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Masashi Kishimoto has set a benchmark in the anime-manga industry with the success ofNaruto. Matching the success ofNarutois not an easy feat, and it might not even be the goal. But afterNarutoended, fans were expecting him to release something that was either related toNarutoor something that matches it’s glory.Borutowas the former and has become fairly successful. Whereas Kishimoto’s other manga,Samurai 8, was neither of those things.
Published for the first time in 2019,Samurai 8had a lackluster year-long run. It’s performance was far worse than the general perception regardingBoruto. Here are 3 reasons that madeSamurai 8a complete disaster.
3The Weight of Expectations
AfterNaruto’smassive success, there’s a set of expectations from the readers and publishers that follows after Kishimoto. These expectations were further elevated through massive promotions ofSamurai 8. Far from the expectations,the first chapterwas decent at best. It didn’t have the power to hook the readers. There was too much information in the first chapter itself.
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Moreover, the art style was not refined. It wasn’t Kishimoto illustrating the manga, but Akira Okubo. His art is something that you grow accustomed to over time, like an acquired taste. There were too many elements on every page, making it hard to make out the details. So,Samurai 8started out rough with chaotic art style and an overload of information.
2The Quick Escalation of Power and the Flawed Execution
As the story progressed, the first few chapters failed to establish much connection. There were too many developments and again a whole lot of information to work with. To add to that, the first proper villain of the series had the power to destroy the world.
Simultaneously, the protagonist’s powers were even greater if he had the Pandora Box in his possession. Within the first 20 chapters, the world had been put at risk. The introduction of such high-level powers early on in the story was a result of the bad execution.
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We go from point zero to hundred straight away. It leaves the reader wondering about the ultimate extent of the power scale. Madara’s conclusion is a good example of how navigating the power scale becomes difficult, when you introduce such astronomical (magnitude-wise for Madara) powers. Somehow,Masashi Kishimotomade it work as he started explaining the key concepts, but it was already too late by then.
1Competition with the Top Titles
Finally,Samurai 8was publishing in the Weekly Shonen Jump alongsideJujutsu Kaisen,Chainsaw Man, andDemon Slayer. All these series have established themselves as some of the most popular manga of all time. WhileChainsaw Manmight not be on the same level of commercial success asJJKandDemon Slayer, it was unique and exceptional in many ways. Competing with these giants every week, while struggling with the execution and art style,Samurai 8eventually came to a rushed end in 2020.
Reminder:- Kishimoto tried to write a new manga after Naruto but failed 😭Samurai 8 Was Worse Than Borutohttps://t.co/kwfY1EKT9Apic.twitter.com/4Bfko958E3
Had it been given more time,Samurai 8might have established itself with a dedicated fanbase. But the odds were not in its favor.
Samurai 8is available to read on MangaPlus app and website.
Laveena Joshi
Anime Writer
Articles Published :925
Laveena is an anime content writer at FandomWire. Having written more than 800 articles, she’s an expert in mainstream shonen series, ranging from the bizarre world of JoJo’s to the expansive worldbuilding of One Piece.With her formal education in Journalism and Mass Communication, she explores entertainment journalism through the lens of anime and manga, from mainstream and classic titles to niche and obscure ones.
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Masashi Kishimoto
