I feel like a lot of people missed this interview that came out months back which is a shame. It is a good read so here it is
Kohei Horikoshi and Eiichiro Oda special interview.
Interviewer: In the illustration corner of “One Piece” Twenty Third Volume: Usopp Gallery Pirates, is where the two made first contact. Horikoshi-sensei, how did you feel about having your work published for the first time?
ODA: That was a good volume. It was the last for Alabasta, with the famous “Proof of Friendship” scene.
HORIKOSHI: I was shaken.
Interviewer: Shaken!?
HORIKOSHI: Yes. I believe that was when I was in high school, and to discover that one of my drawings was printed there on the page caused me to break out in the shakes. I was still shaken when I showed my mom the picture too.
ODA: It's good you're close to your family. (Laughs).
Interviewer: How many drawings had you contributed?
HORIKOSHI: Just the one.
Interviewer: Incredible! What made you decide to send it?
HORIKOSHI: My friend and I love One Piece so we both decided to send artwork in. We both drew incredible things, but only mine made it into the gallery.
ODA: It's as if you were the one to get the green light at an idol audition. (Laugh.)
HORIKOSHI: Are you the one who writes the commentary, Oda-sensei?
ODA: Yup, I do. I write it as Usopp.
HORIKOSHI: I'm so thankful....ahh, I mean overjoyed.
Interviewer: I think it's incredible you managed to make it in with just one submission. Did this experience affect your life as a mangaka?
HORIKOSHI: To be honest I was quite satisfied with that drawing....(laughs).
ODA: Oh in a “My art was good enough to be published” way?
HORIKOSHI: No, more like a “Wow it was published! Now my name will be carved into One Piece for eternity!!” Sort of thing. I was totally satisfied with just that.
Everyone laughs.
ODA: I wonder if it would have been better if you were more frustrated (laughs).
Interviewer: Might you have been more inspired if it had been rejected instead?
HORIKOSHI: No, no, it took a bit of time but I did believe that I should take manga more seriously.
Interviewer: You mean between the experience of success and the actual feeling of making it?
HORIKOSHI: Right.
ODA: At the time, social media hadn't yet become widespread, so there weren't as many opportunities to give people a place to display their artwork. So that's why having it published in print gives me a strange sense of happiness. Even I like to give as many opportunities as possible to show off people's artworks on that page I've created.
Interviewer: Horikoshi-sensei, you were able to tell Oda-sensei about the artwork in 2015, after quite a bit of time had passed, right?
ODA: Even before “HeroAca” was serialized we met at New years parties, right? Although you hadn't yet had a “hit” right?
Interviewer: Oda-sensei at that point you were in volume 77 of One piece.. And you wrote “You should have said something sooner!” (Laughs.)
ODA: That's right! You shouldn't have been so reserved!
HORIKOSHI: I was just too embarrassed. For me to speak up about something like that when my serializations were in the back of the magazine...even if I had the opportunity it just didn't feel right.
ODA: I see, that might have been the right decision. It'd be more helpful for me to cheer you on if you had a manga currently serialized. (laughs.) So you spoke up because now you had the pride of serializing a hit manga then?
Horikoshi: Hmmmm....
Interviewer: Shouldn't you be more proud of your achievement? (Laugh.)
HORIKOSHI: Where you say pride, I more feel embarrassment.
Interviewer: Horikoshi-sensei has One Piece had any influences on you?
HORIKOSHI: How do I put this...I suppose having characters say things that I feel naturally is one influence I've taken from One Piece.
ODA: Well, when I first started serialization, things were different –a character saying things that Luffy does was seen as embarrassing.
HORIKOSHI: Ohh? But it feels like everyone in my age group was writing like that.
ODA: That makes me happy. Back then I was pretty young and it felt like I was rebelling against current fads. Back then it was pretty popular for girls hair to be braided inward, so I did the opposite when I drew.
Interviewer: So you proceeded by doing the opposite of the opposite?
