After creating a popular manga like Naruto, you would think that Masahi Kishimoto would take it easy after the series ended last year. However, Kishimoto is already setting his sights on his next project, and it could be his most epic yet.
In a recent interview with Japanese magazine Anime Matome, Kishimoto said he will not be releasing weekly installments of Naruto as he did for 15 years. However, he is still interested in drawing manga again, but this time on a monthly basis. Kishimoto also said he is eyeing the digital platform Shonen Jump Plus because it's not as stringent with page counts and publication dates.
"I've already decided what I'm doing for my next work," Kishimoto told Anime Matome, as reported by Kotaku. "While I was still doing Naruto, I thought about various things for material, and for the next one, I'm thinking I'm going to do science-fiction."
Kishimoto's new manga isn't yet completed — he hasn't even shown his editor yet — but he said he has designed the characters, with the main protagonist being unlike anything we've seen before. He's also hoping this manga is an even bigger hit than Naruto.
"Since Naruto was a bigger hit than I could ever imagine, I'd like to aim for the next hit," Kishimoto told Anime Matome via Kotaku. "I don't know when I can announce the next manga, but because I plan on challenging myself to surpass Naruto, please wait for it."
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