Vagabond vs. One Piece

The translator who goes by Gottsu-Iiyan has been translating a joint interview with Vagabond creator Takehiko Inoue and One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda at his blog, The Eastern Edge. At one point, Inoue reflects on the differences between his and Oda’s art:

•••• Mr. Inoue, how do you see Mr. Oda’s art?

Inoue: It’s full of an appeal that is the complete opposite of my work. It’s full of life, and has the power to draw readers to specific points. Comparatively, I’m an artist that likes “subtraction”. I try to fill things in as little as possible and leave something to the negative space.

That’s the sort of thing that isn’t obvious until you hear it said—and then it is. Oda amplifies the point:

Oda: … I don’t know, but I just can’t help but draw a lot. The weekly format is set at 19 pages, but from the creator perspective I want to move the story along faster. I end up jamming as much as I can in there. There is also wanting to finish faster so I can relax.

Inoue: Wanting to relax is something I can relate to.

Oda: I’m probably living in haste. My panels get smaller and smaller, and I don’t draw unnecessary panels. My scenes are all jam packed. First of all, there are too many characters (laughs). The story is mainly about only 5 characters, but there are so many things I want to do that it ended up being the way it is now.

Whle One Piece is pretty manic, Inoue’s manga conveys the action more through broad sweeps. This interview is a great opportunity to hear two pros talk shop, and I highly recommend reading the whole thing.