If you ever wondered why “Naruto” hit stronger outside Japan than “One Piece“, Kosuke Yahagi, former editor of Weekly Shonen Jump, has the answer. According to him, everything is reduced to how easy it is to understand every story and the visual style of each series.
In a 2019 interview, Yahagi explained that “One Piece” has a more complex narrative because it is built as a role -playing video game. Each plot arc is a new world, with new characters and objectives, which makes the story richer, but also more difficult to follow. Instead, “Naruto” is more direct: a lot of action, spectacular fights and an easy -to -understanding story.
Even Masashi Kishimoto, the creator of “Naruto”, admitted that competing with “One Piece” in terms of history is almost impossible. Therefore, he decided to focus on making his manga more visually shocking and easy to enjoy.
Another key point to mention Yahagi and other former editors is that “One Piece” has a very Japanese narrative style, with theatrical drama and cultural references that do not always connect with the western public. They compared it to the Kabuki and the classic Yakuza films, which are super emotional and sometimes a bit exaggerated.
On the other hand, “Naruto” follows a structure more similar to Hollywood films, with a story that advances more clearly and predictably. That helped be easier to understand for the public outside of Japan.
In addition, Kazuhiko Torishima, former “Dragon Ball”, added another interesting point: the “Naruto” design could have influenced his global success. His blond hair and blue eyes made him stand out more abroad, since he didn't look like a common Japanese character. And the ninjas theme has always been a hit around the world, while pirates were nothing new.
But although “Naruto” had more success in the West at the time, “One Piece” remains the best -selling manga in history, with more than 500 million copies in circulation. In the end, both are giants of the Shonen manga, but each conquered the public in their own way.
Fountain: Denfaminicogamer
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