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One PieceandNarutoare two of the most popular series ever to appear in Weekly Shonen Jump. With millions of fans worldwide, these stories are among the best, and their value has won over admirers from all over the world. Eiichiro Oda, the author ofOne Piece, and Masashi Kishimoto, the author ofNaruto, are rivals in the manga industry but good friends in real life.
As many may be aware,One PieceandNarutoare both part of “The Big Three,” the world’s most popular anime series, granting their creators the same prominence. The two artists have frequently expressed appreciation for one another’s work and have even included references to it in their pieces.
However, the story doesn’t stop there. Oda while writing one of his characters nearly made the massive mistake of naming a Straw Hat Pirate after Masashi Kishimoto’s manga’s main characterNaruto. The character fromOne Piecewas none other than Vinsmoke Sanji, the cook of the Straw Hat Pirates inOne Piece.
Eiichiro Oda Almost Named Sanji asNarutoinOne Piece
In 2015, Oda in an interview which was later translated by@sandman_APtalked about how he was originally going to name the character of Sanji asNaruto. However, whenNarutomanga started two years afterOne Piece,Eiichiro Odaknew that it was going to be a success, thus he had to change the name.
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Oda stated:
“Sanji’s name was originally Naruto. But when Naruto manga started, I knew it was going to be a long-running series, so I quickly changed his name. Do you see Sanji’s eyebrows swirling? (Naruto is the white and pink swirling toppings on Japanese noodles.)”
Oda while explaining the original meaning behind the nameNarutopointed out that Sanji was going to be namedNarutobecause of his swirling eyebrows which directly resembleNarutowhich is a white and pink swirling topping used in ramen or Japanese noodles. He knew that the name would create a problem with the fans, so he changed it.
The Rivalry of Eiichiro Oda and Masashi Kishimoto
For many years, Kishimoto and Oda have had acordial rivalry. Although there was competition between Oda andMasashi Kishimototo become the best in manga and anime, Oda and Kishimoto are actually extremely good friends, and Oda has even occasionally drawn inspiration from Kishimoto for his own works.
These stories began to be serialized in the Weekly Shonen Jump magazine around the same period. WhileNarutostarted airing in 1999,One Piecestarted airing in 1997. Additionally, their friendship reached its zenith as their manga developed. The rivalry betweenOne PieceandNarutostayed limited to their work and both manga creators got a new friend.
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The two have always given off the impression of being extremely close, and it is wonderful to see fellow mangaka value one other’s artistic creations in addition to being close friends in real life. Now, Kishimoto is working on the sequel spin-off series ofNarutocalledBoruto, and Oda is working on the final saga ofOne Piece.
You can watchOne Pieceon Crunchyroll andNarutoon Hulu.
Tarun Kohli
Senior Writer
Articles Published :2958
Tarun Kohli is the Senior Anime Writer at FandomWire, with over 2,900 published articles. He currently specializes in critiquing One Piece and other Shonen anime. A passionate fan of the genre, his love for thoughtful analysis reflects his genuine appreciation for the art of anime. His deep understanding of anime culture has earned recognition from industry figures such as Adi Shankar and the creators of Blood of Zeus.
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Eiichiro OdaMasashi KishimotoNarutoOne Piece
