Where dreams lead, or the success story of the mangaki Masashi Kishimoto

Japanese mangaka Masashi Kishimoto is known throughout the world. For the most part, the reason for this was his multi-volume manga called "Naruto", which is published in almost all languages of the world. However, what do we know about the author himself? How difficult was his way to success? And is there any worthy work in the arsenal of mangaka?

Young Kishimoto Masashi

November 8, 1974 in Okayama, one of the prefectures of Japan, a small miracle happened - twin boys were born. Kishimoto's older family named Masashi, and the younger one - Seisi. At that time no one knew that in the future the children will have a great future, united by a common passion. But let's talk about everything in order.

Remembering the past, Masashi Kishimoto's parents with a smile say that their son began to paint his first works in the kindergarten. Then these were just sketches of what he saw around: small bugs, trees, animals and vague portraits of people. However, it took Masashi to grow up a bit, and his skill at times improved.

The young artist entered school in 1981. Around the same time, Kishimoto Masashi took the manga for the first time. According to the writer himself, his first read comic book was Doctor Slamp. At the same time, this work inspired Masashi so much that he already clearly realized what he wanted to become in the future.

However, after entering secondary school, the boy abandoned drawing. The reason for this was the new passion of Masashi Kishimoto - baseball. The sports game has so carried away the young man that he stopped thinking about anything else. It should be noted that Kishimoto was a member of the local baseball team and even traveled with her to regional school competitions.

And again in pursuit of the old dream

The turning point was 1988. Speaking at regular competitions in baseball, Masashi Kishimoto saw a poster of a new manga called "Akira". The author drew him an unusual, colorful style that immediately flashed the boy in the eye. It was then that Masashi finally understood one simple truth - more than anything he wants to be a mangaka.

Initially, the young artist tried to imitate that style of drawing that he saw on the pages of the new book. Masashi Kishimoto was sure that only this way he could become a great mangaka. However, over the years, he became more and more aware of the fact that he needed his own style and inspiration.

Therefore, with the transition to senior school, Masashi Kishimoto began to work hard to improve his skills. Moreover, he wanted to take part in the prestigious Japanese writers' contest. Alas, then his first job was not tested by his parents, which is why the young artist decided to step back from his idea.

First recognition

After graduating from the school in 1993, Masashi Kishimoto entered the art college. Such a choice is quite obvious, because mangaka no longer wanted to rely on the opinions of others, and therefore he needed to gain genuine confidence in his abilities. Therefore, he successfully passed the entrance exams and enrolled in one of the best colleges in Japan.

It should be noted that Masashi on the fly seized new material, thanks to which quickly won the appreciation of teachers. His craving for knowledge was phenomenal, and it was only a passion for drawing that could surpass her. That is why, at the end of the second year, he decides to try his luck again and put his work on the competition for young mangak.

And in 1995, at the Hop Step Award, Kishimoto presents to the world his manga called "Mechanism" (the original name is Karakuri). And although some aspects of his skill were still criticized, the debutant's victory was unconditional.

Great work of mangaka

However, despite the loud victory, the next few years were difficult for Masashi Kishimoto. All the prestigious editorial offices refused to work with the newcomer and rejected his ambitious ideas. But mangaka did not give up and continued to draw comics, based on his vision of the world.

Thanks to this, in 1999, the first chapter of the story about a ninja boy named Naruto was published. The famous Japanese magazine Shonen Jump published this story. This character is so fond of readers that in October 2002, the same-name anime series was shot in a cycle of books. Such a furore led to the fact that everyone recognized the name of Masashi Kishimoto, who somehow had some connection with the world of manga.

It should be noted that the plot of Naruto stretched out for a long fifteen years. The last chapter of this story was written only in February 2015. In addition to Naruto, the mangaka painted a few more works. In particular, in 2013 he wrote a short story about a hired killer named Mario.

Interesting facts from the life of Masashi Kishimoto

It's amazing, but the younger brother of the artist Saisi is also a mangaka. At the same time, their relationship is felt not only in the style of drawing, but also in the plot features of the stories. And nevertheless, these two authors work separately, and each of them has its own fan club.

Another funny fact is that Masashi is afraid of monkeys. This is due to the fact that in childhood he was attacked by a flock of these animals. And although he did not suffer then, a strong emotional shock left an indelible mark.