The Faces of Anime – How Naruto and One Piece Inspired Each Other To Legendary Status

Along with Bleach, One Piece and Naruto are regarded as the Big Three of anime. They are two of the greatest anime series ever. The two are the most prominent figures in the medium, having contributed to its globalization and tremendous growth.

Both Eichiro Oda’s One Piece and Masashi Kishimoto’s Naruto began serializing at about the same time, with One Piece starting two years earlier and Naruto starting in 1999. During their run, they went on to become the biggest manga, and while many amazing series, like Gintama and Hunter X Hunter, could compete, these two series were always at the top.

The two shows are very different from one another, with striking variances in themes, plots, and art styles. However, their length was the one factor that contributed to their intensely amicable rivalry. Few television shows lasted as long as they did, and because of this and their widespread appeal, they were compared. But the creators are really good friends and enjoy each other’s work, so they support and aid each other whenever they can.

OVERVIEW

Bleach, One Piece, and Naruto are regarded as the “Big 3” of anime because of their immense popularity and widespread success.
Kishimoto and Oda, the creators of Naruto and One Piece, are close friends and frequently mention and draw inspiration from each other’s work.

As artists, Kishimoto and Oda were both influenced by Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball, demonstrating how their respective works influenced one another.

One Piece & Naruto Often Reference Each Other

The Creators Are Big Fans Of Each Other’s Manga

Within each series, there are numerous subtle and not-so-subtle allusions that honor the other. An excellent illustration is found in the final chapter of Naruto, where Luffy’s pirate mark is graffitied on the Hokage face statue of Naruto. Similar to this, in One Piece episode #769, Luffy’s group was searching for Raizo on Zou. They were anxious to meet a ninja and talked about a character who had the ability to conjure a toad and clone themselves—a very obvious allusion to Naruto.

In other cases, the manga artists draw inspiration from each other’s works and include elements of the other manga into their own works.

In a conversation between the two, Eichiro Oda disclosed that Luffy’s Gear 3 was inspired by his obsession with Choji’s capacity to enlarge his body. Another minor Naruto character served as the inspiration for Absalom’s invisibility powers.

The Dragon Ball manga by Akira Toriyama served as an inspiration for both Kishimoto and Oda to pursue creative careers.

Oda & Kishimoto Are More Than Just Rivals

Through Their Creative Journies, the Pair Have Become Fierce Friends

Given the popularity and longevity of both shows, a friendly rivalry was unavoidable. The two are close friends, though. Eichiro Oda stated that Kishimoto came to see him and assisted him while he was in the hospital. Given how much the two adore each other’s work, it is reasonable to argue that having One Piece and Naruto air simultaneously raised both to a level that is practically attained.

One Piece

CREATED BY: Eiichiro Oda

FIRST FILM: One Piece: The Movie

FIRST TV SHOW: One Piece (1999)

CAST: Kazuya Nakai, Akemi Okamura, Kappei Yamaguchi, Hiroaki Hirata, Ikue Ôtani, Yuriko Yamaguchi

VIDEO GAME(S): One Piece: Unlimited World Red , One Piece: Pirate Warriors 3 , One Piece: Pirate Warriors 4 , One Piece: World Seeker , One Piece Odyssey

CHARACTER(S): Monkey D. Luffy , Roronora Zoro, Nami (One Piece), Nico Robin, Usopp (One Piece), Vinsmoke Sanji, Tony Chopper, Franky (One Piece), Jimbei (One Piece)

Naruto (2002)

CAST: Junko Takeuchi, Noriaki Sugiyama, Chie Nakamura, Kazuhiko Inoue, Hidekatsu Shibata

RELEASE DATE: October 3, 2002

SEASONS: 4

STREAMING SERVICE(S): Netflix

FRANCHISE(S): Naruto

WRITERS: Masashi Kishimoto

DIRECTORS: Hayato Date

SHOWRUNNER: Masashi Kishimoto

MAIN GENRE: Animation

CREATOR(S): Masashi Kishimoto

Naruto Gave a Heartfelt Shoutout to One Piece With its Very Last Panel

It’s no secret that the renowned manga artists of One Piece and Naruto are close friends. Masashi Kishimoto and Eiichiro Oda, the brains behind two of Shonen Jump’s greatest hits ever, have continuously disregarded notions that they would be competitors. One Piece paid homage to Naruto, while the later series acknowledged its sister series in its very final panel.

