AMBot | 01/07/2021 | Reading Time: 3 Min.
The publisher Shueisha celebrated 1,000 chapters of the hit manga series One Piece with the launch of the first worldwide character poll and a full-color advertisement in the New York Times. The website for the poll has opened, allowing participants to vote once per day for their favorite character until February 28.
Eiichiro Oda commented as follows,
"1000 chapters!!!
I, uh, wow... Words aren’t enough to describe what a whirlwind the last 23 years have been. Literally half my life has revolved around the almighty WEEKLY SERIALIZATION hehe. But it’s not just me, Luffy and the Straw Hats have navigated to so many different islands and gotten wrapped up in so many adventures. At this point, even I’m not sure how many lives they’ve touched along the way! But thanks to them, so many special people have stepped into my own life; first and foremost, my family. All these people have supported me over the years, and I am deeply indebted to each and every one of them. Meanwhile, my readers have been living their own busy lives. There’s a certain theory about long-term readership in the entertainment world that says: 'A certain pool of readers will drift away from a series after five years.' And so, for a while, I avoided referring to my readers as 'fans.' As they say: 'Pride comes before the fall.' I convinced myself that I shouldn’t get too full of myself because my readers would eventually leave the series and move on with their lives. Let me just say, you all have shamed me for thinking such a thing. Your faith in Luffy has made me believe in all of you, and that’s what allows me to keep drawing exactly the kind of manga I want to draw. So here we are, about to dip our toes into the final phase of the story. It’s taken a long time to reach a thousand chapters. But precisely because I’ve completed a thousand chapters, you’ve got to believe that I’ll lead us to the end. The story that awaits you will surpass all expectations! I mean it!!
I have to ask you a favor. This is for everyone I’ve bonded with in one way or another—in other words, for the ONE PIECE FANS of this world! My story is a long one. But please keep watching over Luffy and his crew a little while longer as they continue their adventure!
January 2021 Eiichiro Oda"
Eiichiro Oda commented as follows,
"1000 chapters!!!
I, uh, wow... Words aren’t enough to describe what a whirlwind the last 23 years have been. Literally half my life has revolved around the almighty WEEKLY SERIALIZATION hehe. But it’s not just me, Luffy and the Straw Hats have navigated to so many different islands and gotten wrapped up in so many adventures. At this point, even I’m not sure how many lives they’ve touched along the way! But thanks to them, so many special people have stepped into my own life; first and foremost, my family. All these people have supported me over the years, and I am deeply indebted to each and every one of them. Meanwhile, my readers have been living their own busy lives. There’s a certain theory about long-term readership in the entertainment world that says: 'A certain pool of readers will drift away from a series after five years.' And so, for a while, I avoided referring to my readers as 'fans.' As they say: 'Pride comes before the fall.' I convinced myself that I shouldn’t get too full of myself because my readers would eventually leave the series and move on with their lives. Let me just say, you all have shamed me for thinking such a thing. Your faith in Luffy has made me believe in all of you, and that’s what allows me to keep drawing exactly the kind of manga I want to draw. So here we are, about to dip our toes into the final phase of the story. It’s taken a long time to reach a thousand chapters. But precisely because I’ve completed a thousand chapters, you’ve got to believe that I’ll lead us to the end. The story that awaits you will surpass all expectations! I mean it!!
I have to ask you a favor. This is for everyone I’ve bonded with in one way or another—in other words, for the ONE PIECE FANS of this world! My story is a long one. But please keep watching over Luffy and his crew a little while longer as they continue their adventure!
January 2021 Eiichiro Oda"
This article was originally published in German. It was translated with technical support and editorially reviewed before publication.
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