Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece is one of the most beloved manga ever, as it has managed to sell 516.6 million copies, and it is not stopping there. The series features some of the most iconic and well-written characters such as Monkey D. Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, Nico Robin, and many more, that fans love watching. The anime was first aired in 1999 and it became an instant hit because it featured an expansive imaginative world consisting of different people and pirates.
Although the show was criticized for having more than 1070 episodes, One Piece has the most loyal fanbase, and they eagerly wait each week to watch the anime for over two decades. While Eiichiro Oda’s work has been praised for immersive storylines, well-written characters, and a vast world. But something that has kept the fans hooked with One Piece is that Oda does not kill the main characters like other popular anime series and the reason behind it is wholesome.
Eiichiro Oda’s Wholesome Reason For Not Killing Characters
One Piece is the only anime since The Big Three Era, that is continuing without going on for long breaks. Naturally, Eiichiro Oda’s anime series racked up over 1000 episodes, and the reason behind continuing the series for so long without affecting its popularity is that the mangaka artist has poured a lot of love into it.
As ardent fans of the series know that only the Going Merry, the first ship of The Straw Hat Pirates was killed after it was damaged beyond repair. However, after that, none of the main characters died though they were close to knocking on death’s door. The reason behind not killing the favorite characters has been shared by Eiichiro Oda and the reason behind this is the post-battle feast that takes place.
“The reason I don’t want to draw scenes where people die is because I want to draw a party after the battle. If someone dies, you can’t have an enjoyable party. A party is my ideal form of friendship. I want to end with One Piece with a big party.”
As fans of the anime series know that after every important battle that takes place in the series, Luffy and his crew attend a feast to strengthen their relationship with the inhabitants of the island or the people who helped them. The feast helps to lighten the mood after the struggles that everyone has gone through. More importantly, this party showcases the freedom and new beginnings of the people. If a main character dies and a feast is thrown shortly after would feel disrespectful to their death and would not feel right.
Eiichiro Oda Confirms The Existence of The Series’ Rival in One Piece Universe
In the anime industry, nobody has kept the fans on their toes like Eiichiro Oda, as he always teases the viewers that something amusing is on the horizon of his series. There is no doubt that the artist is a genius, and it is his brilliance and creativity that has made what the franchise is today. And it is his intelligence that has kept fans hooked on the series for 25 years.
One fine example of Oda’s wit can be seen when he was asked by a fan in the SBS section of his manga if manga exists in the One Piece world. The writer answered that something of pictures and books exists in the One Piece universe, but the one name that caught the attention of the readers was Monkey Ball, which refers to its real-life counterpart Dragon Ball, created by Akira Toriyama.
One Piece can be streamed on Crunchyroll.
Source: Twitter
