The Big Three of anime has always had the most fan following than other anime. The only one who can rival them is their godfather, the Dragon Ball franchise. Even though they built the foundation for the anime and manga industry’s overseas popularity, their rivalry is one to watch out for. The Big Three often try to prove that they are the best by ridiculing the other two.
In that regard, One Piece and Naruto’s rivalry has surpassed every other rivalry in the industry. Even though their creators are very good friends, the fandoms are busy demeaning each other. There has never been any proper conclusion as to which of them is better, but Naruto’s former main editor’s comments could decide the winner between the two.
Kosuke Yahagi Is Impressed By Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece
Kosuke Yahagi is known for working as the main editor of Naruto from Chapter 1 to Chapter 402. It was around when Sasuke confronted Itachi that the editor left the franchise. During an interview, Kazuhiko Torishima, Kosuke Yahagi, Shin Unozawa, and Hiroshi Matsuyama came together to discuss the happenings of Weekly Shonen Jump. Yahagi mentioned that he analyzed One Piece thoroughly before taking the role of an editor of Naruto.
He was impressed with One Piece’s narrative. Even though he belonged to the Naruto franchise, he could not keep himself from continuously praising the anime. Kosuke Yahagi said,
So the more I study this manga (One Piece), the more amazing it is. I can’t compete with this. If I want to compete with this, I’ll have to surprise people with action. I’m conscious of that. I can’t write a story more moving than One Piece, so I thought I’d try to compete somewhere else.
One Piece began its serialization in 1997, and Naruto began in 1999. So, for the past 25 years, both these franchises have been working as a rival. Naruto concluded in 2017, but One Piece is still ongoing. From the point of longevity, One Piece has long surpassed Naruto.
One Piece fans will be overjoyed after hearing Yahagi’s statement. The editor admitted getting awestruck by Eiichiro Oda’s magnum opus. The Naruto fans might take a beating, though.
One Piece And Naruto Are The Two Pillars Of Anime And Manga Industry
While Naruto concluded in 2017, Masashi Kishimoto announced a sequel featuring the next generation of shinobi. Naruto Uzumaki’s son, Boruto Uzumaki, is the protagonist of the story. Even after all these years, the Big Three of anime is still ruling the industry. During the 2000s, One Piece was overly popular in Japan, while Naruto Shippuden made its way outside of Japan. It has more overseas fan following than One Piece.
Naruto and One Piece’s rivalry is eternal, but unlike their fandoms, the two most popular Shonen protagonists proved everyone wrong and bonded over Ichiraku ramen. Kosuke Yahagi’s comments might have caused a rift between the two fandoms, but it won’t be enough to stop their heated arguments. The social media battles and heated debates prove how much popularity these two giant franchises enjoy even amidst modern-generation anime.
One Piece and Naruto is currently available to watch on Crunchyroll.
