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Kishimoto Admits to Being Trash with Female Characters in Numerous Interviews ~ Get the Tea Here.

Honeyboca

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I was sifting through Naruto related threads and it got me fired up for Kishimoto dragging! We shall begin, ladies.

1. Late-2014 Interview Alongside Kosuke Yahagi for 'Weekly Shonen Jump'

Context: In late 2014 Kishimoto shared a Q & A session with his first editor at Shonen Jump, Yahagi Kosuke. The two talked about how Kishimoto first took to manga, worked to fulfill his professional dream, and got started in the industry. Since the beginnings of Naruto were discussed, the topic of Sasuke and Sakura’s addition would naturally be discussed. Kishimoto elaborates on his initial plans for the characters.

Excerpt from Interview:

WSJ: Sasuke and Sakura make their appearance in chapter 3.

KISHIMOTO: Yahagi-san told me to focus on the main character in the first two chapters. And then to use chapter 3 onward to establish the rival and heroine and create a love-triangle relationship between the characters. I’m no good with female characters, so I wasn’t planning on this initially. But once I established the triangle, it became a lot easier to create the chapters after that. I was surprised by how good that advice was. And that’s why I tend to listen to what he tells me. Then again, one time he argued with me for six hours to convince me to take his advice. He’s very persuasive, so sometimes I have no choice.

Link: . Openly admitting to being trash with women and girls in a story, is he not ashamed?

2. 2006 US Interview with Shonen Jump

Context: In a two-part, 2006 US Interview with Shonen Jump (USA), Kishimoto at one point was asked a question about Rock Lee and Sakura. SJ asked whether the fact that these two characters were seemingly born without special powers resonated with readers and if those factors led to their respective levels of popularity.

Excerpt from Interview:

Shonen Jump: Sakura and Rock Lee don’t appear to have any of the special powers that ninja like Naruto, Sasuke, or Gaara have—do you think those two characters are popular because they provide a kind of reader’s-eye view of the story as it unfolds?

Masashi Kishimoto: Is Sakura popular in the U.S.? Well, Lee only has Taijutsu. And as a girl, Sakura is physically weaker than the others. So I can see why it’s easy to empathize with them. They represent human weaknesses.

Link not found but overall source will be linked below. That last sentence, well damn.

3. 2009 Interview with Naruto Collector

Context: It appears this is a real source, as Naruto Collector is/was a real magazine and there were images of the pages shown that held the text. The mangaka was asked a few rapid-fire odd-ball questions.

Excerpt from Interview:

NC: We know a lot about Naruto, Itachi, Gaara and Kakashi, but does Sakura have dark secrets we don’t know about yet?

MK: She’s a normal girl, so I haven’t given it much thought.

Link: Thread on Naruto Forums. "I haven't given it much thought." woah, Kishi neglecting his main heroin?

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4. Late 2009: At the Infamous Jump Festa 2010

Context Summary: Kishimoto was asked a few things about the Kage Summit Arc, which was going on at the time. The discussion naturally veered toward Sakura and her false confession. The mangaka referred to her as “that chick,” which even shocked the interviewer. Kishimoto also said that he was writing Sakura like “a realistic girl,” and did not dispute the notion that Sakura was being a detestable person. He also threw in a remark about Hinata being more of a heroine than Sakura was by that point. Note: the word “aitsu”, is genderless but normally used for guys in a very colloquial way (read: not polite). When referring to a guy, it’s “that guy” or “he”, and to a girl would be something like “that chick” or “she”, but of course in a slightly impolite manner.

Translated Excerpts from Interview:

Each voice actor asked questions to Kishimoto-sensei. As one might expect, Nakamura (Sakura's voice actress) asked about what was upcoming with Sakura.

Kishimoto: “Honestly, from the standpoint of showing a female-like disposition, she hasn’t been much of a heroine. You could even say that Hinata’s more of a heroine than her. But since as we know, Sakura is a heroine deep inside, she’ll show that side of hers from now on.”

Nakamura-san started off with something like, “With the latest developments, Sakura has…”.

Kishimoto said something like that chick (Takeuchi reacted to that “that chick” lol) is detestable for using Naruto’s good will, but, well that’s just how I’d think to write a realistic girl.

You hear all the time that Sakura is a detestable person, but that’s what seems to be the intention.

Kishimoto: “Since Sakura is the heroine”, “I’ll be writing from now on to show her with that disposition”.

Link: http://www.narutoforums.com/showthread.php?t=576454. Kishimoto openly expresses how he screwed up with Sakura's character. To him the normal girl is detestable and uses people's good will, I'm done with this man.

