Follow us on Google News
Get the latest updates directly in your Google News feed
When the Wano arc started,One Piecefans were hopeful that they would get to learn about two major mysteries from theOne Piecenarrative. The first one was Roronoa Zoro’s lineage, and the second one was the legacy of Shimotsuki Ryuma. While the fans eventually got to learn about Zoro’s lineage through SBS, Ryuma was not much mentioned in the Wano arc.
However, Eiichiro Oda decided to surpriseOne Piecefans whenMonsters: 103 Mercies Dragon Damnationwas announced as an anime, as it followed the story of Ryuma during his prime years and had a connection toOne Piece’sWano storyline. But initially, Oda was against the idea of adaptingMonstersinto an original net animation.
Recently, in an interview, Oda talked aboutMonsters: 103 Mercies Dragon Damnationand why he was not ready for theOne Pieceprequel to be adapted. Not only that, he also explained what convinced him to finally give a green signal to the anime.
Eiichiro Oda Initially RejectedMonsters: 103 Mercies Dragon Damnation
Oda’s comment aboutMonstersgetting an anime adaptation was recently shared by@pewpieceon X. During the interview, Oda explained what his initial thoughts were when he was approached with the idea ofMonsters’one-shot manga getting an anime adaptation for the very first time.
One Piece: Eiichiro Oda Might Be On His Way to Reveal the Next ‘Will of D’ Member Who Belongs to Luffy’s Straw Hat Pirates
Oda stated:
I thought, “I guess it’s okay to do it now.” In fact, way back before this adaptation happened, more than 10 years ago, was it at Jump Festa or an Anime Tour? There had been an offer to animate MONSTERS. But I declined it at that time. I thought it wouldn’t be fun to show the audience, who were looking forward to ONE PIECE, something I created when I was younger (LOL).
According to the mangaka, he got the first offer for animatingMonstersmore than 10 years ago. However, he was insecure about how theOne Piecefans would react toa story that he created when he was way younger. Also, the story was quite far from Wano, and it would not have helpedMonsters.Thus, he rejected the offer and waited for the right moment.
Eiichiro Oda BelievedOne PieceFans Would Not Have LikedMonsters
According toEiichiro Oda, when he went on an anime tour of the prominent manga creatorAkira Toriyama, he was excited to see that one of Toriyama’s previous manga series was adapted into an anime, and it was getting a great response from fans. However, he never expected the same response fromOne Piecefans.
Oda revealed:
Speaking from my personal experience, a long time ago, I went to Toriyama (Akira) sensei’s anime tour, and I was very happy to see that one of Toriyama sensei’s past one-shot stories had been adapted into an anime. At that time, I couldn’t imagine the fans of ONE PIECE would be delighted in the same way with MONSTERS.
Talking about the right moment forMonstersto get an anime adaptation, Oda stated:
And now this time, the anime adaptation talks have come once again. The Wano Country Arc is already completed, and the story connection with Thriller Bark has already been established, and I thought it was good as a ONE PIECE substory, so I agreed.
The mangaka later explained that when Wano was completed and the connection of the story was established with that of the Thriller Bark arc, he thought that it would be the right time to agree toMonsters: 103 Mercies Dragon Damnation.
“He is a good example of the manga being way longer than intended”: A Flimsy Theory Suggests Why Crocodile Doesn’t Use Haki in One Piece But Fans Have a Different Idea
And contrary to Oda’s belief,One Piecefans loved theMonsters’original net animation, and it certainly made an impression.
You can watchMonsters: 103 Mercies Dragon Damnationon Netflix.
Tarun Kohli
Senior Writer
Articles Published :2959
Tarun Kohli is the Senior Anime Writer at FandomWire, with over 2,900 published articles. He currently specializes in critiquing One Piece and other Shonen anime. A passionate fan of the genre, his love for thoughtful analysis reflects his genuine appreciation for the art of anime. His deep understanding of anime culture has earned recognition from industry figures such as Adi Shankar and the creators of Blood of Zeus.
