“It’s just fake deaths”: Naruto’s ‘Serious Stakes’ Never Felt Real That Could Have Easily Triumphed Over the Biggest One Piece Criticism

Apart from being Jump’s Big 3 of Shonen, Naruto and One Piece share a healthy rivalry. Both series are iconic and legendary in their own way. Be it fights or friendships, both anime are unique in their portrayal of elements of the Shonen genre. However, they’re not exempt from criticism and heated debates by the fans.

While Eiichiro Oda’s magnum opus has received worldwide acclaim, Masashi Kishimoto isn’t too far behind. Although both series differ in their power scaling and representation of heroism, fans believe that Kishimoto’s series fails to triumph over Oda’s manga through its fake deaths. It also highlights the treatment of deaths in both series.

Reddit fans debate over the serious stakes in Naruto

Naruto is popular for its portrayal of heroism, friendship, and valor. Besides that, the series has some of the most heartbreaking moments. From Neji Hyuuga to Jiraiya, the characters’ deaths do not exist in isolation. These catalyze a character’s growth and development. However, Itachi’s influence proved detrimental to Konoha’s destruction.

Moreover, the series also has its fair share of ‘fake deaths’ that make absolutely no sense. From Gaara’s jinchuriki extraction to Might Guy’s exhaustion from Eight Gates, the series isn’t exempt from fans’ backlash. In a heated debate about the supremacy of the two magnum opuses, fans pointed to the flaws in Kishimoto’s series that would’ve made it superior to Oda’s manga.

In a discussion post started by the Reddit user @DMelee, some fans called out Kishimoto’s series for its ‘fake deaths’.

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Although most fans deem the stakes in Kishimoto’s series as unserious, the character deaths are pretty much impactful. While there are fakeout deaths in the series, Eiichiro Oda‘s Magnum Opus is no less. It circles back to its critique of snail pacing and fake deaths.

One Piece and its critique is often overlooked by its fans due to its popularity as a magnum opus

While Masashi Kishimoto is criticized for his bad writing and fake-out deaths in the series, One Piece isn’t exempt from the backlash either. However, due to the latter’s popularity, most people overlook the series’ criticism. Apart from its snail-paced nature, the series has its fair share of fake-out deaths. From Dorry and Pell to Pound, fans may have ignored the flaw in Oda’s magnum opus.

From its character designs to its fight scenes, Oda’s series has undergone a massive shift. This especially holds true with the excessive use of impact frames and its treatment of female characters. While most of its criticism is directed toward the series’ pacing, its popularity overshadows this very critique. Like most Shonen anime, this series is flawed in its way.

All in all, while Kishimoto is critiqued for the fake-out deaths, fans often fail to understand the motive behind it. Both series have their fair share of devastating deaths as well as annoying fakeouts. However, with Kishimoto, fans’ criticism tends to be intense and extreme. On the other hand, Oda’s series negates this criticism due to its success and popularity.

One Piece and Naruto are available for streaming on Crunchyroll. The manga is available for reading on Viz Media.