Masashi Kishimoto was more than Eiichiro Oda about the ending of their magnum opus.

SUMMARY

Masashi Kishimoto had decided upon the ending of his magnum opus with the dialogues and scenes set for the last episode.
Even though Eiichiro Oda knew about One Piece’s ending, Masashi Kishimoto had a clearer picture about the end of Naruto and even had some ideas ready.
Masashi Kishimoto and Eiichiro Oda gave birth to one of the greatest rivalries of all time and even inspired each other with their work.

Masashi Kishimoto’s Naruto Shippuden ended seven years ago, while his rival, Eiichiro Oda, is yet to conclude his magnum opus. One Piece is currently in its Final Saga, and it might not be long before the anime finally comes to an end. One Piece began before Naruto and is still going strong even several years after Naruto’s end. So, many think it to be the better anime.

But one statement from Masashi Kishimoto can change the entire perspective of the fans. During an interview, he revealed an important fact about his magnum opus, which makes him a better mangaka than his rival. Eiichiro Oda is considered to be a genius, but after hearing Kishimoto sensei, people might understand how underrated the latter was.

Masashi Kishimoto Had Painting Naruto’s End In His Mind

Naruto (Credit: Crunchyroll)

During an interview in 2006, held by Shonen Jump (US), Masashi Kishimoto was asked whether he knew Naruto’s end. He answered, “Yes, I have the last episode clearly drawn in my mind. I’ve already decided on the layout, text, and scenes. Not just the story ideas, but the visual ideas are solid.” Unlike most, he had painted a picture of the end in his mind. Being a visionary mangaka, he could envision how Naruto Uzumaki would conclude his journey.

Kishimoto sensei further added, “All I have to do is just head toward the ending I have, but there are still so many things that need to be resolved before reaching that point. Maybe I have thrown in too many ideas, so I need to wrap them up neatly.” Kishimoto sensei has everything ready. He just needs to steer his magnum opus in the right direction.
Naruto marries Hinata at the end (Credit: Studio Pierrot)
Eiichiro Oda always said that he knew One Piece’s ending, but Masashi Kishimoto took it one step further by designing every bit of the ending in his mind. Even the scenes and dialogues were ready, and he just needed to implement them. Even though it was pretty early for both the manga, Kishimoto took the victory over his rival by being clear about his last panel.

Masashi Kishimoto and Eiichiro Oda Had One Of The Greatest Rivalries

Every field has some kind of rivalry. In the manga and anime industry, the evergreen rivalry was between Masashi Kishimoto and Eiichiro Oda. Both reigned supreme during the 2000s, and barely any anime could pose any challenge to them. Even though they were rivals when when it came to their work, they were pretty great friends outside their studio.
One Piece (Credit: Toei Animation)
Both of them were full of praise for each other and even helped each other. Eiichiro Oda initially thought to use the ‘Naruto’ name in his magnum opus but changed it to Sanji as Kishimoto sensei’s magnum opus had the same title. There are several instances when either of them left the other one behind.

But when it concluded, Masashi Kishimoto seemed to be the victor. Still, their rivalry will forever be iconic, and no one can come near it. Fans might get to experience the rivalry once again with Kishimoto sensei being involved with Boruto: Two Blue Vortex.