“Greatest thing Kishimoto has ever done”: Big 3 Debate in Anime Doesn’t Bother Masashi Kishimoto Who Used the Last Page of Naruto to Send a Message For Eiichiro Oda and One Piece Fans

SUMMARY

• Naruto and One Piece have become an inspiration for new-gen series.
• Masashi Kishimoto paid homage to One Piece in the final chapter of his magnum opus.
• Fans react to Kishimoto-San's tribute to Oda-Sensei's magnum opus.

Show More▼

Masashi Kishimoto’s Naruto stands tall as one of the greatest Shonen series that had taken over the world back in the day. As a result, some fans in the otaku community would go as far as claiming it to be the biggest franchise among the Big Three, which includes Bleach and One Piece.

Naruto Uzumaki. Credits: Studio Pierrot

The rivalry between Kishimoto-San and Oda-Sensei continued over time. Their rivalry is so epic that it made their work infectiously popular and paved the way for modern anime series. Both series are so infectiously popular that it results in their fandom getting into heated debates over which series is better.

However, their authors are polar opposites, as they have often praised each other and even added subtle details in their art to praise their rival series. One such instance was how Kishimoto-San celebrated the popularity of One Piece in his work by adding a subtle homage to the work in his magnum opus in the final chapter of his mangaka.

Masashi Kishimoto Pays Homage to the Greatness of Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece

Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece is the only anime and manga series from The Big Three that is still going strong and is showing no signs of stopping. During this run, the mangaka featured many gripping arcs that had been responsible for breaking the internet.

The Straw Hat Pirates. Credits: Toei Animation

Additionally, the fan theories following the characters and the arcs just add to the richness of the title. While Monkey D. Luffy is the most popular protagonist in the current anime scene, the Jolly Roger of the Straw Hat Pirates is the second most striking feature of the show.

A fan tweeted a thread of final pages featured in some of the most infectiously popular mangas on X, and one of them was Masashi Kishimoto’s Naruto. In Chapter 700, the artist featured a Jolly Roger of the Straw Hat Pirates to pay tribute to his rival.

Strawhat Jolly Roger on Hokage monument. Credits: Viz Media

This gesture showcased his deep-rooted respect for his rival and acknowledged how he shared the stage with his rival which compelled him to enhance his work.

This subtle action by Kishimoto-Sensei showcases how he has moved past the so-called rivalry created by the fans of both titles. The fans were delighted to see this as they were in awe of the friendship between the two artists going beyond the art form.

Otaku Fans React to Masashi Kishimoto’s Humble Tribute to Oda-Sensei

The modest gesture of Kishimoto-San accepting the unreal hype and fan following behind Oda-Sensei’s stellar work of art that has been running for 25 years and is showcasing no signs of fatigue.

A still from One Piece. Credits: Toei Animation

Moreover, Kishimoto-San immensely respects the author of One Piece because of how he dedicated the final page of his greatest work that too to another manga. The fans were delighted to see the act of respect, giving an overwhelmingly positive reaction to the post. They commented,

The final chapter of Naruto being a tribute to one piece is the most goated shit ever bruh https://t.co/qopDWEigL1

The Greatest thing kishimoto has ever done

and the fandoms keep fighting each other
while the authors have nothing but respect for each other pic.twitter.com/MdTgntuFyY

peak recognizes peak

Oda-Sensei’s notion of showcasing something new that has never been featured before showcases his dedication and passion for his art. The artist would brainstorm to feature something new in each episode, and in doing so, he has raised the bar too high for other series to meet.

One Piece can be streamed on Crunchyroll.

Written by Tushar Auddy

Articles Published: 1182

Tushar Auddy, Content Writer. He has been in the entertainment industry for 3 years and is always on the lookout for a captivating story. He is a student of Linguistics and is currently pursuing his Master's degree in the same field. He has a passion for literature that runs deep and loves nothing more than getting lost in a novel for hours on end. When he isn't reading, you'll find him capturing the beauty of language.