He initially thought that it won’t even last for 10 episodes, because shutting down like that is pretty common in Shonen Jump. But, ultimately, it grew to have 72 volumes. By the time Naruto ended, Shonen Jump wanted Kishimoto to keep going, but according to him, he put his foot down, and told them it was the right time. He also knew how he wanted the series to end. But was it exactly how he planned it would end?
Back in 2006, in Masashi Kishimoto’s very first English-language interview, for Shonen Jump Magazine’s US edition, he said he had the ending for Naruto perfectly visualized, the layout, the text, the scenes.
That was around 10 years before Naruto ended! But, even then, so many things change over time. However, Naruto ended exactly the way it was supposed to. According to Kishimoto himself, he ended Naruto just the way he wanted to.
He said, “Actually, it really was all in my head. I actually had envisioned that Naruto and Sasuke would make the seal of reconciliation in the valley of endings by the statues of First Hokage and Madara. I actually had visualized all that.”
It is pretty amazing that he ended it just the way he wanted. Very few get to do it that way. When there’s the pressure from Shonen Jump, it’s even harder. However, Kishimoto managed to pull it off.
Naruto did end there, but it also gave rise to a next generation of Shinobi. Boruto: Naruto Next Generations is the next big thing now. Kishimoto still has a part to play there, as he is the creator and the editor of the series after all.
What are you thoughts on the Boruto: Naruto Next Generations series? You can let me know in the comments section below! I’ll make sure to check your responses. See you guys soon!
