Bulma stealing with Nami, Krillin chatting with Chopper, Sanji and the Turtle Goblin fantasizing about girls, Trunks, Usopp, Vegeta and Nico Robin forming a band, Piccolo and Zoro getting lost and, of course, Luffy and Son Goku.
Years ago, there might have been small fights among fans wondering what a meeting between Goku from ‘Dragon Ball’ and Luffy from ‘One Piece‘ would be like. Luckily, they’ve crossed paths so many times over the years that they’re practically buddies. It doesn’t matter if it doesn’t make much sense: they’re both shonen fighters in the end, right? Well, if we believe there’s a dragon that grants wishes when you gather seven balls, we can believe that the Straw Hats can meet the Saiyans.
The first crossover between both series was in the form of a video game: in 2005, ‘Jump Super Stars’ was released in Japan, a fighting game for Nintendo DS that featured characters from Shonen Jump magazine, including Goku, Luffy, Naruto, Arale, and the protagonists of ‘Slam Dunk’. It was a good start, but not exactly what we were looking for.
Just one year later, on December 25, 2006, Akira Toriyama and Eiichiro Oda published ‘Cross Epoch’, a one-shot manga that, after crowning Mr. Satan as king, brought together characters from both universes to interact for a while: Bulma teaming up with Nami, Krillin chatting with Chopper, Sanji and Turtle Hermit fantasizing about girls, Trunks, Usopp, Vegeta, and Nico Robin forming a band, Piccolo and Zoro getting lost, and, of course, Luffy and Son Goku.
And here is where we discover something crucial about Luffy: when he falls off a cliff, the protagonist of ‘Dragon Ball‘ helps him by sending his Flying Nimbus, on which, as we remember, only people with a pure heart can ride. The leader of ‘One Piece’ seems to have it because he holds on without any problem, and he takes the opportunity to launch a double attack against a criminal gang formed by Buggy and Pilaf: a Kamehameha mixed with a Gomu Gomu No Bazooka. As you can imagine, things don’t end well for the villains.
The episode is just a silly occurrence in another alternate timeline, but in 2013, they officially came together again, this time in the anime and including ‘Toriko’ as well: ‘Super Collaboration Special!’ consisted of one episode of ‘One Piece’ and another of, of course, ‘Toriko,’ during a race that culminates in a fight against a character named Akami, who is defeated by the combined strength of the three heroes. What were you expecting from a promotional crossover, after all?
Don’t worry: the time has come to solve it, without spending a fortune and without having any type of ethical problem later. Fiance.
I’m sure you’ve been hearing praises of ‘One Piece‘ here and there for years. That it’s a must-see series, that you can’t miss it, that it’s the anime, that it’s Gear 5, that it’s Zoro, that it’s… And you still don’t know anything else besides that Luffy stretches a lot and there’s a bad clown. Don’t worry: the time has come to fix it, without spending a dime and without having any ethical problems afterwards. Promise.
Everything that adapts -very loosely- the Netflix series is now available for you to enjoy right here. In total, 12 volumes that tell the story from Luffy’s first encounter with Koby to the fight against Arlong. And they are cute, because if the first volumes don’t hook you with their little adventures, the dramatic misadventure with Nami will eventually make you want to pick up the next one. And here begins the real hero’s journey: reading the more than one hundred volumes that have already been published.
And don’t think that this is one of those cases where it is available exclusively in English: you can read ‘One Piece‘ in Spanish. If you feel like learning languages, you have from English to Polish available: hey, who said that ‘One Piece’ could not be used to learn languages other than “nakama” and “mugiwara”?
Of course, if you want to buy the rest of the saga, which is now coming out in Spain in a 3 in 1 economic (but not manageable, mind you) edition, the page itself takes you to a place to buy where you can follow the adventure of the pirate band that has conquered the hearts of the otaku and has become the new cult title almost unexpectedly. Be careful, though: the problem with ‘One Piece‘ is that you won’t be able to read just a little bit and put it down. Be warned.
Some people have paid $1,300 on eBay for a magazine in perfect condition. And as a gift, Shonen Jump number 0, which included the first chapter in English. They are not the only crazy numbers in & ‘One Piece’.
