Japanese mangaka Masashi Kishimoto is known throughout the world. For the most part, the reason was his multi-volume manga called Naruto, which is published in almost all languages of the world. However, what do we know about the author himself? How difficult was his path to success? And are there still worthy works in the mangaki arsenal?
Young Kishimoto Masashi
November 8, 1974 in Okayama, one of the prefectures of Japan, a small miracle happened - twin boys were born. The older family was named Kashimoto Masashi, and the youngest - Saishi. Then no one knew yet that in the future the children would have a great future, united by a common passion. But let's talk about everything in order.
Recalling the past, Masashi Kishimoto's parents say with a smile that their son began to paint his first works in kindergarten. Then these were just sketches of what he saw around: small bugs, trees, animals and vague portraits of people. However, as Masashi grew up a little, his skill improved significantly.
The young artist entered the school in 1981. Around the same period, Kishimoto Masashi took manga for the first time. According to the writer himself, his first comic book to read was Doctor Slump. Moreover, this work inspired Masashi so much that he already clearly realized what he wants to become in the future.
However, having entered high school, the boy abandoned painting. The reason for this was Masashi Kishimoto's new passion - baseball. The sports game captivated the young man so much that he stopped thinking about anything else. It should be noted that Kishimoto was a member of the local baseball team and even traveled with her to regional school competitions.
And again in pursuit of an old dream
The turning point was 1988. Speaking at the next baseball competition, Masashi Kishimoto saw a poster of a new manga called Akira. The author painted it with an unusual, colorful style, which immediately struck the young man in the eye. It was then that Masashi finally understood one simple truth - more than anything, he wants to be a mangaka.
Initially, the young artist tried to imitate the drawing style that he saw on the pages of the new book. Masashi Kishimoto was convinced that only in this way could he become a great mangaka. However, over the years, he became more and more aware of the fact that he needed his own style and inspiration.
Therefore, with the transition to high school, Masashi Kishimoto began to work hard to improve his skills. Moreover, he wanted to take part in the prestigious Japanese competition for writers. Alas, then his first work did not pass the test of his parents, because of which the young artist decided to retreat from his venture.
First confession
After graduating from school in 1993, Masashi Kishimoto entered an art college. Such a choice is quite obvious, because the mangaka no longer wanted to rely on the opinions of others, and therefore he needed to gain true self-confidence. Therefore, he successfully passed the entrance exams and entered one of the best colleges in Japan.
It should be noted that Masashi grabbed new material on the fly, thanks to which he quickly won the appreciation of teachers. His thirst for knowledge was phenomenal, and only his passion for drawing could surpass it. That is why at the end of the second year he decides to try his luck again and put his work to the young mangaka contest.
And in 1995, at the Hop Step Award, Kishimoto introduced the world to his manga called “The Mechanism” (original name - Karakuri). And although some aspects of his skill were still criticized, the debutant's victory was unconditional.
Great mangaka work
However, despite a resounding victory, the next few years were difficult for Masashi Kishimoto. All the prestigious editorial offices refused to work with the newcomer and rejected his ambitious ideas. But the mangaka did not give up and continued to draw comics based on his vision of the world.
Thanks to this, in 1999 the first chapter of the story about a ninja boy named Naruto was published. This story was published by the famous Japanese magazine Shonen Jump. This character was so fond of readers that in October 2002, an anime series of the same name was shot on a cycle of books. Such a sensation led to the fact that the name Masashi Kishimoto was recognized by everyone who was somehow connected with the world of manga.
It should be noted that the plot of "Naruto" stretched for a long fifteen years. The last chapter of this story was written only in February 2015. In addition to "Naruto" mangaka painted several more works. In particular, in 2013 he wrote a short story about a hit man named Mario.
Interesting facts from the life of Masashi Kishimoto
Amazingly, the artist’s younger brother, Saisie, is also a mangaka. Moreover, they feel their kinship not only in the style of the drawing, but also in the plot features of the stories. Nevertheless, these two authors work separately, and each of them has its own fan club.
Another fun fact is that Masashi is afraid of monkeys. This is due to the fact that in childhood he was attacked by a flock of these animals. And although he was not injured then, a strong emotional shock left an indelible mark.