August 4, 2025 | 11:07 am
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Some Indonesians are currently protesting against the government by waving One Piece anime flags. This protest continues to go viral on social media, with images of flags featuring pirate skulls in straw hats scattered throughout.
This protest using Toei Animation's anime has attracted widespread attention, even internationally, including among anime fans worldwide.
The X account for Today Anime News was among those who highlighted it. "People across Indonesia are using the One Piece flag to protest against the government," was written on August 2, 2025. The post has been retweeted 12,000 times at the time of writing this article.
The verified account, Anime Tweets, with 1.4 million followers, also joined in. "Raising the One Piece Straw Hats Flag is now Considered a 'Crime of Treason' and an attempt to divide the nation in Indonesia," following the reports in the country. This post was retweeted 2,000 times.
The red and white flag alongside the flag from the Japanese anime series One Piece in Bandung, West Java, August 3, 2025. Tempo/Prima Mulia
Among the comments was a post containing a "One Piece Fan Disclaimer." It explains that the flag or symbol of the skull with a straw hat is the work of Eiichiro Oda and does not represent any real acts of piracy, rebellion, or actual threats, but only fictional ones.
The display of the flag or symbol is a form of respect for the story and characters of One Piece. "There is no intention to offend or harm anyone."
What is One Piece
As quoted from the Toei Animation website, One Piece is an adventure series about pirates hunting for treasure, featuring Luffy as a unique hero character. Luffy and his friends are in search of the legendary treasure One Piece, reportedly left behind by the Pirate King, Roger.
This anime series is of the adventure/action genre, with a format of over 1,000 episodes at 26 minutes each. The target audience for this anime series includes boys, girls, teenage boys, teenage girls, and adults. Production began in 1999 with the copyright owned by Eiichiro Oda / Shueisha, Toei Animation.
Here are some of the achievements of One Piece:
- More than 1,000 episodes on television since 1999 and available in more than 80 countries.
- It is the world's number one manga with over 500 million copies sold from the publication of over 100 volumes.
- In terms of licensing, over 250,000 video games have been sold in the regions of Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.
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