Naruto and One Piece are generational, and their impact on the overall anime and manga industry has helped it boom over the last decade. They both are a part of the Big Three of anime and even though their fanbase is often seen getting into arguments, their creators are the complete opposite. Masashi Kishimoto and Eiichiro Oda are the best of friends and take inspiration from each other.
Both of their protagonists are goofy-minded and set on a journey to fulfill their dreams. Throughout their journey, they made several friends and struggled quite a bit as well. Even though Masashi Kishimoto and Eiichiro Oda are friends, they always maintain their rivalry, with their work and public appearances. There was one area where Kishimoto was ahead but later accepted his defeat to Oda.
Masashi Kishimoto and Eiichiro Oda Had the Best Rivalry
One Piece began its Shonen Jump serialization in 1997, and Naruto’s serialization began in 1999. Both began at the same time, but their popularity reached different areas of the world. While Masashi Kishimoto’s magnum opus became popular worldwide, One Piece reached its peak in Japan. The Western countries were more familiar with Naruto instead of One Piece.
Oda: Considering my life expectancy, the Netflix TV drama series is One Piece's last chance to go global.🥺
— sandman (@sandman_AP) May 5, 2023
Oda (2015): Naruto is more popular than OP in the world, but I appreciate that it makes me jealous.
Kishimoto (2016): I wanted to surpass OP in manga, but I could not. pic.twitter.com/nUGJyrmtCJ
This led Kishimoto to believe that he would one-up Oda in the popularity category. But with the boom in the anime and manga industry, One Piece soon got its global access and surpassed Naruto’s popularity. Naruto ended in 2017, but One Piece is still going on, even though it is in its Final Saga. Kishimoto mentioned that he tried hard to reach the One Piece level, but the bar was set too high.
During an interview with Eiichiro Oda, Masashi Kishimoto said, “I wanted to surpass One Piece in manga, but the ceiling called One Piece was too high for me.” The Naruto creator did pretty well to maintain its popularity overseas, but in the long run, One Piece had surpassed it. But it was all due to Kishimoto’s magnum opus who paved the way for overseas popularity.
One Piece Surpassing Naruto Does Not Mean the Latter’s Loss
Most people may think One Piece surpassing Naruto has made it the ultimate anime. But that is not the case. They both are a part of the Big Three of anime. One’s win is also another win because, often the creators get inspired by each other. Absalom from the Thriller Bark arc from One Piece was inspired by the invisible shinobi from Iwaigakure who kidnapped Rin during the Third Great Ninja War in Naruto.
Eiichiro Oda accepted that he was pretty amused by Kishimoto’s creativity and used it in his magnum opus. In the same way, Oda wanted to use the name ‘Naruto’ in One Piece, but after learning about Kishimoto’s work, he changed it to Sanji. There are several instances of them being there for each other. So, it is never one anime’s win rather it is a win for the entire industry.
It is fair to say Naruto is pretty popular overseas, even after ending in 2017. The new anime fans always look to start their journey with the Big Three of anime, and most of the time choose Naruto. Even though Oda has one-upped Masashi Kishimoto, it is the latter who gets the credit for reaching the peak of global popularity.
