 Morally ambiguous pirates, a shady government organization, secret scripts written on indestructible stone, ancient weapons made with technology well advanced for its time, a civilization under water, a legendary city of gold hidden in the sky, an adventure of a lifetime. I'm sure these words are all that's needed to spark a particular series to mind, a beloved tale about a certain boy and his group of friends who have embarked on a journey to uncover the world's greatest treasure. But what if I told you that these same words could actually describe a movie that was released over 10 years before One Piece began? What if I told you that there exists a film following the adventure of a protagonist who befriends pirates and fights an evil government, all in an effort to uncover a secret ancient city in the sky one believed to be no more than a myth? That movie is Laputa, Castle in the Sky, the very first film produced by Studio Ghibli, the same studio responsible for animated classics such as Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro, Howl's Moving Castle, Grave of the Fireflies and countless other animated movies considered to be some of the finest feature-length animation films ever produced. Founded in Tokyo, Japan in 1985, Studio Ghibli's influence extends beyond the land of the Rising Sun, inspiring countless artists and filmmakers, one being John Lasseter, the brain behind a number of classic Pixar films who described Hayao Miyazaki, the founder of Studio Ghibli, to be the greatest animation director living today, glowing praise coming from the man who gave us Toy Story. Knowing those words came from someone behind some of the highest-grossing animated films of all time, it's not hard to imagine that there are countless others who are influenced by the world and works that Hayao Miyazaki has created. In fact, one of them is someone whose work we are very familiar with, someone who has closely watched and developed a passion for crafting imaginary characters and produced perhaps the most sophisticated world building in all of manga and anime. I am, of course, talking about Echiro Oda. Echiro Oda taking inspiration from other media is no secret, basing many elements of his story from various other sources such as the different geographies of the many islands in his world, to the vast array of characters that populate it. Watching Castle in the Sky, I can't help but be reminded of Echiro Oda's work. Throughout the movie, I kept noticing elements that I believe have inspired Oda-sensei in his approach to making One Piece. Oh, and do you recognize this voice? Yeah, it probably helped that the protagonist of the film just happens to be voiced by Mayumi Tanaka, the legendary seiyuu for Luffy in the animation of One Piece. Hello Manakama Tachi, this is Joygirl, and let me share with you an incredibly eye-opening film that I watched recently, Laputa Castle in the Sky, and the many similarities it has with One Piece. And who knows, we might even come across something that may solve the huge mysteries within the series that still puzzle us today, such as the meaning of the Will of D and the location of Laugh Tale, incoming spoilers for the movie ahead. A Studio Ghibli classic, Castle in the Sky is a 1986 film which remains popular to this day. Alongside winning the Anomage Anime Grand Prix upon its initial release, it was also voted the most popular Ghibli film in 2020 after decades of numerous Studio Ghibli releases. The film follows two orphaned children, Shita and Pazu. Shita is a young girl on the run from shady government agents as well as pirates, both groups who are after a mysterious and powerful crystal necklace that has been passed down her family for generations. Pazu is a young boy who works as a miner in a poor town. The two meet when Shita falls off an airship whilst escaping from the clutches of the government and pirates. As she falls down from the sky, her necklace saves her, allowing her to float, which Pazu witnesses and then catches her before she hits land. The two then embark on an adventure as Pazu helps Shita avoid capture, finding out that Shita is actually connected to a legendary island called La Puta, a mystical land set to be full of treasures found in the sky, which Pazu's father once came across but then was ridiculed by society when he tried to tell others about what he saw. Through a series of escapades, Pazu and Shita end up befriending a group of pirates, finding out that pirates aren't as evil as we initially thought, whilst fighting the corrupt government agents who seek to use and control the powers of the advanced technology of the mystical island. An adventure packed with beautiful landscapes, some comedy, intrigue, and very fun and interesting characters. Now when this film came up on my Netflix recommendations, I figured the algorithm understood my interest in animated Japanese media. I