‘One Piece‘ has certainly become a massive hit. The success of the live-action adaptation, the trending topic created by the introduction of Gear 5 in the anime, and the incredibly massive manga sales make it clear that Luffy and his crew may not have found the ultimate treasure, but they have conquered the world. Such is the craze that collectors are starting to artificially inflate prices. In this article, you will read about astronomical figures, but always remember that the number one manga costs 1.95 euros at any store.
In July 1997, Shonen Jump released its 34th issue of the year. Nothing special, just the continuation of several iconic manga series like ‘Rurouni Kenshin,’ ‘I”s,’ ‘Yu-Gi-Oh,’ or ‘Captain Tsubasa’ (known as ‘Oliver and Benji’ in some regions). And among them, the first episode of a series destined to become the savior of the industry: ‘One Piece’ by Eiichiro Oda.
As you probably know, manga series are first serialized in magazines (weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly) and then compiled into volumes that are eventually published in other countries, sometimes with a few retouched panels that, due to time constraints, don’t make it into the magazine properly. ‘One Piece‘ wasn’t an exception. The magazine sold the usual four million copies weekly, and as always, those who bought it left it forgotten in some corner because collecting those thick volumes is impossible. Time passed by.
And we’ve arrived in 2023, the moment when suddenly the Shonen Jump where Luffy began his adventures is a fetish. So much so that some have paid $1,300 or more on eBay for a perfectly preserved magazine. And as a bonus, they get the Shonen Jump Issue 0, which included the first chapter in English. These aren’t the only crazy numbers for ‘One Piece’.
People in the United States have a lot of money and don’t know how to spend it. That’s the only possible explanation for the first English edition of the manga, in a volume format, selling for $199.99, a ridiculously high amount. Everything points to the price increasing, as with Pokémon cards, and in a few years, we’ll see volume ones of the manga selling for thousands of dollars. Just in case, hold onto yours. You might have the real One Piece in your hands.
What if we told you that everything you know about Sanji could be different… starting with his very name?
What would ‘One Piece’ be without Sanji, the cook of the Baratie who satisfies Luffy, Zoro, and the rest’s voracious hunger? He was the fifth member to join the crew, dreams of finding the All Blue, and if you receive a kick from him, you might not live to tell the tale. But what if we told you that everything you know about Sanji could be different… starting with his very name?
On September 21, 1999, when ‘One Piece’ had already been successful for two years, ‘Naruto‘ premiered in Shonen Jump. Masashi Kishimoto’s manga was an immediate hit, and during its 15 years of publication, it had a fraternal rivalry with Eiichiro Oda’s work as the most beloved by readers. What we didn’t know is that without the ninjas of the Hidden Leaf Village, we would have never had Sanji.
You see, when designing him, Oda intended for Sanji to be like Mr. Pink from ‘Reservoir Dogs‘: a dark-skinned gunslinger who was named, indeed, Naruto. Interestingly, Sanji appeared a year before Kishimoto’s series, but Oda had already been informed that it would begin soon and would be a long-running series, so he decided to be gracious.
Sanji was one of the characters that underwent significant changes when brought to the anime… or at least in the version that 4Kids aired in the United States, where they censored the cigarette he always has in his mouth and replaced it with a lollipop. Eiichiro Oda found this so amusing that years later, when Sanji had a clone, he had him lick a lollipop to differentiate them.
There’s very little time left to see how Sanji behaves in live action in the Netflix series, played by Taz Skylar, but we can’t contain our excitement. Will there be any reference to his original concept as Naruto? Who knows.
The problem is that, speaking with his Shueisha editors, he has stated that he wouldn’t mind hanging up the pencils for once and simply focusing on telling his story and having someone else draw it.
Chainsaw Man’ is, undeniably, one of the most famous manga of recent times. Although from the outside it looks like a Japanese nonsense, the truth is that as soon as you start reading it you enter the world that its author, Tatsuki Fujimoto, offers and that has complex personalities, extreme situations, fun without complexes and the feeling that this is not just another manga. The problem is that you’re already tired of it.
