By the looks of it, people would think Naruto and One Piece are rivals in the overall manga/anime industry, but shockingly, the authors had immense respect for each other. This mutual admiration led to each story pushing the other to greater storytelling heights.
Masashi Kishimoto wrapped up the Naruto series with its final chapter in 2014, after years of weekly releases alongside Eichiro Oda’s One Piece. In a translated interview, it was revealed that the cheerful adventures of Luffy and his crew had a notable impact on shaping the emotional depth of Naruto’s narrative.
How One Piece Affected Naruto’s Plot Progression
An X user named sandman_AP shared a translated excerpt from an old Shonen Jump interview with Naruto’s creator, Masashi Kishimoto, on the LOGPIECE blog. In the interview, Kishimoto reflects on his approach to story structure and character development. He mentioned,
Ninjas tend to be dark. Because we have to give the characters depth. It gets a little dark sometimes, but OP is generally bright, so I always think that Naruto should be the opposite. The same goes for the story.
Kishimoto (2013): One Piece is basically a light-hearted story, so I always think of Naruto as going the opposite way. I try to make Naruto a more serious battle by killing characters, since Oda said he doesn't kill many characters. Otherwise, Naruto wouldn't be popular enough.
— sandman (@sandman_AP) December 5, 2023
Kishimoto believed that without One Piece’s adventurous and light-hearted nature, Naruto’s world, filled with child soldiers and intense ninjutsu, might have been much less serious.
Masashi Kishimoto, the creator of “Naruto,” was influenced by “One Piece” in a significant way. When he saw how “One Piece” maintained a fun and light-hearted tone, it made him realize that his own work needed to stand out differently. As a result, he decided to make “Naruto” more serious, violent, and dramatic to create a distinct contrast and give it a unique identity compared to the more playful and adventurous “One Piece.”
In the Naruto series, Naruto himself directly caused the death of only one ninja. Despite this, many characters faced profound loss and heartbreak, which deeply impacted their growth and resonated with audiences. Kishimoto highlighted in a 2013 interview that “Oda said he doesn’t kill many [characters], so in Naruto, there are characters who die, and the battles are more severe… otherwise it won’t stand out.”
This perspective rings true, especially when considering emotionally charged moments involving characters like Itachi and Jiraiya. These tragic events intensified the satisfaction of Naruto’s triumphs.
Similarly, One Piece has embraced a similar approach, refining it notably in its later story arcs. Oda has explained his stance on character deaths in One Piece, preferring to preserve beloved characters to maintain the series’ celebratory tone at arc conclusions. Despite this preference, One Piece delves into serious themes such as slavery, racism, and genocide in its later arcs, diverging from its initial perception as a light-hearted pirate adventure.
While Naruto’s narrative is marked by shared grief, both series have influenced each other, shaping their respective narratives in profound ways over time.
Anime “Power Of Friendship” Plot In Real Life – Kishimoto And Oda
Just like in any typical shonen anime, with the “Power of Friendship”, Oda and Kishimoto helped each other to reach the greatest heights of the manga industry together.
If Naruto and One Piece had not debuted concurrently, their narratives would have unfolded quite differently. Each series profoundly impacted its audience, and the synergy between them catalyzed mutual inspiration. The creators, driven by this friendly rivalry akin to characters in an epic anime, honed their storytelling prowess. Instead of comparing their merits, fans should celebrate how these series enriched each other, elevating both beyond their individual potentials.
You can watch both One Piece and Naruto on Crunchyroll.
