3-Part Oda Interview (Complete)

[Tokoro Ataru]

Kishimoto #N Fails in comparison to his brother, at least in terms of storytelling.

Wasn't talking about storytelling (which sucks), just art style. I somehow think that if Kishi spent some time as an assistant before starting Naruto, his style would be different than what it is, which pretty much from what one person said is a "fusion of Toriyama and Otomo".

[Kitsune: 9-Tailed Beast]

Wasn't talking about storytelling (which sucks), just art style. I somehow think that if Kishi spent some time as an assistant before starting Naruto, his style would be different than what it is, which pretty much from what one person said is a "fusion of Toriyama and Otomo".

Oh I know, I was just making a side comment, Seishi Kishimoto's art is oddly bad yet good, and his storytelling is FAR supiriour to his Twin's.

[Ao Kiji]

About Kubo and fashion: what fashion? Most of the characters wear robe-like uniforms all the time! (yeah, they wear other things but mostly in color pics)

That's what I mean. Bleach has really nice color spreads. The characters look stylish in those but not the actual manga. Also I remember the stylish first intro being way more enjoyable than the actual episodes..ahhh orange range...^^

[Tokoro Ataru]

That's what I mean. Bleach has really nice color spreads. The characters look stylish in those but not the actual manga. Also I remember the stylish first intro being way more enjoyable than the actual episodes..ahhh orange range...^^

Asterisk was a fun opening and somehow I see your point that Kishi's style seemed to affect the story more in the "Daily Life" segment early on than in the Soul Society/Hueco Mundo stuff. (where its just an accessory)

[amanitium]

haha, can't help but to think of those 'juicy' girls in bleach when kubo tite's name was mentioned.

[Greg]

Part 2 should be up today. Will keep an eye out.

[King Kobra]

Thanks, Greg!!!!!

[joesephes]

That interview was OK.

Part 2 should be good.

[Emilio]

Thanks Greg, glad you're here.
You're certainly a good guy !

[Battle Franky]

Part Due is now up.

Part 3 will be up on Christmas Day!

Thanks in advance to omae!

[Greg]

Enjoy! I know you will.

----Please allow us to talk a bit about up until One Piece debuted in serialization. You might say it's the pilot version, we mean of course Romance Dawn (published in the One Piece fanbook Red and the short works collection WANTED!) how exactly did those particular pieces come to be?

Oda- Writing a manga with a pirate motif was something I'd wanted to write since I was in middle school. But it wasn't something I just wanted to do as a one-shot. The scale of the project would be small and there wouldn't be any way to do everything I'd want with it. So I made it a point that if I was going to do it, I'd make it serialized. But getting into serialization wasn't something I just couldn't worm into. Before serialization all my bit pieces were just evicerated.... So I was really just hanging by a thread and prepped myself thinking, "If this doesn't work out I'll just have to give it all up.", and that's where Romance Dawn came from. It was like pulling out the family's mint-condition Mickey Mantle rookie card collection at a garage sale just for food money. [Lit. Says it's like taking the treasured family heirloom sword at a last stand]

So you could say it was written kind of like only the very beginning of this grand story making it very clear that it's meant to be continued. Kind of like me telling everyone, "Look, I really wanna write this story." (laughs)

And so in the end, it got picked up for serialization and became One Piece.

----It would seem that you had already established many of the basic ideas [of One Piece] at the time of Romance Dawn.

Yeah, Luffy was there, the Gomu Gomu Fruit.... By the way, it was originally just the Gomu Fruit. Then my editor was like, "But isn't there really a Gomu Fruit?" I changed without a second thought but now looking back, that was a nice-freakin'-idea! (laughs)

----Yes but, one could say that's because you had the grand scheme in mind from your middle school years.

No, not really, I didn't really have this big arching plot in mind. Actually, as far as the contents of the story go, I hadn't really thought about anything. I just had in mind the basic establishment and that I wanted it to be a huge story, that's about it.

----That was unexpected. As a reader, lately the underlying meaning in the laying out of the Laboon story became quite clear. I thought you had established much of it in minute detail....

[GET YOUR 'HOLY-SHIT BOOTS' ON, THIS MIGHT BE CONSIDERED A SPOILER FOR THOSE IN A CERTAIN BANDWAGON]

Well now that, consequently, was something I kept under wraps for a looong time. (laughs) Of course, at the time I first drew the Laboon story, I knew there was going to be a 'skeleton musician' appearing, I just didn't have a design for it or know when I was going to unveil it. I really felt like bringing him out sooner but the story just kept getting longer and longer before I knew it and I was finally able to reveal him. That's all.

I just think of the rough story as these broken up tales [Note: we come to label them arcs] and as far as what order I tell them in or how long on spend on each, well that's just something I go with whatever works best on. Whenever a sketched out idea for the serial get the axe I have to think of another plan so I just kind go, "Oh! I'll just use that gag here!", there are a lot of arcs I'll write like that.

----For example?

Well, like the Fishmen. They were supposed to appear in Chapter 3 but that idea got knocked down. But I just kept that idea in my head and continued it and finally used it for the Arlong arc. That was another idea I intended to use much earlier.

Anyway, when I start writing things just get stretched out. Readers might think, "He thought about this THAT long ago!?", but at the same time I'm thinking, "I didn't think it would end up THIS long!!" (big laughs)

So at first I really wanted to bring it to a conclusion much sooner but before I realized it, it's become what it is today. I figured he would gather his crew in about a year and a half, go on great adventure, and wrap up everything in 5 years.

[Here it comes]

----Speaking of which, how much longer do you think it will be until the conclusion?

That's just too much to think about so that's a question I wish you didn't ask but. Hmmmm, I'd like to think it's gone about half-way. .....Nah, let's just stop thinking about that now.

[Don Quichotte De Flamingo]

awesome.....thx greg
.....now it should be clear that brook will join..

[joekido the Second]

WTF!?!? Oda already had a skeleton musician in his mind during the Laboon arc!? Oh my gosh!! I guess Brook is gonna become the next Straw Hat crew.

[Battle Franky]

[Here it comes]

----Speaking of which, how much longer do you think it will be until the conclusion?

F5, F5, F5, F5, F5, F5, F5, F5, F5, F5, F5, F5

...and it better not be a "However long Luffy wants it" answer, dammit!

[Mugiwara_no_Ice]

You know I really like this Oda-guy.

[Battle Franky]

Hah, it was even worse. >.<

I officially ask, nay demand! that question be hereby black listed from future Oda interviews.

He either doesn't really know, or doesn't want to say, STOP ASKING!

[Greg]

Hey, at least it just keeps getting longer and longer. Last time he said it was halfway was volume 24 and....well.....funny actually, we're now on Volume 48.

OP just went from 50 to maybe even 100 ^o^

[joekido the Second]

[ Here it comes ]
----Speaking of which, how much longer do you think it will be until the conclusion?
That's just too much to think about so that's a question I wish you didn't ask but. Hmmmm, I'd like to think it's gone about half-way. .....Nah, let's just stop thinking about that now.

Damn, I was hoping he'll say "in another 20 years" but he still does'nt know and that is a very disappointing result. At least he's honest to say that he really does not know if the story is half-way or not

[Greg]

At least he's honest to say that he really does not know if the story is half-way or not

In his wording it sounds as if he's not sure he's quite reached half-way: Lit- I'd like to believe it's gone about halfway but...

[Mugiwara_no_Ice]

Well let's pray it lasts for another decennium.
Even if I REALLY want to know what's the one pieco, I am ready to sacrifice it for the sake of more mugiwara adventure.