What’s Next for Naruto’s Creator? A Sci-Fi Manga, Perhaps!

The epic manga story of Naruto was completed back in November 2014. We’ve been lucky enough to see follow-ups to the story in the form of The Last: Naruto the Movie, a 10-chapter Naruto: The Seventh Hokage and the Scarlet Spring manga mini-series, and Boruto: Naruto the Movie from series creator Masashi Kishimoto.

Now, the great manga author is planning his next series, a sci-fi manga, unrelated to Naruto.

I’ve already decided what I’m going to write about in my next work. I’m thinking of writing a science-fiction work. I’ve already finalized the character designs. I think the protagonist is one that hasn’t been seen before in manga, and while it’s me saying it, I think that the character is done very well.

I want to think once more about the difference between what I want to write and what readers are looking for when reading my works. I started thinking about this by writing Naruto and various one-shots. Naruto became an unexpected hit, but I want to make my next work a hit as well by actually aiming to do so.

I don’t know when I’ll announce my new work, but please wait for my challenge of a work that will surpass Naruto.

Kishimoto-sensei added in the interview that his new manga will mostly likely not be a weekly serialization, due to the strain put on him by the weekly Naruto serialization. He is, instead, learning toward a monthly a digital publication like Shuiesha’s Shonen Jump Plus since it allows for more freedom with page counts and publication dates.

At the premiere for Boruto: Naruto the Movie late last month, Boruto’s voice actress Yuko Sanpei commented she “wanted to see the films continue!” Kishimoto-sensei responded with a wry smile, “I can’t. Please let me rest now” and continued on to say it is “perfect. I’m just speaking for myself, but I’m enormously satisfied.” With this latest development of a new manga, we at Saiyan Island can only wonder is Kishimoto-sensei would reconsider his stance on Naruto and continue the epic story which brought him to fame.