ODA: It just didn't feel right to me unless it stood out. At the time I was told a lot that my art was really weird, so I didn't dare to dream that anyone would be influenced by me in later years.
HORIKOSHI: I was influenced by how your characters have very small eyes. However I couldn't quite draw it all that well and had a lot of trouble....So lately I've been drawing them a little bigger than before (laughs).
ODA: I've been doing the same thing (laughs).
Interviewer: Horikoshi-sensei has One Piece influenced you in any other areas –aside from artwork?
HORIKOSHI: I love the Arlong Arc. Especially the exchange (between Luffy and Nami) “Help me...” and “Of course!!” I thought that part was especially cool, and I wanted to draw a Luffy like protagonist. Oh and this week's One Piece chapter was crazy good. (Jump has a scattered turnover)
Interviewer: Lots of past characters showed up during the Reverie, huh?
ODA: It was pretty shocking huh? (Laughs) The serialization has gone for a long time so I'm able to have characters who appeared in the past show up again, but there are probably many readers of Jump who don't quite get what's going on. Maybe the people who read by volume are deeply familiar with what's going on, but those who read Jump probably haven't read everything...
ODA: So I had to include the past events so they wouldn't miss anything.
HORIKOSHI: Huh? Does that happen?
ODA: Quite often, to a surprising extent. When they aren't doing the polls it's like “I'm so happy that this character is popular!” And then when I draw them people say “I don't know who this is.” (Laugh).
HORIKOSHI: Huh!!~
ODA: When the serialization runs long those things happen.
Interviewer: Oda-sensei what are your impressions of Horikoshi-sensei?
ODA: As the face of the next generation of big hit hero artists.
HORIKOSHI: I can't believe that.
ODA: My daughter will happily sing the “HeroAca” anime theme songs on bus outings, and it'll get everyone in a good mood. At home she'll ask “Dad is your manga going to be okay” She's really worried about One Piece.
HORIKOSHI: I'm thankful to hear that, but it's a bit....(laughs).
ODA: But I am a little concerned since it's a manga with a lot of characters.
Interviewer: Why's that?
ODA: When there are a lot of characters to draw it gets difficult to unify the work as a whole, and properly, but if you are able to properly establish and understand the characters then the work will be a hit. It can lead to a lot of needless anxiety. I will say this though, I've always been impressed by Horikoshi-sensei's comic covers. They look great, and the sense of style is on point –and you're able to come up with some very good ones.
HORIKOSHI: Thank you so much that makes me so ridiculously happy.
ODA: What do you use to color them?
HORIKOSHI: Photoshop.
ODA: Oh so you use computers?
HORIKOSHI: Yes, I did get a little tired of using them so for volume 18's cover I went back to using analog (hand painting) it was overwhelmingly fun.
ODA: You like American Comics right? Your style of artwork is influenced by them.
HORIKOSHI: Yeah. I've read all of “Spiderman” and “Deadpool”.
Interviewer: And what about character personalities?
HORIKOSHI: Ah, for this Oda-sensei is a huge influence. I thought to myself “I really want to draw a lively character like Luffy!!” But in the end I ended up drawing a character nothing like him and more like myself –an otaku who has a penchant for over analysis.
HORIKOSHI: and at the end of that, just a bit of brightness added in for good measure which harmonizes into Deku the protagonist.
Interviewer: How were you involved in this movie?
HORIKOSHI: I was involved and contributed to the script phase, and did the final character designs. If I had more time to, I would have done more.
ODA: If I said something like that (laughs) it would be endless. From the start, I said that the weekly serialization is most important to me, and I didn't want to do anything to disturb it.
HORIKOSHI: M—My stomach hurt. I thoughtlessly said “I want to do more”....
Interviewer: This is the first movie for HeroAca. At the time it was confirmed how did you feel?
