Some stories leave an indelible mark in our hearts and Masashi Kishimoto’s shonen manga is one such case. It’s been almost a decade since Naruto ended, but we cannot help but hold on to it. The series reshaped our ideas of strength and goals as well as self-concept, but there’s more than that.
Through his characterization of the hero, the mangaka taught us countless life lessons. It would be an understatement to say that the series is a treasure trove for most anime fans. This is mainly because of the impact it had in our lives, but the mangaka had different notions about it.
In interviews, he opened up about wanting to create an inspirational story about persistence and resilience. As the series progressed, it ended up being rather flawed and hodge-podge for the most part. But it is this perfect imperfection that makes it a timeless classic for this very reason.
Masashi Kishimoto on sustaining his series for decades
Over the years, Masashi Kishimoto received praise as well as backlash for his series. He is a seasoned mangaka who has previously worked on one-shots as well as serialized manga. But it was through his ninja story that he achieved a major breakthrough.
And we all know that being a manga artist is no cakewalk, bearing in mind the overworking, underpayment, and life-long health issues. Some are able to make it while others crumble under the pressure. Kishimoto was no different, especially with how he managed to sustain his opus for a decade or so.
From editing to censorship, the manga underwent a laborious process to make it the polished opus that we see today. It is sad, definitely, to see some parts being omitted, but it is valid nonetheless. To make it more palatable to both readers and viewers, some moves are necessary.
Interestingly, though, Kishimoto’s approach was both planned and unplanned which concerned some arcs. This also had to do with the characters in the series who were killed off either too early or should have been erased. But his reasons for doing so make complete sense, and here’s why.
In an interview with Nippon.com, he shared his thought process behind creating characters. He said
As I wrote Naruto, I found myself really caring for the characters I created, and I wanted to bring even more detail to their lives on the page. I’m afraid I tended to write even parts that the story didn’t require with great care—which was one factor making the series last as long as it did.
Truly, some moments were rather inconclusive in the series, but does that make it any less impactful? No, especially with how well-detailed the mangaka wrote the characters. It is a mixed bag, yes, but it is this seesaw nature of the manga that makes it a flawed and timeless Shonen masterpiece.
Naruto is a flawed yet timeless Shonen masterpiece
Naruto has flaws and imperfections that are undeniable, yet the series stands as a shonen classic to this date. It is a cult shonen manga that might be ridden with inconsistencies and irregularities. There are irregularities in power systems, plot inconsistencies, and what not, but there are upsides as well.
Moreover, it influenced new-age shonen series like My Hero Academia, Black Clover, and even Jujutsu Kaisen. The characters and tropes are similar in many aspects. It also follows in the idea of a gung-ho and cheery protagonist, but we know one thing for sure.
That is, Kishimoto may not believe he created a cool story, but as fans we know how much Naruto stands true to its themes. It gave us strength, resilience and courage to follow our dreams on the darkest days. The mangaka needs to be reminded of the masterpiece that he truly created.
Naruto is available for streaming on Crunchyroll. The manga is available for reading on Shueisha’s Manga Plus app.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
