Who is MASASHI KISHIMOTO?

Masashi Kishimoto is a talented Japanese mangaka who stands out as one of the most successful manga artists of all time. His name is cemented in his shonen work par excellence, Naruto, which has not only been adapted into two anime series, but has also sold more than 200 million copies worldwide.

Born on November 8, 1974 in the prefecture of Okayama, Japan, Kishimoto showed his inclination towards drawing from a young age, inspired by the characters of the anime that he enjoyed. A passionate follower of the Dragon Ball manga, he cites Akira Toriyama as his source of inspiration. He shares his admiration for Toriyama's work with other prominent artists such as Eiichiro Oda, Tite Kubo and Hiro Mashima, who consider Dragon Ball a masterpiece.

The debut of Naruto in September 1999 in Weekly Shonen Jump marked the beginning of a growing sensation. Quickly, Naruto, along with other works such as One Piece and Bleach, positioned itself as one of the greatest exponents of manga of the last decade. Following the conclusion of Naruto in 2014, Kishimoto sought new horizons and took over the supervision of the spin-off manga centered on Naruto's son, Boruto.

In addition to his outstanding career, Kishimoto shares the peculiarity of being the twin brother of Seishi Kishimoto, author of 666 Satan and Blazer Drive. In 2003, Kishimoto married, an important step in his personal life.

Work

• Karakuri One-Shot (1997-1998) (Published in Akamaru Jump)
• Naruto (1999-2014) (Published in Shūkan Shōnen Jump)
• Bench One-Shot (2010) (Published in Weekly Shōnen Jump)
• Mario One-Shot (2013) (Published in Jump Square)
• Naruto: The Seventh Hokage and the Month of Scarlet Spring (Naruto Spin-off) (2015)
• Samurai 8: The Tale of Hachimaru (2019-2020)
• Boruto: Naruto Next Generation (2016-Current) (Published in Weekly Shōnen Magazine)
• Boruto Two Blue Vortex

curiosities of Masashi Kishimoto

• In the beginning of Naruto, boots replaced sandals in the original sketch. The goggles, planned as their distinctive feature, became the famous Ninja Gang due to the difficulty in drawing them.
• Kishimoto, the creator, has a personal life that includes being a husband and father. In an interview, he highlighted Sasuke Uchiha as his favorite character.
• Although Kishimoto initially expressed disinterest in popular couples, such as Sasuke and Sakura or Naruto and Hinata, he ended up incorporating them into the story. The Naruto jacket, with its iconic angry circular face on the front, adds a distinctive touch.
• At the beginning, Kakashi was going to close his sentences with "Gozaru", in the style of Naruto with his famous "Dattebayoo". In his office, a plant called Ukki-Kun shares space with the stories between chapters, captured in manga illustrations.
• In an interview, Kishimoto revealed that he was attacked by monkeys in his childhood, a trauma he overcame over time. During Tsunade's search in the manga, he snuck a mask in the shape of Chiaotzu from Dragon Ball as a tribute to Akira Toriyama, although it did not make it into the anime for legal reasons.
• Kishimoto, a fervent admirer of Dragon Ball and Akira Toriyama, expressed his desire to be Naruto in an interview. His passion for Sasuke, although difficult to draw, makes him his favorite. After the earthquake in Japan in 2011, Kishimoto and other manga artists sent messages of encouragement through drawings.
• Kishimoto is a big fan of trilogies and film series such as The Matrix, The Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter. In volume #21 of the manga, he shared his joy that his favorite movie worlds were still alive, even depicting himself flying through the skies in the outfit of Neo, the protagonist of The Matrix.