HORIKOSHI: I was really happy. I thought that getting an anime confirmed was the peak of my happiness –my dreams had come true. I really didn't think I'd get anymore than that so when they said the series would get a movie, I was like “Seriously?! No way!!”
ODA: I attended the screening on the morning of it's premiere and was moved by all the people lined up to see it.
HORIKOSHI: You were in the audience....
ODA: But I wasn't really able to talk to any of my readers live there.
HORIKOSHI: Then I'll definitely have to do that.
Interviewer: Lastly, please give the moviegoers a few words.
HORIKOSHI: It'll be a lot of fun for those who don't read my manga, and more fun still for those who do. It's a kind of work that anyone can come into and enjoy. The movie is the only way to see a fight where All Might and Deku fight side by side! So by all means come on down and have a good time!
Interviewer: And now a shout from you both.
ODA: Let us keep fighting together for popularity in Jump from here on in too!
HORIKOSHI: Of course...ah, no....
ODA: How many volumes do you estimate the series will be?
HORIKOSHI: Honestly I thought about 30 or so would be about right, but I hadn't really been counting at all...
ODA: Then shoot for about 50.
HORIKOSHI: Can I really do ten years though...? (Laugh).
ODA: Rather than if you can, it's more like you'll end up doing it.
HORIKOSHI: Then you had already decided on how many volumes One Piece would have from the start?
ODA: Of course. Though it's gone about triple my original calculations.
HORIKOSHI: It it because while you were drawing the series the amount of things you wanted to portray multiplied?
ODA: They multiplied and broadened.
HORIKOSHI: Yeah, even for me the Sports festival arc was about twice longer than I had originally expected.
ODA: That's what happens when lots of characters get together and act at once....it gets really difficult to predict how things will go. But I wish you luck on the battlefield that is Jump.
HORIKOSHI: Ah, yes...
ODA: How about a proper response with resolve?
HORIKOSHI: I'll do my best to to overcome even One Piece!!
ODA: I won't lose, you know.
HORIKOSHI: Ah, I said it. (laughs). Thank you very much.
(End)
Kohei Horikoshi and Eiichiro Oda special interview.
Interviewer: In the illustration corner of “One Piece” Twenty Third Volume: Usopp Gallery Pirates, is where the two made first contact. Horikoshi-sensei, how did you feel about having your work published for the first time?
ODA: That was a good volume. It was the last for Alabasta, with the famous “Proof of Friendship” scene.
HORIKOSHI: I was shaken.
Interviewer: Shaken!?
HORIKOSHI: Yes. I believe that was when I was in high school, and to discover that one of my drawings was printed there on the page caused me to break out in the shakes. I was still shaken when I showed my mom the picture too.
ODA: It's good you're close to your family. (Laughs).
Interviewer: How many drawings had you contributed?
HORIKOSHI: Just the one.
Interviewer: Incredible! What made you decide to send it?
HORIKOSHI: My friend and I love One Piece so we both decided to send artwork in. We both drew incredible things, but only mine made it into the gallery.
ODA: It's as if you were the one to get the green light at an idol audition. (Laugh.)
HORIKOSHI: Are you the one who writes the commentary, Oda-sensei?
ODA: Yup, I do. I write it as Usopp.
HORIKOSHI: I'm so thankful....ahh, I mean overjoyed.
Interviewer: I think it's incredible you managed to make it in with just one submission. Did this experience affect your life as a mangaka?
HORIKOSHI: To be honest I was quite satisfied with that drawing....(laughs).
ODA: Oh in a “My art was good enough to be published” way?
HORIKOSHI: No, more like a “Wow it was published! Now my name will be carved into One Piece for eternity!!” Sort of thing. I was totally satisfied with just that.
Everyone laughs.
ODA: I wonder if it would have been better if you were more frustrated (laughs).
Interviewer: Might you have been more inspired if it had been rejected instead?
HORIKOSHI: No, no, it took a bit of time but I did believe that I should take manga more seriously.
