Masashi Kishimoto's Life Story ||| The Animation Chronicle Earth & Heaven Volumes (2017)
For the special books "The Animation Chronicle" volumes Earth and Heaven, Kishimoto shares the impact anime had on his personal and professional life in a five-part story
I didn't really think of it as anime when I was a child, but I think the first thing I consciously noticed was "The Adventures of Hutch the Honeybee." I won't go into detail about the story, but Hutch and his mother are separated, and Hutch sets out on a journey to find her. As a little kid, I wasn't so much entertained by Hutch as I was scared. That's because I was putting myself in Hutch's shoes. I still clearly remember the words I would always ask my mother after watching Hutch, feeling frightened.
Me: "Mom, are you going somewhere?"
Mom: "I'm not going anywhere today."
Me: "That's not what I mean! I'm asking if you're not going to disappear forever!" I asked, almost in tears and getting annoyed.
Mom: "I am not going to disappear."
We had this exchange several times. Looking back, Hutch was a traumatic anime for me. But it was a great anime that taught me what my mother meant to me. A little later, there was another anime that caught my attention, similar to Hutch: "Fighting General Daimos." I loved the opening theme song.
"Burn it! āŖ Burn it! āŖ With all your might! āŖ Show them your karate! āŖ (omitted) Daimos! āŖ Daimos! āŖ Fighting General Dai-i-mo-su! āŖ Everyone's calling you! āŖ"
It always aired early in the morning, before kindergarten. Because of this, I could only watch the first half of "Fighting General Daimos," and I was dragged to kindergarten without seeing the second half.
Me: "No! I want to watch Fighting General Daimos! It's a good part, I'm skipping kindergarten! Fighting General Daimos!"
Mom: "Hurry up, or you'll be late for kindergarten! Hurry up!"
So, for me, "Fighting General Daimos" was a robot that neither showed off its impressive karate nor defeated enemies. Everyone's called you, but no child called you more than I did, Daimos.
Then the Doraemon boom hit. Around this time, the Doraemon drawing song became popular, and everyone in kindergarten would imitate it and draw Doraemon. As I wrote in the manga's my personal history, my kindergarten friends would draw the lines that extend from the sides of Doraemon's eyes above his eyes, resulting in a completely wrong Doraemon.
Looking back now, I don't understand why I was so particular about it, but when it came to drawing Doraemon, I was consumed by an inexplicable, intense pride. I'm sure I was disliked because of how I acted during drawing time.
Then, when I became an elementary school student, the super-famous anime, Mobile Suit Gundam, became incredibly popular! Back then, the school provided us with blank notebooks. I filled them completely with drawings of mobile suits. My favorite mobile suits were from the Zeon side; I drew lots of Zakus and Goufs. I didn't think Gundam was particularly cool.
Back then, when I thought of mecha anime, I was used to robots like Daimos, with legs thicker than thighs and a sturdy build from the knees down. So, Gundam's legs seemed weak and flimsy to me. I was in first grade at the time, and the war, political drama, and complex human relationships were too difficult for me to understand; I was only interested in the mobile suits. Honestly, I was really disappointed when there were hardly any mobile suits in an episode.
There was this girl my age who said she liked Gundam because of the "poignant and realistic human drama," but that's a lie, isn't it? Can we all stop acting so arrogant? Everyoneā¦ that's something you can appreciate once you're older, right?
However, even a fool like me could feel a different kind of realism compared to other mecha anime. Unlike previous mecha anime, the enemies didn't seem like enemies. In fact, I liked Char more than Amuro, and I liked Char's Zaku more than Gundam.
During those early elementary school years, I enjoyed watching all sorts of anime, including reruns. The anime I watched most often was, of course, mecha anime. Thinking back on them, I remember discovering "Reideen the Brave" and shouting "Reideen!" while standing on my bike pedaling, and being disappointed when a friend told me that the only die-cast metal toy I ever got, which was my favorite "GoLion" robot set, consisted entirely of female lions. Other shows I can think of off the top of my head include the Time Bokan series, Godmars, Zambot 3 with its cool forehead mark, Combattler V with its super electromagnetic yo-yo, Gold Lightan which I now realize was used to attack elementary school kids with lighters, the rebooted Tetsujin 28-go, Mazinger Z, Galatt, Armored Trooper Votoms, Macross, Xabungle, Dougram, Dunbine, L-Gaim, and many more that I can't remember.