did not anticipate to what extent, because I have to say what piqued my interest more than anything was the uncanny resemblance to One Piece, or I suppose the other way around, seeing as the film was actually made first. Starting with one of the main characters, Pazu, a free spirited, adventurous young boy with great intuition, especially when it comes to making friends and judging people. Pazu is not only voiced by the same seiyuu, Mayumi Tanaka who voices Luffy in the anime of One Piece, but by the end of the film, Pazu even ends up with a scar under his left eye. The other protagonist is Shita, but her actual name is Lucita. I wonder why they shortened it to Shita instead of Lucy. Wait, Lucy? Lucita is an individual with an incredibly important family lineage that she keeps hidden alongside her full name which would give away her fated heritage. Her family is considered a threat by the government because of their knowledge and control of the world's greatest powers. When it comes to other characters, the pirate group is headed by a matriarch named Dola, at first threatening and intimidating, but later becomes a close friend and maternal figure to the protagonists. She also just happens to be referred to as Mama by her crew, but alongside resembling Big Mom at times, I was more often reminded of Dadan, the matriarch head of a group of bandits. There are also suspicious and power-hungry government agents, some who are smart and cunning like the CP9 and others who are just bumbling fools. But character similarities adjust the tip of the iceberg when it comes to comparing One Piece to this film. The most obvious is the concept of a mystical legendary island in the sky, which seems to have been a massive inspiration for the sky islands, in particular the mythical land of Shandora. Laputa is full of hidden treasures, gold and greatest of all, mysterious secrets and powers. The island's design is very much like the ancient city Shandora, a golden city surrounded by ruins containing great treasures within. Laputa's existence has long been a myth, a fictional tale, and those who claim that this island does in fact exist were laughed at and ridiculed. Laputa also houses some large ancient stones that have been inscribed with a traditional and largely forgotten language, closely similar in design to the pornoglyphs we've seen in One Piece. And also there's the existence of robots who act as high-tech super soldiers who protect Laputa as well as Surfshita, the long-lost princess of the legendary kingdom. And I found that these robots reminded me very much of the pacifistas, but not only this, it also caused me to wonder whether these robots even had a hand in sparking the idea of the ancient weapons for Oda. Also, Enel's Ark Maxim is very similar in design to the airship in the film. But now in saying all of this, it should be noted that this Ghibli film itself isn't completely original. Well, no media is. All artistic works are the result of intertextuality with composers influenced by others to create their own unique work. But more specifically in this case, Laputa is actually the name of a flying island mentioned in the classic story Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift, published in 1726. And this tale is explicitly referenced in the film, with Pazu's father giving the island the name Laputa after the similarly flying island in Swift's story called Laputa. And in fact, Oda has alluded to Gulliver's Travels in one piece as well. For example, the scene of Robin seeming like a giant amongst the dwarves in Dressrosa is a very familiar scene reminiscent of the giant on the beach from Swift's classic novel. And the map of Skypierre is also very similar to the map of Laputa from Gulliver's Travels with a main island and then a smaller island located to the northwest. And of course, we know that Oda has been inspired by countless other legends, artworks and stories which all tie in seamlessly and beautifully to create the rich series that is one piece. So the reason why I think this film is of particular importance is because it seems to have significantly sparked the initial inspiration for Oda in creating his story. And not only that, but we could even speculate that it's possible this film contains some answers to some of the largest secrets in the series. It's common knowledge at this point that as a young boy, through his love for the series, Vicky the Viking, Achiro Oda held an affinity for Vikings, the original manifestation of pirates in history. But outside of Oda liking Hayao Miyazaki's animated works, a direct mention of the influence that Castle in the Sky seems to have had on one piece doesn't receive much widespread recognition, which I think is intriguing, particularly when you consider how important this film is likely to have been in shaping Oda's story. Laputa Castle in the Sky is the first film that Studio