The One Piece manga has been running for almost three decades, and its formatting still reflects Oda’s traditional style of drawing chapters. Because of this, fans today might be reading the manga in the wrong way. In Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump magazine, One Piece, like many other shonen series published weekly, follows a specific format where nearly every chapter includes at least one double spread, with only occasional exceptions. While newer shonen manga have moved away from this approach, largely due to the shift toward e-books with more vertical layouts, One Piece continues to feature a greater number of double spreads.
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This exact concern was brought up by fans in SBS 113, which will be included in Volume 113 of One Piece. A fan account on X (@pewpiece) shared a translated version of the latest SBS, revealing Oda’s response to the issue. A reader asked if Oda intentionally includes wider panels than other manga, as they are difficult to follow on vertically formatted digital devices like smartphones. In his response, Oda acknowledged the problem but encouraged readers to experience One Piece horizontally to better appreciate the storytelling.
Eiichiro Oda Encourages Fans to Read One Piece in a Horizontal Direction
In his response, Oda says that he understands everyone has the free will to read however they want, but he explains that when drawing, he considers two pages as one spread. Doubling down on his response, Oda makes it clear that reading on a device capable of a horizontal format, such as an iPad or a PC, is the best way to experience the manga. Going into detail, Oda also reveals the technique he uses for his formatting, explaining that the impactful punchlines are placed on the right side of the double spread, while the smaller, less impactful dialogues are positioned on the left. Closing his response, Oda adds that for fans reading on a vertically oriented smartphone screen, there’s nothing he can do about it and apologizes for it.
Oda’s response confirms that his approach to drawing the manga is primarily intended for print editions and physical volumes. Newer Shonen manga have been inclined to use vertical panels with fewer double spreads, which makes Oda’s One Piece stand out. For a manga running for almost 30 years, the series remains authentic, something modern manga can hardly replicate, as today’s readers are used to vertical scrolling on smartphones. This is precisely why One Piece should be read in a horizontal format using something other than a smartphone to fully experience the manga. It’s evident that One Piece may be the last major series to preserve this traditional format, something fans should embrace while it lasts.
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