Dragon Ball and One Piece, are big names in manga and anime. These two have become popular all around the world, with millions of followers.
You might see merchandise for such franchises on nearly any item you can imagine – action figures, models, toys, and so forth. The fame of these series is gigantic.
The lovers of Dragon Ball and One Piece have much passion. There are frequent debates among them regarding which characters from these shows are the mightiest. It’s somewhat of an endless tongue battle between the two fandoms.
How Dragon Ball Influenced Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece
The fact that One Piece is heavily influenced by Dragon Ball, a classic manga and anime series, isn’t hidden. The quick action, weird humor, as well as mixing of fantasy with science fiction in One Piece remind us why Dragon Ball was loved so much. Many people call One Piece the spiritual heir to Dragon Ball because they share many things.
Eiichirio Oda also agreed with this, recognizing that One Piece‘s key factors – the band of villains and universe laws – are similar to Dragon Ball.
When speaking with Toriyama, Oda also mentioned,
“I fell in love at first sight. I thought, He’s too good! At that time, I loved Disney, but I was thinking, This is even better than Disney stuff!”
So, as much as One Piece has its own distinct self, it is apparent that the series is greatly indebted to the influential classic that Dragon Ball represents. Oda’s open recognition of this influence puts a long-running argument between One Piece and Dragon Ball into perspective.
Eiichiro Oda’s Ever-Expanding Journey with One Piece
The creator of One Piece, Eiichiro Oda, did not have a clear understanding at first about how many years his story would take. In the beginning, Oda believed that he could finish the series within only 5 years.
Yet, while Oda was progressing in his story, he understood that it was not possible to finish the tale within that time. He admitted that he liked the story so much, thus making a choice to extend its duration.
The series is currently heading towards its final point. Fans do not have to wait much longer as a 25-year journey edges towards its completion.
You can watch both One Piece and Dragon Ball on Crunchyroll.