Ghibli officially produced as an established company. It performed tremendously, both in Japan and internationally, going on to have an extremely strong influence on Japanese pop culture. And it's worth noting at this juncture that this film would have come out when Oda himself was a young and impressionable schoolboy, only 11 years old at the time the film was released. A very important detail in my opinion, considering that Oda has revealed in the past that he started drawing his pirate manga when he was in year seven, which would roughly place him at around 12 years old. Achiro Oda, starting to draw a series, centered around pirates, featuring elements such as polyglyphs, a floating island, corrupt government and ancient weapons, less than one year after a monumental Japanese film, containing the very same elements, surely is more than just a simple coincidence. The fact that Mayumi Tanaka would also go on to voice Luffy as well and do such a fantastic job in doing so, one could even think perhaps Oda always envisioned Luffy with Tanaka's voice in mind. After all, we do know that he always wrote Frankie's character with Bentham's say you in mind after Kazuki Yau left such a big impression. Interestingly, one of the pirate sons in Laputa is voiced by Yoshito Yasuhara, who would later go on to voice Dr. Vega Punk in One Piece, which isn't to say all connections between voice actors between different series has to mean something deeper because that's certainly not the case. But whether you believe that Oda was inspired by this film or not, the similarities between these two works of media is undeniable, and this becomes even more so when we consider the One Piece arc which resembles the film Laputa the most, Skypier. The Skypier arc is a gem wherein its importance to the overall series only becomes clearer as we progress through the story more. Those who are caught up with recent events have a newfound appreciation for the arc and now truly understand the full importance of the adventure in the sky, where important legendary figures were introduced and one who will change the series as we know it. And so to see that Laputa castle in the sky seems to have been a very core inspiration for this arc, it only seems to strengthen this understanding that Oda has always had big plans to come out of Skypier and has always viewed the arc as a central part of his story. Morals and themes from the film are also something Oda might have already adopted into One Piece. A central idea in Castle in the Sky is that certain powers shouldn't be used by anyone and is better off left alone. And this seems to be a core idea related to the ancient weapons in One Piece or more specifically, Pluton. The shipwrights at water seven felt it necessary to leave behind blueprints to build a counter to Pluton in the event that the original weapon of mass destruction fell into the wrong hands. Who knows, maybe Luffy may find the One Piece and decide it's something better left hidden or destroyed. And while these similarities that we've discussed so far may not seem all that impressive, well let me share some other details and you tell me what sort of connections and speculations can be made. Shita's full name in the film is Rushita Toeru Ur Laputa. In an attempt to conceal her true identity, she goes by Shita. But in Laputan language, Toeru means true and Ur means king, making Shita the rightful ruler of Laputa. But throughout the film, we come to discover that Shita is not the only surviving member of the Toeru Ur Laputa lineage. The other individual, however, happens to be evil, seeking to restore the throne of Laputa only out of selfish greed. Huh, sort of like the two types of characters who hold the D initial in One Piece. In our real world, the name Ur is also significant. Ur is actually the name of an important city-state in ancient Mesopotamia, the oldest urban human civilization in recorded history. One could even say it's an ancient kingdom. But not only was Ur the name of an important city, but this city derived its name after one of their gods, specifically the Moon God, Nana. More interestingly, Nana is the child of two gods, one named Enlil, Enlil being the God of storms, wind, air, and earth. But also, Nana is the father of Utu, also known as Shasmash, the Sun God. And in Mesopotamian mythology, the Moon God, along with the Sun God, made up two of the three gods who formed the Astral Triad or the Pantheon, making them two of the most important deities in Mesopotamian religion. And given that we now have a Sun God in One Piece, there have been many speculations as to whether we will now also see a Moon God, which does seem very possible. But if this isn't enough to blow your mind, there's more. The ancient Mesopotamian civilization was very advanced for its time, having invented many concepts and technology still important today. One of its inventions was