One Piece creator purposely wanted the manga/anime’s artwork to look “strange” (2024)

One Piece creator purposely wanted the manga/anime’s artwork to look “strange” (2)

Having artwork that some people would think look weird was all part of the plan for the creator of one of the biggest anime/manga hits ever.

So here’s a complex question: is the artwork of Eiichiro Oda’s pirate saga One Piece particularly anime or manga-like? As one of the industry’s best-selling series ever, there’s no denying that One Piece is a very big chunk of the anime/manga that gets purchased and consumed. But at the same time, Oda’s lanky limbs and jovially jeering grins remain rather unique in the world of Japanese animation and comics, with few overt imitators.

Some might even go so far as to call Oda’s character designs unattractive, or at least unusual. That’s a criticism the artist himself, though, is totally fine with, and not because he can’t hear his detractors through all the stacks of royalty cash he has sitting around his house.

The fact is, it was always Oda’s intention for One Piece to look a little jarring, as he explains in a magazine blurb shared by Japanese Twitter user @SeamanArata.

手塚賞熱血審査員からのメッセージ。#ジャンプ pic.twitter.com/zOLzKCk8kR

— ARATA (@SeamanArata) September 4, 2017

Oda says:

“20 years ago, when I was just getting started as a manga creator, people would always say ‘Your art is really unusual.’ Even when One Piece began serialization, people kept saying things like ‘I hate the art’ or ‘Your art is weird, but the series is interesting.’”

“And I totally get what they’re saying, because I did everything I could to make something different from the manga other people were making.”

In Oda’s case, that goes for the genre as well as the visuals. 20 years ago, Oda began writing and drawing a pirate-themed manga, putting his work in a category that hasn’t traditionally been particularly popular in Japan. 20 years later, though, that gig is still ongoing, as One Piece became such a giant hit that Oda ended up expanding its roster of antagonists significantly.

Oda’s comments were made ahead of an integration of the Tezuka Award, which is given to up-and-coming manga artists and is named for “God of Manga” Osamu Tezuka. “Do something different from other people,” he advised those hoping to win the prize. “I’m looking forward to reading the strange manga that only you can draw,” which is something a lot of manga fans no doubt look forward to as well.

Source: Hachima Kiko
Top image ©SoraNews24

One Piece creator purposely wanted the manga/anime’s artwork to look “strange” (2024)

FAQs

One Piece creator purposely wanted the manga/anime’s artwork to look “strange”? ›

The fact is, it was always Oda's intention for One Piece to look a little jarring, as he explains in a magazine blurb shared by Japanese Twitter user @SeamanArata. Oda says: “20 years ago, when I was just getting started as a manga creator, people would always say 'Your art is really unusual.

What happened to One Piece art style? ›

By virtue of being on air for so long, One Piece has also undergone a number of changes in its visual style, due to production schedules, the implementation of new technologies, and the shifting of tones between arcs.

Why is One Piece drawn like that? ›

One Piece Suffers From Same-Body Syndrome

Exacerbating the issue, Oda explained in one of his SBS Q&A columns that he draws female characters using three circles and an X — one circle for the head, two for the breasts and an X to create the body.

Does Eiichiro Oda have a wife? ›

Eiichiro Oda's wife is Chiaki Inaba (稲葉ちあき, Inaba Chiaki) (born Kanagawa prefecture, Kantō, Japan, January 4, 1978).

Are Eiichiro Oda and Masashi Kishimoto friends? ›

Naruto was just as popular as One Piece, and both of them had massive impacts on the growth of the anime and manga industry. Their creators, Eiichiro Oda, and Masashi Kishimoto, have always been the best of friends, even though their fandoms are the exact opposite.

Why does One Piece have weird character designs? ›

It's not about them being ugly, it's more about Eiichiro Oda's creative and distinctive approach to character design. Each character's appearance is exaggerated to express their personalities and abilities, making them memorable and unique. So, they're not ugly, they're just uniquely stylized!

Why did Oda's art change? ›

Best answer. The art style of One Piece evolved primarily because of Eiichiro Oda's constant efforts to improve his work and adjust to the changing times. As with any long-running series, the artist's style matures over time.

Why are One Piece girls so curvy? ›

It is Eiichiro Oda's preference to draw women with an hourglass figure.

Why does One Piece look different? ›

One Piece's ability to change its art style with each new arc without alienating fans is unprecedented. The Egghead arc's bright, cartoonish style suits Gear Five's action sequences exceptionally well.

Why is everyone drawn to Luffy? ›

Luffy's apparent selflessness often inspires others to side with him as a result.

Who does Nami love? ›

Nami cares about Luffy deeply and will often hug or hold onto him when she is scared or depressed. When she learned of Luffy's true dream that he could only achieve after becoming the Pirate King she was taken aback, but then smiled and said it definitely sounded like him.

Who is Zoro's wife? ›

He doesn't have an official love interest so you'll have to find out which of his acquaintances and friends your husband see's as zoro's potential lover. There's nico robin, tashigi, hiyori, Perona.

Who is Sanji's wife? ›

Sanji decided that he would find solace by marrying Charlotte Pudding. He tried his very best to pretend that he was not affected by the events taking place around him. He opened up to Pudding and told her about everything that was in his heart, and at that time, it seemed that Pudding reciprocated Sanji's feelings.

Who is Kishimoto favorite boy? ›

However, Sasuke Uchiha is Kishimoto's all-time favorite character, with a complex design and intriguing personality.

How did Oda react to Toriyama death? ›

And in light of Toriyama's sudden passing, both the authors have put out heartfelt statements. In his statement, Oda expressed his deep sadness and shock at the passing of Akira Toriyama, saying that a huge hole has been left behind.

Who is Oda in Naruto? ›

It is thought that Oda Nobunaga (織田信長, Nobunaga Oda) is a vessel of Chikataka, a parasitic demon traveling through space to reach habitable worlds to propagate its influence through interspecies hybridization until the demon reached earth and created Oda as a vessel to carry on its will.

Why did they change the One Piece animation style? ›

The anime's art style changes, explored

This stems from the fact that it suggests each of the series' final arcs will be receiving a unique art style from Toei Animation for their production. By doing so, it makes each of these final steps in the mainline series' journey even more momentous, exciting, and memorable.

What happened to One Piece studio? ›

The One Piece anime remake will be handled by Wit Studio and distributed by Netflix, promising great animation and a reimagination of Luffy's adventures across the East Blue.

Is One Piece anime still hand drawn? ›

One Piece, like many anime, is animated using a combo of traditional hand-drawn animation and digital processes. Artists first sketch the scenes by hand. These sketches are then scanned and painted digitally. The digital frames are put together to create fluid motion.

Does the art in One Piece get better? ›

Best answer

From Water 7 onwards, you'll notice the animation becomes smoother, and the art style gets a slight upgrade, making it more appealing to the eye. This improvement continues, and the quality gets even better as you reach the timeskip around episode 517.

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