The mythical world of Naruto, which features supernatural elements such as Ninjas and Jutsus, may appear to be the most intriguing aspect of Masashi Kishimoto’s work, yet it was not the primary focus. Kishimoto once stated that the trouble with a fantasy universe is that fans can’t draw parallels between imagination and reality.
A still from Naruto: Shippuden
He was well aware of the issue, which is why he included some real-world elements in Naruto to make it more relatable to the viewers. This makes the moralistic aspect of the story easier for readers and viewers to understand. Although this may have become common now, when Naruto started, this was quite a big deal.
In an interview, Kishimoto revealed the minute details that he included which helped the series form a connection with the real world and make it more easy to understand for viewers.
Masashi Kishimoto Draws a Parallel between Naruto and Harry Potter
In 2016, Kishimoto and Yoshihiro Togashi, the creators of Hunter x Hunter and Yu Yu Hakusho, answered some fan questions that were shared by Viz Media. One of the questions was what Kishimoto adds to Naruto that connects it to real-life aspects of the world.
Kishimoto, while comparing Naruto to Harry Potter, stated:
“Well, this is just one example, but I think it becomes easier to fathom if the fantasy world is connected to the real world in some way. Like how they use the train stations in Harry Potter. However, you can’t do this if the story takes place in a completely fantastical world. So what do you do then? You can make the characters in the fantasy world face the same types of problems we do in our world.”
According to the creator, movies or series like Harry Potter portray a fantasy world that is somehow linked to the real world. This makes it easy for them to establish a connection. However, Naruto does not have any connection to the real world, so he tries to introduce real-world problems in the story.
Masashi Kishimoto’s Ability to Connect Naruto with the Real World
While talking about the Naruto world, Masashi Kishimoto pointed out that the readers or viewers want to see the main character of any series face the problems that they are facing. Therefore, they lose interest in the story.
Kishimoto stated:
“I believe the reader will think about how they have the same type of issues in their lives while they read the story. A common mistake is to give the characters the kind of struggle that can only occur in their world. If you can’t relate, then it’s hard to be interested. The way to bring reality, or rather, to allow the reader to enter the world you created is to make them feel empathy. It really is.”
He explained that the main tool that can help readers connect with a fantasy story like Naruto is using empathy. If the characters are facing similar issues as the readers, they build an emotional bond with the characters, which indirectly makes the story more interesting.
You can watch Naruto on Hulu.
