One Piece is one of the greatest and most popular manga and anime of all time. The journey of Luffy and his Straw Hat Pirates spans many years and chapters. But of all things, a German cult series that was produced on behalf of ZDF played a key role in the creation of the manga.
What cult series is it about? Wickie and the strong men. This is a Viking series that was produced as an anime by the Japanese studios “Zuiyo” and “Nippon Animation” on behalf of ZDF and the Austrian ORF.
The series is based on the children’s book series “Wickie” by the Swedish author Runer Jonsson and was first broadcast on ZDF in 1974, 50 years ago.
Wickie made Oda a Pirates fan early on
What does Wickie have to do with One Piece? Eiichiro Oda, the author of One Piece, has spoken about the manga’s inspiration in various interviews, saying that he enjoyed watching the series “Wickie and the Strong Men” as a child.
For example, he told the online magazine VIC.com:
As a child, I really liked an anime series called Wickie and the Strong Men. […] When I was researching pirates for One Piece, I discovered that Vikings are a type of pirate. I think it’s great to have friends on your team, just like in the Wickie series. This may not be the best comparison, but I feel like the spirit of this series continues in my work.
Wickie had a big influence on Oda becoming a pirate fan as a child and later wanting to write a pirate manga and forming the Straw Hat Gang into a group of good friends.
However, Oda’s protagonist Luffy doesn’t particularly resemble Wickie. He is neither strong nor courageous, but is characterized by his clever ideas – practically the exact opposite of the leader of the Straw Hat Pirates.
The One Piece – Interview with the remake team
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A boy who wants to become a Viking
What is Wickie actually about? The cult series Wickie and the Strong Men is about a little boy who really wants to be a Viking. He adores them and begs his father to travel with them.
However, on their joint adventures, the Vikings repeatedly encounter a variety of challenges that often cannot be overcome with pure muscle strength. This is where Wickie often comes into play, because the boy always has clever ideas that help him overcome various challenges.
Wickie does not have an enormously high fighting strength, such as that possessed by Luffy or his companion Zorro. For example, in one episode he hides in a tree and calls his father for help when he is attacked by a wolf.
There is now also a live-action One Piece series on Netflix, the debut season of which was really well received by many viewers. Fans are currently still waiting for the release of the second season. Now, after a long wait, there has been another sign of life: The live-action series for One Piece on Netflix is sending new signs of life and making fans smile