Naruto Creator Gives Shout-out to Overseas Fans

Joseph Luster November 10, 2014

Masashi Kishimoto may have a bit more Naruto on the way, but his main series is officially over, and The Asahi Shimbun sat down to ask him a few questions about it. A bunch of interesting reflections on the series come out as a result, even though Kishimoto himself says it’s too soon to really feel as if it’s all over.

One of the standout comments pertains to Naruto‘s popularity, and how it wasn’t until Kishimoto started receiving overseas fan letters that he finally realized how big it was getting outside of Japan.

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.

Definitely be sure to read the full interview. It has great quotes like the one above, Kishimoto’s thoughts on being in the same magazine as One Piece, how he developed the ending, and more. There’s also the following, which I found both uplifting and positively harrowing…

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.

There are also more cool pictures like this one: