Eiichiro Oda, workaholic and One Piece creator, was asked how to draw the curvy bodies of the characters in his famed manga and anime.
As noted on 2ch, the first question, actually, was whether or not Nico Robin’s first name, Nico, explicitly meant “ニ個” (literally, “niko”, or here “two round spheres”), because of her breasts. Oda replied no.
Continuing in this line of questions, the next question asked Oda how he drew the One Piece women. He replied, “The women’s proportions are three circles and one X. Please think and draw this way.”
Oda, however, added words of caution, saying that if you draw these body types a bunch, it’s necessary to be prepared to receive critical letters from women readers. Fair enough!
In One Piece, the body types—men and women—are exaggerated and overblown. They’re physical hyperboles. So, those criticisms, warranted or not, don’t address what keeps readers coming back, which is how the characters interact and the stories that Oda tells.
Top image via nifty
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