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The portrayal of female characters in prominent anime series likeNarutoandOne Piecehas always been a subject of discussion among anime fans. The mangas, being a part of the Shonen genre, have always been blamed for either overly sexualizing the female characters in the series or not giving them enough background or storyline to highlight their importance.
BothOne PieceandNarutohave faced these allegations, but according to the overall narrative,One Piecemight triumph overNarutoin terms of giving their female characters enough screen time that they leave an impact on the fans. This was proved when Masashi Kishimoto, the creator ofNaruto,talked about the portrayal of Sakura in the series.
The manga revealed that because Sakura was a normal girl, she didn’t have any additional storyline to add gravitas to her character, which would have marked her importance as one of the primary characters in the series.
Masashi Kishimoto Had Nothing Planned For Sakura inNaruto
In 2009, Kishimoto interviewed for Shonen Jump:Naruto ShippudenCollector, and this interview was later translated and shared byLipstick Alley. During the interview, theNarutocreator was asked whether Sakura had a background story or some kind of dark secret, similar to other characters like Naruto, Gaara, Itachi, etc.
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Kishimoto replied:
She’s a normal girl, so I haven’t given it much thought.
The manga creator stated that Sakura, being a normal girl, has no such darkness imbued in her character. Although this would feel like a good thing, it took away the character’s presence from the storyline.
Given the fact that Sakura was one of the most important characters in the series, she also deserved some kind of background that could have either explained her excellent ability to learn medical ninjutsu or the inherent strength that she used while fighting the villains of the series. While her character went through a lot of development, it lacked the impact of a background story.
Eiichiro Oda is Better at Potraying Female Characters Than Masashi Kishimoto
Sakura not having a background story despite being a primary character makes it look bad forMasashi Kishimoto. However, this is where Oda triumphs. While both manga creators have faced allegations about overly sexualizing female characters, Oda makes sure thateach and every character, irrespective of their gender, has a decent storyline.
Every female character inEiichiro Oda’sOne Piecehas a foundational understanding that allows fans to relate to them. For example, the Arlong Park arc concentrated on Nami’s tale; the Amazon Lily arc put light on Boa Hancock; the Enies Lobby arc, which was devoted to Nico Robin; Yamato’s story in the Wano arc; and so on.
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Even the female characters, who are not so important in the story, have had a significant part of the narrative focused on them to help them create their presence. Every arc has had female characters who stand equal to the male characters and prove their worth (Rebecca, Bonney, Tama, etc.).One Pieceeven has a separatenovel dedicated to the female charactersin the series.
You can watchNarutoon Hulu andOne Pieceon Crunchyroll.
Tarun Kohli
Senior Writer
Articles Published :2959
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
