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Hegemony on the Grand Line: How localization erases Japanese culture in One Piece
Thesis   Open access

Hegemony on the Grand Line: How localization erases Japanese culture in One Piece

Davis Michael Tran
California State University, Sacramento
Master of Arts (MA), California State University, Sacramento
04/27/2026
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12741/rep:14057

Abstract

This study examined how the English-language versions of the animated television series One Piece work hegemonically to erase Japanese culture. Under an ideological approach, this research explored seven of the same episodes from the subtitled and dubbed versions of the Land of Wano arc within the animated series, totaling 14 episodes. The results suggest that the Americanized versions employed misrepresentation, omission of Japanese keigo and honorifics, and usage of diminutive language to reshape culture and power dynamics. The findings suggest that localizing the animation series for Western audiences perpetuates Western ideals and supremacy, as the translation modes erase and reshape Japanese culture.
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