It is very common for manga writers to take inspiration from other writers to help influence their work and make valuable adjustments to it. But when one of the biggest mangaka of all time admits to taking inspiration and learning from another manga series, it is a pretty big thing. Masashi Kishimoto, the creator of one of the biggest manga and anime franchises in the world has many times admitted that he has taken a lot of inspiration from the iconic and probably the pillar of the anime world, Dragon Ball created by the legend Akira Toriyama. His character Naruto is in some ways an homage to the Dragon Ball character Goku and although the stories are entirely different, the morality and the perspective are somewhat similar.
However, Kishimoto not only took inspiration from the storytelling pattern of Kishimoto but also learned a lot about creating that perfect art style that would help him captivate the audience.
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Masashi Kishimoto Learned about Entertainment from Akira Toriyama
In an interview with Anime News Network, Kishimoto admitted that Toriyama’s work not only helped him with the storytelling or artistic style but also gave him inspiration about how to captivate the audience and what is entertainment. He said:
“I would say I’ve probably picked up a little bit from each of them, and perhaps a little bit different thing from each of them. For example, with Dragon Ball, I was reading that when I was in grade school. What Dragon Ball taught me is what was fun about manga, and what makes a fun story in manga. I was reading it as it was coming out in weekly installments in Weekly Shonen Jump, so it taught me what entertainment is and how to keep an audience captivated—and of course, the art influenced me as well.”
He even confessed to the fact that Kishimoto’s art was one of the most important reasons for him to become the manga artist he is today.
Masashi Kishimoto’s Inspiration for Becoming a Manga Artist
Masashi Kishimoto has admitted that his real inspiration behind becoming the great manga artist he is today was his mindset to become like Toriyama. Toriyama’s mangas appealed to him and he loved his drawing style. In an interview with the Viz, Kishimoto said:
“At some point between second and fourth grade, I got into Akira Toriyama Sensei’s Dr. Slump anime and Dragon Ball manga. I loved his characters. I was especially attached to Dr. Slump’s Arale and Dragon Ball’s Goku. Also, his art appealed to me. There was something about his cartoony drawing style that felt right, more so than realistic drawings. I thought to myself, I want to become like Toriyama Sensei.”
It is all thanks to Toriyama that we have received a brilliant piece of art like Naruto. His art inspired Kishimoto to create a beautiful series that has inspired millions of others.
Source: Anime News Network, Viz
