The Naruto creator, Masashi Kishimoto, is never one to appeal to Western audiences. That is pretty evident with his Japanese mythology heavy lore in the series, the gravity of which maybe only the market in Japan will appreciate. However, there was one time Kishimoto had compromised on changing Naruto for the sake of Western audiences.

In an anime-themed event in France, Kishimoto was present, along with Mikio Ikemoto, the creator of Naruto’s successor Boruto. In their segment, the Naruto creator discussed the international success garnered by the series and how it was impacted by the anime adaptation rather than the original manga series.

Kishimoto Hired a Specific Animator for Naruto’s Anime Adaptation Naruto Uzumaki in Naruto. [Credit: Studio Pierrot]

Masashi Kishimoto handpicked an animator that would allegedly appeal more to a Western audience. During the event, he confessed he hadn’t heard a lot about the international success of...