Viral Video Claims Naruto Editor Saved the Series from Kishimoto Himself, Enraging Fans

Despite being one of the most beloved manga series to emerge from Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump magazine, Naruto has faced criticism from fans questioning the writing abilities of its creator, Masaki Kishimoto. Though the argument may seem unfounded, there are indications that support their doubts.

A video created by an individual has recently gained widespread attention. The evidence presented in the video suggests that manga creator Masashi Kishimoto may not be a strong writer. Furthermore, it argues that without the help of an editor, Naruto would not have achieved its status as part of the popular “Big 3″anime series.

Did the Naruto Editor Play a Key Role in Saving the Series from Masashi Kishimoto?

The Naruto editor did not single-handedly “save the series”created by manga creator Masashi Kishimoto. Although the editor may have played a significant role in improving the series, it is important to note that similar instances have occurred with other manga series.

The video details the alterations made by the Naruto editor, Masashi Kishimoto, to the series. These revisions encompassed the inclusion of a deuteragonist and rival for the protagonist, restrictions on Kishimoto’s ability to transform characters into animals, and the establishment of consistent names for jutsu in order to strengthen the world-building aspect, rather than having scattered techniques.

Team 7, as seen in the anime (Image via Studio Pierrot)

Undoubtedly, these alterations are significant to the narrative and serve as the basis for what elevated Naruto to a phenomenal series. Nevertheless, this does not necessarily imply that the editor single-handedly saved the series. In fact, there have been multiple cases where an editor has guided a manga towards a more favorable path.

Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball Z manga and Hajime Isayama’s Attack on Titan manga are two of the most well-known works in the series. It was revealed that Toriyama’s editor played a significant role in the development of the series, specifically in the Android Saga and Cell Saga. He was responsible for requesting multiple modifications to Cell’s character design, which Toriyama made numerous changes to.

Cell, as seen in Dragon Ball Z (Image via Toei Animation)

Despite plans to kill off Sasha in the early stages of the story, Isayama’s favorite character was saved thanks to the intervention of an editor. These changes proved to be crucial, but they in no way diminish the credibility of the manga creator.

How Fans Reacted to the Viral Video

Despite receiving criticism, fans quickly expressed their disagreement with the video’s viewpoint. They pointed out that it is impossible for a manga creator to be considered a “bad writer”while also successfully publishing a weekly serialized manga that has reached 700 chapters.

“He’s a good writer you sorta have to be to make a 700 chapter manga,”one fan said.

One person expressed their opinion that the video was not appropriate. However, if one were to agree with this reasoning and label Kishimoto as a subpar writer, it would also apply to Dragon Ball’s creator, Akira Toriyama, who has also received assistance from editors.

“I don’t think this video is right. By that logic, Toriyama is a bad writer too,”another added.

Samurai 8 manga by Masashi Kishimoto (Image via Shueisha)

According to one fan, no exceptional writer can create a story entirely on their own, which is precisely why they choose to employ editors.

“No writer can get the story right on their first try by themself. Even the greatest writers in history have editors,”another fan said.

“Samurai 8, the Manga Kishimoto wrote after Naruto was technically a flop from my understanding, do you think this is related in any way?,”other fan shared.

Despite this, there were still fans who chose to believe the viewpoint expressed in the viral video. This was due to the less successful reception of Masashi Kishimoto’s manga series Samurai 8, which was published after the end of Naruto manga. This caused some fans to view Naruto as a successful series solely because of the assistance Kishimoto received from talented editors.