The epic tale of Luffy and his crew sailing through the One Piece world to find the treasure of the Pirate King and unveil the secrets of the world has ruled over the anime and manga industry for almost thirty years now. The series has proved itself to be better than many former and current-era projects, and by the looks of it, One Piece is only going to get better.
Almost all of the credit for One Piece’s infinite success goes to its creator, Eiichiro Oda. Oda started One Piece in 1997 with a dream of making the best manga series of all time, and he has achieved it. One Piece is one of the few series that does not have a single bad storyline that would have disappointed fans.
But what is the inspiration that has motivated Oda to create such a great series and keep its success ever-growing? For those who don’t know, Oda’s motivation comes from the request that Akira Toriyama made to him regarding One Piece.
Akira Toriyama’s Request To Eiichiro Oda Regarding One Piece
The One Piece artbook, Color Walk 1, which was released in 2001, contained an interview between Oda and Toriyama and was translated by The Grandline. At the conclusion of their discussion, when Toriyama was asked to offer some encouraging words to Oda, he decided to make a personal request to the One Piece manga creator.
Toriyama stated:
I would like you to keep drawing in the ‘ultra-mainstream’, Oda kun. There’s nothing else for me to say! My own child also reads One Piece really voraciously, too. So, I also read it… and I really understood why everyone was crazy about One Piece! So, just keep doing your best from now on!!
Ever since One Piece was released, Akira Toriyama knew that the series was going to make a big name for itself. Thus, he asked Oda to keep doing his best as he realized the potential of the best-selling manga of all time.
Since then, Oda has made sure to follow through on Toriyama’s request and always give the best storyline possible for One Piece.
The Popularity of One Piece is Rising Faster Than Ever
There is no other anime or manga series that has seen success like Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece. The series’ rise to the top of the podium was certainly admirable, but for the last few years, One Piece has seen its popularity surge at an entirely different scale.
The main contribution comes from the fact that the recent arcs and sagas like Wano and Egghead have revealed what Oda is capable of in terms of writing and worldbuilding. Plus, the global increase in the overall demand for the anime and manga artform certainly contributes to the factor.
While the series has entered its final saga, it still has a lot to offer, and One Piece fans have been waiting patiently for all these years to see what Oda has in store for them for the conclusion. With intriguing foreshadowing, the disclosure of gripping mysteries, and never-before-seen battles, One Piece is sure to reach new heights of success, making its name legendary.
One Piece is available to watch on Crunchyroll.
