Clearly the Weekly formula has done more harm to the authors like Oda and Togeshi than good. One Piece should stop being a Weekly Series and just release volumes when they are ready, whether that is every 4 months or 5 or 6, so that Oda can both take more time with his story and not have to push his body to unhealthy levels.
Controversial The series should stop being Weekly
- Thread starter Dettles
- Start date
...Yeah...
I do want Oda to be able to actually finish his story. I don't want him to die doing this. And it HAS been really hard on his health. And as he gets older, it's only going to get worse.
I don't think going with a purely-tankobon-only release is really feasible, though, because I don't really think "OGN"s are really a big thing in Japan, like they are in the West.
But, moving to a monthly schedule, instead of weekly, may be an option. Different fans have talked about that possibility, over the years. That would give him more time to work on each chapter. It would GREATLY slow down the manga schedule, which I would find annoying. But, it might be a acceptable trade-off, to keep Oda healthier longer.
...But, the problem is, I don't think Oda, himself, would ever go for it.
Getting into Weekly Shonen Jump is kind of a badge of honor. Not a lot of people make it into the "big leagues" of manga. The grind is kind of part of the game. And Oda's been in Weekly Shonen Jump for so long, that I think he'd resist leaving that particular magazine now that we're SO close to the end. I think Oda REALLY wants to tough it out, so that he can say he was in Weekly Jump for the story's entire run.
It might not mean too much to US, but I think it means something to Oda. Getting into Weekly Jump has probably been a dream of his, since he was a kid. Oda probably grew up reading Jump, so getting into that magazine was probably a big deal for him. And I don't know if he'd really be willing to give that up, now that we're getting closer and closer to the end. Despite what the grind is doing to his body. There's probably a little bit of stubbornness to this decision, on Oda's part. He probably doesn't really want to admit to himself that he's getting older.
And that's not even considering Jump/Shueisha's side in all this. Because a LOT of their big-name manga are ending or have already ended recently. So, One Piece is kind of one of the biggest draws they have left, for their magazine. So, I imagine that they ARE probably pressuring Oda to stay in Weekly Jump, just so that magazine doesn't collapse. With so many big-name manga ending recently, I have to wonder if there's something happening behind the scenes in Jump? Is there some nightmare editor that none of the new-gen mangaka want to work with? Is it just the grind getting to all of them? It's just feels strange that there's been so many manga ending, relatively recently.
It's part of the reason why I do believe that the ending is going to feel more rushed than some people really want. He's probably going to have to rush the ending, just so his body doesn't give out on him. And faster and more sudden endings are just more classically accepted in Japanese story-telling traditions, anyway.
I don't love the situation we're in. But, I think Oda's made his decision at this point. And, unless Oda has some big health crisis, which I REALLY hope doesn't happen, I really don't think anything will change his mind. We're more likely to see Oda take more breaks, than to change the official schedule of the manga.
Personally, I'm just hoping it ends sooner rather than later. I'd rather see Oda's version of the ending, instead of some other team that has to try and complete the story for him, like with Berserk. I want Oda to live to be able to draw that famous final page that he's talked about in the past. And I really do think we're closer to the end than most people think. But, we'll see.
I do want Oda to be able to actually finish his story. I don't want him to die doing this. And it HAS been really hard on his health. And as he gets older, it's only going to get worse.
I don't think going with a purely-tankobon-only release is really feasible, though, because I don't really think "OGN"s are really a big thing in Japan, like they are in the West.
But, moving to a monthly schedule, instead of weekly, may be an option. Different fans have talked about that possibility, over the years. That would give him more time to work on each chapter. It would GREATLY slow down the manga schedule, which I would find annoying. But, it might be a acceptable trade-off, to keep Oda healthier longer.
...But, the problem is, I don't think Oda, himself, would ever go for it.
Getting into Weekly Shonen Jump is kind of a badge of honor. Not a lot of people make it into the "big leagues" of manga. The grind is kind of part of the game. And Oda's been in Weekly Shonen Jump for so long, that I think he'd resist leaving that particular magazine now that we're SO close to the end. I think Oda REALLY wants to tough it out, so that he can say he was in Weekly Jump for the story's entire run.
It might not mean too much to US, but I think it means something to Oda. Getting into Weekly Jump has probably been a dream of his, since he was a kid. Oda probably grew up reading Jump, so getting into that magazine was probably a big deal for him. And I don't know if he'd really be willing to give that up, now that we're getting closer and closer to the end. Despite what the grind is doing to his body. There's probably a little bit of stubbornness to this decision, on Oda's part. He probably doesn't really want to admit to himself that he's getting older.
And that's not even considering Jump/Shueisha's side in all this. Because a LOT of their big-name manga are ending or have already ended recently. So, One Piece is kind of one of the biggest draws they have left, for their magazine. So, I imagine that they ARE probably pressuring Oda to stay in Weekly Jump, just so that magazine doesn't collapse. With so many big-name manga ending recently, I have to wonder if there's something happening behind the scenes in Jump? Is there some nightmare editor that none of the new-gen mangaka want to work with? Is it just the grind getting to all of them? It's just feels strange that there's been so many manga ending, relatively recently.
It's part of the reason why I do believe that the ending is going to feel more rushed than some people really want. He's probably going to have to rush the ending, just so his body doesn't give out on him. And faster and more sudden endings are just more classically accepted in Japanese story-telling traditions, anyway.
I don't love the situation we're in. But, I think Oda's made his decision at this point. And, unless Oda has some big health crisis, which I REALLY hope doesn't happen, I really don't think anything will change his mind. We're more likely to see Oda take more breaks, than to change the official schedule of the manga.
Personally, I'm just hoping it ends sooner rather than later. I'd rather see Oda's version of the ending, instead of some other team that has to try and complete the story for him, like with Berserk. I want Oda to live to be able to draw that famous final page that he's talked about in the past. And I really do think we're closer to the end than most people think. But, we'll see.