Chainsaw man’ lasted only two years after which Fujimoto was able to take a well-deserved rest (the life of mangakas is terrifying and is based on work and sleep), but now he has started with the second part of the misadventures of Denji and company. The problem is that talking to his editors at Shueisha, he has stated that he wouldn’t mind hanging up his pencils for good and simply focus on telling his story and having someone else draw it.
He gives as an example the author of ‘Oshi no ko’, Aka Akasaka (an incredible name, by the way) who after achieving success as a mangaka with his previous work has retired from drawing and is only dedicated to being a scriptwriter. “I think it’s more fun that way,” he says. Although he hasn’t thought about who to give it to or how to do it, the truth is that he hardly uses assistants because they cost a lot of money that he has to pay, as he showed in his manga ‘Look Back’.
In the end, Fujimoto has to deliver 20 pages every Tuesday to continue ‘Chainsaw Man’, which means about three a day. Scripting, drawing, inking and plotting: it may look easy from the outside if you’ve never drawn before, but it’s not. It’s a stressful job and one that causes a number of mental and physical problems, so if the body asks you to leave, the vast majority of fans agree.
He won’t be the first or the last manga to have different authors for script and drawing (‘Bakuman’, ‘Death note’) and there’s nothing to be ashamed of. In fact, there are plenty of up-and-coming mangakas who copy his style and could very well be in charge of delivering the pages every week while he goes about, well, living his life a little better. Which is no small thing.
Do you want to start in the hobby? We have selected ten perfect sleeves to start with. The bad thing is that you never want to leave it.
Some say that the first manga is to be found in the scrolls of the twelfth century, but the truth is that it is generally agreed that the first Japanese comic as such has its origin two hundred years ago, with the publication of ‘Hokusai manga’, by Hokusai (the author of the famous wave of Kanagawa). It consisted of unconnected drawings that had no narrative, but it established the importance that visual iconography was to be given in Japan.
From then until now, millions of manga have been published and the otaku public is in a constant state of ferment: there are about 150 weekly or monthly magazines full of different series, which are then compiled in volumes, of which the most important ones usually reach us in Europe. We can talk all we want about Marvel, DC and independent comics, but what kids really read is here, among people with outstretched arms, high school sweethearts and people turned into chainsaws. Want to get started in the hobby? We’ve selected ten perfect manga to get you started. The bad news is that you’ll never want to quit.
From its inception in 1997 until now, ‘One Piece‘ has become more than just the trendy shonen (for boys) manga: it is pure pop culture and one of the greatest adventures in the history of fiction. What started out as something very simple has become entangled with hundreds of characters whose lives, careers and fights are intertwined and you never know when they will become important again. Comedy, drama, fights and a lot of heart in the manga that, if you don’t feel lazy, you have to read. In Spain it is published in two different editions: one volume by volume and another one, which has just started, that joins three in one. As difficult to read as it is easy to collect.
Monster (Naoki Urasawa)
Volumes: 9
Naoki Urasawa’s work is counted by masterpieces more than by manga: ’20th century boys’, ‘Pluto’, ‘Asadora!’ and, of course, ‘Monster’, the first one that came to Spain and possibly the most remembered. A story full of folds, unexpected twists and an exquisite drawing that will surprise you. Also, in case you find it hard to read things set in Japan, you should know that almost all of its 162 episodes take place in Germany and the Czech Republic. Ah! You can find it in kanzenban (fat) volumes published by Planeta.
Adolf (Osamu Tezuka)
Volumes: 1, 2 or 5
Osamu Tezuka is considered the “god of manga” and it’s not an appellation given by chance. It’s practically impossible for you to read everything he wrote and drew during his lifetime, but there is one manga in particular that you should check out as a fabulous chronicle of Nazism: ‘Adolf’ was published in the mangaka’s mature stage, in 1982, and tells the story of three different Adolfs who will have parallel lives. Including, of course, Hitler. A real pearl that you can find in full volume format, in two large volumes or five more transportable ones. You choose, but read it anyway.
