Kishimoto on Naruto Ending: “I’ll Create More Manga!”
- Categories: Japan, News
- Date: Nov 12, 2014 12:54 JST
- Tags: Endings, Interviews, Mangaka, Naruto, Otaku, Translation, USA
As the seemingly endless saga of ninja manga Naruto finally comes to a close, the Asahi Shimbun has managed to snag an interview with Naruto creator Masashi Kishimoto – with one particular highlight being Kishimoto’s realization of just how large his creation has become and its vast success in the west.
The relatively in depth interview:
Q: What are you feeling now?
Kishimoto: Because I just completed the last episode less than 12 hours ago, I do not have any real feeling (that “Naruto” has ended). I have had to meet a deadline every week for 15 years, so I feel that there’s a deadline for next week. I thought of many things to do after (“Naruto”) ends, but I do not know where to begin. I want to do something other than manga. Don’t worry, I will continue creating manga.
Q: When did you decide how to end “Naruto”?
A: Since the work was first serialized, I have been determined to end the manga series with the battle between protagonist Naruto and Sasuke, who has been his rival since the start of the story. I later decided on the details, little by little, such as whether they would fight each other as friends or enemies, their feelings and dialogues, while I was drawing the series. Around two years ago, I began to feel the story was approaching the finale.
When the series started, the editor responsible for my work told me, “Continue the series for at least five years.” The tough work of continuing to draw “Naruto” for the weekly magazine occasionally made me think that I would like to finish the series. I did not think “Naruto” would last for 15 years.
The story lasted for such a long period because the characters “stuck it out.” When I attempted to quickly offer an answer (to issues raised in the story), the characters did not allow me to do so. If I had made them act as I wished, the reality would have been lost.
Because manga artists are always working inside rooms, it is difficult for us to see firsthand if our works are really popular. It was not until I received many fan letters from overseas that I realized (“Naruto” is) popular outside Japan. Some of those letters are written in languages I do not know, so I understand that my work is read by people in various countries.
One fan mail contained a photograph of a small child dressed as Naruto striking a pose. Such attachments make me happy.
Q: Were you conscious of “One Piece”?
A: It is impossible to be unconscious. (Both “Naruto” and “One Piece”) are serialized in the same magazine, and “One Piece” has always been running ahead of the pack. I have been able to work so hard writing “Naruto” thanks to “One Piece.”
Q: You will turn 40 years old on Nov. 8. How do you feel about that?
A: I remain a child in terms of mentality. Nothing has changed from age 25, when the series started. I just worked at the desk to create high-quality, interesting manga, and 15 years passed before I knew it.
Q: What would you want to tell your old self?
A: I hope to tell my 23- or 24-year-old self, who painted Naruto and other characters on copy paper just as I wanted on the veranda of my family’s home: “Cherish him. You will write a serial manga for 15 years using the character.”
Some illustrations drawn by Kishimoto:
While most Japanese studio’s tend to disregard the existence of fans outside of Japan, perhaps the realization seen by the creator of one of the bigger anime titans will cause said studios to follow suit – The entirety of the interview can be read here.
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Best girl won in the end,
Kishimoto has redeemed himself.
(Ninja War Arc was garbage)
Well, actually both girls got who they wanted to be with, so they both "won". The guys are the unlucky ones. Naruto got a consolation prize with a huge chest for saving and changing the ninja world... and Sasuke had to take a useless girl (to finally shut her up lol) to rebuild his clan. Seeing that he basically wanders the world for years and just occasionally comes back, he doesn't care about his "choice". Most likely he wanders the world to sow the seed of the Uchiha lol And Karin continues stalking him. I remember her being able so smell people's chakra or something, so she is not only a healer type, but also a tracker ninja.
