One Piece's Oda recommends former assistant's manga Ultimate Exorcist Kiyoshi

Modified Nov 10, 2024 19:10 GMT

Thursday, October 31, 2024, saw the official X account for Shoichi Usui’s Ultimate Exorcist Kiyoshi share a recommendation from One Piece’s Eiichiro Oda. The recommendation is included as a part of the cover for the manga’s first compilation volume, which is set to be released on Friday, November 1, 2024, in Japan. The official X account for the series shared the volume cover with the included recommendation.

In a response giving special thanks to Oda for his recommendation, Usui reveals that they were an assistant for One Piece for roughly five years. Per Usui’s message, this period directly preceded the serialization of Ultimate Exorcist Kiyoshi. Likewise, Usui asked Oda for a recommendation comment given their relationship, which Oda obviously agreed to given the series’ volume 1 cover.

Oda’s latest manga recommendation of Ultimate Exorcist Kiyoshi puts over his former One Piece editor

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In Oda’s recommendation of Usui’s Ultimate Exorcist Kiyoshi, the One Piece mangaka specifically praised the series’ devil enemies, saying he enjoys and has fun with them. Unfortunately, a fully and officially translated transcript of Oda’s recommendation is unavailable as of the time of this article’s writing. The same goes for Usui’s special thanks response, with only fragments having been fan–translated for the purposes of explaining the above.

However, a translation isn’t needed to emphasize how significant a recommendation from Oda is for such a young series. Even with the pair’s professional connection in mind, it’s nevertheless impactful considering the place Oda and his series hold in the Weekly Shonen Jump hierarchy. It’s also the first time in quite some time that Oda has personally recommended a manga series, making the event even more significant.

Likewise, the infrequency of Oda’s manga recommendations further emphasizes the significance of such a stamp of approval. Also helping to emphasize this is the success that manga recommended by Oda have gone on to have. Two of the more recent examples of manga recommendations from Oda, Akane-banashi and 2.5 Dimensional Seduction, have gone on to become incredibly popular since then.

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While Oda’s stamp of approval isn’t necessarily a ticket to success for Ultimate Exorcist Kiyoshi, there’s a clear impact that Oda’s word can have on a manga’s success. Likewise, general manga fans can expect to begin hearing more about Usui’s series as Oda’s recommendation convinces more and more to give it a try.

Oda’s manga began serialization in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump magazine in July 1997, where it is still ongoing today but progressing through its final saga. Toei Animation began a television anime adaptation of the series in October 1999, which is currently on break until April 2025. A remake of the anime is being produced by Wit Studio and Netflix.