Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece, the pirate manga series, is a global phenomenon and considered the greatest manga of our times. However, it took incredible efforts and time to reach this position when the shonen category was dominated by titles such as Dragon Ball, Slam Dunk, and many more. Oda had to live up to the expectations to a great extent, and the author managed to surpass them over the year. So, what was the secret behind Oda’s success with his magnum opus, One Piece? The author himself has revealed the truth in his latest interview about Shonen Jump.
Oda Didn’t Want One Piece to Be a Battle Shonen Manga
When Oda was taking a major step in his mangaka career, the pillars of the shonen scene, such as Dragon Ball and Slam Dunk, ended their runs. While this was a wonderful opening and the right time to pick up the baton, new mangakas faced a herculean task of filling the void left by the greats in a time when manga circulation is declining. If you can’t grasp the gravity of this situation, think of the time when modern shonen titles Jujutsu Kaisen and My Hero Academia ended in 2024.
Oda, in his new interview, stated that all he could think of at that time was not to start a battle shonen manga and directly compete with the great Dragon Ball. “Because if you start a battle manga, readers naturally expect it to be the next Dragon Ball,” said Oda. Oda thought he could never top his favorite mangaka’s work.
To add fuel to the fire, Oda also witnessed the axing of new battle manga by authors who started right before him. The author clearly knew that his new manga straight-up competing with Dragon Ball, would be a mistake, which led to him changing his vision for the better. That’s how he decided to approach his legendary manga, One Piece, as an adventurous title rather than focusing on it as a battle shonen series. The author emphasized in his interview that it is one of the main reasons why his One Piece series managed to last long and continues to be serialized to this day.
But that doesn’t mean One Piece doesn’t feature battles. Longtime fans of the series know that there are many phenomenal battles in One Piece, but the series’ heart is undoubtedly adventure. That’s why Oda mentioned that young boys have always loved battles, no matter the era. To think that Eiichiro Oda’s most favorite mangaka, Akira Toriyama, and his Dragon Ball series indirectly influenced One Piece to become what it is today is astonishing, isn’t it?
Oda’s Endless Admiration for Akira Toriyama
If you think that Oda aimed to make his series better than Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball, then you are completely wrong. Based on Oda’s interviews, he is the biggest fan of Toriyama sensei in the manga industry. He realized he could never beat his favorite author’s work, and Dragon Ball had a subtle effect on the unbelievable rise and growth of the One Piece manga series.
The existence of Toriyama sensei is greater to me than anything else – Oda
The author even revealed that the only reason he chose Shonen Jump previously was simply because he wanted to work alongside Toriyama sensei: “The reason I submitted to Shonen Jump’s newcomer award was purely because I wanted to go to the place where Akira Toriyama was. Not once did I ever consider applying anywhere other than Jump.”
Toriyama’s manga didn’t just help him decide the approach for One Piece, but it also inspired him to draw well. “I had never seen anyone who could draw so well, and I was captivated at first sight. Of course, I was also influenced by many other artists I discovered after Toriyama-sensei, and they all helped shape who I am today, but when it comes to art, the influence of Toriyama-sensei is by far the greatest,” Oda said.
We can’t imagine what Oda must have felt on the day when his favorite Toriyama sensei passed away. In one way or another, his sensei’s best work inspired him to come up with his magnum opus. That said, what do you think about Dragon Ball’s influence on the One Piece manga? Let us know in the comments below.
