Forum - View topic

Masashi Kishimoto at New York Comic-con

He claimed in 1 interview that NaruHina was planned from the start now he said it was during the middle. Honestly, I think he is just saying stuff to deal with the damage/controversy he's caused with the shipping.

The only reason I'm passionate about this issue is the fact that people can't leave the man alone over a pairing in an action manga. And by your logic any side character should never end up with the hero. Which is a bunch of bull crap because Genny and Harry got together and they barely interacted at all in the series, Goku and Chi Chi got together and she became almost none existent after the original DB manga. And if the confession during the Pain arch was not enough to seal the deal I think you must have been reading the wrong manga. Kishimoto also stated Naruto is clueless about romantic love or he would have known how Hinata felt way earlier. Of course SP has Hinata bias but if you read this interview there were plenty on the staff that wanted him to end up with Sakura. But none of that matters because he has said repeatedly it was his choice. And early stages of shippiden is plenty of time to decide on a pair, the reason why he did not develop it more is because he said he is embarrassed writing romance and not to mention it's a action manga. My gosh just leave the man alone and accept it was his choice and I could care less what you ship. I would have said the same thing had NaruSaku been canon.

Honestly I'm not quite sure I believe him deciding on choosing Hinata to be with Naruto in the middle of the story. She largely got shoved to the side after the Pain arc (even then she wasn't that important) and it was only because of the death of Neji that we saw the two fighting side by side. I feel like if he intended to have Naruto end up with her she should have been included much more than she was. Kind of feel like the animators showing bias towards her might have swayed his opinion personally.

Mikael Z. Haswell wrote:

The only reason I'm passionate about this issue is the fact that people can't leave the man alone over a pairing in an action manga. And by your logic any side character should never end up with the hero. Which is a bunch of bull crap because Genny and Harry got together and they barely interacted at all in the series, Goku and Chi Chi got together and she became almost none existent after the original DB manga. And if the confession during the Pain arch was not enough to seal the deal I think you must have been reading the wrong manga. Kishimoto also stated Naruto is clueless about romantic love or he would have known how Hinata felt way earlier. Of course SP has Hinata bias but if you read this interview there were plenty on the staff that wanted him to end up with Sakura. But none of that matters because he has said repeatedly it was his choice. And early stages of shippiden is plenty of time to decide on a pair, the reason why he did not develop it more is because he said he is embarrassed writing romance and not to mention it's a action manga. My gosh just leave the man alone and accept it was his choice and I could care less what you ship. I would have said the same thing had NaruSaku been canon.

So because it's an action manga that means there is an excuse not to develop the female character of a pairing at all and just throw them with the main character on a whim? Yeah no. The examples you've brought up are just as bad. It is up to the writer to give the characters enough chemistry and make their relationship feel earned. Hinata ending up with Naruto was not. You brought up Hinatas confession during the Pain. OH WAIT! Isn't that the confession that Naruto IGNORED for the rest of the series? Yeah........that counts for something right?

Naruto responded to Sakura's confession didn't he? Even if she was lying at the time he still responded. So why didn't he do the same for Hinata? Please stop hiding behind the "it's an action series" excuse. SAO was action packed and still developed the main pairing just fine (this is coming from someone who generally dislikes SAO). Saying he was embarrassed doesn't make up for that. You need to understand just because someone something that doesn't exactly mean it's true. I'm basing my opinion on the evidence presented in the series.

How about everyone just calm down and turn the net rage meters down a few notches ok? Thanks.

WAIT IS THAT AN ALTERNATE ART COVER FOR VOLUME 72!?!?!?

Wow are you seriously using SAO? I mean really? That was not an action that was a shojo.

Mikael Z. Haswell wrote:

Wow are you seriously using SAO? I mean really? That was not an action that was a shojo.

Yeah, I'm gonna have to stop you right there, do you even understand what genres and demographics are? SAO is a male action power-fantasy harem. It's the textbook definition of Shonen as targeted towards a male audience. Just because it features a prominent romance doesn't mean it's a shojo. Get your facts straight before getting up in arms about genres and demographics.

I feel like if he intended to have Naruto end up with her she should have been included much more than she was. Kind of feel like the animators showing bias towards her might have swayed his opinion personally.

Oh, I think he knew. He even said, according to one fan translation, that he did all the NaruSaku moments just to troll fans.