Michiyuki Honma, president of Naruto's Pierrot studio, said that Japanese anime should not aim to self-censor to gain popularity abroad, saying “there is no way foreigners would want to watch it.”
Honma spoke with Comic Natalie, where he shared about the overseas success of Naruto, Naruto Shippuden and Boruto: Naruto Next Generations. He said replicating this is difficult but it should not lead to certain compromises just to be successful. “It's difficult to create a work that is popular overseas or becomes a series,” he said. “Of course, aim for that somewhat, but if you make a cartoon with just that in mind, it becomes more and more boring: 'We're not going to let them smoke so we can bring it out. foreign country',” he said. “'We've got to tone down the violence a little bit. Avoid sexy expressions.' If Japanese animation was bound by such restrictions on expression, there's no way foreigners would want to watch it. Works that are popular in Japan are also successful abroad. I believe that we must not make mistakes when approaching the production of animated films. in the wrong way.”
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Naruto is less censored for violence and fanservice than some other Shonen anime of its time
The decision to create Naruto like this, with frequent use of brutality and fanservice, paid off. Naruto's success will “last for many years,” Honma said, adding, “A big movie like this will have a different revenue structure than a TV anime with only about a dozen episodes. I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to meet and create a wonderful work that will become a multi-year series.”
For many fans, Naruto was their introduction to anime, with some critics seeing the series as more than just a typical action film but boasting compelling drama and conflict. conflict between ideals. This is what Naruto director Hayato Date sought to create, seeking to create a period drama while letting the action staff 'do whatever they want'. Naruto also benefited greatly from significantly less censorship than its contemporary One Piece, whose “4Kids dub” was an infamous example of how censorship aimed at expanding its audience backfired. Production staff cited US laws regarding children's programming as the reason for the changes. Others add a disrespectful attitude towards the more appropriate media of the time, promoting certain decisions that might not be made today.
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Crunchyroll streams the Naruto anime, which will have a four-episode remake at an unconfirmed date. The series is officially described: “The village hidden in the leaves is home to the sneakiest ninja. But twelve years ago, a fearsome nine-tailed fox terrorized the village before it was subdued and its soul sealed in the body of a young boy. ”
Naruto
Naruto Uzumaki, a mischievous adolescent ninja, struggles as he searches for recognition and dreams of becoming Hokage, village leader, and strongest ninja.
Release date September 10, 2002
Cast Junko Takeuchi, Maile Flanagan, Kate Higgins
Seasons first
Creator Masashi Kishimoto
Production company Pierrot, Staralis Studios
Episodes 220
Source: Natalie Comics