A healthy rivalry between manga creators is not a bad thing. But when this rivalry is seen between industry giants like Eiichiro Oda, the creator of One Piece, and Tite Kubo, the creator of Bleach, it creates a sense of tension between the fans of both series. In 2017, Kubo stated on a radio show that he was jealous of Oda and hated him.
This led to a huge online feud between One Piece and Bleach fans, and since then, there has been a sense of hatred between the two fandoms. However, Oda, being the kind-hearted person he is, responded to Kubo’s remark with kindness. He even invited Kubo to drink on the 20th anniversary of the Bleach series.
Oda’s response to Kubo’s remark about hating the creator shocked One Piece fans, but it reflected on Oda’s kindness as a human being, and many even speculate that Oda has infused his kindness in the protagonist of his magnum opus, Monkey D. Luffy.
Tite Kubo’s Admits He Was Jealous of Eiichiro Oda
According to u/Chumunga64 on Reddit, Kubo appeared on a Japanese radio show called Sandwich Man’s Weekly Radio Jump, where he talked about the fifteen-year journey of Bleach and how the creator managed to draw one of the biggest manga series of all time. During the interview, Kubo was also asked about his relationship with Eiichiro Oda.
Responding to the question, Kubo revealed that, ever since his debut, Oda has been one rank above him. He stated that he is jealous of Oda and his masterpiece, One Piece. Although this was a humorous response by Kubo, fans took it seriously, and it led to a feud between Bleach and One Piece fans.
Since then, Kubo has never explicitly talked about Oda or One Piece or tried to clear up the rumors about the alleged hatred the manga creator has for Eiichiro Oda. However, Oda did reply to the comment Kubo made.
Eiichiro Oda’s Kind-Hearted Response to Tite Kubo
While Tite Kubo never again talked about his comments on Oda, the One Piece creator did respond to him. According to @sandman_AP in 2021, Oda clarified that he did not find Kubo’s statement offensive in any sense. He even praised Kubo for his work and appreciated his drawing skills as a manga creator.
Oda stated:
“Years ago, Kubo publicly announced on the radio, “I hate Oda.” You wanna know if I have a grudge against Kubo? Yeah, I do!! That said, his whole statement didn’t sound particularly rude to me.”
He further stated:
“You are a man of hard work! Congrats for the Bleach 20th anniversary! Let’s go for a drink together in the near future.”
Oda pointed out that Kubo is a competitive hard worker, and Oda does not hate him in any way. The creator congratulated him on the 20th anniversary of Bleach and invited him for drinks in the future.
Oda’s response was kind enough to end any rumors regarding the feud between him and Kubo. Both One Piece and Bleach are part of the Big Three, and they have been going strong for so many years.
You can watch Bleach on Hulu and One Piece on Crunchyroll.
