Back in the day when anime was not as mainstream as it is today, Naruto was among the few anime-manga series that made its way to the international audience. The commercial success and overall influence of Masashi Kishimoto’s celebrated series is extraordinary. A huge cast of characters, adrenaline-inducing fights, and a compelling storyline are some of the strongest suits of Naruto.
These factors make Naruto enjoyable for all age groups irrespective of the differences. While the content definitely played a huge role in the series’ popularity, there are many creators that Kishimoto owes the success of Naruto to, as he shared during an interview. The mangaka also opened up about how the success of other manga paved the way for Naruto in the West.
Masashi Kishimoto Reveals the 5 Manga that Paved the Way for Naruto
Masashi Kishimoto was intrigued by the anime-manga industry from a young age. He started drawing early on in his life. Speaking with the Los Angeles Times, Kishimoto opened up about the major manga titles that influenced his own work. As a student, he studied the works of other famous mangaka and animators. He mentioned five manga that played a role in Naruto’s success.
Most fans are aware of Dragon Ball’s influence on Naruto. Besides Dragon Ball, these four works intrigued and inspired Kishimoto: Akira, Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade, Ninku, and Ghost in the Shell. All of these anime-manga titles were popular among the international audience. Kishimoto believes that their popularity and then Naruto being influenced by them in turn, helped it reach the fans overseas.
All the people I was influenced by have been very successful in other countries, which may be why it was easier for my work to be accepted there. ‘Naruto’ owes a lot to those artists who won acceptance and popularity overseas.
While Akira and Ghost in the Shell are among the most critically acclaimed series of all time, Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade inspired many artists besides Kishimoto. Chainsaw Man Creator Tatsuki Fujimoto also cited Jin-Roh as a source of inspiration behind Reze’s character in his manga.
Koji Kiriyama’s Ninku might not be as popular as the others, but it features some great fight scenes. Kishimoto shared that he used to re-read these manga and replicate their drawings. Doing that must have accounted for some great practice, which is also reflected in Naruto as the manga has a great art style that is both refined and spectacular.
Masashi Kishimoto’s Fascination With the Entertainment Industry
It seems like Kishimoto’s fascination with the entertainment industry wasn’t merely a hobby. Reading and studying different styles of storytelling in famous manga sounds like meticulous research on the subject. In the same interview, Kishimoto shared that he used to watch a lot of movies. He wanted to incorporate their directorial style into Naruto as well. He goes into great details about the techniques of different directors.
Hearing him speak about the works that inspired him gives us a glimpse of his observational skills and perceptive abilities. He understood different mediums of entertainment by merely analyzing them. His years of research and fascination with the entertainment industry proved to be beneficial for his own creation. By incorporating different aspects of his inspirations along with his skills and expertise, Kishimoto created Naruto, something that is highly impactful and has resonated with millions of fans across the world.
Naruto is available to read on the MangaPlus app and website.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
