One Piece’s Creator Has A Serious Critique Of Modern Shonen Manga

Manga with an emphasis on action and adventure has hit a fever pitch in popularity, as evidenced by 2022’s best-selling titles. Current stats see “Jujutsu Kaisen” and “Tokyo Revengers” topping the charts (via DualShockers). With their success comes a push to recreate their formula across other entries, something that creates a host of copycats.

Something that doesn’t always translate to those tiles is Oda’s character expressions. He revealed in a Weekly Shonen Jump interview the technique comes from his personal experience (via @WSJ_manga). “I drew this because I really want to have fun, and I think that it’s okay if people don’t like it,” he said. For Oda, it’s the little touches that reflect a light bulb signifying an idea. Luffy’s devil fruit-inspired abilities offer an even better example by showing moments such as a character’s legs wrapped in unnatural positions.

Seeing that unique straddling between dramatic elements and amusing details may be something going out of style. To Oda, it is seeing something he loves disappearing from the overall manga landscape. The creator views this move as an extension of one segment. “Battle manga has to keep getting more and more serious to keep up with readers’ expectations,” he added. “I honestly hate that. I definitely don’t want my work to become a serious manga like that.”

Manga with an emphasis on action and adventure has hit a fever pitch in popularity, as evidenced by 2022’s best-selling titles. Current stats see “Jujutsu Kaisen” and “Tokyo Revengers” topping the charts (via DualShockers). With their success comes a push to recreate their formula across other entries, something that creates a host of copycats.

Something that doesn’t always translate to those tiles is Oda’s character expressions. He revealed in a Weekly Shonen Jump interview the technique comes from his personal experience (via @WSJ_manga). “I drew this because I really want to have fun, and I think that it’s okay if people don’t like it,” he said. For Oda, it’s the little touches that reflect a light bulb signifying an idea. Luffy’s devil fruit-inspired abilities offer an even better example by showing moments such as a character’s legs wrapped in unnatural positions.

Seeing that unique straddling between dramatic elements and amusing details may be something going out of style. To Oda, it is seeing something he loves disappearing from the overall manga landscape. The creator views this move as an extension of one segment. “Battle manga has to keep getting more and more serious to keep up with readers’ expectations,” he added. “I honestly hate that. I definitely don’t want my work to become a serious manga like that.”