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Eiichiro Oda has created a standout franchise withOne Piece, which is currently one of the highest-grossing series. Not only is the plot extremely engrossing, but fans of every genre like it due to its diverse range of characters.
The author himself is an icon in the manga community, with almost every younger creator looking up to him. Yet, Oda has always been criticized by different groups of people and sometimes by fandoms of other major Shonen series. Thus, he created the most foolproof way to counter this.
How Eiichiro Oda Went Against the Norm WithOne Piece
Inan interviewwithKohei Horikoshi,Eiichiro Odadiscussed that back whenOne Piecehad debuted, the expectations fromprotagonistswere different than those of today. Characters who were outspoken and said whatever they thought were seen as disgraceful. Luffy is obviously the exact opposite of his era, so what made Oda pursue the less traveled road?
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Eiichiro Oda explained:
When I was young, I was obsessed with counterculture. For example, it was popular for girls to have the tips of their hair curled inward, so I drew them curled outward instead.
Oda’s obsession with counterculture might seem funny, but that is one of the leading reasons whyOne Pieceis so popular. The series often features characters who are normally frowned upon in real life. In fact, he even introduced the concept of Okamas in the series, something that is not so acceptable in Japanese society.
Luffy himself is so popular because he stands in complete contrast toOne Piece‘s dark plot. If Luffy was a brooding character, his refreshing appeal would be lost, and he would mellow out due to the heavy background. Thus, Oda’s habit of going against the normeventually helped One Piece thrive.
How Eiichiro Oda Handled Criticism with Counterculture
When asked why the author was so intent on being a contrarian, Eiichiro Oda simply answered:
I simply had to stand out. My art style used to be criticized as weird, so I never could’ve dreamed that people would later want to pursue a career in manga because of me.
Eiichiro Oda’s artstyle is extremely detailed, but at the same time, it might look cluttered to some. The amount of information packed in each panel becomes too much for people, especially for a newbie. So, in order to make up for his often misunderstood art style, Eiichiro Oda opted to excel in his manga by portraying the opposite of societal norms. This kept One Piece interesting, and it stood out among the plethora of Shonen manga.
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Never in his wildest dreams did Eiichiro Oda think his series would become so popular. He honestly claimed thathe never thought people would want to pursue being a mangakajust because Oda’s hard work inOne Piecemoved them.
You can readOne Pieceon Viz Media and watch the anime on Crunchyroll.
Aaheli Pradhan
Anime Content Writer
Articles Published :1557
Aaheli is an Anime Content Writer at FandomWire with 1300+ published articles. With five years of experience under her belt, she is a living, breathing encyclopedia for anime and manga. From Shonen and Shojo to the most niche anime, nothing escapes her radar. Her poisons of choice are Assassination Classroom, Gintama, Ouran High School Host Club and every Ghibli movie ever. She believes in living a slow life, surrounded by incomplete art projects and her beloved cats.
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Eiichiro OdaMonkey D. LuffyOne Piece