IMHO, no matter who Naruto had ended up with, it sucks. He never loved Hinata, but Sakura never loved him. Usually one wants the protagonist to get the girl HE loves, but in this case it'd suck as Sakura would always be in love with Sasuke. Maybe Naruto should've gone with Ramen girl or someone else... even a NaruSasu ending wouldn't have been unrealistic... or how about a harem ending with Hina, Saku, Sasu and Ichiraku (both)? Seeing how the harem no jutsu was Naruto's special technique and first jutsu...
Naruto's relationship with Hinata will be one of the main plot points for "The Last" Naruto Movie, it's shown in the trailers that he'll eventually learn to love Hinata.
Yes. Because we couldn't fit something so easy as rationally and subtly build a relationship for 700 chapters, we cashgrab the "romance". Genius
I may be a (past) Naruto x Hinata supporter, but nothing happened between them. The one part which it could had been brought up (ie Hinata vs Pain and Hinata almost dies saving Naruto), Sakura beaver-blocks it.
Lol, atleast he makes an effort at all...One Piece and Bleach...not so much on the romance department.
Well, to be fair, At least Oda made pretty clear that he is actively ignoring romance. Since he thinks it's boring for a shounen story like his.
1.so that viola woman better end up being a okama or I'm sure oda plans on breaking that rule for sanji x viola in the future.
2.no, just stop kishi. naruto was great at the start, turned into s*** after the 1st shippuden arc.
3.i wanted hinata and sakura to end up alone (naruto and sauce dying) but nope, only one who dies is neji who should be going insane in his grave for naruto proving him wrong about fate then 200+ chps later naruto is the child of destiny or some s*** and saves the world.
I read somewhere that initially (I mean, pilot or original manuscript or wtv you call it) naruto was supossed to have a crush on hinata and she shouldn't be a ninja at all, like he would come back after the missions and talk with her about it etc.
The problem would be with her family not accepting the relationship as she would be a noble and naruto a disposable genin. Shit would have happened with neji for the clan's sake and blablabla, even so kishi managed to keep hinata as a ninja and they ended up together in the end.
TL;DR
Editors wanted a love triangle so they made him change the scenario and adapt the story.
I read somewhere that initially (I mean, pilot or original manuscript or wtv you call it) naruto was supposed to have a crush on hinata and she shouldn't be a ninja at all, like he would come back after the missions and talk with her about it etc.
The problem would be with her family not accepting the relationship as she would be a noble and naruto a disposable genin. Shit would have happened with neji for the clan's sake and blablabla, even so kishi managed to keep hinata as a ninja and they ended up together in the end.
TL;DR
Editors wanted a love triangle so they made him change the scenario and adapt the story.
Dude... over a decade passed. It's not entirely impossible he might have moved on from Sakura, hung out with Hinata, eventually asked her out to accept her feelings, and fell in love with her.
Basically Sasuke become like Kenshin in the Reflection movie....other than him dying from some cancer like disease.
@ 00:21
Rurouni Kenshin OVA "Reflection".
Kenshin is away from wife Kaoru and son for years fighting injustice but is wasting away from heart disease (I think). Finally struggles to make it home only to die in Kaoru's arms.
Watsuki-san said he was never a fan of it because he thought Kenshin deserved some happiness and a better ending after having suffered so much. I kind of like it though.
not some fanfiction you dimwit.I'ts OVA that ran across many years ago.The disease is more like cholera or pneumonia.It happened during the Meiji era.At that time it's a major disease like Ebola or AIDS at this time.
hes talking about the OVA movies where kenshin is ravaged by some unknown disease and dies at the end.
Kenshin dying from disease? What kind of fan fiction have you read?
how old are you? 12?
Kishimoto did redeemed himself when Hinata end up being Naruto's wife Rest in Peace Neji-san one of the most badass characters in Naruto
no naruto is and will always be a garbage...