5. Details from a 2014 Kobyashi Interview

Context: The interview in question went over a number of topics surrounding the manga and Kishimoto’s decision-making. Among the many topics Kishimoto addressed during the interview was Sakura’s perception and romance. The part that deals with Sakura’s character also concerns Hinata, in terms of popularity and Kishimoto’s intention for fan reception. The mangaka said that he felt that Hinata — who became far more popular than Sakura — had become the “true heroine,” so he brought her and Naruto closer together at one point during the war. Kishimoto was shocked by how unpopular Sakura was, even by girls, as early as Part 1. The mangaka tried to raise Sakura’s popularity by making her prettier.

Loosely Summarized Excerpts from Interview:

22:55 ish begins the shitstorm section about Sakura…
24:08 Asks about her family. Since she wasn’t as well received by the readers (popularity-wise), he decided not to expand upon her background. Though Kishimoto himself likes her character, and tries to draw her beautifully.

This is what I think I can hear, Kishi really does say that Sakura wasn’t popular, and that’s the reason why her family wasn’t elaborated on. Kishi agrees with the interviewer’s reconstruction of his answer and laughs.
  • 25:52, if I'm hearing it right, says that Hinata didn't have as many appearances as Sakura, but had a better reception (popularity). He wondered if she should be the heroine instead.

  • The parts I'm more sure that I can hear. Roughly it sounds to me like Hinata rose in popularity even though she wasn't drawn much, like the exposure that Sakura gets. Kishi says perhaps he better make Hinata the heroine instead, because it seemed like she was closer to the position (like by the end)
Link: . The thing is if Hinata was the heroin from the jump Kishimoto would have probably found a way to fµck up her character too. I think all of the girls apart of Konoha 12 (Sakura, Tenten, Hinata, and Ino) were done dirty.

6. Taken from a Thread on NarutoPedia (by KirinNOTKarin98)

Context: Since the following excerpt is part of an extensive summary, it has plenty of its own context.

Summary Excerpt from Interview:

On Sakura’s popularity & character – Kobayashi then asks about Sakura. Kishimoto says he tried to write her more realistically [than other characters], and tried to show a girl’s ‘real’ self/ feelings [through inner Sakura]. He thought she would appeal to female fans, but was surprised when she actually became hated. Kobayashi asks if there was a lot of Sakura hate and Kishimoto says there was, and even young girls told him they hate her. Kishimoto said that he continued on regretting Sakura’s character. Kobayashi apologizes for bringing up the painful memories as Kishimoto apologizes for tailing off (lol).

Kobayashi said that his team were discussing in a meeting why Sakura’s family was never written. He says that they eventually appeared in a movie, but not in the manga. Even when all the parents are shown along with their children during the war, and even random relatives are shown, Sakura’s parents aren’t seen. He says that they came across like a civilian family and kind of made Sakura seem on the side-lines. He asks Kishimoto why this is, and Kishimoto replies that, honestly speaking, Sakura was that unpopular that even if he expanded on her… (nb. He tails off in what he’s saying). Kobayashi reiterates Kishimoto’s statement, and Kishimoto tells him that’s right, to which Kobayashi laughs.

Kobayashi asks if it was too late to drop her, and Kishimoto says that he just had to persevere with her, and thought about how to raise her popularity. In the 4th volume, a cover page shows her with Katsuyu, so this was the direction he tried to work in. In later volumes, he tries to draw her more beautifully. On the cover page of Vol 66, he drew Sasuke and Naruto quickly, but with Sakura he took a long time to draw her beautifully and was using source materials as guides. But he says that in the end no one really took notice (it had no effect), and Hinata’s popularity just kept going up on its own.

Kishimoto explains that Hinata, like Sakura, never really did anything but her popularity just kept going up and up, so part way through the story he started to wonder whether he should make her the main heroine instead, or at least gradually write her into the direction of the heroine.

Link: Kobayashi Interview with Kishimoto: Extensive Summary | Fandom. How do you mess up one of your main characters SO badly that the only way you feel you can continue to go through with them is to either get rid of them or 'preserve with' them.

7. Shōnen Jump Podcast: NYCC Interview With Kishimoto

Interviewer: “Who is your favorite female character, and why?”

Kishimoto: Does this mean within my own Naruto?

Interviewer: Yeah.

Kishimoto: You know, I’m a little shy having to mention a character that I myself created. Euhm… I guess… Maybe I should say Hinata.
Yeah, I think I’ll go with Hinata.

Interviewer: (laughs) Oh, Naruto-kun.

Translator: Why?

Kishimoto: Why? Eh… Hmmm… I guess it’s because she’s not violent at all?