Interviewer: You mean between the experience of success and the actual feeling of making it?
HORIKOSHI: Right.
ODA: At the time, social media hadn't yet become widespread, so there weren't as many opportunities to give people a place to display their artwork. So that's why having it published in print gives me a strange sense of happiness. Even I like to give as many opportunities as possible to show off people's artworks on that page I've created.
Interviewer: Horikoshi-sensei, you were able to tell Oda-sensei about the artwork in 2015, after quite a bit of time had passed, right?
ODA: Even before “HeroAca” was serialized we met at New years parties, right? Although you hadn't yet had a “hit” right?
Interviewer: Oda-sensei at that point you were in volume 77 of One piece.. And you wrote “You should have said something sooner!” (Laughs.)
ODA: That's right! You shouldn't have been so reserved!
HORIKOSHI: I was just too embarrassed. For me to speak up about something like that when my serializations were in the back of the magazine...even if I had the opportunity it just didn't feel right.
ODA: I see, that might have been the right decision. It'd be more helpful for me to cheer you on if you had a manga currently serialized. (laughs.) So you spoke up because now you had the pride of serializing a hit manga then?
Horikoshi: Hmmmm....
Interviewer: Shouldn't you be more proud of your achievement? (Laugh.)
HORIKOSHI: Where you say pride, I more feel embarrassment.
Interviewer: Horikoshi-sensei has One Piece had any influences on you?
HORIKOSHI: How do I put this...I suppose having characters say things that I feel naturally is one influence I've taken from One Piece.
ODA: Well, when I first started serialization, things were different –a character saying things that Luffy does was seen as embarrassing.
HORIKOSHI: Ohh? But it feels like everyone in my age group was writing like that.
ODA: That makes me happy. Back then I was pretty young and it felt like I was rebelling against current fads. Back then it was pretty popular for girls hair to be braided inward, so I did the opposite when I drew.
Interviewer: So you proceeded by doing the opposite of the opposite?
ODA: It just didn't feel right to me unless it stood out. At the time I was told a lot that my art was really weird, so I didn't dare to dream that anyone would be influenced by me in later years.
HORIKOSHI: I was influenced by how your characters have very small eyes. However I couldn't quite draw it all that well and had a lot of trouble....So lately I've been drawing them a little bigger than before (laughs).
ODA: I've been doing the same thing (laughs).
Interviewer: Horikoshi-sensei has One Piece influenced you in any other areas –aside from artwork?
HORIKOSHI: I love the Arlong Arc. Especially the exchange (between Luffy and Nami) “Help me...” and “Of course!!” I thought that part was especially cool, and I wanted to draw a Luffy like protagonist. Oh and this week's One Piece chapter was crazy good. (Jump has a scattered turnover)
Interviewer: Lots of past characters showed up during the Reverie, huh?
ODA: It was pretty shocking huh? (Laughs) The serialization has gone for a long time so I'm able to have characters who appeared in the past show up again, but there are probably many readers of Jump who don't quite get what's going on. Maybe the people who read by volume are deeply familiar with what's going on, but those who read Jump probably haven't read everything...
ODA: So I had to include the past events so they wouldn't miss anything.
HORIKOSHI: Huh? Does that happen?
ODA: Quite often, to a surprising extent. When they aren't doing the polls it's like “I'm so happy that this character is popular!” And then when I draw them people say “I don't know who this is.” (Laugh).
HORIKOSHI: Huh!!~
ODA: When the serialization runs long those things happen.
Interviewer: Oda-sensei what are your impressions of Horikoshi-sensei?
ODA: As the face of the next generation of big hit hero artists.
HORIKOSHI: I can't believe that.
ODA: My daughter will happily sing the “HeroAca” anime theme songs on bus outings, and it'll get everyone in a good mood. At home she'll ask “Dad is your manga going to be okay” She's really worried about One Piece.
HORIKOSHI: I'm thankful to hear that, but it's a bit....(laughs).
