How One Person Saved One Piece from Rejection by Shonen Jump

Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece has long been synonymous with Shonen Jump, making it hard to believe that the manga faced rejection from the publishing powerhouse in its early days.

First published in 1997, One Piece has dominated sales for Shueisha’s Shonen Jump for nearly three decades, and judging by its current immense popularity, it seems likely to retain this title for years to come.

Nonetheless, the path to success wasn’t without its challenges. In a recent interview, Kazuhiko Torishima, a well-known former editor at Shueisha, recounted the story of how One Piece secured its place in Shonen Jump.

Torishima revealed that the magazine experienced a significant drop in sales following the conclusion of Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball. Torishima, who was Dragon Ball’s editor in its early stages, later became the editor-in-chief of Shonen Jump.

How one piece saved Shonen jump? Kazuhiko Torishima’s latest interview He revealed how One Piece almost didn’t make it to serialization and how it ended up saving Jump after Dragon Ball. Torishima shared that the magazine was in a tough spot with plummeting sales and a lack of… pic.twitter.com/SJKVSpov6m

— Pew (@pewpiece) September 14, 2024

Eventually, a few years later, One Piece was pitched by an editor who was considering transferring. Initially, Torishima and the other decision-makers were not convinced, leading to lengthy discussions. However, after witnessing the editor’s passion for the series, they ultimately opted to publish Oda’s manga.

As the saying goes, the rest is history. One Piece not only revived Shonen Jump’s declining sales but also paved the way for other iconic shonen manga, including Yoshihiro Togashi’s Hunter x Hunter and Masashi Kishimoto’s Naruto.

This narrative highlights the incredible journey of One Piece, reminding fans of the challenges it overcame to reach its legendary status. As one fan remarked on X, “One Piece really is the backbone.”

Another supporter added, “The VALUE speaks for itself… No matter how much people hate on it … One Piece is just GOAT!!!”

A third user expressed faith in Oda’s ability to create a masterpiece, noting, “Believe in Oda in terms of making a masterpiece, big-hit fiction in history.”

One Piece’s success is now more prominent than ever. With the manga entering the Elbaf Arc with Chapter 1126, the anime continues to captivate audiences with outstanding episodes. Additionally, Netflix is gearing up to enthrall fans with both The One Piece anime reboot and the live-action One Piece Season 2.

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