The amount of time an anime stays in the hearts of its fan base might reveal the genuine success of the franchise in question. Naruto continues to be the most well-liked anime in South American nations, significantly surpassing Pokémon in the North. In Africa, Naruto continues to be the most popular television program and is utterly dominating both Spain and Eastern Europe. This statistic simply demonstrates that Naruto’s popularity has only grown, even in 2023.
In 2007, VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the most forward-thinking and complete publishing, animation, and licensing businesses in the entertainment sector, revealed that Naruto had been ranked number 25 on the USA Today Top 150 Best Seller List. Masashi Kishimoto is currently regarded as one of the world’s most prominent manga-ka, or manga artists. But is he well aware of that?
Masashi Kishimoto does not seem very aware of Naruto’s success
In an interview, Masashi Kishimoto gives insights into his 15-year journey of developing the epic narrative of Naruto, including his artistic procedure, the difficulties he experienced, and his inspiration for the legendary characters that enthralled readers. The interviewer goes on to say how, in many ways, he has become an ambassador of Japan to North America and how that makes him feel. To which Kishimoto replies with a very humble and quirky reaction:
“Really ? I’m not personally aware of that. After all, Naruto is just an ingredient in Ramen. If you ask the average people in Japan what a Naruto is, they will point to the ingredient rather than my manga.” To which the interviewer says in a humorous tone that he respectfully disagrees.
When asked about the process of writing Manga, he says that he meets with his editor once a week, and they discuss the chapter’s overall plot. A rough draft is the next step after he produces names, which are almost like sketches. He adds the finishing touches after that and then inks it in. He claimed that he is very analog and hasn’t yet attempted drawing comics digitally. “We do it via sticker sheets, not just me but my assistants all together, and we have fun putting on the tones manually”, he added.
“I didn’t think much about foreign readers when I began ‘Naruto,’ but I knew that many of the artists who influenced me had already been accepted overseas.”
Kishimoto examined the work of some of the most well-known Japanese animators and manga artists while still a student. In addition to Dragon Ball and Akira, he also read, reread, and copied the illustrations in Masamune Shirow’s groundbreaking cyberpunk novel Ghost in the Shell, which Mamoru Oshii adapted for the big screen, Hiroyuki Okiura’s sci-fi fantasy Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade, Koji Kiriyama’s Ninku, and Shirow’s Ninku. Kishimoto believes that their achievements prepared the path for Naruto, which was influenced by them, to become popular around the world.
Naruto and his relationship with Ramen
Ramen is a favorite of Naruto Uzumaki. Ichiraku Ramen is a popular spot for him to eat with his friends and mentors. Early in the morning, if you knock on his door, he’ll probably answer holding a cup of instant ramen. The two main topics he discusses when introducing himself are the kind of ramen he prefers and becoming a Hokage. It’s practically the only thing he’s ever been seen eating; in fact, if Kakashi hadn’t been by occasionally to bring him vegetables, it’s possible that’s all he ever eats.
Ramen is associated with Naruto’s spiral pattern due to one of its essential ingredients, the narutomaki. This fishcake is frequently served on top of ramen noodles; its cloud form and red spiral design have almost become associated with the meal itself. It’s also one of Naruto’s favorite ramen ingredients. His obsession with this fish cake is so strong that he grumbles whenever there isn’t one in his dish.
In-universe explanations for Naruto’s ramen obsession may be traced right back to his own name. Narutomaki is a combination of Naruto and Uzumaki. In truth, Naruto’s parents named him after the main character in one of Jiraiya’s books, and Jiraiya came up with the name while eating ramen. And like Kishimoto’s stance mentioned above, “Naruto is just an ingredient in Ramen.”
Source: Youtube