Besides mecha anime, I watched Galaxy Express 999, Space Battleship Yamato, Fujiko Fujio anime, of course, as well as Japanese folk tales, the House Foods series, The Wonderful Adventures of Nils, Esteban, Child of the Sun (all recommended by the Ministry of Education), and Jump anime like Slump, Kinnikuman, Fist of the North Star, Dragon Ballā¦the list goes on, so I'll stop here, but basically, I was immersed in anime during that time. While I was often moved by the stories, I was more interested in the world-building and art style; I wished I could draw that well myself. At the same time, I was truly fascinated by how pictures moved, and I thought that if I drew one picture, it could be animated by a computer or something.
Young Kishimoto vaguely dreamt of one day seeing his own drawings come to life. I drew everything from Doraemon, Arale-chan, Zaku and Gouf, to Dragon Ball characters, fantasizing about moving pictures.
Occasionally, anime movies were shown on television, and when I watched films like NausicaƤ of the Valley of the Wind, Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honneamise, and Genma Taisen, I thought they were anime for adults.
During middle school, I was so busy with club activities and cram school that I hardly had any time to watch anime. This was before I had a VCR, so I couldn't record shows and could only watch them occasionally. I started reading manga more often, since I could read it whenever I wanted. At this time, I preferred manga to anime.
It was then that I was captivated by a poster for a theatrical anime film, plastered on the wall of a tobacco shop behind a school. That film was "AKIRA."
I enjoyed drawing, but I hadn't been drawing as much as I used to. However, the "AKIRA" poster had a profound impact on me, rekindling my motivation to draw, and I started drawing various things again.
Of course, I wanted to see the theatrical anime "AKIRA."
However, I lived in the countryside, dozens of kilometers from the nearest theater, I didn't receive any allowance, and my family wasn't the type to go to the movies together. So, I couldn't see the "AKIRA" film that I had wanted to see so badly. Because of that frustration, I started subscribing to the anime magazine "Newtype," using up my New Year's money. Through it, I read and looked at various anime setting materials and comments from animators, learning about the production side of anime. I remember being shocked to learn that many frames are drawn and then moved little by little to make an image move.
I tried to imitate it, but I couldn't trace well, so I tried placing the sketch on a glass window, but at that point I realized how difficult anime production was and felt nauseous.
"No wayā¦is this for realā¦?"
Then I learned that many people are involved in creating animeāanimators, key animators, directors, background artists, character designers, scriptwriters, and so onāand that changed how I watched anime. I started paying attention to the movement and the artistic flair of each week's episode.
Even so, I didn't know about the production period, so I couldn't believe how they could create an episode with so much animation in just one week. ā¦Well, I suppose there were many productions like that in reality (laughs).
Around that time, I began to notice the difference in art quality between TV series and theatrical anime releases, and I started to focus more on the higher-quality theatrical anime.
Around that time, the cel-animation comic version of the theatrical anime "AKIRA" was released, and I started copying the drawings. At the same time, I bought the original "AKIRA" comic and copied the drawings, thinking about the differences. I was constantly copying the drawings of "AKIRA."
While I was doing that, a friend told me they had seen the theatrical anime "AKIRA" on video. I was so enviousā¦ As a result, I started to really want to watch the "AKIRA" video! I wanted to watch it at a friend's house, but I couldn't just suddenly ask a friend I wasn't that close to, to watch "AKIRA." Of course, I wanted a VCR. But there was no way I could get such an expensive item just by begging for it.
Then, almost two years after the movie's release, "AKIRA" was scheduled to be shown on television. I was overjoyed that I could finally watch it, but then, a fateful coincidence occurredāit clashed with my cram school schedule. It felt like a "test" from God.
Two yearsā¦ I waited for almost two years. During that time, my passion for "AKIRA" hadn't cooled down at all. Of course, I declared to my parents, "I'm skipping cram school!"ā¦ but that wasn't possible, and I ended up having to go to cram school anyway. I was simply starving for the animated "AKIRA."
It was about three years after the film's release that I finally saw the "AKIRA" motion picture. It was an impact far greater than when I saw it in the anime comic book. The still images of the "AKIRA" comic panels, which I had tried to imitate and draw countless times, suddenly appeared to move in a flash, their high quality images moving continuously. I was made to realize that those incredibly difficult drawings were merely a single frame in a single scene, just a fleeting moment. The pre-scoring method was used, so the mouths moved in sync with the dialogue.
"I got goosebumps. I trembled."
Even though I had seen every scene in the anime comic, the story, the animation, and the actors' performances were completely different from what I had imagined, and it was absolutely amazing.
The names of the animators in the credits were so cool that tears welled up naturally. I realized that there are so many incredible people in Japan. Afterwards, two volumes of the "AKIRA" storyboards were released, so I bought them and spent a lot of time looking at and trying to imitate them, feeling like I was part of the animation staff.
