10 Facts About 'One Piece' Anime You Didn't Know, Once Had Conflict with 'Naruto'

Kapanlagi.com - It cannot be denied that One Piece is one of the most successful manga and anime in Japan. Not only in the country, the adventure story of the pirate named Monkey D Luffy even has a huge fanbase worldwide, including Indonesia.

Until now, both the manga and anime are still ongoing and there doesn't seem to be any signs of ending even though the number of chapters and episodes has reached hundreds. Even outside of the main story, there have been several successful standalone films or spin-offs.

After decades of airing with hundreds of chapters and episodes, One Piece holds various interesting facts that you may not know, as reported by Screenrant. What are they? Check out the list below..

1. Guinness World Record Achievement

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The manga One Piece has been released since 1997 and each volume invites readers to embark on an exciting adventure in the world of pirates. The variety of characters, thrilling battles, and detailed and continuous story development are the main strengths of this manga created by Eiichiro Oda.

Based on these facts, it is not surprising that One Piece has been recognized as the most successful manga of all time in Japan. In fact, One Piece also made it into The Guinness Book of World Records in the category of 'Most Series Published by a Single Author' in 2014.

2. Originally Planned to Last Only 5 Years

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Initially, Oda planned to end the One Piece manga within a span of 5 years, specifically in 2002. He even prepared the ending of the One Piece story. However, as time went on, Oda felt the need to develop the story in more detail.

This year, the One Piece manga will be celebrating its 23rd anniversary. So far, it is estimated that the story of One Piece is only about 80% complete. What does this mean? The lifespan of this manga is still long!

3. Oda Becomes a Comic Artist to Avoid Real World Jobs

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Most comic artists or manga artists start their careers because they have a passion for what they do. However, it's different for Eiichiro Oda who actually only had one choice in life, which is to become a manga artist.

In a past interview, Oda dreamed of becoming a manga writer since the age of 4. The reason is simple, so that he can avoid full-time jobs in the real world. Although it may sound unreasonable, his dream actually came true!

Even during his career as a manga writer, Oda has received various awards.

4. Inspired by Dragon Ball

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Every comic artist or manga artist surely has their own references for story ideas or art styles. And Oda himself actually grew up as a big fan of the anime Vicky the Viking which also tells the story of pirates.

In addition, Oda also admitted that he is a big fan of Akira Toriyama, the creator of the manga Dragon Ball which is equally legendary. It's no wonder that Oda was greatly inspired and used the characters from Dragon Ball as references for his own One Piece characters.

In fact, after succeeding in his career, Oda finally had the opportunity to collaborate with his idol, Akira Toriyama, on several occasions.

5. Design Changes and Character Stories in One Piece

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Before publishing a title, manga artists usually have blueprints or sketches of each character. Interestingly, there are many designs that Oda had to change for each character in the world of One Piece.

One example is Tony Tony Chopper, who was previously depicted as a more realistic deer. Additionally, there is also the character Nami, who was initially portrayed with cyborg arms and carrying a large axe weapon.

Meanwhile, Zoro was actually planned to be one of the pirate members of Buggy the Clown. However, all those plans eventually underwent total changes, both in terms of visuals and storyline.

6. 'Conflict' with the Manga Naruto

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Perhaps not many people know that the character Sanji was initially planned to be named Naruto. However, just before his manga was officially released, Oda's rival in the manga world, Masashi Kishimoto, published an anime series with a ninja theme called Naruto. To avoid confusion in the future, Oda gave in and changed the name Naruto to Sanji.

Oda and Masashi are indeed fierce rivals, considering that One Piece and Naruto are two manga titles that have been highly successful worldwide. However, one thing to note is that their rivalry is only limited to their work. Outside of that, they have great respect for each other.

7. Historical Pirate References

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One of the most impressive things about the world of One Piece is the large number of characters that can be encountered. In fact, each of them has a deep and interesting backstory to be explored.

It cannot be denied that many of the One Piece characters are also inspired by real-world pirates! One of the clearest examples is the character Gol D Rogers, who, before being executed, announced that he had hidden a treasure called One Piece to be found by pirates. This story is inspired by the French pirate Olivier Levasseur, who, at the end of his life, threw a puzzle necklace towards a crowd of people and challenged them to solve the puzzle within it. The reward? Olivier's mysterious treasure.

In addition, the characters Blackbeard (Marshall D Teach) and Whitebeard (Edward Newgate) are also inspired by the pirate named Edward Teach. Then there is Captain Alvida, who is inspired by the pirate from the 5th century, Alwilda, and Captain Jewelry Bonney, who is inspired by the pirate Anne Bonny.

8. Real-Life Graves of One Piece Characters

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Throughout its story, One Piece has presented several heartbreaking tales that have successfully made fans feel heavy-hearted. Two of the most unforgettable deaths are undoubtedly those of the idolized characters, Whitebeard and Portgas D. Ace.

It may sound strange, but their deaths in the manga world were also mourned by the public, especially fans in the real world. Based on that fact, back in 2013, Universal Studios Japan built a replica grave of Whitebeard and Ace for one of the annual One Piece shows.

9. Collaboration with Popular Fashion Brands

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Due to the popularity of the One Piece manga, each character has dedicated fans in the real world. This means that the One Piece characters have high value in the eyes of the public, making them suitable role models for promotional purposes.

One popular fashion brand, Armani, even collaborated with One Piece back in 2009, specifically for the promotion of the blockbuster film titled One Piece: The Strong World. In one of the special edition magazines, Luffy and his crew were designed wearing trendy and stylish clothing from Armani.

The collaboration was proven successful, as Armani once again partnered with One Piece in 2012 for promotional purposes in the film titled One Piece Film Z.

10. Luffy Becomes Brand Ambassador for Tokyo Summer Olympics 2020

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It's no secret that Japan has been chosen to host the upcoming Summer Olympics 2020. And apparently, there is a unique concept being prepared by the organizers.

Yes, the committee will make iconic characters from the world of anime, manga, and video games become brand ambassadors for the Tokyo Summer Olympics 2020. Of course, Luffy, the main protagonist of One Piece, is also included.

Several other popular characters that are also included in the list are Astro Boy, Sailor Moon, Shin-chan, Naruto, Goku, and many more.

Do KLovers know any other interesting facts about One Piece? Share in the comment section!

(kpl/gtr)