Eiichiro Oda stands at the pinnacle of success after One Piece completed 1110+ chapters, with no sign of stopping. One Piece never had a bad rating, and being one of the Big Three of anime, it always held its head high. For the last 25 years, there have only been a handful of franchises that were its direct competitors. Even though Oda is enjoying all the luxuries of the world, initially, it is not easy.
The mangaka was a teenager when he first decided to pursue a career as a manga artist. It turned out to be one of the best decisions ever, but he hid the fact from his friends as he did not want to become a subject of joke. Years later, the mangaka can now boast about his creation without any fear. He singlehandedly built a multi-billion dollar franchise.
Eiichiro Oda Did Not Want To Be Made Fun Of
Standing in 2024, Eiichiro Oda can claim he has everything he wished for a child. There is no end to his wealth, as he is the creator of one of the greatest franchises ever. Currently, the One Piece franchise is worth well over $21 Billion, with the manga and anime crossing the 1110+ mark respectively, and has numerous video games and movies. When Oda decided to become a mangaka, he kept it secret from his friends since they would make fun of him for being an amateur mangaka.
During an interview, Eiichiro Oda said,
Actually you know, I hid the fact that I drew manga from a lot of friends. I dunno about now, but back then, writing amateur manga meant being made fun of. I did NOT want to be called an otaku, so I decided that until I became a professional I’d secretly be a closet manga author. (laughs) If you turn pro and you make a hit, you’re just accepted as that so there’s no need to do work in secret.
The One Piece creator was fascinated when he found out people can actually make a living out of drawing pictures. For a young Oda, it was like not doing anything since every kid spends the majority of their time drawing pictures.
But still, he did not want to be called names after pursuing his ‘idle’ career. Fast forward two decades, and those who would have bullied him or made fun of him in school and college might want to take back their words, especially after knowing Oda’s fan following.
One Piece Has Entered Its Final Stage
Egghead Island arc had everyone on the edge of their seats, with Monkey D. Luffy taking on the Gorosei. Fortunately, the marines and Gorosei are defeated, and the Straw Hats are on their way to their next destination, Elbaf, the land of the giants. The victory against the Gorosei was not easy as the fans got to experience the death of Dr. Vegapunk and Admiral Kizaru finally having enough of Fleet Admiral Akainu bossing around.
Currently, everyone is excited to experience the Final war, which is scheduled to take place on Elbaf. All the heavyweights of One Piece will be present, and the race to Laugh Tale is on. Blackbeard and Imu pose the maximum threat to the Straw Hat Pirates.
It will be interesting to see how the story unfolds, with more secrets inbound for the fans. Eiichiro Oda’s college friends will regret their decision since they could directly ask him about the ending without having to wait for decades.
One Piece is currently available to watch on Crunchyroll.
