There are very few names in the manga world that are as big as Eiichiro Oda. The manga creator’s magnum opus, One Piece, has helped him stay at the top for almost 30 years, and no other mangaka has managed to achieve what Oda has accomplished in his life. He is one of the biggest legends in the game, and his global fanbase proves that.
While there are other projects like Jujutsu Kaisen that have tried to overtake One Piece in terms of manga records and sales, they still can’t reach the level of Oda and One Piece because, even after so long, the manga creator is still giving his best. This is because of his competitive spirit to make sure that One Piece stays at the top no matter what.
The manga creator once addressed this issue of new manga creators trying to compete with the likes of One Piece. According to him, although he doesn’t understand the recent manga, he makes sure that he doesn’t lose to them and their manga creators.
Eiichiro Oda’s Competitive Spirit is Strong Even After So Many Years
In a 2018 interview, which was translated by @sandman_AP on X(Formerly Twitter), the One Piece creator talked about the newly released mangas that were gaining instant popularity because of their unique storylines, brilliantly written characters, and shocking climaxes. He admitted to the fact that these new manga creators make him feel like an old grandfather.
Oda stated:
I often feel like an “old granpa” and think, “I don’t understand the recent mangas in Shonen Jump. But that doesn’t mean I’m going to take any countermeasures. Because if my manga loses to them, I will start researching, but so far I am winning.
Considering the timeline of the interview, it is possible that Oda might be talking about Jujutsu Kaisen and its manga creator, Gege Akutami, who took the manga world by storm. Jujutsu Kaisen was an instant hit and rose to success in a short period of time. However, Oda’s competitive spirit won’t let him lose to Akutami, as he stated that he would take countermeasures, and so far, he is still winning.
One Piece vs. Jujutsu Kaisen
Recent times have been great for Jujutsu Kaisen in terms of manga sales. According to Oricon, Jujutsu Kaisen sold 4,630,685 copies in the first half of 2024, making it the best-selling manga of 2024 as of yet. The major reason behind the popularity of the series is probably the Culling Games arc of the series.
However, Akutami’s magnum opus still has a lot of work to do if they want to compete with Eiichiro Oda. One Piece is not only one of the best-selling mangas of 2024; it was the best-selling manga series for eleven consecutive years from 2008 until 2018. Also, in August 2022, the manga had reached 516 million copies in circulation worldwide.
It is truly commendable that Jujutsu Kaisen is reaching new heights with every chapter and has risen to fame in such a short period of time. But One Piece has reigned supreme for almost 30 years, and considering the current narrative of the series, it does not look like it will go down anytime soon.
You can read the One Piece and Jujutsu Kaisen manga on Viz Media.