From then on, I became interested in the names of animators and developed the habit of checking them. Later, the magazine "Newtype" had promotional cuts for the TV series "Peter Pan." I liked the art style, so I decided to watch it every week. When I watched it, the movements were incredibly smooth, on par with a theatrical film, something you wouldn't see in a TV series, and the sense of style, including the movements, was amazing. I immediately checked the staff. There were several of the same animators as the "AKIRA" staff.
When I was in my second year of junior high school, I watched Studio Ghibli's "Laputa: Castle in the Sky" as part of a school event. I became so immersed in that world that it took me about a week to come out of it, and I ended up drawing nothing but Pazu and Sheeta. I went back and watched "NausicaƤ of the Valley of the Wind," and got hooked on that world again. I bought the manga and was amazed to see that the panel borders were drawn freehand, and I got hooked again. Next I watched "My Neighbor Totoro" and "Grave of the Fireflies," but I still liked "Laputa" the best. I liked "AKIRA" even more than "Laputa."
At that time, anime magazines like "Newtype" were popular for shows like "The Five Star Stories," "Silent Mƶbius," and "Record of Lodoss War." I briefly watched these high-quality anime, but my foundation remained "AKIRA."
When I became a high school student, my interest shifted to the animation of theatrical anime. Among them was the theatrical anime "Wind Speed āā400 Meters," part of the "Mobile Police Patlabor" series. I felt the same sense of realism in "Patlabor" that I felt with "AKIRA," and it became an anime I watched many times, second only to "AKIRA." Of course, I kept checking the staff, and once again, there were animators from the "AKIRA" series.
Furthermore, I started watching OVAs and enjoyed high-quality OVAs such as "Gunbuster", "Long Live Our Ancestors!", and "Robot Carnival". Among them, the one I watched many times was "THE Hakkenden". I particularly enjoyed the scene in the first episode where they fight the enemy by the river, the movements in the new chapter's episode with the monster cat, the unique presence and surprisingly realistic movements in the Hamaji arc, and the scene where Inukai Genpachi fights on the roof tiles.
With "THE Hakkenden", the character designs and personalities changed so much from episode to episode that it almost became confusing. However, on the other hand, I liked it as a series that strongly showcased the artist's individuality. Around this time, influenced by this work, I drew a manga and submitted it to Shueisha's HopāStep Award, but it was unfortunately rejected. And of course, animators from "AKIRA" also participated in this work.
Back then, none of my friends would discuss the animation quality of anime, but everyone knew about manga, so we'd get excited about that. When we talked about who was good at drawing, the names of manga artists usually came up. However, at that time, I realized that Japanese animators were often better at drawing than Japanese manga artists. It was also a time when I thought about the difference in fame between manga and anime. Manga artists often have one representative work that strongly associates themselves with the artist's name, resulting in high recognition. In contrast, anime is drawn by many different staff members working on a single project, so the names of the animators are numerous, making it difficult to remember their names, thus lowering their recognition.
Furthermore, from a profit perspective, manga that are regularly published and well-known are more advantageous for anime adaptations than original anime, so there was a tendency to adapt popular, well-known manga into anime. Even in anime adaptations, the names of the original manga artists, who didn't contribute much to the animation, tended to be featured more than the animators themselves. It was a little frustrating that the most skilled animators didn't become famous.
Since "AKIRA," I hadn't encountered an anime that captivated me to that extent, but then, around that time, a trailer for the theatrical anime "Hashire, Melos!" came on television.
"It was a shocking experience."
I think I was still buying "New Type" at the time, but I don't remember seeing the advertisement page for the trailer; I believe the TV commercial was my first encounter with it. The art style was completely new! Incredible talent! I thought, "This is the art style after 'AKIRA'!" And when I saw the name of Hiroyuki Okiura, the character designer and animation director for this work, I thought, "Waitā¦? This personā¦"
I checked the animators of "AKIRA" and other anime, comparing the names. I realized he was credited as an animator on "AKIRA" and "Peter Pan," two of my favorite anime. Seeing the movement and design in "Hashire, Melos!", I trembled and broke out in a cold sweat; it was on a completely different level. It was even more refined than when I watched "AKIRA," and seemed to have reached another dimension. I thought, "There really are such monstrously talented animators in this worldā¦"
I believe that the art style of "Melos" remains at the core of the long-lasting anime art style that followed. Around this time, many TV series were produced with the same level of effort as theatrical anime releases, and I particularly liked the high quality of shows like "Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water" and "The Irresponsible Captain Tylor."
