I agree with this. One Piece covers: Racism, systemic oppression, human trafficking, corrupt governments, illegal drug/arms trade, chosen family, desire to live, all kinds of real things. PLUS THE POWER OF FRIENDSHIP.
I remember a couple of years ago, a ex-coworker around the same age as me (20-something, conventionally attractive white woman) said to a group of us while we were talking about Beyoncé, “Beyoncé intimidates me.” And she was genuinely concerned by that feeling. Everyone went silent.
I immediately had a flashback to grad school when another white classmate once told me that I intimidated her too when she first met me, yet she couldn’t explain why. My ex-serial people-pleaser self was internally distraught at the time. 😭 (I was the only Black male in the class at the time. Everyone else was white, Hispanic, or Asian.)
Years later, it all suddenly clicked. So many people cannot fully grasp Beyoncé because she represents a level of Black excellence, confidence, discipline, beauty, power and cultural impact that society never taught them how to comfortably process without centering themselves.
Instead of simply celebrating excellence, they experience it as intimidation. What they are often reacting to is not Beyoncé herself, but the insecurities and biases reflected back at them through her very presence.💡
Iva and kamabakka kingdom might not be the perfect representation however queer people always were and unfortunately still are one of the main targeted groups by oppressive systems so portraying them as a key part of the revolutionary movement is absolutely great writing