Danica Davidson
September 23, 2021 
It’s really, truly happened — the 100th volume of the One Piece manga has been released in Japan. Within the first week, more than a million copies sold. To commemorate this achievement, Japan Forward interviewed creator Eiichiro Oda’s editor at Weekly Shonen Jump and the producer of the anime adaptation.
“The story is developing faster than we thought,” remarked editor Yuuji Iwasaki about where the manga is now. “It feels like it’s coming to an end, and surprisingly, there is a mystery unveiled every week.”
He also spoke about creator Oda. “Talking with my former senior editor, I got the impression that Mr. Oda was an ‘eternal boy.’” Other editors have called Oda a “scary child.”
The article pointed to the fact that people who started reading the manga in 1997 as kids are now all grown up. So it’s important to keep them reading, and also to bring in new readers. The manga is, according to Oda, supposed to be done within the next few years.
“We are getting new readers, and I feel that other readers are also coming back,” commented Oda’s editor. He also said, “With Mr. Oda, we talked about the ending, about the climax of Wano Kuni Hen. We just have to continue climbing up towards the finale.”
Meanwhile, the 1,000th episode of the anime adaptation is scheduled to air in November. “I want to make the story of the 1000th episode enjoyable, to strike a chord with the viewers who have been watching from the beginning,” said producer Hiroaki Shibata. “We will continue to show episodes that we do not want you to miss. We will do our best to make it more exciting as we approach the climax at the end.”
Are you excited about these major milestones One Piece is achieving?
Source: Japan Forward
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Danica Davidson is the author of the bestselling Manga Art for Beginners with artist Melanie Westin, and its sequel, Manga Art for Intermediates, with professional Japanese mangaka Rena Saiya. Check out her other comics and books at www.danicadavidson.com.
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