Since I went to an art university, I imagined there would be many people who liked anime. One day, a friend said, "Kishimoto, do you also like the 'AKIRA' anime?" He said, "You must really love it too, right?" I was wary.
It was an unprecedented turn of events in my life. No matter how much someone liked "AKIRA," there couldn't possibly be someone who watched it as often as I did, roughly once every three daysā¦
My friend suggested we play an "AKIRA" anime quiz. "I'll say a line from 'AKIRA,' and you have to guess the next line exactly as it is." ā¦And there it was. I was a little surprised to find someone just like me.
Among my university friends, there were two who knew every single line of "AKIRA," and many others who loved it even if not to that extent. We were overjoyed, like fish in water, and enthusiastically talked about "AKIRA." However, the conversation didn't resonate as much when we discussed the animators' drawing techniques. Around this time, I had stopped buying "Newtype" magazine. It featured only anime of a different type than the ones I liked, and I felt something was off.
I think it was around the end of my first year of university when a friend recommended "Ghost in the Shell" to me, telling me that if I wanted to become a manga artist, I should read more than just "AKIRA" and "Dragon Ball." The content was so difficult that I couldn't understand it at all; I had to read outside the main lines to get any sense, and it became a manga I remember as one that was hard to turn the pages of. My friend seemed to understand the content, so he explained it to me, but I, being the idiot I am, only vaguely understood it.
Then, more than a year later, the friend who had recommended "Ghost in the Shell" to me told me that it was going to be made into a theatrical anime. I didn't pay much attention, just replying "Hmmā¦" but then I saw the trailer for "Ghost in the Shell" on TV. Unlike the original, the realistic art style had a realism reminiscent of "Melos," and I loved the character designs. I was incredibly excited and decided to go to the theater on opening day.
When I went to the theater on opening day, it was a small, independent theater, and honestly, there weren't many people there. I thought it was a shame that such a high-quality anime wasn't showing more, but I bought a pamphlet and watched it from the best seat.
"It was shocking once again."
It was like a live-action film, so much so that I forgot it was an anime. Through this work, I felt that the distinction between live-action and anime was irrelevant. That feeling itself was new to me. I was terrified that animators and staff capable of creating such an anime actually exist in Japan, and I was made acutely aware of the immeasurable gap between myself and them, feeling left behind and anxious.
Frantic, I immediately went back to the theater, desperately trying to absorb something.
What made "GHOST IN THE SHELL" so wonderful was, above all, how it clearly translated the original story's episodes into a compelling narrative. And then there was director Mamoru Oshii's sharp use of metaphors. The scene where a human who has become almost indistinguishable from a machine and a programmed machine who has become almost indistinguishable from a human converse about whether or not they will merge. The film employs cool, unconventional techniques, such as using telephoto shots of two characters, reminiscent of Picasso's paintings that combine a frontal and profile view, and overlaying a scene of a diver surfacing, seemingly contemplating rebirth, onto the opening sequence.
Conversely, the jumping scenes are also contrasted, with some visually striking animation-style shots, like characters landing while tearing up the ground. However, Hollywood has so frequently imitated these techniques in live-action films that they now appear almost like live-action.
The gun action is understated yet compelling. Bullets hitting people and walls don't produce sparks. The realistic depiction of gun action, incorporating details like checking ammunition counts and barrel changes, as well as the differences between revolvers and automatics and the types of ammunition used, felt fresh and innovative.
Checking the animator list in the pamphlet, I found the name of Hiroyuki Okiura once again. The list of names of animators I'd seen on "Melos" and "AKIRA" was also impressive. I thought, "Of courseā¦" and waited for the next major theatrical anime.
Then, without delay, Katsuhiro Otomo's "MEMORIES" (of "AKIRA" fame) was released. The first day was packed with people, and the theater was huge. Unlike "Ghost in the Shell," I was happy to see it on the big screen. It was a highly anticipated new release that many people had been looking forward to, and the pamphlet included interviews with famous singers, creating a great atmosphere of excitement.
I enjoyed each segment of "MEMORIES," but my favorite was "Her Memories." In an interview, character designer Toshiyuki Inoue mentioned that he hadn't quite shaken off his "Melos" style yet, but that made it closer to the style of my beloved "Melos," and I really liked the artwork. "Her Memories" was directed by Koji Morimoto, who later heavily influenced me with "Noiseman," and the script was written by Satoshi Kon, who also wrote "Perfect Blue" and "Millennium Actress," so it had well-defined dialogue. The comedy "The Stink Bomb" was animated by Hiroshi Kawasaki, who later worked on "Spriggan," an action anime I loved, so it had the closest art style to "AKIRA," which I enjoyed. "Cannon Fodder" felt like a Katsuhiro Otomo band cinema version, which was exciting.
