![]() ![]() Two years later, a new version of “Naruto” premiered as a serial in the magazine Weekly Shonen Jump and scored an immediate hit.Īlthough the name was the same, the new version of “Naruto” was very different from the previous story. His next work, a manga short story about a fox spirit disguised as a human (foxes are traditional shape-shifters in Japanese folklore) named Naruto, appeared in 1997. While in art school, Kishimoto won a contest for aspiring manga artists with his story “Karakuri” (Mechanism). In elementary school, he became “completely addicted” to the popular boys’ series “Dragon Ball.” His interest gradually expanded to include other manga series, notably Katsuhiro Otomo’s landmark “Akira.” Kishimoto explained that he was so focused on his drawings that he did poorly in high school, ranking 30th in a class of 31. I think readers see themselves in Naruto, and that’s what appeals to them: They can empathize with him and his weaknesses.”Īs a boy, Kishimoto was obsessed with manga and baseball. Although he doesn’t think about it too much, he knows he hates to lose, and we all know what that feels like. Naruto feels inferior to his peers, but he hates to be a loser. Naruto often makes blunders, and he has weaknesses. “Perfect heroes are cool, but no one can really empathize or identify with them. “It’s rather awkward to talk about what makes Naruto appealing to audiences, but I think his being a knucklehead gives him an appeal,” Kishimoto said in an interview conducted via e-mail with help from translator Hiromi Psaila. ![]() Although Naruto can be insufferably cocky at times, Kishimoto seems a bit overwhelmed by the runaway success of his first major creation. Kishimoto, born in the rural prefecture of Okayama, lives in Tokyo, where he works with several assistants. His long-running series about ninja-in-training Naruto Uzumaki has sold tens of millions of books around the world. At 34, Masashi Kishimoto is one of the most successful manga-ka, or manga artists, in the world. ![]()
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