When it comes to popularity, there is barely any other Shonen series that comes near Eiichiro Oda’s magnum opus. The anime has been airing for 25 years and is not showing any signs of coming to an end. Hence, it is one of the many reasons that the title is popular not just in Japan, but all around the world, and arguably comes second in popularity after Dragon Ball.
Naturally, the series has created a cultural phenomenon, and fans just can’t get enough of the series’ greatness. From a gripping storyline to bewitching animation and jaw-dropping action scenes, it has kept the series still a big name in 2024.
However, the overwhelmingly long period of time has made it a topic of criticism, where Weebs complains that the series is just “too long to watch.” Interestingly, Oda-Sensei has not let this factor affect his work because he used this trait to become its greatest strength.
Eiichiro Oda Used One Piece’s Major Flaw To His Advantage
With each passing day, the fame of Eiichiro Oda and his One Piece is reaching new heights as the story features the greatest of human values like dreams, friendship, integrity, and many more that have well-resonated among its viewers. The viewers who have watched the series know how epic it can get, taking them on a rollercoaster of emotions.
However, the series has not managed to escape hate and criticism from people, especially in terms of its length. For ages, a major chunk of the Otaku community has called out the manga artist for being too long, and they turn away watching its length from afar.
Though their criticism makes sense, the real ones know that once they start reading or watching the series, they will be overwhelmed with emotions. To top it off, Eiichiro Oda comes up with the perfect explanation for the series’ long and unique pacing.
In 2012, Sound & Recording Magazine published an interview with Yasutaka Nakata and Oda-Sensei via WION, where he asked the manga artist “what” goes in his head when “you are drawing it.”
Oda-Sensei explained how everything works on its own and fans would know how his characters act as if they are “alive.” He said,
Characters work on their own, and the reader knows that too, and when I force a character to move for the sake of the story, they point out, “There’s no way this character would do this.” That’s why Luffy… It’s the most troublesome thing. If I don’t interpose various episodes and put the brakes on, the boss will be defeated right away. The characters are alive.
Undoubtedly, the manga artist has taken the testament to creating the greatest serialization of characters, where he focuses heavily on both major and minor characters alike. This is true, especially when the fans get to see their backstories.
Additionally, the set of events that take place at the climax of each arc feels more epic and natural, which is the key and core reason that makes it relevant, even after nearly 3 decades.
Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece Will be His Only Work in the Anime and Manga Industry
There’s no denying that One Piece offers immense room for growth that feels organic in one sense, where fans who have been reading the manga since 1997 would realize that Monkey D. Luffy has had tremendous growth.
Interestingly, he is not the only one because all the Straw Hat Pirates and side characters like Law, Whitebeard, Ace, and many more have grown dear to the OP community. However, this never-yielding passion is the result of the series being his only work that would cement a legacy so grand that other mangakas of the present or the future can’t even come close to it.
In 2016, during an exclusive interview with Fuji TV via The One Piece Podcast, the mangaka was asked about the progress of the series. Oda-Sensei replied, “65%” before adding the reason behind the painfully long series. He said,
I’d say about 65%. I need the courage to chip away at the ideas I come up with. It’s a race against time between my remaining lifespan and the end of the series (laughs). I’m not going to be able to make another long series after One Piece.
Indeed, this has made the fans feel comfortable, and the way the manga and the anime have gone on long hiatuses ensures that the grand adventure of Luffy and his Straw Hat Pirate crew is not coming to an end anytime soon.
One Piece manga can be read on VIZ Media, and the anime can be streamed on Crunchyroll.
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