Around this time, I noticed something about animators. The names of the animators on theatrical anime staff were all the same people, and hadn't changed muchā¦ for many years.
Back in the days of "AKIRA," I thought Japan had a ton of incredibly talented animators, but now I'm starting to wonder if there really aren't that manyā¦?
ā¦I was strangely convinced that there were only a few monsters, but at the same time, I started worrying unnecessarily as an ordinary citizen who just likes anime, "What will happen to the quality of theatrical anime if these people disappear?" and I became anxious all by myself. A little while later, I learned that "NINKU," a Jump manga I'd always liked, was going to be made into an anime. I turned on the TV to watch the first episode while eating.
"I was shocked when I watched the opening. This art style is amazing! Here it comes!"
I was so captivated that I didn't even eat. While it has a similar stylized look to "Melos," it uses minimal lines, is simple yet incredibly three-dimensional, and is not overly elaborate. It's a style that's perfectly suited to a boys' magazine. Furthermore, the movements of the Sky Serpent Palm were cool. I was hooked.
To absorb the art style of character designer Tetsuya Nishio, I bought a setting book for the children's anime "NINKU" and began copying it. I watched "NINKU: The Tombstone of the Knife" many times. Then I drew a manga called "Karakuri" and submitted it to Jump's Hop Step Award, winning an honorable mention. It was a work influenced by Tetsuya Nishio.
After that, I tried to watch anime to follow Tetsuya Nishio's work, but time passed without me knowing which works he was involved in.
Around this time, Ken Ishii's music video that aired on MTV became quite a sensation. The clip, created by Koji Morimoto, who was the main animator for "AKIRA," features 3D layers with the background as a texture. The background animation moves accurately from a subjective perspective, creating an animation that feels more spatial. Furthermore, the layered lighting and thick, layered imagery create a visual style unlike anything I'd ever seen before. I watched this over and over again and became completely hooked.
And then there's another one. The mega-hit anime, "Evangelion." Even my friends who don't usually watch anime were raving about it. Despite being a TV series, it had the same level of effort as "Wings of Honneamise," and I was surprised by its theatrical-movie-level quality. However, at the time, the art style felt different, but I overlooked it.
After graduating from university and working on storyboards for my manga series, I made sure to watch at least one movie a day. For anime, I watched "AKIRA" and "Ghost in the Shell" almost daily, alternating between them. I'd watch one of them once after waking up, and that's how my day began. It was to get myself motivated. Then I'd watch "NINKU." I especially the opening over and over again.
Around this time, the theatrical anime I was looking forward to was "Steamboy," but there was hardly any information about it, and it never seemed to be completed, so I was worried it might be shelved. I learned that Tatsuya Sotogawa, whose name always appeared on the list of my favorite animation episodes, was the animation director, and I was really looking forward to it, but it never came out. At that time, I saw a comment in the serialized column āUrarochi Diamondā by Koji Morimotoāwho had served as the lead animator on "AKIRA"āin a magazine mentioning that "Noiseman Sound Insect" was showing at Tachikawa Cinema City in Tokyo. So I rushed from rural Okayama to Tokyo. I used the precious research funds Shueisha had given me for the trip, I was incredibly excited.
The woman at the ticket counter said, "Noiseman Sound Insect finished showing yesterdayā¦"
Me: "Huhā¦?" It had already finished showing.
Me: "Then do you have anything at all! Like a pamphlet or something?"
My intense demeanor made the ticket counter lady recoil, but she still spoke to the cinema staff and found a small pamphlet of "Noiseman" for me. I can't forget, even if I wanted to, that a bird pooped on my bag as I headed to the station, feeling dejected. It was truly adding insult to injury; even I, a generally mild-mannered person, lost my temper and wiped away the poop while crying. At this point, I became determined to see "Noiseman Sound Insect," and that desire grew stronger each day.
Some time later, Pioneer released a DVD player. A DVD was included as a first-come, first-served pre-order bonus, and it contained "Noiseman Sound Insect." I pre-ordered the DVD player, which cost 80,000 yen at the time, and finally obtained the bonus "Noiseman Sound Insect."
The background video was an even more powerful version of Ken Ishii's video clip. And then, a character that instantly zooms out in a single shot. The digital age had truly arrived in animation.
