‘One Piece Film Red’ has already begun its international journey at full throttle and very well, also dominating the Spanish box office on the day of its premiere. As the film has finally been seen outside of Japan and its secrets are no longer so, Eiichiro Oda has wanted to settle an issue that had many fans on the warpath: that Uta is indeed canon in the ‘One Piece’ story.
Attention! ‘One Piece Film Red’ spoilers ahead!
And it also slipped into the manga
We’ve talked before about how the ‘One Piece’ movies themselves aren’t canon, because a lot of the events that occur would completely upend the chronology of the manga and anime, but certain lore data is explained in it.
This is completely the case for Uta and ‘One Piece Film Red’, as the concert and everything that happens during the plot would not be canon, but the story of Uta, Shanks and Luffy would.
During the movie we learn that Shanks found Uta in a chest when she was just a baby and raised her as his own daughter. So Uta became the singer of the Red Hair Pirates and Luffy’s childhood friend, though after summoning Tot Music in Elegy and destroying the island, Shanks left her in Gordon’s care and Uta disappeared from their lives.
Eiichiro Oda confirmed in his interview today that the “shadow” character in One Piece Chapter 1055 is Uta which means that she appeared in One Piece Manga. pic.twitter.com/sbYrZiVRP4
— 𝑶𝑵𝑬 𝑷𝑰𝑬𝑪𝑬 𝑺𝑷𝑶𝑰𝑳𝑬𝑹 (@OP_NEWS2022) November 5, 2022
Well, at the time many fans realized the detail, but Oda included Uta in chapter 1055 of the ‘One Piece’ manga, where you can see his silhouette.
The mangaka has also confirmed that Luffy’s fondness for music and how much he likes to sing would also be Uta’s thing. The memory of his childhood friend would also explain why Luffy has always wanted to have a musician in the crew, just like Shanks.
Oda confirms that Luffy’s love for singing and music was influenced in part by Uta, further elaborating that the reason why Luffy always wanted a musician in his crew was specifically because of his past together with her. pic.twitter.com/rHiKrtMnu8
— Artur – Library of Ohara ➜ One Piece Film RED (@newworldartur) November 5, 2022
Uta’s canonicity does not necessarily mean that she will appear in the manga and anime series, but her influence is very present, just like in Luffy’s wish to start “a new era” by becoming King of the Pirates.