Recently, a heated debate erupted among fans when Kazuhiko Torishima, the legendary editor behind Dragon Ball’s success, made some very blunt remarks about the current state of manga, especially targeting the giant that is One Piece.
At Comicon Napoli 2026, Torishima openly explained why today’s blockbuster manga have become increasingly difficult for younger readers to enjoy.
When manga stops being a gift for children
According to a summary from the Twitter account @XMathemagicianX, Torishima emphasized that modern manga have become overly complex and hard to approach. He believes today’s authors rely too much on lengthy dialogues and panels crowded with narration, making reading exhausting.
The editor referenced the philosophy of manga god Osamu Tezuka: a proper manga page should be readable and understandable within just one second. This was the secret behind Dragon Ball’s global success.
During his time editing for Akira Toriyama, Torishima always urged the author to focus on visual storytelling, helping young readers easily follow the plot without needing to spend too much time interpreting.
Eiichiro Oda’s “greed”?
Torishima argued that after surpassing 1000 chapters, One Piece’s world has become too vast and complicated. He suggested Eiichiro Oda seems to be writing more for adults than children. This shift in tone and accessibility has caused One Piece to lose some of its universal appeal.
Interestingly, Torishima compared the two giants. While Akira Toriyama maintained a certain distance to keep Dragon Ball streamlined, Oda’s intense passion may have led to overindulging the story, creating a maze of intricate details.
One Piece’s success comes from empathy, not its vast world
Despite his harsh criticism, Torishima praised One Piece’s cast. He acknowledged that the series’ initial success came from its very relatable characters. Luffy’s simple and sincere personality immediately won readers’ hearts. He also highly valued Usopp, Zoro, and Nami as the most “human” and ordinary characters.
However, he lamented that the current story focuses too much on world-building, causing the original character charm to fade.