Highlights
- Oda’s MONSTERS anime adaptation was delayed due to fans’ focus on One Piece over the one-shot.
- Oda approved MONSTERS anime after initially rejecting offers, showcasing Zoro in the storyboard.
- Positive reception of MONSTERS: 103 Mercies Dragon Damnation hints at potential future adaptations.
Eiichiro Oda is the genius mangaka who has written one of the greatest works of fiction in One Piece. The manga began serializing in 1997, and since then, it has gone on to shatter numerous records, even becoming the best-selling manga series of all time. One Piece crossed the 500 million mark a while back, and it is not showing any signs of stopping. While there is no denying Oda’s Magnum Opus is One Piece, the author worked on other projects before starting work on the bestseller. One of Oda’s most notable projects is MONSTERS, which received an anime adaptation only recently. However, there is a big reason why it took so long.
Why Oda Delayed The Anime Adaptation
In an interview, Oda was asked what was going through his mind when he received the offer to turn Monsters into anime. The author answered that he thought it was okay to do it now. He expanded on his answer and revealed that there had been another offer to animate MONSTERS. This occurred over ten years ago, and it was during an anime tour or at Jump Festa. The mangaka wasn’t quite sure which one it was. Oda continued to explain that when the offer came in, he rejected it. He stated that fans might not be interested in the one-shot, and their main focus would be on One Piece.
I guess it’s okay to do it now.
Oda also said that he went on Akira Toriyama’s anime tour, where he saw one of the latter’s one-shot stories being animated. Back then, he couldn’t imagine that One Piece would be excited to see MONSTERS getting an anime adaptation. However, when another offer came in after the end of the Wano Country arc, he accepted. Oda praised MONSTERS and said it was a good One Piece substory. Oda gave them the thumbs up, but he did not explain the substory’s connection to One Piece. However, they sent him the storyboard, which stated that Zoro appeared at the end. Oda thought that it was perfect.
When Did Oda Write MONSTERS
Oda published MONSTERS one-shot back in 1994, and it was later reprinted as a part of Wanted! in 1998. The anime adaptation for the one-shot was titled Monsters: 103 Mercies Dragon Damnation. What’s interesting about the name is that 103 Mercies Dragon Damnation is the finishing move used by Roronoa Zoro against King. Adding the name to the title made it even simpler to draw a connection between the Sword God and Zoro. It was produced by E&H Production, a studio founded by Sunghoo Park, a former MAPPA employee. Despite the studio being new, it delivered a fantastic adaptation, which was released on January 22, 2024. The anime received a lot of positive acclaim from the audience, and they were so intrigued that they decided to check Oda’s other works that he had done before One Piece. Monsters: 103 Mercies Dragon Damnation also added the scene where Ryuma’s zombie gave Zoro the Shusui, making it even more clear for the fans.
Will There Be More Projects Like Monsters: 103 Mercies Dragon Damnation
Keeping in mind the reception that Monsters: 103 Mercies Dragon Damnation received, it is plausible to assume that there might be other adaptations of other stories from Oda or that are linked to One Piece characters. In the last few years, many novels have been released that focus on certain characters, Portgas D. Ace being one of them. The novel covers Ace’s journey before he formed the Spade Pirates and obtained the Mera Mera no Mi. If the two novels were to be adapted into an anime, it would help fans to learn more about the exciting Super Rookie. Plus, it would clear many doubts about his powers. Many readers believe that Ace could not use Haki properly, which is untrue. Aside from Ace, it will showcase the other members of the Spade Pirates and what kind of relationship they had with their captain.
Shokugeki no Sanji is another worthy contender for receiving an anime adaptation. Drawn by Yūto Tsukuda and Shun Saeki, who wrote Shokugeki no Soma or Food Wars, it focuses on Sanji’s story when he was still a cook on Baratie. The artwork is different from what One Piece fans are accustomed to, but it is special in its own way. Both these novels have been well-received by the fans, so they wouldn’t mind seeing either being animated.
There are more one-shots, such as God’s Gift for the Future and Ikki Yako, that Oda worked on prior to One Piece. Given the popularity of One Piece, it would be unwise to rule them out of contention completely. With One Piece Day fast approaching, there might be updates regarding new and old projects. It will take place on August 10th and 11th, so make sure to mark the calendars.
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