ODA: But I am a little concerned since it's a manga with a lot of characters.
Interviewer: Why's that?
ODA: When there are a lot of characters to draw it gets difficult to unify the work as a whole, and properly, but if you are able to properly establish and understand the characters then the work will be a hit. It can lead to a lot of needless anxiety. I will say this though, I've always been impressed by Horikoshi-sensei's comic covers. They look great, and the sense of style is on point –and you're able to come up with some very good ones.
HORIKOSHI: Thank you so much that makes me so ridiculously happy.
ODA: What do you use to color them?
HORIKOSHI: Photoshop.
ODA: Oh so you use computers?
HORIKOSHI: Yes, I did get a little tired of using them so for volume 18's cover I went back to using analog (hand painting) it was overwhelmingly fun.
ODA: You like American Comics right? Your style of artwork is influenced by them.
HORIKOSHI: Yeah. I've read all of “Spiderman” and “Deadpool”.
Interviewer: And what about character personalities?
HORIKOSHI: Ah, for this Oda-sensei is a huge influence. I thought to myself “I really want to draw a lively character like Luffy!!” But in the end I ended up drawing a character nothing like him and more like myself –an otaku who has a penchant for over analysis.
HORIKOSHI: and at the end of that, just a bit of brightness added in for good measure which harmonizes into Deku the protagonist.
Interviewer: How were you involved in this movie?
HORIKOSHI: I was involved and contributed to the script phase, and did the final character designs. If I had more time to, I would have done more.
ODA: If I said something like that (laughs) it would be endless. From the start, I said that the weekly serialization is most important to me, and I didn't want to do anything to disturb it.
HORIKOSHI: M—My stomach hurt. I thoughtlessly said “I want to do more”....
Interviewer: This is the first movie for HeroAca. At the time it was confirmed how did you feel?
HORIKOSHI: I was really happy. I thought that getting an anime confirmed was the peak of my happiness –my dreams had come true. I really didn't think I'd get anymore than that so when they said the series would get a movie, I was like “Seriously?! No way!!”
ODA: I attended the screening on the morning of it's premiere and was moved by all the people lined up to see it.
HORIKOSHI: You were in the audience....
ODA: But I wasn't really able to talk to any of my readers live there.
HORIKOSHI: Then I'll definitely have to do that.
Interviewer: Lastly, please give the moviegoers a few words.
HORIKOSHI: It'll be a lot of fun for those who don't read my manga, and more fun still for those who do. It's a kind of work that anyone can come into and enjoy. The movie is the only way to see a fight where All Might and Deku fight side by side! So by all means come on down and have a good time!
Interviewer: And now a shout from you both.
ODA: Let us keep fighting together for popularity in Jump from here on in too!
HORIKOSHI: Of course...ah, no....
ODA: How many volumes do you estimate the series will be?
HORIKOSHI: Honestly I thought about 30 or so would be about right, but I hadn't really been counting at all...
ODA: Then shoot for about 50.
HORIKOSHI: Can I really do ten years though...? (Laugh).
ODA: Rather than if you can, it's more like you'll end up doing it.
HORIKOSHI: Then you had already decided on how many volumes One Piece would have from the start?
ODA: Of course. Though it's gone about triple my original calculations.
HORIKOSHI: It it because while you were drawing the series the amount of things you wanted to portray multiplied?
ODA: They multiplied and broadened.
HORIKOSHI: Yeah, even for me the Sports festival arc was about twice longer than I had originally expected.
ODA: That's what happens when lots of characters get together and act at once....it gets really difficult to predict how things will go. But I wish you luck on the battlefield that is Jump.
HORIKOSHI: Ah, yes...
ODA: How about a proper response with resolve?
HORIKOSHI: I'll do my best to to overcome even One Piece!!
ODA: I won't lose, you know.
HORIKOSHI: Ah, I said it. (laughs). Thank you very much.
(End)
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