The two series, which both began in the late 1990s, are significant in the history of manga. They made up what was referred to by fans as the “big three” along with Bleach. Not only were these three manga series immensely popular in Japan, but also worldwide, thanks to their corresponding anime adaptations. To suggest that these three, along with its spiritual precursor Dragon Ball, are solely to blame for manga and anime becoming the worldwide phenomenon that they are today would be an understatement. Not surprisingly, given the unmatched success of their respective works, Kishimoto and Oda became fast friends. One Piece’s 776th chapter began with a picture of Naruto and Luffy sharing a lunch and the words, “Thanks for the great run, Naruto!” Naruto concluded in 2014. Kishimoto later paid homage to Oda by including the final panel of his groundbreaking series.

Naruto leapt ahead fifteen years for its 700th and last chapter. Even though this time jump features the entire Boruto cast, which contemporary readers would undoubtedly recognize, these characters were entirely new at the time. Many of the readers’ favorite characters appear as mature adults prepared to raise the next generation. Ironically, Boruto, the son of Naruto, is a lot like his father and decides to paint graffiti on Hokage Rock. Even after Naruto finds him and chastises him, Boruto has already managed to deface every face. When it is revealed that Boruto painted the Straw Hats logo on Naruto’s portion of Hokage Rock, the series comes to an official end.

Although it might come as a surprise to see Naruto finish with a subtly loving nod to another series, it’s actually a very moving homage. Oda expresses gratitude to Kishimoto for developing Naruto and for being such a great buddy at the end of One-Piece chapter 776. The two men’s work suggests that they really appreciate each other, even if it’s impossible to tell for sure. It’s nearly as heartwarming to watch Naruto utilize its final panel to honor and admire a coworker as it is to watch the series conclude.

Masashi Kishimoto and Eiichiro Oda may be adversaries to some, but they must have felt a certain affinity due to their mutual accomplishment and the pressures of being mangakas. Save its shoutout for the very last panel, Naruto truly paid One Piece the highest homage possible.

One Piece’s Most Iconic Attack Was Actually Copied from Naruto

Given the recent revelation in One Piece of Luffy’s Gear 5 metamorphosis, and the decades-long rivalry between Naruto and One Piece for the affections of manga fans, it is surprising that Naruto serves as the inspiration for the more sophisticated Gears. Recently, in a post on August 12, 2023, on his X (previously Twitter) account, Naruto creator Masashi Kishimoto disclosed that Choji Akimichi from Sasuke Recovery Mission, as well as the Akimichi Clan’s “Multi-Size” jutsu, served as a major inspiration for Luffy’s Gear 3 transformation.

As Kishimoto says, “Fun fact: Luffy’s Giant Pistol from Gear 3 was inspired from Choji’s ‘Baika no Jutsu’ in NARUTO 🔠¥. Oda told me “Hey, I’m kind of copying your style here. Sorry!” “

Luffy’s Giant Pistol Was Directly Inspired by Choji from Naruto

According to Kishimoto’s explanation, Oda chose to imitate the technique for Luffy’s Gear 3 power-up because he was reportedly so struck by its strength and Kishimoto’s depiction of it. The Akimichi Clan of Naruto is ancestors of the Baika No Jutsu, also known as the Multi-Size Technique. It allows them to enlarge their bodies at command, much to Marvel’s Giant-Man. Any gain in physical size will also give them a corresponding increase in power and strength. Naturally, a shinobi practitioner who possesses this talent gains many benefits, such as the capacity to instantly overwhelm an opponent and create a defense that is almost resistant to the majority of known physical attacks.

In particular, Bubun Baika No Justsu, or “Partial Expansion,” is the Baika No Jutsu power that Oda replicates. It enables a practitioner to amplify the size and strength of a specific bodily component, like an arm or leg, while preserving the regular size of the body overall. When Choji Akimichi employs partial expansion against Jirobo in Naruto Chapter #189, it is first seen in action. Stopping a powerful opponent from pressing in to give him room to manoeuvre, launch a counterattack, or escape is a fantastic power move.

One Piece Tweaks Bubun Baika No Jutsu for Maximum Effect

In One Piece, Rob Lucci, a former member of the CP-9, confronts Luffy using it. Luffy is about to lose due to pressure from a resolute Lucci when he decides to use Gear 3. Luffy begins to blow onto his thumb after biting it. This enables Luffy to grow his lower arm to gigantic proportions, which he uses to batter Lucci and break through the wall with his allies, sending Lucci far enough away to prevent him from impeding their escape.

Even if Choji and Luffy’s battle outcomes differ, the strategy is presented in a nearly identical way and, given Oda’s remarks, is understandably illustrated in a comparable way. Even if it’s unlikely that any modern manga hasn’t been impacted by another series in some manner, it’s different when those two comics are iconic works that define a generation, like Naruto and One Piece. There have been many parallels drawn between Luffy’s Gears and Naruto’s power-ups, but since One Piece’s sophisticated Gears framework is at least largely based on a Naruto character, fans no longer need to draw such similarities.

Viz Media currently has One Piece and Naruto available for reading.