Netflix
Ahead of the release of Netflix’s live-action adaptation of One Piece, fans anticipated what the possible consequences would be if the series was actually, miraculously good. There could be an increased One Piece fanbase (more nakama!), bigger and more fan events coming stateside, or simply a second season—itself a win, considering the legacy of the anime. Waves upon waves of viral thirst videos featuring a man whose clown nose is his actual, biological nose was perhaps not on many fans’ bingo cards.
And yet, social media—namely TikTok—has been thoroughly populated by Buggy the Clown thirst videos this last week, with many earning hundreds of thousands of views. Fanart of Buggy has simultaneously reached a new renaissance. Before the live-action show’s premiere, most One Piece fans would’ve conjectured that thirst videos would target the swordsman Zoro (smoldering!),the kickin’ cook Sanji (charming!), or pirate idol Shanks (HOT). Instead, the most lusted after by a ridiculously sizable margin is Buggy, a man whose name Luffy cannot properly remember to save his life, and whose nose pores are more visible in live action than ever before.
Many of the TikToks are just straight, unironic compilations of moments of Buggy from the Netflix adaptation. “FANTASIZE” by mari is a popular choice for musical accompaniment. Some are more self-aware of how hilarious it is that everyone’s thirsting after a torture clown. For new fans, it seems natural that Buggy is a pillar of lust, judging by the sheer volume and view count of the videos on TikTok. Yet most long-time One Piece fans, while watching our favorite thing proliferate mainstream American culture for the first time, are bemusedly wondering, “Him?!”