Danica Davidson
April 11, 2024 
If you’ve ever spoken with Naruto creator Masashi Kishimoto on Twitter or seen something he’s shared on social media, there’s something important to know: that wasn’t Masashi Kishimoto. Apparently one or more accounts or people have been pretending to Kishimoto online, leading to a statement being put out by the official Naruto social media in Japan and America.
Here is the statement in English:
[WARNING]
The manga creator Masashi Kishimoto does not post on any social media.
Please be aware that any accounts claiming to be him are fraudulent.
– Shueisha
The official Naruto social media did not name names of people pretending to be Kishimoto, and some wonder if fans are confusing an account labeled @kishimotomasshi with the real man. @kishimotomasshi does label itself a parody account, but it also has a blue check mark, giving it the appearance of being legit.
Some manga creators have social media accounts, but it’s not as popular with manga creators as it generally is with Americans in the entertainment industry. So it’s not unusual for mangaka like Kishimoto to bypass the whole social media thing.
The Naruto manga launched in 1999, and quickly became one of the most popular manga series ever. It led to spinoffs, anime and video games, among other things.
VIZ Media releases the Naruto manga, as well as the Naruto anime. It gave this description for the first volume of the manga:
Twelve years ago the Village Hidden in the Leaves was attacked by a fearsome threat. A nine-tailed fox spirit claimed the life of the village leader, the Hokage, and many others. Today, the village is at peace and a troublemaking kid named Naruto is struggling to graduate from Ninja Academy. His goal may be to become the next Hokage, but his true destiny will be much more complicated. The adventure begins now!
Source: ANN
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Danica Davidson is the author of the bestselling Manga Art for Beginners with artist Melanie Westin, plus its sequel, Manga Art for Everyone, and the first-of-its-kind manga chalk book Chalk Art Manga, both illustrated by professional Japanese mangaka Rena Saiya. Check out her other comics and books at www.danicadavidson.com.
