So I suppose you feel guilty for looking at one of my characters in an erotic way (Haha)? I donât mind at all and this goes for all of my characters.
My mentor taught me that âThe World of Mangaâ is a product you create, and after people spend money on that product, it isnât professional for us to complain about it. I agree with him. Please enjoy my work however you like, with whatever interpretations or fantasies you want. Iâm just happy that you read my manga.
Just a reminder to whoever in the fandom still keeps judging, badmouthing, or worse harassing other fans for their own shipping preferences or personal interpretations of the characters and/or the story.
Oda made an erotic example since the question was about it if you check the source, but what he said implies he expects and even encourages full freedom in how OP fans write/draw/interpret the manga characters (so surprising coming from the author of a manga about freedom! :P )
So, if you happen to see or read something you donât like just ignore it. Or, if you really want to debate about it, at least accept that the people youâre talking with are free to have their own opinions and interpretations and you canât insult or try to âcancelâ them for their preferences in how they engage with fictional media. Even just trying to âcorrectâ them may be offensive depending on how you do it. Surely, it sounds pretentious.
My personal stance in all of this is that we donât need to ârespectâ fictional characters, or to âprotectâ them. Sure people, someone may identify with them or find representation in them, but thatâs their own way to enjoy the media and it isnât universal. If someone is interpreting a character in a way you donât like, even if that way is non-canon, they are free to do so and nobody should take that as a personal insult.
Have fun with fictional characters, âuseâ them however you want, call them with whatever pronouns you want, but always, always respect real people for the simply fact theyâre living beings and not fictional ones like the characters weâre all so passionate about.