timeskip and she's had multiple displays of courage. Maybe pay attention to what she actually does instead of her tits?

I'm not saying she's the best female character ever, but Oda has made more of an effort with her writing than most of the Straw Hats and dismissing all of that just because she's sexy is dumb lol.
 
#28
I read a decent amount of manga actually.

Me trying to find a manga that has good female characters that is treated well is like trying to find a needle in a haystack or finding a diamond inside a mass pile of cow shits. It's possible to find a hidden gem, just gonna takes some time lol.
Shonens are hard to find a manga with good treated female characters, but chainsaw man, Dandadan, Oshi no ko, Akame ga kill for example are good
 
#29
This is literally a matter of reading comprehension because Nami had at least major moment in every post-timeskip arc concerning her empathy, bravery, kindness or intelligence. Being sexy and well-written are not mutually exclusive concepts.

FMI: Forgave Jinbe and showed emotional growth from her times of despair with Arlong
Punk Hazard: Took initiative to help the kids despite the danger involved
Dressrosa: Advised Luffy to split the crew and have one half with Momo and Caesar go to Zou
Zou: Pushed to rescue Sanji, despite knowing about Big Mom being a Yonko
WCI: Too many contributions to list, most notably helped Luffy beat Cracker though
Wano: Earned Zeus's loyalty, stood up to both Ulti and Kaido, finished off Ulti with Zeus

Didn't have much in Egghead but she did fight S-Shark and apparently even captured him and the other Seraphim according to the anime. She's already been one of the best SHs in Elbaf with how she took down Road, guided the crew out of his Legoland, helped Luffy and Zoro get to Aurust Castle, and now is taking the initiative to help the Elbaf children by finding the Holy Knights.

It's kind of insane to say only Nami's money obsession and fearfulness are focused on, when her money obsession has come up like three times in total since the timeskip and she's had multiple displays of courage. Maybe pay attention to what she actually does instead of her tits?

I'm not saying she's the best female character ever, but Oda has made more of an effort with her writing than most of the Straw Hats and dismissing all of that just because she's sexy is dumb lol.
Nami was handled far better in post skip than most straw hats.
 
#30
I’ve increasingly come to feel that Oda intentionally sexualizes female characters in One Piece as a way to avoid giving them deeper personalities. It seems like their physical appeal is meant to do most of the work—almost as if it makes up 70% of who they are. The remaining 30% is then filled with shallow or cliché traits that lack real substance.

Nami is a good example of this. Especially after the timeskip, her personality seems to revolve mostly around two things: her obsession with money and her exaggerated fearfulness in certain situations. Everything else that once defined her—her emotional struggles, her growth, her inner strength—has been pushed to the background. Instead, her appearance takes center stage, as if that’s enough to make her an interesting character.

It almost feels like Oda avoids writing female characters who aren’t overtly attractive because that would require him to give them real depth, layered motivations, and believable development. And that’s something he often seems unwilling to do with the women in One Piece.
Using few big words doesn't make you intelligent
None of the strawhat has as much depth as Nami
Other than Sanji maybe
 
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#31
Yeah you will never see Katara, Toph, Azula, Mai, Ty Lee, Suki or Kyoshi's level of badassery and spotlight in One Piece.
Man I love Avatar. Some of the best characters in all of modern fiction.

Just what Kyoshi did in ATLA has far more aura and badassery than anything Oda did with his female characters.
Have yet to read the novels too but from what I read about them Kyoshi sounds even more of a badass and the overall story much darker and 'realistic'. What Korra could've been.

Especially if it's shonen or seinen, since the audience is supposed to be predominantly male.
which is already proven to be semi false, women DO read shonen and seinen as well.
 
#32
Man I love Avatar. Some of the best characters in all of modern fiction.
Facts.

Have yet to read the novels too but from what I read about them Kyoshi sounds even more of a badass and the overall story much darker and 'realistic'. What Korra could've been.
Haven't read them either, where you can find them?

which is already proven to be semi false, women DO read shonen and seinen as well.
Exactly.
But Oda still writes for 12-year old boys :kayneshrug:
 
#36
It's called "Flanderization" and it's not even exclusive to female characters alone.

Oda's character writing has been a total mess post-skip.

Well, to me more exact: It's almost non-existant.

Literally every single character right now is a 99% their signature cliche(s) and only 1% actual character.

If you read a pre-skip arc and then a post-skip arc the difference is mindblowing. People just seem to have forgotten, because pre-skip has been so long ago.

I read a decent amount of manga actually.

Me trying to find a manga that has good female characters that is treated well is like trying to find a needle in a haystack or finding a diamond inside a mass pile of cow shits. It's possible to find a hidden gem, just gonna takes some time lol.
Apothecary diaries.
 
#38
It's called "Flanderization" and it's not even exclusive to female characters alone.

Oda's character writing has been a total mess post-skip.

Well, to me more exact: It's almost non-existant.

Literally every single character right now is a 99% their signature cliche(s) and only 1% actual character.

If you read a pre-skip arc and then a post-skip arc the difference is mindblowing. People just seem to have forgotten, because pre-skip has been so long ago.


Apothecary diaries.
It's one of my favorite mangas right now. I also really like Frieren and its characters.
 
#40
Apothecary diaries.
LMAO bruh ain’t serious. A story where the role of women is to be nothing more than whores, babymaker for the emperor, or servants to these babymakers? At least women in OP can be pirate king and kick ass

Maomao is cool tho

It's one of my favorite mangas right now. I also really like Frieren and its characters.
Frieren is good. But Stark the main male in exchange gets shafted and clowned compared to Frieren and Fern the female leads
 
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