One Piece has captured the hearts of many, and it’s nearly impossible to come across an anime fan who hasn’t at least heard whispers of this legendary tale. Naturally, fans are curious about the preferences and tastes of the brilliant mind behind One Piece, Eiichiro Oda. Interestingly enough, there’s one manga that sparks a hint of jealousy in him.
The One Piece author who apparently already has wealth, power and money is jealous of one manga series. Let’s go back in time to when Oda was catching deadlines, he picked up a manga to read for a change of pace. This manga changed Oda’s perspective of how efficiently a mangaka can write a series, and he even gave a shout-out to this manga series.
During an appearance on Fuji TV Channel, Oda let the cat out of the bag, confessing that Arakawa Naoshi’s critically acclaimed manga, Your Lie in April, is the only one that’s ever made him jealous. This revelation came to light a few years back, and it just goes to show that even the creator of our favorite pirate adventure can’t resist the charms of a beautifully crafted manga.
Back on December 29, 2015, Fuji TV aired a program called “Ichiryū ga Shitto Shita Sugoi Hito” (Great People Whom The Elite Are Jealous of). This show brought together some of Japan’s top talents in the entertainment industry and asked them about the works they envied. Among the heavyweights was Eiichiro Oda, the creator of One Piece, who confessed to being jealous of “Your Lie in April.”
How It Started For Eiichiro Oda
According to Oda, when he was catching a deadline for his Shounen Jump submission of the next chapter of One Piece, he needed a change of pace (as authors get pretty bored drawing the same stuff every day). So, he bought the first volume of Your Lie in April on a whim.
Surprisingly, Oda got so absorbed in the manga series that he forgot his deadline for submission and read the whole “Your Lie In April” manga series. Not only that, but he also made his whole manga crew buy the whole manga series (to support his fellow author).
Also Read: Eiichiro Oda Reveals Why There Is No Excessive Fanservice in One Piece
Oda Comments on Arakawa Naoshi’s Writing
According to Eiichiro Oda, Naoshi’s way of depicting music in a manga series is unreal. He called the music genre “the most difficult genre in all of the manga” and even called Naoshi’s writing style “excellent”. He complimented a panel of the female protagonist, Kaori, playing the violin. He said this panel’s atmosphere draws you towards itself, that you want to see the next panel. He explained how Japanese artists have a unique way of showing the distance in their drawings and films.
The Reaction of the Publishers of “Your Lie In April”
The Editors of the manga “Your Lie In April” made a tweet the same day:
一流が嫉妬したスゴい人という番組で『四月は君の嘘』が、尾田栄一郎先生が嫉妬した作品として紹介されました‼ コミックス&電子書籍全11巻で発売中です。それにしても、話を伺ったときにはびっくりしました(月マガ シロー)
— アトワイトゲーム＆四月は君の嘘＆さよなら私のクラマー公式@単行本2巻発売中！ (@shigatsuhakimi) December 29, 2015
In the tweet, they first mentioned how Eiichiro Oda mentioned their manga series as a work he is jealous of. They then told everyone that all 11 volumes of the series were on sale and that they were “surprised” when they heard such great words from the legend, Eiichiro Oda.
The Success of “Your Lie In April”
Kodansha Comics published the “Your Lie In April” manga series on 16 September 2011 (The Same Publisher as Attack on Titan). As of 2017, the manga series had sold five million copies of volumes, and this series won the award for the “best shounen manga” at the 37th Kodansha Manga Awards.
The anime adaptation of “Your Lie In April” also did well, especially the series’ music. In 2015, the anime’s music topped the Music Billboard Chart in Japan. The series even received a live-action in 2016.
Final Thoughts
Undoubtedly, “Your Lie In April” is one of the best romance manga series ever written and will go down in history. Unfortunately, this franchise is more known for anime than manga, which is also remarkable because the anime adaptation of this series was close to perfection. The music depiction in the manga series was done perfectly by the anime series.
So, if someone is interested in music, I recommend reading the manga of “Your Lie In April”. You can officially support the writer by buying the original manga from your local bookstore or buying it from Amazon if Amazon is available in your country. The way music is conveyed silently is emotional, which you shall also experience!
“Your Lie In April” Synopsis
“Your Lie In April” follows the story of “Arima Kousei”, who is a master pianist and has won countless competitions since childhood. But his life has been grim because of how his mother treated him during childhood. So, he avoids playing the piano to avoid bad flashbacks. But one day, Arima witnesses a girl playing the harmonica, and this scene allures him. This girl was “Miyazono Kaori”, and she was a violinist. Throughout the series, she motivates Arima to keep playing the piano. Will she convince Arima to hold back those bad memories and still play?
Also Read: Eiichiro Oda Considered Ending One Piece Manga 10 Years Earlier
What are your thoughts on this? Do you think the praise Eiichiro Oda has for “Your Lie In April” is deserving? Let us know your opinion in the comments down below.
