Not much is known about Eiichiro Oda,
the creator of “ One
Piece , ” since, like most mangaka, he keeps
his personal life a secret and rarely comments on anything unrelated to his
work. However, fans know some details about the family life of this famous
mangaka. It turns out that Oda's wife is a real version of Nami, one of
his most popular characters.
Chiaki Inaba, Oda's wife, is known to
have cosplayed as Nami at the Jump Festa in 2002 and 2003. In
One Piece, Nami is the navigator of the Straw Hat Pirates. When she meets Luffy
at the beginning of the series, she becomes the third member of the crew,
insisting that it will be a temporary partnership. Initially, she appears to be
stingy and manipulative, but she has a noble goal: to buy the freedom of her
friends and family. Eventually, she joins the Straw Hats permanently.
Nami is consistently popular in
character polls and is the most iconic heroine of “One Piece,” inspiring fan
art, memes, and more. She is known for being cunning,
loyal, and a prodigious navigator.
Although Eiichiro Oda is a famous
mangaka, not much is known about his wife and family due to the secrecy
surrounding his home life. What little is known is
interesting, given Inaba's past as a cosplayer. As One Piece nears its end, it
is pertinent to return to Chiaki Inaba's life and reveal new facts.
Chiaki Inaba is a former cosplayer,
model and race queen . At Jump Festa 2002, Inaba was
cosplaying as Nami for a “One Piece” show. Jump Festa is an annual Japanese
convention celebrating Shonen Jump manga and anime. Started in 1999, it is held
over two days in December and attracts hundreds of thousands of
attendees. It was at Jump Festa 2002 where Inaba met Eiichiro Oda, and
the two connected immediately. They dated for a couple of years and married in
2004. Today, they are still together. Although Oda lives separately
due to his rigorous work schedule drawing the manga, they still see each other
frequently.
When Oda and Inaba's story emerged, fans
were quick to point out that the mangaka had married a real-life version of his
character. While Nami is a popular character to cosplay,
Inaba certainly stands out from the rest. She closely resembles Nami,
especially the pre-time-skip version (before Nami grew her hair). Inaba
even reprized Nami at Jump Festa 2003, showing his dedication to the character
and her continued likeness.
Oda and Inaba's love goes beyond
aesthetic attraction, as they have remained married for the past twenty years. As
private as mangaka tend to maintain, stories about their personal lives do not
circulate frequently. When they do, it is often for negative reasons. For
example, in 2016, the creator of “Oh My Goddess!”, Kousuke Fujishima, also
married a cosplayer, Nekomu Otogi, which sparked controversy due to the more
than 30-year age difference between them.
Oda and Inaba's marriage has not been the subject of
any controversy. They live privately and have two daughters, one born
in 2006 and the other in 2009. The little that is known about the
couple indicates their continued happiness, as they have found a balance that
allows them to continue with their individual jobs without neglecting the love
they have for each other. We hope that One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda
and his wife Chiaki Inaba stay together for a long time.
Source: Puffups
