Masashi Kishimoto (b. 1974)

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Biography

Masashi Kishimoto is a Japanese manga artist. His manga series, Naruto, which was in serialization from 1999 to 2014, has sold over 250 million copies worldwide in 46 countries as of May 2019. The series has been adapted into two anime and multiple films, video games, and related media. Besides the Naruto manga, Kishimoto also personally supervised the three anime films, Road to Ninja: Naruto the Movie, The Last: Naruto the Movie and Boruto: Naruto the Movie, and has written several one-shot stories. In 2019, Kishimoto wrote Samurai 8: The Tale of Hachimaru which ended in March 2020. From May 2016 through October 2020 he supervised the Boruto: Naruto Next Generations manga written by Ukyō Kodachi and illustrated by Mikio Ikemoto. In November 2020 it was announced that he had taken over as writer on the series, replacing Kodachi.

Timeline

The story of Masashi Kishimoto, told in moments.

1997 Event

Submitted a one-shot called Karakuri to Weekly Shonen Jump. It won the Hop Step Award for new artists. He'd been working toward this since seeing a poster for Katsuhiro Otomo's Akira in high school, which reignited his love of manga.

An Akira poster reigniting your love of manga. Which frame hit hardest? The Hop Step Award. Did that feel like permission?

1999 Event

Naruto began serialization in Weekly Shonen Jump. The story of a lonely ninja outcast trying to earn his village's respect. It ran for 15 years. He drew it every week, 19 pages at a time.

700 chapters, 19 pages a week, for 15 years. When did exhaustion set in? A lonely outcast earning his village's respect. Was that your story too?

2014 Event

Naruto ended after 700 chapters. Over 250 million copies sold in 46 countries. Two anime adaptations, multiple films, video games. Kishimoto supervised several of the movies personally.

250 million copies in 46 countries. Does Naruto belong to you or the world? Supervising several movies personally. Is control necessary?

2020 Event

Took over as writer of the Boruto: Naruto Next Generations manga, replacing Ukyo Kodachi. He'd launched Samurai 8: The Tale of Hachimaru in 2019 but it was cancelled after 43 chapters. Back to the world he built.

Samurai 8 cancelled after 43 chapters. Did failure sting? Returning to the world you built. Is Boruto a continuation or a safety net?

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