ONE PIECE vs FAIRY TAIL: Three Years Later

Of all the blog posts I've done (and admittedly, I don't post with nearly the regularity that I should), my post about the remarkable similarity between ONE PIECE and FAIRY TAIL is the one that still gets commented on; probably due to the popularity of both books; and, in fact, I was just alerted to two comments today. Seeing as how I posted it a few years ago, and have never responded to said comments, I'd just like to clarify some of the points made in that post.

First off, I was not accusing anyone of 'swiping' anyone's 'style.' Hiro Mashima was, I believe, an assistant to Eichiro Oda, or worked as an assistant with Oda. Beyond that I can understand whyMashima would draw influence from Oda's work, as he is the most popular mangaka in Japan, and has been for a few years (Naruto is a big deal in North America, but PALES in comparison to the ONE PIECE fever that's been consistently sweeping Japan for years now). ONE PIECE is hugely successful in Japan, and is literally EVERYWHERE (I was pleasantly surprised when I myself visited Japan and saw just how prevalent it was). Given that it is understandable that Mashima would want to emulate that success.



From a story standpoint, really all Shonen titles folow the same formula; ONE PIECE, while superbly crafted and excellently executed, follows a formulat that was established, many, many,years ago, as does FAIRY TAIL. The only major difference, as I originally pointed out, is that ONE PIECE starts by establishing it's MacGuffin in the first episode, IE Luffy's search for the One Piece.

For those that are not familiar with this term, a MacGuffin is a plot device that drives a story forward, but is itself not important to the story. It doesn't matter what the One Piece is, or even if Luffy and his crew ever get it, it only matters that they DESIRE it, and that desire is what moves them ever forward, and gives the story a sense of forward momentum, as it always feels like the cast is advancing toward something, even when they go off on tangents.

FAIRY TAIL has no such device. One comment suggested that the MacGuffin is Natsu's search for the Dragon, Igneel, but that's not the case, as that information was not presented in the first chapter, nor, at any point really, does he actively pursue that goal. At best it is a subplot that will eventually pay off and then be put to rest...the story does not end when he finds Igneel, because Natsu is not the main protagonist; FAIRY TAIL is an ensemble story, and for the MacGuffin to be effective, it has to be a goal that motivates the entire cast in this instance, not just one character.

Luffy is definitely the main protagonist of ONE PIECE, but the One Piece is an effective MacGuffin because it is a goal that the entire ensemble desires, and ties all their separate motivations together. FAIRY TAIL has no such device, and thus, feels like a flimsier premise to me, as there is nothing motivating the cast aside from the conceit of them all being contemporaries in the same Guild, and all their adventures being motivated either by (A) being jobs that they take or (B) being attacked by various antagonists. Thus, while ONE PIECE is pro-active, FAIRY TAIL is more reactive, with the action being prompted by something, rather than anyone pursuing it.

I would not say that it is fair that Mashima shares Oda's influence by Akira Toriyama, as Oda's art has never looked like Toriyama's, and has increasingly progressed away from any such influence, while Mashima's art (which you have to admit had a LOOOOOONG learning curve...the early volumes of RAVE MASTER barely qualify as fan art) has kept pace with it's emulation of Oda's art, albiet he has not progessed in his execution, unlike Oda who just gets continually better and more expressive; not just his rendering or design ability, but his storytelling and acting (his early work was far more simplified and stiffly posed, but now he has amazing gesture and expression. His ability to 'act' with a pencil is amazing), while Mashima seems to have reached the limit of his ability, and indeed, seems to have backslide in some ways, as his once slicker art has become noticeably more buldgy. But I digress, as that is speculative and part of my own bias; I just like Oda's art better.

I think that rather than taking influence from Toriyama in any artistic terms, aside, maybe, from certain elements of design, Oda's influence comes more from the aspect of Toriyama's storytelling and world building. Toriyama was notorious for his desire to build a world of complete fantasy, with talking animals, big, cottony, clouds, and bizarre landscapes. His characters existed on 'Earth', but it was nothing that we would recognize as our Earth. You can seen this influence in Oda's work, as ONE PIECE takes place in a well realized fantasy world that is both familiar but unrecognizable, and follows only the rules that Oda establishes. This was hardly an innovation of Toriyama's though, and indeed dates back to Osamu Tezuka and his prolific volume of work. Mashima shows those same influences, but his drawing style is recognizably similar to Oda's, so I think it's safe to say that his biggest influence is Oda rather than anything else.

What it comes down to is personal preference. Both are solid young adult titles, and both are fun, well executed reads, but it is my personal opinion that ONE PIECE stands head and shoulders above FAIRY TAIL is all respects. I am constantly impressed by it's depth, humor, and the skill with which is it all portrayed. Oda is a true master of the Shonen formula and has managed to make his work come alive within the confines of that formula, rather than strictly adhering to it. Not only that, but ONE PIECE is one of those rare manga that is universally accessible, with very little about it that is alienating to other cultures (this is something that similarly allowed DRAGONBALL to becomes an international success). There is nothing wrong with FAIRY TAIL, but I do think it is the weaker book (which is why I sold all of mine at Anime North 2011).

I hope this clarifies some things, and I apologize for any offense people may take (though I don't see why anyone would feel the need to be offended) to my comparison of the two, but that is my analysis of these two, very similar, books...but, again, I am biased, so feel free to offer a counter argument in the comments, and I will respond.

In three years time. ^_^;;;