We finally have our first proper look at One Piece season 2, and with it, Charithra Chandran's first appearance as Vivi/Miss Wednesday.
The peek at the long-anticipated follow-up to the first season of Netflix's live-action adaptation of Eiichiro Oda's epic pirate tale should be a point of celebration. Yet, the reveal of Chandran in character as Vivi is triggering some mixed reactions online — and her co-stars are sharing their thoughts and coming to her defense.
Keep reading as we break down all the backlash surrounding Charithra Chandran's One Piece casting below.
When was Charithra Chandran cast in One Piece season 2?
After much speculation, Bridgerton season 2 alum Charithra Chandran was announced as a new cast addition to One Piece season 2 back on August 23, 2024. The British actor was revealed to have landed the role of Miss Wednesday, a.k.a. Nefertari Vivi.
“I am so excited to be joining the cast of One Piece, and I feel incredibly grateful to Oda Sensei for trusting me with the role of Vivi,” Chandran said in a video announcement at the time. “I know how much she means to all of you, and I am going to work my hardest to do her justice and make you all proud.”
When did the backlash for Charithra Chandran's One Piece casting start?
On August 11, 2025, Charithra Chandran took to her Instagram stories to post a series of hate comments she's received under her posts since the first look at her in full character was unveiled.
“Thank you so much for all your support,” she added, seeming sarcastically, in one of the slides alongside a heart emoji. Scroll across to see Chandran's full screenshots of comments:
What have Charithra Chandran's castmates said about the backlash?
Chandran's post on her Instagram Stories prompted her costar Rob Colletti, who plays Wapol in the upcoming season, to post a lengthy statement to his own Instagram Stories defending her casting.
“It is astonishing to me in all the wrong ways how certain small (but far too vocal) corners of the One Piece fandom can watch a rubber pirate, a reindeer doctor, and giant walking, talking fish and be totally fine... but draw the line at the simple idea of Nefertari Vivi being played by a woman who isn't white,” he wrote.
“Charithra was hand-selected by Oda, and he has far more knowledge and understanding of his own characters than anyone else, particularly the hateful, unimaginative creeps who actually have the audacity to get on the internet to throw hate speech towards an actor without even seeing their absolutely amazing performance on the show,” he continued.
Colletti continued explaining that Arabasta, a fictional location where season 2 will at least partly take place, heavily draws inspiration from “Middle Eastern and Southern Asian cultures.”
“Representation matters. Casting Charithra isn't ‘cHaNgiNg ThE cHaRaCtEr!!!’ It's actually honoring Oda's intended vision," he added. "But for those of you incapable of looking past your racist and hateful tendencies, Charithra delivers an astonishing performance. One that will reverberate in the One Piece fandom forever. She isn't just good in the show, she is exceptional. And even more important than that, Charithra is one of the kindest, most generous human beings I've ever had the honor of knowing and befriending. … The work she does as Vivi (which all that should matter to you anyway) not only honors Oda's source material brilliantly, it will inspire generations of little girls who deserve to see themselves up on that screen in her."
Emily Rudd, who plays Nami in the show, reposted Colletti's statement. She also took to X to share that she “obviously supports and echoes” the sentiment, and added some thoughts of her own on her Instagram Stories.
“Perceived ‘canon’ does not excuse blatant racism, or hate of any kind,” she wrote. “I am beyond proud of our show, our cast, and the opportunity we have to bring to life a story centered around a diverse found family — by an equally diverse found family.”
Rudd also took to X to clarify that while racist remarks are unjustified, she does acknowledge that those fans denouncing the show for not casting an MENA (i.e. Middle Eastern and North African) actor to portray Vivi are valid, since her native kingdom in the manga and anime is indeed inspired mainly by the Middle East, and that would be the closest real-world ethnicity equivalent. (Though then again, the world of One Piece is entirely fictional and this is Oda's vision after all.)
“Sharing these sentiments is not intended to negate the valid discourse of MENA representation (and/or lack thereof) in Hollywood. It’s important to hold studios and networks accountable and ensure representation for all,” Rudd continued. “The intention is to flag that hatred directed toward a specific person for simply doing a job (and job well done at that) is unacceptable," she added.
Iñaki Godoy faced similar fan backlash and mixed reactions initially when he was first announced in the titular role of Monkey D. Luffy, with Oda repeatedly defending his choice. (Luffy is the equivalent of Brazilian in both the manga and the anime, while Godoy is Mexican.) Godoy has since become a fan-favorite.
