While many manga and anime creators use social media to stay connected to fans, Naruto's Masashi Kishimoto is among those who don't have a public persona, leading to many parody accounts. In a statement to fans, Naruto's official account made it clear that any accounts claiming to be the creator are "fraudulent."
Via the official English Naruto X (formerly Twitter) account, Shueisha staff wrote, "[WARNING] The manga creator Masashi Kishimoto does not post on any social media. Please be aware that any accounts claiming to be him are fraudulent. - Shueisha." They also posted this on their Japanese account. Commenters were quick to highlight one of the most notable impersonators, with many tagging the account @kishimotomasshi. Readers can check out the statement and reactions below.
While @kishimotomasshi's recent tweets mostly repost Naruto anime and manga art and Kishimoto quotes, the account has been called out in the past for blurring the lines between real and fake. The account's X biography acknowledges that it's a parody account, but only after a wall of text and credits designed to mimic official accounts.
Anime and Manga Creators Take Vastly Different Approaches to Social Media
Without social media, Kishimoto's personal statements have come through the press and Weekly Shonen Jump releases. He joined fellow creators in mourning Akira Toriyama, calling Dragon Ball a "salvation for a rural boy like me." His statement was also read out following the director's announcement for the upcoming Naruto live-action. Different creators can take wildly different approaches to communication, from Vinland Saga's Makoto Yukimura routinely responding to fans and reposting fanart, Hajime no Ippo's George Morikawa engaging in online debates, Hayao Miyazaki, who appears to loathe communication, to Chainsaw Man creator Tatsuki Fujimoto's notorious X account, which many suspected was originally a parody itself.
Fans can follow Naruto officially on X via (@NARUTO_info_en), while the anime series is available to stream on Crunchyroll. The platform describes Part 1: "The Village Hidden in the Leaves is home to the stealthiest ninja. But twelve years earlier, a fearsome Nine-tailed Fox terrorized the village before it was subdued and its spirit sealed within the body of a baby boy."
Source: Naruto official X (formerly Twitter)
