Famous Dragon Ball editor Kazuhiko Torishima recently opened up about his views on some of the well-known manga titles. Speaking at Comicon Napoli 2026, Torishima, the influential editor behind Dragon Ball and a longtime collaborator of Akira Toriyama, criticized several manga hits, including One Piece, for being too complex for kids to understand.
On Twitter/X thanks to @XMathemagicianX, we have got the translated summaries of Torishima’s comments. Despite acknowledging One Piece‘s global success, praising its characters like Luffy and other Straw Hat crew members, he expressed concern about several manga titles, saying that they are becoming less universally appealing than before. Let us explore in detail.
Dragon Ball Editor Torishima Calls Out One Piece for Being Too Complex
The most pointed criticism of One Piece by Torishima is that it has become too complicated and inaccessible. He feels that today’s manga has become increasingly complex with too much explanation and narration, which makes the process of reading difficult.
This was not the case with Dragon Ball, which succeeded by keeping things simple. In his editorship, Torishima made sure that Akira Toriyama concentrated on visual storytelling that required little time to understand. This was in line with the philosophy laid down by Osamu Tezuka that one must be able to read a page of manga within just a second.
Torishima argues that since One Piece has crossed a thousand chapters, it might be difficult to keep up with its elaborate world-building and dialogue because of the complex nature of the show. Torishima comments that as the audience aged, creators – including Eiichiro Oda – began writing more for adults than children, basically changing the tone and accessibility of the medium.
In addition, he posits that this change is perhaps one of the main reasons why One Piece is not as appealing as it once was.
Torishima Credits One Piece‘s Success to Its Relatable Cast
Interestingly, Torishima does not dismiss One Piece completely. In fact, he attributes most of its success to its highly relatable characters (via @XMathemagicianX on Twitter/X), especially Monkey D. Luffy, whose simple, honest personality made him instantly appealing to readers.
Straw Hat members from a still. | Credit: Toei Animation
Additionally, he pointed out characters such as Roronoa Zoro, Nami, and especially Usopp, who were seen by Torishima as the most “normal” and human-like characters among the others. This aspect, according to Torishima, was what initially distinguished One Piece from other shonen works.
On the other hand, he argues that the story has become overly focused on its expanding lore, due to which it has lost the simple approach that used to make its characters special and interesting. In fact, he even compared Eiichiro Oda to Akira Toriyama, stating that the excessive passion for manga may have led him to overindulge in his own story, while Toriyama’s more detached approach helped keep Dragon Ball focused and streamlined.
Here is a quick comparison between the Dragon Ball and One Piece manga series.
FeatureDragon BallOne PieceManga AuthorAkira ToriyamaEiichiro OdaManga Rating (Mal)8.46 / 109.21 / 10Where to ReadViz MediaManga Plus by Shueisha, Viz Media
Here are some of the questions fans may have –
Why did Torishima criticize One Piece?
He states that it has become too complicated and wordy and lacks the approachable nature found in traditional manga.
What did he praise about One Piece?
He liked the character designs, especially those of Luffy, Usopp, Zoro, and Nami, because they were realistic.
Does Torishima think modern manga is worse overall?
Yes, he claims that most manga today have become dependent on texts rather than visuals.
So now the big question – do you agree with Torishima’s take on One Piece? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