the Kuniform, a system of writing in stone much like the pornoglyphs. But also, and take note, the way that Mesopotamians used to mark their gods when writing their names, such as Nana or Utu, was through the use of a symbol to showcase their divinity. This symbol is called Dingi, the Sumerian word for God or Goddess. And when this symbol is transliterated today, it looks like this. Does this remind you of anything? That's right, it's very well possible that Oda has derived the D initial from this scribe or symbol used to note gods in ancient Mesopotamia. And the idea that those with the will of D have some sort of connection to gods really doesn't seem so far-fetched. Given revelations we've recently had in the series, with new information we have concerning Luffy's devil fruit, which grants him the attributes of the Sun God Nika, who in Mesopotamian religion, the Sun God was also known as the God of Justice. But as to whether this means the D initial in one piece actually means Dingi is probably unlikely. After all, Dingi is a very specific term related to a very specific history. But it is certainly possible, even likely, that this has played some sort of influence in Oda's story. And this next part is what I find the most fun. We've already established the many similarities between the castle found in the sky to the ancient city Shandora, but there is another key connection that could possibly change everything. And that lies in the name of the island itself, Laputa. Say the name out loud, Laputa. Say it faster. And faster. And faster. Laputa, Laughter. Laughter like Laugh Tale. Going back to my original point that no media is completely original, it might just be possible that similar to how Hayao Miyazaki used the name Laputa in reference to Jonathan Swift's novel, perhaps Hira Oda naming the island Laugh Tale could be an allusion to Miyazaki's film, the final island where all the treasure and secrets of the world reside, the island which houses the one piece. Laputa in the sky, Laugh Tale From what we know of Laputa, is it possible that Laugh Tale is located in the sky? Could connecting the four rodoponyglyphs point to the direction of the final island, similar to how Sheeter's crystal necklace points to the location of Laputa? Laugh Tale, being a floating island, could explain Roger mentioning that the logposers went wild after reaching Lorda Star, similar to how Zunisha was only able to be found via a vivacard due to its constantly changing location. Laugh Tale being an island in the sky, constantly floating and moving, could mean it's an island unable to be found via the traditional method. Laputa is only similar to Shandora, but may also be the inspiration for Laugh Tale itself. In fact, when we think of Shandora, we know the island was the left eye that completed the skull on the map of Jaya, but what we don't know is what happened to the eye on the right. That portion of the land was already gone by the time Mont Blanc Nolan was alive, perhaps because it was an island that disappeared roughly 400 years prior to Nolan, an island that disappeared around the void century, an island that would later go on to be named Laugh Tale. If Shandora is marked with heavy imagery and themes of the sun complete with a sun god, it makes sense that the other island could be heavily influenced by the theme of the moon, and need I remind you again that Sheeter's family name in the film is taken from Mesopotamia, the name of a city known for its connection to a specific moon god. At this point, I almost get the feeling that some of the elements concerning the ending of One Piece are tucked away in the film Laputa Castle in the Sky. The secrets concerning the Wheel of D, the importance of ancient weapons, the location of Laugh Tale, perhaps even what the One Piece is. But as always, I suppose only time will tell. After all, One Piece is still an original story that Oda has now developed into something else entirely, something unique despite all of the various different sources that have helped shape it, but it is certainly hard to dispute all the uncanny similarities and how Oda has weaved them into his story. And who knows, maybe they will piece together to give us all of the answers one day. But in the meantime, I encourage you to watch the film for yourself if you haven't already. And do come back to this video to reconsider some of these observations. And please do subscribe to this channel if you enjoyed this video, I love discussing anything One Piece and you obviously enjoy it too, and I really would appreciate it if you would subscribe. You can also let me know your thoughts by leaving a comment below, don't forget to like and share this video, you can also join our Joyfleet Discord server or even become a Patreon member. And I do want to thank all our Patrons for help supporting the channel. This is Joygirl and I'll see you again soon.