Good for him. Hope he takes a well deserved break now.
lol. He has more money than anyone on this board. Tell me, if you had the talent to create such a 'shitty' thing that has fans the world over, would you really care about 'haters'? He's laughing all the way to the bank.
the opinion on this matters basically sums up to "financial success" vs "artistic success"
sure he did "ok" but go see one piece sales numbers to REALLY understand MONEY, its like 5 to 1 ratio, is so high that one piece alone sells more than the other 9 mangas in the top ten COMBINED, and also is generally not looked down as garbage as much as Naruto has been this last years (of course quality is a subjective matter if you think is great i respect your opinion i personally think is garbage and you should respect mine)
The only manga artists who are as rich as him or even richer is Oda, Toriyama, Akamatsu, Watsuki, and Arakawa
Don't Forget Togashi...God damn King of Hiatus Togashi...lol
Thats why I didnt mention him lol
Does Takahashi count? Wasn't she the richest woman in Japan at one point?
Oh yeah. How could I forget Rumiko T.
His next manga should be about Sasuke avoiding child support by fleeing into the woods, as seen in the last chapter.
If Kishimoto isn't writing Part 3, it might actually be good,
no more flashbacks, homolust and talk no jutsu...
yeah, I can do without the homo crap, I get the best friend or rival thing, but there's to much of a gay feeling vibe going on there.
While most Japanese studio’s tend to disregard the existence of fans outside of Japan, perhaps the realization seen by the creator of one of the bigger anime titans will cause said studios to follow suit
I hope they not, since many vocal an aggressive groups, such as SJW, feminzi and other retards who doesn't even read/watch anything from Japan, might ruin everything. They already attempting doping so.
Don't forget parent groups and any average protestor, but really, as long as the internet exists without boundaries and punishment, those groups will just grow in number of screwballs just complaining for the sake of complaining.
I believe they have enough with the assholes from their own country, like the government.
interview question should be "you will turn 40 this nov, and hugely popular as mangaka... but, it's because of naruto. how that make you feel?"
except nobody can decipher your crap engrish
Hopefully whatever it is, it will be far, far away from Naruto, and if it is like Naruto, lets hope it does not last 15 entire years this time. Unfortunately all the new shounen jump shit is garbage. Yay sports manga, yay school detective manga...
We need more fighting manga that don't suck with iconic and likable protagonists. Something like Nanatsu no Taizai could do Jump a good deal of good. Meliodas reminds me more of Goku than Luffy does.
>create more manga...
NOPE.avi
Naruto Z when?
When Disney, Bandai, Toei, & every other funder or producer of anime begins offering lots of money for the right to produce continuations & spin-offs.
it was a fighting show... most anime end badly. people die some live... it end like most fighting shows, broke fingers and lost friendships.
Haha. The thought that all the hatemail of Narutards who nitpick some detail never reaching him made my day.
I went through a brief Narutard period over a decade ago, but I got it out of my system after about a year. I wasn't "OMG BEST MANGA EVER" level, but I was hooked on it hardcore. My obsession died when I caught up and couldn't bother to go looking for the next episode/chapter every week. Now to find out it's finally ended doesn't really stir any emotion from me at all.
However as I used to ship Naruhina I do feel somewhat gratified.
The last arc was just drawn out and bad. The entire Ninja War was just a cluster fuck and was not even fun to read.
I wonder how it would've turned out if Kishimoto went with his original plan to make Naruto about knights and wizards instead of ninjas
Wait it's not about wizards? They summon things, use mana, have giant energy battles.....
I mean what about the show is ninja-ish at all?
right on buddy, go watch basilisk or shigurui to see a show about NINJAS sure they have supernatural abilities but they ARE nija related and ninja like
You mean to tell me it isn't about wizards?
those are just the readers
i've seen some manga scans about the ending.Looks like it's the end of Harry Potter in a ninja way.
Kishi is a mediocre artist and a horrid, god-awful storyteller.
I can't imagine how poor the next series is going to be given the state of naruto for the last 6+ years.
I wasn't a huge fan of Naruto, as I don't typically enjoy shonen, but good for him, and interesting to see him acknowledging how huge it is outside of Japan.