[Greg]

Some bittersweet news here.

It will come hard and fast in the last quarter. But don't let it get you down. This is an excellent opportunity to appreciate what you have now which is really most important in a lot of ways in life.

Merry Christmas everyone.


----Not only the comic book, One Piece is also a very popular cartoon as well. It was turned into an animated program about 2 years after the serialized version started but how did that hit you?

Oda: Well yeah, as you might expect I was thrilled it would become animated.

Just, I was a little concerned and curious about what kind people would be making it so I really hoped they would let me meet with the director and producer soon. I was also wondering who would be doing Luffy and the gang's voices.

Actually, with regards to the voice actors, ever since I was an assistant, from the time I wrote Romance Dawn I thought about a lot things and thought Mayumi Tanaka would be really good for Luffy. So when it was decided that she would really be doing I was pretty excited.

----Did you ask for her in particular?

Actually! I hadn't said a thing about it at all and she was decided on in the end! I left everything regarding the animation to the pros because my stance was that it would be best to just shut up and get out of the way so I zipped my lips but then she ended up coming to the audition. When she actually read the lines for me I just knew, "THAT'S IT, THIS IS THE VOICE!"

I was happy about so many aspects of the animation but the greatest joy came from having the main character being performed by the voice actress I imagined doing it.

----What a dramatic story! Okay, moving along could you please tell us a bit about the always popular and fantastic wealth of information found in the printed volumes, the readers' corner, SBS. What was your intent for starting it?

When I was a child, I won't say the name, but there was a certain comic where the reader's corner suddenly dissappeared. [No mistake he's talking about Dragonball] I really enjoyed it so that came as a huge dissappointment.

----When you become popular you get busy with a lot of things and there seem to be a number of cases where readers' corners can't continue.

But that didn't satisfy me. So I decided that if I ever became a manga author, I would continue the readers' corner no matter what. It's not limited to manga but the basic idea stemmed from the idea, "I don't want to make anyone endure something I wouldn't like."

----But isn't it difficult to write that while working on the serialization?

Reading the postcards all at once is tough so every week I read a bit, and sort out the ones that seem like they might be good for SBS. When it's time for a volume to be released I choose the ones to use from that group. I guess that takes about a day right there. Then I also have to draw the cover for the volume so saying it isn't difficult would pretty much be a lie.

But I already decided that this is something I have to do so even if I don't like it, it's something I won't give up. (laughs) I mean yeah it's tough, but it's also fun. Some kids just say things I won't even think.

Everyone just writes this unbelievably stupid crap and sometimes people even suspect me like, "Are you making this up yourself?", but SBS is 100% from the post cards. I read 'em, I chose 'em, I write an answer.

----Well I guess that means all you SBS fans should keep churning them out! Okay, this will be the final question. I seems that it will be quite a while until One Piece reaches it's conclusion, but after that, as a manga author, what kind of motif would you like to follow it with?

Yeah really, there are a lot of things I'd like to do. Not just limited to comics, I'd also like to make something like a movie. However, unlike before, rather than an epic tale I'm really feeling more inclined to drawing a short but tight story.

After I finish One Piece I don't think I'll do another long-running serialized comic. After I complete it I think much like Akira Toriyama-sensei, I'll put out a single volume story every once in a while. Right now I'm really yearning for that kind of style.

And that's exactly why right now, I'm going to put all of my energy into One Piece. If I keep thinking that this is my first and my last long-running manga, my motivation will not run dry.

----So you're thinking of pushing yourself to your limits.

Well, as far as I can go without killing myself. (laughs)



The End


One Piece halfway? Uh, yes please.