One Piece Creator Honed His Craft By Mimicking Disney Artwork

Eiichiro Oda has stated a number of times that the finale for One Piece is slated to arrive within […]

March 4, 2021, 4:44pm

Eiichiro Oda has stated a number of times that the finale for One Piece is slated to arrive within the next five years, bringing to a close the story of the Straw Hat Pirates after sailing the Grand Line and in a recent interview, the mangaka reveals how Disney‘s characters helped him hone his craft. With the Disney Studio having drawn animated characters long before Oda decided to bring Luffy and his fellow swashbucklers in the pages of Weekly Shonen Jump, it’s definitely no surprise to see the animation studio having an influence on artists’ pasts.

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Disney’s first animated movie was Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, released in 1937, depicting the story of the titular princess who has to deal with an evil witch looking to take her out of this world. The animation studio was definitely ahead of its time and the major conglomerate has been creating animated movies ever since, with the upcoming Raya And The Last Dragon set to arrive later this week. With the expressive and dynamic nature of Eiichiro Oda‘s work on One Piece, it would definitely be interesting to see how Disney would depict the Straw Hat Pirates in their animation style.

Twitter User Edo Monogatari shared this translated interview between the creator of One Piece and Shueisha, the publishers responsible for Weekly Shonen Jump, wherein the mangaka details how old Disney cartoons were able to help hone his skills in creating the world of the Grand Line:

Q&A with Eiichiro Oda (One Piece)

Q: After deciding to become a mangaka, how did you prepare for the job? Any tips or tricks you’d like to share?

A: By practicing realism. I drew Disney cartoons frame by frame, and sketched models as they showed up in fashion shows on TV. https://t.co/JrVIPI61vc
— Edo (@edomonogatari) March 2, 2021

The War For Wano is heating up in the pages of Eiichiro Oda’s manga, as the Straw Hats collide with Kaido and his Beast Pirates, proving to be one of the biggest battles that Luffy and company have ever been a part of. With so many brawls tearing apart the isolated nation, Oda’s artwork continues to evolve with each passing year.

What do you think of Disney’s influence on the art of Eiichiro Oda? Feel free to let us know in the comments or hit me up directly on Twitter @EVComedy to talk all things comics, anime, and the Straw Hat Pirates.