Naruto Is a Huge Hit, But It Wouldn't Exist Without These Manga

While Naruto's Masashi Kishimoto has many series he is a fan of and has admitted to loving, four manga stands out for how much they influenced him and how much he talks about them. Not only did he grow up with these but he continuously referenced them and used them in his 15 years of making the hit ninja series.

Across the many interviews he has had, the many notes he made in the manga and the references he has made to other works of fiction from many media, Kishimoto has reiterated how much he is a fan of art. From Jojo's Bizarre Adventures, Kingdom, Slam Dunk, the Satoshi Kon movies, Forrest Gump, Harry Potter, and more, Kishimoto is engrossed in the entertainment world. However, a few manga have had an incredible impact on him more than anything else:Akira, Blade of the Immortal, Dragon Ball, YuYu Hakusho, and Hunter X Hunter.

Akira Is Kishimoto's Favorite Series

The Influence Of The Sci-fi Thriller On Naruto Is Evident

At a time when Kishimoto was about to quit art, a poster of Akira entranced him, and he looked at it for more than an hour. He was so moved and inspired by it that it reignited his passion for art, to the point that it negatively affected his school life. He not only views Otomo as the best artist, but he holds his storytelling equally in high regard. As the years went on and he became better at his craft, he never forgot about the series and he would constantly talk about it, with his recent interview in 2024 also featuring a few mentions of the series.

For anyone who has read Akira, the influence of the manga on Naruto is very obvious, particularly in the Land of Waves arc. Early Naruto's art featured sci-fi architecture, the character designs were very gritty, and the linework was rough, which was very similar to Akira. While he did find his style later on, many other scenes, like the Hidden Rain's architecture, felt very similar to this sci-fi hit that revolutionized the genre. It wouldn't be a stretch to say that Naruto is a love letter to Akira and Katsuhiro Otomo.

Naruto's Action Is Incredible Because of Blade of the Immortal

Kishimoto Studied the Samurai Manga Relentlessly

Kishimoto's inner fanboy of Samura and this samurai masterpiece is very evident in his interview with the veteran mangaka, where he revealed just how much he loved this manga. Before going with the ninja route, Kishimoto was thinking of making a samurai manga but after seeing the first chapter, he gave up on the genre and went with something else because of the difference in skill at the time. From then on, he went on to thoroughly study Samura's style, such as composition, paneling, layout, and more, by plastering two copies of each chapter on his wall to study it as much as possible.

It paid off, and Naruto's fight choreography is very similar to Blade of the Immortal's. The way Kishimoto zooms in and out, as well as switches the composition, was very cinematic and straight out of the samurai manga. Both manga take their time to make the readers understand exactly what the characters are doing. Furthermore, Iruka's design is based on Manji, the main character of the series, and Kakashi on Magatsu, another masked character. The dark and gritty samurai manga is an intense masterpiece in its own right, and it is no wonder Kishimoto took from it as much as possible to make Naruto the action legend it is.

Dragon Ball Revolutionized Shonen Itself

Toriyama's Work Stayed With Kishimoto Throughout His Career

It is very hard to find a shonen manga that was not influenced by Akira Toriyama's Dragon Ball in some way, and Kishimoto is one of the biggest fans of the series in the manga industry. He grew up reading Dr. Slump and then later Dragon Ball, and both these manga showed Kishimoto how fun manga and art could be. Toriyama's art that was both realistic and imaginative inspired Kishimoto, and many others, to draw like him, and the flow of the fights inDragon Ball became the standard in battle shonen.

Fans got to witness just how much Dragon Ball meant to Kishimoto when Akira Toriyama sadly passed away last year. For Kishimoto, someone who grew up in poverty and in the countryside, Dragon Ball (and Yu Yu Hakusho) kept him entertained and happy, and even many years after became a sensation, he still held the tales of Goku close in his heart. From the fan art he drew of the series and the many times he referenced it, Kishimoto is a Dragon Ball boy through and through.

Togashi Was a Creative Well For Naruto

The Brilliant Writer Taught Kishimoto a Lot About Manga

Yusuke Urameshi aims his spirit gun in the YuYu Hakusho anime — Yusuke Urameshi aims his spirit gun in the *YuYu Hakusho* anime.

Yu Yu Hakusho, the lesser-known but very popular manga of Yoshihiro Togashi was a hit in the 1990s and it particularly resonated with a young boy from Okayama. Yu Yu Hakusho was the inspiration for two of Naruto's most iconic aspects, namely the character design of Sasuke being based on Hiei and Naruto's Shadow Clone jutsu being inspired by Suzaku's Prism of Seven. There are many other similarities between the two series that while Kishimoto didn't confirm, were likely borrowed from one of his most beloved series.

...he showed me his workshop, the cycle of creating a manga, how to have a good work atmosphere and many other things.
- Kishimoto on Togashi.

Hunter X Hunter, Togashi's best and most famous work, is also something that Kishimoto absolutely loves. Both manga started at around the same time, and the way Togashi drew facial expressions was something Kishimoto loved and emulated. He also recreated Hunter X Hunter chapter 37's cover in Naruto chapter #400, drawing parallels between the relationships of Killua and Illumi, and Itachi and Sasuke. From the multiple interviews that Togashi and Kishimoto did together, it would be very accurate that Kishimoto is Togashi's protege and his student, and the way they write is very similar to each other, as noted by Togashi.

Like most manga and pieces of fiction, Naruto has had many works that influenced and made it the beloved manga that it is. These 5 manga aided Kishimoto in several moments in his life, both personally and professionally. Not only did he draw inspiration from the artistically but also writing-wise, and fans of the hit ninja series should definitely check them out, as it offers a lot that people have come to love from Naruto.

Source: Kishimoto and Togashi's interview, Kishimoto and Samura's interview, Kana interview with Kishimoto.