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One Pieceis undoubtedly one of the most popular anime and bestselling manga written by Eiichiro Oda. In 2015 and 2022, this bestselling manga broke the Guinness Record for the most-published manga and eventually sold around 500 million copies worldwide.
This celebrated manga has won author recognition along with several accolades, such as the Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize (2000), the Sondermann Award in the International Manga Category (2005), and the Grand Prize at the Japan Cartoonists Association Awards (2012).
As of 2024, he is acknowledged and recognized globally as a successful manga-ka. Besides, he is also one of the richest mangakas owing to One Piece’s success in his global stature. However, it isn’t just One Piece that is his greatest work but a lesser-known manga that many don’t know about.
Eiichiro Oda’s greatest yet unsung masterpiece
Eiichiro Odais known for his perfectionist tendencies as a manga artist that has oftenbeen viewed by fans as deeply concerning. However, his zeal to succeed in the world of manga was fueled by his need to achieve more accolades and recognition and to stop at nothing. To say the least, he did get his break as a manga-ka after publishing this one-shot manga.
Ikki Yako (Night Parade of One Demon), published in the 1994Shonen JumpSpring Special, is one of the most underrated, underappreciated yet greatest masterpieces by the One Piece author. This one-shot manga is focused on Guko, a monk who must face the monster as a test of courage and eventually save the village.
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Ikki Yakois a lesser-known work that not many fans know of. It was this very manga that unveiledOda’s true potential as a manga-kawhen he bagged first place at the Hop Step Manga of the Year held by Shonen Jump (Shueisha).
Furthermore, this achievement paved the way for his success as he went on to work as an assistant with variousestablished and veteran manga artists at the age of 19.
An honorable and praiseworthy mention
WhileIkki Yakostands as an underrated gem, there’s yet another great masterpiece that shouldn’t be excluded nonetheless as both mangas are the author’s brainchild that eventually led to his worldwide recognition.
Wantedis the first ever manga that Oda published as a budding manga artist, which eventually led to him bagging the prestigious 44th Tezuka Award, where he ranked second and won 500,000 yen. In contrast to Ikki Yako, the fanbase including viewers and readers is well-acquainted withWantedbeing one of the greatest works by the author.
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Furthermore, he submitted this one-shot manga anonymously under the pseudonym Tsuki Himizu Kikondo and submitted it when he was in high school. On top of that, several fans have speculated thatOne Piecedraws its inspiration fromWanted, and while the theory may seem plausible we may never know.
WantedandIkki Yakoare similar in the sense that both are one-shot mangas that contributed to Oda’s success as a manga-ka, and went on to be published as a collection of one-shot manga series under the name ofWantedin 1998.
However,Ikki Yakois a manga that is slept on and deserves its due recognition, and while readers are aware ofWanted’spopularity as a manga, the former remains a lesser-known masterpiece by the author.
Himanshi Jeswani
Anime Writer
Articles Published :993
Himanshi Jeswani is an anime writer at Fandomwire, with her work spanning over 900 articles. Her articles cover shojo, shonen, seinen, and all things beyond. Her interests, however, aren’t limited to simply anime. She has a penchant for exploring different genres of manga, be it horror, yanki, music, and food. She brings out her specialization and expertise in the performing arts through her articles. As a writer, she strives to bridge the gap between the viewers and the medium itself. To her, anime is a revolutionary medium that is capable of creating communities and stories after all.
