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The manga and anime series features an extensive cast of characters created by Masashi Kishimoto. The series takes place in a fictional universe where countries vie for power by employing ninja who can use superhuman abilities in combat. The ''Naruto'' storyline is divided into two parts, simply named Part I and Part II, with the latter taking place two-and-a-half years after the conclusion of Part I. The series' storyline follows the adventures of a group of young ninja from the village of Konohagakure. The eponymous character of the series is Naruto Uzumaki, an energetic ninja who wishes to become Hokage, the leader of Konohagakure. During the early part of the series, he is assigned to Team 7, in which he meets Sasuke Uchiha, a taciturn and highly skilled "genius" of the Uchiha clan; Sakura Haruno, who is infatuated with Sasuke and has Naruto's attention; and Kakashi Hatake, the quiet and mysterious leader of the team. Over the course of the series, Naruto interacts with and befriends several fellow ninja in Konohagakure and other villages. He also encounters the series' antagonists, including Orochimaru, a former ninja of Konohagakure scheming to destroy his former home, as well as the elite ninja of the criminal organization Akatsuki. As he developed the series, Kishimoto created the three primary characters as a basis for the designs of the other three-person teams.〔Uzumaki: the Art of Naruto, p. 140〕 He also used characters in other ''shōnen'' manga as references in his design of the characters, a decision that was criticized by several anime and manga publications.〔Uzumaki: the Art of Naruto, p. 138〕 The characters that Kishimoto developed, however, were praised for incorporating many of the better aspects of previous ''shōnen'' characters, although many publications lamented the perceived lack of growth beyond such stereotypes. The visual presentation of the characters was commented on by reviewers, with both praise and criticism given to Kishimoto's work in the manga and anime adaptations.〔 ==Creation and conception== When Masashi Kishimoto was originally creating the ''Naruto'' series, he looked to other ''shōnen'' manga for inspiration while still attempting to make his characters as unique as possible.〔 Kishimoto cites Akira Toriyama's ''Dragon Ball'' series as one of these influences, noting that Goku, the protagonist of ''Dragon Ball'', was a key factor when creating Naruto Uzumaki due to his energetic and mischievous personality.〔Uzumaki: the Art of Naruto, p. 139〕 To complement Naruto, Kishimoto worked on creating a rival that was a "cool genius", as he believed this was "the archetypal rival character". After reviewing different manga for ideas, he ultimately developed Sasuke Uchiha. When creating the primary heroine, Kishimoto admitted, "I don't have a definite image of what a heroine should be". He eventually created Sakura, emphasizing "her energy and flirtatious spirit" as her primary characteristics. These three characters would be the mold for the other three main ''Naruto'' teams.〔 The separation of the characters into different teams was intended to give each group a specific flavor. Kishimoto wished for each team member to be "extreme", having a high amount of aptitude in one given attribute, yet talentless in another. This approach was used to make each team perform best when individual members worked together to overcome their weaknesses. Having watched ''tokusatsu'' dramas as a child, Kishimoto wished for his teams to be different from the superhero teams in these dramas, dismissing the value of a team in which all the teammates were "strong to the point of perfection". Kishimoto notes that the different roles the characters assume is similar to many role-playing games, and "each character stands out better that way".〔Uzumaki: the Art of Naruto, p. 141〕 Kishimoto inserted villains into the story to counteract the lead characters' moral values. He stated that this focus on illustrating the difference in values is central to his creation of villains to the point that, "I don't really think about them in combat". The villains' physical appearances were also embellished to differentiate them from other characters, making it easier for a reader to follow the story and identify the villains, even in heated battle scenes. Kishimoto noted that making the villains "flamboyant" with a "showy costume" is "one of my guiding principles", as well as making them "more memorable".〔Uzumaki: the Art of Naruto, p. 142〕 When drawing the characters, Kishimoto consistently follows a five-step process: concept and rough sketch, drafting, inking, shading, and coloring. These steps are followed when he is drawing the manga and making the color illustrations that commonly adorn the cover of ''tankōbon'', the cover of the ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'', or other media, but the toolkit he uses occasionally changes.〔Uzumaki: the Art of Naruto, pp. 112–114〕 For instance, he used an airbrush for one illustration for a ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' cover, but decided not to use it for future drawings largely due to the cleanup required.〔Uzumaki: the Art of Naruto, p. 118〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「List of Naruto characters」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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