Maison Ikkoku (Rumiko Takahashi)
Volumes: 10
It’s hard to choose something from Rumiko Takahashi, the author of works like ‘Ranma 1/2’, ‘Inu Yasha’ or ‘Lamu’, but we’ll take one of her first titles, an adult romance manga with a lot of crazy comedy that will make you fall in love with each of the characters of that crazy house, but especially with Kyôko and Godai, who will live encounters, misunderstandings, continuous love and heartbreak until, probably, the most satisfying ending of an author who finds it hard to finish her stories. Just now it has just begun to be republished in ten large volumes, but if you are very old you may remember its first edition as ‘Juliette je t’aime’.
Video Girl Ai (Masakazu Katsura)
Volumes: 9 or 15
Maybe it’s because it’s the first manga I ever read, but I’ve always found a purity in ‘Video Girl Ai’ that I don’t see in other romantic shonen. Yes, it exaggerates the sexual attributes of its protagonists. Yes, it drags on a little bit. But it’s so dramatic, so adolescent, so hopelessly romantic, so racy and so funny that you just have to read it to realize what manga in the 90’s was all about in one work. If you like it, it goes together with another mythical work by Katsura, ‘I “s’. You can find it in a series of 15 volumes that came out a long time ago and included its sequel ‘Video Girl Len’ or in a reprint in 9 volumes that will begin soon by Planeta.
Good evening, Punpun (Inio Asano)
Volumes: 13
Inio Asano is one of the most interesting adult voices in manga. His are ‘Solanin’ or ‘Dead Dead Demons Dededede Destruction’: he is a specialist in, under a layer of sweetness and innocence, breaking your heart into a thousand pieces. And nowhere as in Punpun, the series about a dysfunctional character who grows from childhood to his twenties: the manga begins as the profile of a strange character in a world he doesn’t understand and ends up delving into philosophy and nihilism in an unforgettable and emotionally catastrophic final stretch. A marvel.
Uzumaki (Junji Ito)
Volumes: 1
When talking about influential authors in contemporary horror, Junji Ito has to appear. His convoluted images, languid stories, threadbare characters and devastating black and white make stories like ‘Uzumaki’ authentic windows to nightmares. In a single volume (or 6 if you have the old edition) you will see a people gradually becoming obsessed with spirals until, suddenly, they are the only thing that matters in their lives….. And you will enter a state of madness from which there is no return. If you like it, don’t miss the rest of his work, published extensively over the years (but especially the terrific ‘Tomie’. You’re welcome).
My Father’s Almanac (Jiro Taniguchi)
Volumes: 1
And the exact counterpoint to Ito is Jiro Taniguchi, an author focused on tranquility, landscapes, walks and melancholy who reached his masterpiece in ‘My Father’s Almanac’, a twist on nostalgia that reflects the transformation of Japan represented in a family, and in particular a father, who, like all people, is full of edges and is much more complex than he seems. If you want to delve into his work, ‘The Wayfarer’ and ‘Distant Neighborhood’ will fill you with joy and, at the same time, sadness. This is the magic of Taniguchi.
My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness (Kabi Nagata)
Volumes: 1
Kabi Nagata is a mangaka with mental problems who has depicted her life in several manga, the most famous of which is this one, in which she tells how she overcame her shyness to hire a lesbian prostitute… And the mistake it was. Nagata is direct, honest, funny and although she falls into self-hatred more times than we, as readers, would like to read, it is more than understandable seeing the life she tells us about. As you will probably want more after reading the volume edited by Fandogamia, you also have ‘Exchange diary (with myself)’, ‘I ended up in a rag running away from reality’ and ‘Kabi Nagata, wandering warrior’. They never reach the refreshing novelty of this volume but they are great all the same.
Yotsuba! (Kiyohiko Azuma)
Volumes: 15 (and counting)
Yotsuba is a girl who discovers the world. That’s the manga. That’s all there is to it. It’s the cutest and cutest thing you’ll ever read in your life, thanks to some kind and well-defined characters, a funny and adorable drawing, Azuma’s perfect understanding of the childish mind and the absolute love that is her protagonist. There is no choice but to end up loving it. Unlike many other series, each chapter of the manga is monthly, which prevents volumes coming out at full speed. Better: it’s a chance to take life easy. Just like Yotsuba.
