MERCH
06/11/2024
Naruto Figure Claims Special Award in the Great Ninja Figure War Contest! Sculptor Shuzo Araki Shares His Perspective!
BANPRESTO FIGURE COLOSSEUM's Great Ninja Figure War
The Great Ninja Figure War was a fierce battle between figure sculptors in honor of the Naruto anime's 20th anniversary!
Five skilled competitors each chose a character to portray, and roughly 20,000 votes from all over the world crowned the victor.
Five skilled competitors each chose a character to portray, and roughly 20,000 votes from all over the world crowned the victor.
Jump Editorial Team and Pierrot's Special Award Winner:
Shuzo Araki
Editorial team and Pierrot's comments:
Young Naruto's mischievous nature comes across perfectly through the figure's facial expression and pose!
Shuzo Araki's comments upon receiving the award:
I'm honored to have been able to enter the competition and receive this award!
While I am a little disappointed that I wasn't able to win the top spot, I'm so happy I got to share my work with figure fans from all over the world!
Young Naruto's mischievous nature comes across perfectly through the figure's facial expression and pose!
Shuzo Araki's comments upon receiving the award:
I'm honored to have been able to enter the competition and receive this award!
While I am a little disappointed that I wasn't able to win the top spot, I'm so happy I got to share my work with figure fans from all over the world!
"I Did My Very Best to Make a Work That Represents the Beginning of Naruto's Story!"
—What led to you becoming a sculptor?
Shuzo Araki (hereafter, Shuzo): It was pretty coincidental, actually. When I was in college I visited the house of a freelance sculptor (who is now my teacher), and got to see some in-progress works.
I was very impressed and thought: "It's so cool you can make a living doing this! I want to become a sculptor too!"
—Can you tell us why you chose young Naruto?
Shuzo: As the protagonist of a series I've loved since grade school, he holds a lot of nostalgia for me.
I particularly like his early series portrayal with the goggles and have previously thought I'd like to try sculpting it—so this time I did!
Shuzo Araki (hereafter, Shuzo): It was pretty coincidental, actually. When I was in college I visited the house of a freelance sculptor (who is now my teacher), and got to see some in-progress works.
I was very impressed and thought: "It's so cool you can make a living doing this! I want to become a sculptor too!"
—Can you tell us why you chose young Naruto?
Shuzo: As the protagonist of a series I've loved since grade school, he holds a lot of nostalgia for me.
I particularly like his early series portrayal with the goggles and have previously thought I'd like to try sculpting it—so this time I did!
—While sculpting, did you take Kishimoto's art style into consideration?
Shuzo: My Naruto is from volume one before he'd earned his headband, so I really paid a lot of attention to Kishimoto's style during that period of the series!
From the shape and proportions of his outfit, to the way his hair is drawn and the contours of his face, a lot changes over the course of the series. It was difficult, but I wanted to faithfully bring that early Naruto to 3D in a way that didn't come off as unnatural.
Shuzo: My Naruto is from volume one before he'd earned his headband, so I really paid a lot of attention to Kishimoto's style during that period of the series!
From the shape and proportions of his outfit, to the way his hair is drawn and the contours of his face, a lot changes over the course of the series. It was difficult, but I wanted to faithfully bring that early Naruto to 3D in a way that didn't come off as unnatural.
—What parts of your figure would you like people to pay special attention to?
Shuzo: I'd like people to look at his facial expression and pose, how they express his personality and the kind of life he'll lead. I did my very best to make a work that represents the beginning of Naruto's story!
—What stands out to you about the Naruto series and its characters?
Shuzo: Kishimoto's incredible talent for depicting characters shows in how even when drawn in a more cartoonish fashion they still come across as realistic.
Compared to some other works, the characters' proportions have a natural balance that means even when adapting them to a higher degree of realism via sculpting, nothing feels off.
—On the other hand, was there anything about the sculpting process this time that was particularly difficult?
Shuzo: Especially later in the series, Kishimoto's linework is very polished, without extraneous details. So it was difficult to balance making a 3D figure that still feels like Naruto with including all the texturing and detailing such as creases in fabric that are a vital part of figure sculpting.
That said, I think if we never sculpted anything not drawn in the manga, there'd be no point to figure sculptors at all. With this in mind, I tried to focus on what one's imagination naturally adds when looking at the manga panels, on shapes and details that one knows must be there even when they aren't explicitly shown. Doing this without introducing anything that felt unnatural was a challenge.
Shuzo: I'd like people to look at his facial expression and pose, how they express his personality and the kind of life he'll lead. I did my very best to make a work that represents the beginning of Naruto's story!
—What stands out to you about the Naruto series and its characters?
Shuzo: Kishimoto's incredible talent for depicting characters shows in how even when drawn in a more cartoonish fashion they still come across as realistic.
Compared to some other works, the characters' proportions have a natural balance that means even when adapting them to a higher degree of realism via sculpting, nothing feels off.
—On the other hand, was there anything about the sculpting process this time that was particularly difficult?
Shuzo: Especially later in the series, Kishimoto's linework is very polished, without extraneous details. So it was difficult to balance making a 3D figure that still feels like Naruto with including all the texturing and detailing such as creases in fabric that are a vital part of figure sculpting.
That said, I think if we never sculpted anything not drawn in the manga, there'd be no point to figure sculptors at all. With this in mind, I tried to focus on what one's imagination naturally adds when looking at the manga panels, on shapes and details that one knows must be there even when they aren't explicitly shown. Doing this without introducing anything that felt unnatural was a challenge.
—If a second Great Ninja Figure War was held and you entered again, which character and scene would you like to create?
Shuzo: I'd like to sculpt something that reflects everyday life in the Hidden Leaf Village. I think something like volume 21's cover art with Naruto, Choji, and Shikamaru is a great example of this!
There's so many cool figures out there already depicting these characters in battle, so I think I'd want to try bringing a different side of them to life!
Shuzo: I'd like to sculpt something that reflects everyday life in the Hidden Leaf Village. I think something like volume 21's cover art with Naruto, Choji, and Shikamaru is a great example of this!
There's so many cool figures out there already depicting these characters in battle, so I think I'd want to try bringing a different side of them to life!
—Thank you so much for your time!
Shuzo Araki's "NARUTO BANPRESTO FIGURE COLOSSEUM UZUMAKI NARUTO" is scheduled to be released in June!
More figures from the BANPRESTO FIGURE COLOSSEUM's Great Ninja Figure War are on their way! Up next is Jiraiya, so stay tuned!
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