Shortly after this, I believe it was for the Sega Saturn, the game "Ghost in the Shell" came out. It included an animated segment, with a shot of a Fuchikoma rolling across the water while the camera panned. The Fuchikoma, rolling along with the rippling water and splashes, moved precisely in sync with the camera's pan.
"No way! How did they draw that?!"
That's when I realized the power of digital technology. While catching a glimpse of this "new era" of animation, I watched "Princess Mononoke," became convinced of the power of digital, and then, upon hearing that there was a new film directed by Hiroyuki Okiura, which made me even more excited.
"I can't wait to see it!"
However, this film was also delayed for quite some time. During this period without major theatrical anime releases, Hiroshi Kawai's "Spriggan" was finally released, and I went to the theater. With action after action, I thoroughly enjoyed it as an exhilarating anime.
While all this was going on, the serialization of "NARUTO" was decided, and things got hectic, leaving me with absolutely no time to watch anime.
However, I was looking forward to watching Hiroyuki Okiura's new work. Around that time, when my assistant found out that I hadn't seen "Evangelion" yet, he said that if you're in this industry, not having time isn't an excuse. He said I absolutely had to watch it! So I did. It was indeed wonderful. Not only was the artwork excellent, but the story structure was also skillful. The various design sensibilities were also fantastic.
Amidst the unfamiliar world of "NARUTO" serialization, I finally went to see Hiroyuki Okiura's "Jin-Roh" in theaters. As expected, it was the art style and movement I loved, the characters' everyday acting was wonderful, and the poetic direction, cool gun action, and poignant romance were captivating. I was hooked.
And best of all, my favorite animator, Tetsuya Nishio, was suddenly credited as animation director. From the TV series, he was suddenly promoted to animation director for a major theatrical anime. The producer of "Jin-Roh," and of course, director Hiroyuki Okiura. They really know what they're doing! I was smug about it. Now, I want to scold myself, "Who do you think you are?!"
Around that time, I remember Koji Morimoto, who drew the serialized illustrations for the magazine "BIPASS," had drawn the duo Yuzu, and in the comments section of that issue, he mentioned he was working on a new anime adaptation of a certain manga. The outfits of the two characters in Yuzu's illustration resembled those of Shirokuro from "Tekkonkinkreet," so I told my assistant, "I wonder if 'Tekkonkinkreet' is coming?" Later, I was surprised to find out it really was. Furthermore, since it was going to be done in full 3DCG, I eagerly anticipated a major production.
While waiting for that major production and engrossed in the "NARUTO" manga, heard that my own "NARUTO" was going to be animated. I was overjoyed to learn that the production company was the same one that worked on my beloved "NINKU."
Now, I'll be honest: even though I should have been happy just to have my work animated, I was selfish back then.
The production company, director, and character designers had all been decided, and the anime adaptation of "NARUTO" had begun. But to be honest, even though it should have been a happy occasion, I was feeling down. The reason was that the production company's staff from the previous work had taken over "NARUTO," and it was starting in a direction that didn't feel like "NARUTO," and was different from what I had envisioned.
At that time, no one knew if this "NARUTO" anime would be a success, and no one imagined it would become popular overseas. I felt the same way, but deep down, I truly believed that this anime adaptation of "NARUTO" was the chance for "NARUTO" to become known overseas.
"AKIRA" and "Ghost in the Shell" were being called "Japanimation" and were beginning to receive high praise from overseas, and as "Jin-Roh" (which won an award at Annecy in France) demonstrated, truly skillful and enjoyable Japanese anime would be accepted by the world from now on.
I realized that a poorly drawn style, like that of the Naruto manga, wouldn't do it. I felt I needed the kind of amazing character designs from the Naruto anime that would guide me. While the story and direction were important, I felt the most crucial element was the character design.
So I went to the anime meeting and honestly expressed my feelings. However, the production company told me it would be difficult to change the character designers at that point.
They asked me who I thought would be good, and if there was anyone I wanted to ask, but I hesitated, saying it would be too selfish and that the person I wanted had already moved on to theatrical animationā¦ The production company urged me to be honest, so I decided to go for it.
"I want Tetsuya Nishio to do itā¦!"
At that moment, the people at the production company exchanged glances, made grim faces, and said, "Hmm." When I learned it was going to be an anime, I had imagined Tetsuya Nishio's Naruto, and for the opening animation, I had superimposed Tetsuya Nishio's art and movements while imagining 'NINKU'.
Me: "ā¦I guessā¦it's not going to happen, right?"
āI know itās ridiculous to ask someone whoās already reached the level of animation director for a theatrical anime to do character design for a TV series at this pointā¦ Though to be honest, I didnāt really think weād be able to ask Tetsuya Nishioā¦ā I said, fidgeting nervously, as I explained how much Iād always loved Tetsuya Nishioās artwork.