Interviewer: (laughs)

Kishimoto: Yeah, Sakura… she’s kind of a hard woman. (laughs)

Interviewer: (laughs) That’s Sasuke’s problem now.

Kishimoto: (laughs) Yeah, you’re right.

Interviewer: (laughs) He deals with it by not being home.

(everybody laughs)

The fact that they can laugh at Sasuke leaving his wife and his child for 12 years and pass it off as "this is how you deal with crazy women!". Masashi Kishimoto is a SICK man.

Link: ‎Weekly Shonen Jump Podcast on Apple Podcasts.
Link to the article: Sexism in Naruto: From Kishimoto’s Lips

Let's discuss. *Big sigh*




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Caremel44

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Majority of Shonen authors can go kick dust. Women write Shonen much better like FMA. All men do is copy each other with basically the same characteristics, power ups, and the female characters whose only defining trait is being in love and obsessed. He’s already ruined Boruto he just needs to retire. People get tired of the same sexist BS all of the time. Besides being sexist he’s a sh!tty writer with good ideas that he can’t communicate well. You can tell with all the plot holes and characters being OC sometimes.
 

Honeyboca

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Majority of Shonen authors can go kick dust. Women write Shonen much better like FMA. All men do is copy each other with basically the same characteristics, power ups, and the female characters whose only defining trait is being in love and obsessed. He’s already ruined Boruto he just needs to retire. People get tired of the same sexist BS all of the time. Besides being sexist he’s a sh!tty writer with good ideas that he can’t communicate well. You can tell with all the plot holes and characters being OC sometimes.

forever hoping for shounen for girls and women (diff name). written by women, female protagonists only with majority female characters. and it'll take certain elements of shojo to not lose a bit of that femininity. manifesting !
 

crownflora

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sadly, this is pretty much par for the course with shounen manga and mangakas. i love naruto but the misogynistic and racist bµllsh!t in there makes me wanna choke kishimoto.
 

Caremel44

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forever hoping for shounen for girls and women (diff name). written by women, female protagonists only with majority female characters. and it'll take certain elements of shojo to not lose a bit of that femininity. manifesting !
I’m hoping something new as well pops up. I’m not sure if it counts as Shonen but Burn the witch is good if you like Bleach, and Blood + are good shows with female leads if you haven’t seen them.
 

Doujinhigh

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sadly, this is pretty much par for the course with shounen manga and mangakas. i love naruto but the misogynistic and racist bµllsh!t in there makes me wanna choke kishimoto.

Agreed I love it for the nostalgia but looking back man what a crap story. don't get me started on burrito
 

Triela

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forever hoping for shounen for girls and women (diff name). written by women, female protagonists only with majority female characters. and it'll take certain elements of shojo to not lose a bit of that femininity. manifesting!
More shoujo should take shounen's advice by decentering romance and branch out to different genres. Shoujo can be action packed while still being feminine, but the closest is seinen magical girls.
 

Honeyboca

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More shoujo should take shounen's advice by decentering romance and branch out to different genres. Shoujo can be action packed while still being feminine, but the closest is seinen magical girls.

thank you! way too much fµck!ng romance and high school dRamA like do they think that's all girls should care about lol.
 

Knnyght

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Majority of Shonen authors can go kick dust. Women write Shonen much better like FMA. All men do is copy each other with basically the same characteristics, power ups, and the female characters whose only defining trait is being in love and obsessed. He’s already ruined Boruto he just needs to retire. People get tired of the same sexist BS all of the time. Besides being sexist he’s a sh!tty writer with good ideas that he can’t communicate well. You can tell with all the plot holes and characters being OC sometimes.
While I agree, Kohei Horikoshi does his female characters justice, in my opinion.
 

Moanna

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The only thing I respect is that he didn't sexualize the underage female characters. I know some of these managakas out here would've had 13 year old Sakura, Hinata, and Ino in thot wear and giving fanservice.
 

Purple1252011

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The only thing I respect is that he didn't sexualize the underage female characters. I know some of these managakas out here would've had 13 year old Sakura, Hinata, and Ino in thot wear and giving fanservice.
Sarada has been sexualized in the manga tho… she’s in that short dress with a scarf tied around her neck and is wearing heels. People were not having it early in since it’s not practical ninja attire.
 

Moanna

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Sarada has been sexualized in the manga tho… she’s in that short dress with a scarf tied around her neck and is wearing heels. People were not having it early in since it’s not practical ninja attire.
Kishimoto is not in charge of Boruto for the most part. The one currently illustrating and the one who designed Sarada's thotty outfit is Mikio Ikemoto.
 

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