The world of One Piece has been entertaining anime fans for almost 30 years now. The series has established itself as one of the pioneers in the anime, manga, and even the live-action industry. It has never failed to shock the fans with its brilliant storyline, amazing characters, and excellent animation.
While the series is a combined work, the major credit for the success of the series goes to Eiichiro Oda, the creator of the One Piece manga. Oda is known as a legend in the manga industry as his work has not only amassed a huge audience but it has also influenced many other manga creators.
However, no one knows what it was like when Oda first set out to create one of the if not the best manga of all time. In an interview during the release of One Piece live-action, Oda explained his process of how he started One Piece and led it to become one of the best projects out there.
Eiichiro Oda Reveals How One Piece Was Created
In an interview with the New York Times, Oda was asked about how he dreamed of becoming a manga artist and what led him to create One Piece. Oda explained that he wanted to create a series that he wanted to read as a child. He wanted to create something different from the stereotypical storyline and stood out to the world.
Oda stated:
“I set out to draw the manga I wanted to read when I was young. When I started, I had to draw things that didn’t exist to get attention. There were plenty of heroes who fight the demons and save the world; the market was saturated with that kind of story. I wanted to do something different but relatable. I understood that I had been supported and helped by a lot of people to get to where I was, so friendship became a central theme.”
According to Oda, friendship held a lot of importance for him which is why he based One Piece around the central theme of a bond between friends or as One Piece’s main character Luffy calls it, “Nakama”. Oda’s vision really connected with anime fans which led to the extreme popularity of One Piece.
Eiichiro Oda Wanted to Draw a Pirate Manga Since the Beginning
During the interview, Eiichiro Oda also explained that he always wanted to write a pirate manga. Therefore, he drew Luffy who although doesn’t look like a pirate, has the same qualities and attitude as a pirate.
Oda stated:
“I knew I wanted to write a pirate manga, and just drew from instinct the kind of young boy I imagined in the role. As the adventure continued, I realized that various kinds of pirates would appear, so I decided to give Luffy a face that would be very easy to draw. Later, when I had to give autographs and needed to sketch Luffy, it was easy to do.”
Oda’s magnum opus, One Piece since its release has broken many records on its way to establishing itself as one of the best manga and anime series out there. However, the adventures of the Straw Hat Pirates are still ongoing and as the series has entered its final saga, these adventures are only going to get more and more interesting.
You can watch One Piece on Crunchyroll.