The production company staff also said that talent like Tetsuya Nishio doesn't come along very often, and that "NINKU -Ninja Scroll-" just happened to be lucky. Just as I was starting to accept this, Mr. Yahagi, the editor in charge at the time, said in a strong tone:
"Our writer is insisting on this, so can you please make it happen it?! I don't want to bring in someone higher up than me here!"
For a moment, the meeting room fell silent, but the production company staff agreed that if we insisted, they would contact Tetsuya Nishio, and the meeting was adjourned. The production company staff left the room looking truly dejected, but Mr. Yahagi's words made me happy.
They must have thought the writer and editor of "NARUTO" were difficult people to work with. But even if they disliked us, if Tetsuya Nishio could do the character designs, that was a small thing. A little while later, Mr. Yahagi contacted me in his usual manner, saying that it had been decided that Tetsuya Nishio would do the character designs, and I pumped my fist in the air and cried a little. However, I was told that only Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura would be designed by Tetsuya Nishio.
Even just that made me incredibly happy. It was like a dream come true to have my characters designed by Tetsuya Nishio, an animator I'd admired since my student days. And above all, I never imagined I'd get to see Tetsuya Nishio's pencil sketches.
Then, Tetsuya Nishio said he would do a few more characters. Furthermore, the production company understood my preferred art style, and Hirofumi Suzuki, who worked on the animation for "Jin-Roh," joined as a new character designer.
"It was like adding fuel to the fire."
When I saw their incredibly skillful and beautiful designs, I knew it could go global. I was convinced that Tetsuya Nishio and Hirofumi Suzuki would take "NARUTO" to the world stage. And then, finally, the "NARUTO" anime began.
For the first episode's opening, all the staff dressed up in suits and I had cake ready to watch. What a fantastic opening! The animators who worked on the opening were all amazing. The name Kishimoto Masashi appeared in the opening credits. And then, Tetsuya Nishio's name was there. It reminded me of the old days when I envied Mitsuji Kiriyama when I saw the opening credits for "NINKU." It was a strange feeling, realizing that dreams really do come true.
Choosing voice actors for anime is incredibly important. They breathe life into the characters, making them living beings. They are truly the heart of the characters. The most difficult part is finding actors who are not only skilled but also have a voice that suits the character. To be honest, it's hard to find someone like that. I felt that way when I was selecting the voice actors for "NARUTO."
"I initially thought it would be much easier to decide, but I was completely wrong."
Choosing the voice actors for an anime was incredibly important. They breathe life into the characters, making them living beings. They are truly the heart of the characters. The most difficult part is finding someone who is not only a skilled actor but also possesses a voice that suits the character. Honestly, such people are hard to find. I felt this way when I was selecting the voice actors for NARUTO.
At first, I thought it would be much easier, but I was completely wrong.
We needed someone with a voice that matched Naruto's age, someone who could truly grasp the character of Naruto and portray him effectively. Many people auditioned, but only Junko Takeuchi fit the bill.
He's foolish but cunning, harbors darkness, always puts on a false bravery, wants to be pampered but can't be honest, and often yellsā¦ it's difficult. In fact, in Naruto's case, it was relatively easy to choose, but what would have happened without Junko Takeuchi? I don't even want to imagine.
For Sasuke, only Noriaki Sugiyama fit the bill. Sasuke is cool but also shouts and yells, making his voice intonation a challenging aspect of the character. If you're not careful, you might lose your coolness.
Sakura's first difficult line is "Shannaro!" She doesn't need to be overly feminine; she needs to be straightforward but cheerful, with a crisp, understated quality when she's being tough and when she's trying to be cuteā¦ The perfect person for this was Chie Nakamura.
Although I've written a lot about the characters here, ultimately, it was based on intuition, and I chose the actors who conveyed that feeling.
For Kakashi, there was no question; Kazuhiko Inoue was the only choice. Kakashi's face is almost completely hidden, with only his right eye visible, so everything depends on the actor's performance. Even though Kakashi's character is entirely left up to the actor, Kazuhiko Inoue immediately understood, expanded on the character in his own way, and performed with many quick adjustments and ideas. Conversely, we were pulled along by Kazuhiko Inoue's performance, and he gave us the image of making Kakashi speak and move. Kakashi has become an incredibly popular character, but he never panders to the audience. Despite being an adult, he portrays small, mature growth within that context.
