Although One Piece is labeled as an action fantasy anime and manga series, Eiichiro Oda, the creator of One Piece has done a brilliant job in introducing other genres in the series. He has captured the essence of the real world and perfectly drew it in his story. The series has comedy, sadness, fear, excitement, amusement, and much more.
All of these emotions are the reason why the series is at the top of its game even after 20+ years in the anime and manga industry. Not only that, the creator has also introduced many themes that are not solely focused on action, but deal with concepts like slavery, discrimination, political dictatorship, etc.
Oda was once asked how he manages to include so many genres in a single story and still able to precisely focus on each of them. He explained why he can’t only write or draw action scenes and how these variable genres keep his story interesting.
Eiichiro Oda Explains Why One Piece Can Never Just Be an Action Manga
In 2012, Viz Media interviewed Oda-san where they discussed the creation of the One Piece world, its characters, its influence on anime and manga fans, and much more. They also talked about how Oda can never just focus on the action and fighting elements of the story because it will make the story boring.
Oda stated:
“The thing is, I get bored easily. So if my manga was just about the action, or comedy, or tearjerking moments, more than anybody, I would get bored. So I change up the style of the series to keep up my motivation to draw the series.”
According to Eiichiro Oda, he gets bored writing about one particular genre for a long time. Because the story of One Piece has been written over 1100 chapters, dwelling on a single feeling will irritate not only the audience but also Oda. This is why he changes the style so frequently and keeps himself motivated to draw the series.
Eiichiro Oda’s Secret Behind Creating The Legendary Story of One Piece
During the interview, Oda not only explained why he has created so many different genre plotlines for One Piece, but he also talked about how he came up with such interesting arcs and scenes and has been consistent with them for so long.
Oda stated:
“The real secret? I think of the plots and scenes when I’m tired. The only way that I can think of a new idea is to think about it a lot without sleeping or eating. That’s the only way that I know, because humans can only come up with truly new ideas when they reach their limit. So every time I am done with my manuscript, I am completely exhausted.”
One Piece is a blend of so many genres and emotions, and it’s all thanks to Oda-san who has been working on his magnum opus for so long. He has stated that he can only come up with such great ideas when he reaches his limit, which is why he often gets extremely tired after every arc of One Piece. But it still doesn’t affect his creativity and his motivation to create one of the best anime and manga series of all time.
You can watch One Piece on Crunchyroll.
