What is Naruto?
Naruto (NARUTO - ナルト -, Naruto) is a Japanesemanga series written and illustrated by Masashi Kishimoto with an anime adaptation. The main character, Naruto Uzumaki, is a loud, hyperactive, unpredictable adolescent ninja who constantly searches for recognition and aspires to become a Hokage, the ninja in the village acknowledged as the leader and the strongest of all.
Kishimoto first authored a one-shot of Naruto in the August 1997 issue of Akamaru Jump. The plot differed substantially in that Naruto was the son of the demon fox instead of being the container, and the story was placed in a more modern setting. This early version of Naruto already had the ability to transform into a sexy young woman - but when he did so, a fox tail sprouted. Kishimoto then rewrote the story to its current form, which was first published by Shueisha in 1999 in the 43rd issue of Japan's Shonen Jump magazine. As of volume 36, the manga has sold over 71 million copies in Japan. Viz Media publishes a translated version in the American Shonen Jump magazine. Naruto has become Viz's best-selling manga series. To date, the first 24 volumes are available. In order to catch up to the translated anime, Viz plans to release volumes 16 to 27 three at a time over the months of September to December 2007.
The first of two anime series, produced by Studio Pierrot and Aniplex, premiered across Japan on the terrestrialTV Tokyo network and the anime satellite television network Animax on October 3, 2002, and is still being aired. Viz also licensed the anime for North American production. Naruto debuted in the United States on Cartoon Network's Toonami programming block on September 10, 2005, and in Canada on YTV'sBionix on September 16, 2005. Naruto began showing in the UK on Jetix on July 22, 2006. It began showing on Toasted TV on January 12, 2007 in Australia, which features the German dub opening, although it could be watched on Cartoon Network in 2006. The first series lasted nine seasons, while Naruto: Shippūden began its first on February 15, 2007.
Who Creates Naruto?
The Naruto manga is drawn by Masashi Kishimoto. Kishimoto was born in the Okayama Prefecture, Japan in 1974. He gained early acclaim with his work Karakuri. Later in 1997 he would develop an early incarnation of Naruto for Akamaru Jump. The manga would formally begin in 1999 in Weekly Shonen Jump, gaining a large fan following. Kishimoto is not alone in drawing the series, he has assistants who share various drawing duties. These individuals are:
Kazuhiro Takuhashi - Focuses on solid blacks in hair and clothing, fills in the half-tone areas and completes the background art.
Osamu Kazisa - Works similar to Takuhashi, also good at creating speedlines, special effects and plant-life.
Mikio Ikemoto - Works on crowds and background figures, also adds white to speed lines, characters eyes and highlights. Also cleans up the page by whiting out any art which goes out of the panel. Also adds in half-tones.
Takemi Kawahara - Has a hand in most everything in the drawing process.