Many wonderful actors have portrayed the various characters in "NARUTO". The antagonists in "NARUTO" often have dual personalities, making them difficult to portray. Because it's a serialized manga, it's hard to see the characters' true feelings, making them difficult to fully grasp. Even so, the actors managed to construct the characters, performing at the very edge of their abilities, making them suitable for either side of the story.
Every time I see the staff credits at the end, I realize it's the result of the hard work of the many staff members who create "NARUTO" every week despite the tight schedule. While I don't usually have many opportunities to meet the anime staff, it became customary to meet them at the wrap-up parties for the Naruto movies.
The animators I admired and watched since childhood, whose work I mentioned in the anime's origin history, are now drawing "NARUTO." And I'm actually able to meet them.
"I've never been this happy."
As I've said in an interview somewhere, I'm one of the earliest manga artists who was most influenced by anime. "NARUTO," born from such a manga artist, has been supported by many wonderful staff members, and the anime has reached its fifteenth anniversary. I never thought it would last this long, but that's entirely due to the support of the many people who have cheered on "NARUTO."
"This, too, is the greatest happiness."
I was surprised when I casually watched the "NARUTO -THE LAST-" movie in the theater. After the ending credits, there was a preview for the "BORUTO -BORUTO-" movie, scheduled for August of next year.
I must not have been listening carefully to what the person in charge was saying, because I knew there would be a "BORUTO -BORUTO-" movie, but I didn't know when it would be released.
(Only eight months?) There's even less time than with "THE LAST". I have to finish the script quickly, otherwise the animators won't have enough time to draw. There's no time to savor the afterglow of the movie. I immediately started working on solidifying the image.
Immediately after the "NARUTO" manga series ended, I was asked to write the script for the "BORUTO" movie. Unlike with "NARUTO", the characters were still new, so neither the staff nor the scriptwriters knew what kind of characters they were. In the end, it became clear that no one but me could write it, so I ended up writing the script.
After the Jump Festa stage event in December, the main staff gathered for a meeting where I explained the general flow of the film and what I wanted to convey. At this time, we firmly decided on Boruto's special move; the rest was up to my script.
I started by rereading the scriptwriting books I usually read. Movies have time constraints, so the structure is different from a serialized manga with page layouts. Because I didn't have much time, I secretly discussed things with my editor, Mr. Otsuki, and without even taking a break for the New Year, I finally completed the first draft of the script at the beginning of February.
I wrote the script meticulously, minimizing explanatory dialogue, paying attention to the characters' performances and the pauses between scenes, and carefully building up the dialogue exchanges in a script-like manner. To avoid relying on dialogue, I needed metaphorsāobjects that conveyed meaning beyond the words themselves. When I decided on Naruto's tattered jacket as the metaphor, I knew it would work.
And even more importantly, I paid attention to the time allocation of the structure. I didn't want to create any scenes that dragged on. After that, we refined the script by cutting out overly long scenes and lines of dialogue with the director and producer.
Unlike manga, movies are something everyone creates together.
Producer Matsui made the precise decision to clearly state what this story was about in the opening scene showing Naruto's back, and Director Yamashita added meaningful scenes such as Hinata seeing Boruto off and inserting flashbacks during the "Rasengan," and the final scene where he bandages Boruto's right hand.
The storyboards involved an incredible number of veteran animators, and the animation was done by equally unbelievable people.
For the music, I specifically asked KANA-BOON, who did the opening theme "Silhouette" for the TV anime. When I heard "Silhouette," I was immediately moved by the lyrics. Using Konoha as a metaphor, it truly became a song about "NARUTO." And the melody had a sense of exhilaration, like hopping and jumping. It felt like I'd encountered Asian Kung-Fu Generation again.
The movie's theme song, "Diver," was exactly Boruto's. I couldn't believe how much they took our wishes into account when creating it, and I even felt apologetic.
For the actor auditions, we selected actors who were skilled at acting and whose natural voices shone through, rather than those who used fabricated voices, and we asked them to perform in a style closer to live-action dubbing than anime.
Sound director Yasunori Ebina and recording director Chiharu Kamio carefully considered the balance of the voices of Boruto, Sarada, and Mitsuki, and in the film itself, they played the signature theme song from Yaiba at the perfect timing to create excitement. Sound played a very important role in the direction of "BORUTO."
Thanks to the efforts of all the staff, despite having only eight months to produce it, we achieved the best possible result.
"I truly felt that we couldn't make anything better than this."
Thanks to all of you for coming to the theaters, the movie did very well, and weāve even been able to launch a new TV anime series.
I would be happy if today's children enjoy watching "NARUTO" and "BORUTO" just as much as I did when I was a child and enjoyed watching anime.
