Misaki Kido of Weekly SHONEN JUMP Alpha recently had a chance to interview legendary mangaka Masashi Kishimoto. Part 1 of the interview revealed how Kishimoto Sensei first got into manga and the recent events in his personal life that impacted Naruto. In Part 2 of our exclusive interview, Kishimoto Sensei shares his thoughts on the current story arc in Naruto and his take on digital manga.

Q: Currently, there is a major war brewing in Naruto with a multitude of characters from the past and present. How do you feel about war? And what are the challenges of depicting such an epic event in manga?

Masashi Kishimoto: There are a lot characters who are involved in the current war in the world of Naruto. I want to pay a lot of attention to every character while drawing them, but I have to omit some points. So it is difficult to make a judgment on what to omit and what to show

Also, war is a difficult theme to write about. I grew up in Okayama, which is right next to Hiroshima. My grandparents went through the terror of war, and I know from their stories that the war was built up on people’s grudges.

But you can’t just look at the current state and criticize it as being simply wrong, because every little thing in our history causes the build-up towards war, and when it reaches its limit, it breaks out. So even in the manga, it wouldn’t be believable unless I carefully elaborate on the war’s background.

As my grandfather taught me, I believe that “war is never the right answer,” but I also understand that there will always be war. I feel lucky that I grew up in a generation that didn’t experience war. However, there are certain things that only my generation can tell in a story, and I can tell it from my own perspective. Even though it’s fiction, I want to make people feel like that there is still hope.

To read the rest of this interview in this week's SJ Alpha (February 6th issue)! For more members-only exclusives, become an SJ Alpha member today!

Related Links:
MASASHI KISHIMOTO Interview Part 1
MASASHI KISHIMOTO Creator Sketch Video
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