Long-time anime fans have always compared One Piece to Naruto, but the never-ending debate has already been settled by Masashi Kishimoto, who claimed his work can’t compete with Eiichiro Oda’s writing. The former editor, Kosuke Yahagi, revealed this during an interview with other Naruto and Dragon Ball editors. He stated:
To begin with, One Piece started serialization before Naruto. The author also
said,”It can never compete with One Piece.” He then said, “One Piece is just too interesting.” I also thought it was too interesting, but I said,
“You shouldn’t say that” (laughs).
Eiichiro Oda wrote fairly dark storylines in One Piece, which makes you sit and contemplate. Manga is usually an escape from reality, whereas his writing confronts it. Kishimoto admits that Naruto can’t compete with it because there’s just more substance. What does one series have that the other doesn’t?
One Piece Offers a Deeper Story Than Naruto and Requires Media Literacy
The story of One Piece might sound simple on the surface. Monkey D. Luffy, a 17-year-old carefree boy, wants to become the Pirate King and makes friends along the way. What we weren’t prepared for was how truly rotten the world they live in was.
In most Shonen, you beat an antagonist, and that’s the end of all evil. However, in One Piece, the entire system is rigged against them. We slowly began to peel the layers. Even antagonists as terrible as Arlong, Hody Jones, and more are just victims of the inherent discrimination who chose to hold onto hatred.
It was no longer a happy-go-lucky story of adventure. It has the vibrant and comedic tone of one, but the stories within held deep trauma and emotional weight. From Nami’s backstory to Kuma’s, One Piece fans can’t deny how many arcs have made them shed tears. It became a story of found family, resistance, and freedom.
For years, even to this day, One Piece has been the undefeated king of Shonen Jump Weekly because of it. Fans tune in because of the rich storyline. Many might criticize it for its pace, but the themes and motifs are consistent. Each arc also follows a cyclical storytelling format, which makes it very well-connected.
That’s how Oda keeps its history and lore relevant with the present, even if it does sacrifice the pace. No detail goes ignored, and all of it comes full circle. We’re seeing that happen in recent chapters, especially. Naruto didn’t have a chance against it, unless it broke the mold.
To Guarantee Naruto’s Success, They Had to Do the Opposite of One Piece
The former editors of Naruto stated that they analyzed One Piece, asking the question of what’s so great about it. Yahagi Kosuke mentions the cyclical nature of Oda’s storytelling and that, despite the popularity, it can get repetitive and too heavy for many.
Thus, if Naruto had any way to succeed against One Piece, it’s to lean towards showing more action. Kishimoto wrote a story that didn’t have many layers or emotions to comprehend. The titular protagonist’s motivations are easy to understand, unlike Luffy, who might seem simple but hides a complex dream.
One Piece is rather character-oriented, so Naruto went the other way and found success there. Yahagi did the correct thing to analyze the biggest competitor, as being full of action has worked wonders. Fans might continue to mimic hand signs until they’re 80.
Which classic Shonen anime are you a bigger fan of, One Piece or Naruto? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
One Piece and Naruto can currently be streamed on Crunchyroll.