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Narutohas been one of the big three of anime. It is still considered to be massively successful shonen anime which has heavily influenced the anime industry in the past two decades. However, as we have seen with other series, even Naruto is inspired by a franchise. In fact, this is such an unexpected aspect of the lore that several fans might be surprised. However,Narutocontains a character that has been inspired by a mecha series.
That character is none other than Kakuzu. He is a member of the terrorist organization, Akatsuki inNaruto Shippuden. His attacks are heavily influenced by theMobile Suit Gundamseries. This original classic has been quite popular.Naruto‘smangaka, Masashi Kishimoto himself drew ideas from the series. The undead assassin brought the spirit of giant robots to the world of shinobi.
Also Read:“It was very interesting”: One Concept in Naruto Even Intrigued the Legendary Yoshihiro Togashi of Hunter x Hunter
Akatsuki’s Kakuzu from Naruto Shippuden is actually inspired by Mobile Suit Gundam
Mobile Suits inspire several attacks in Kakuzu’s arsenal from theGundamfranchise in some way or another. For example, Kakuzu’s Earth Grude Fear (Jiongu), which turns the user’s body into a channel for giant black tentacles, is named after the Zeong unit. This also reflects the mech’s original ability to detach its arms and use them in offensive tactics. The Earth Release: Earth Spear attack is also called Domu, another reference to the Mobile Suit Dom. Even the Fire Release: Intelligent Hard Work (Zukoku) was named after the Z’Gok.
All of this is quite logical, considering Kishimoto’s undying love for the classic Real Robot series in his youth. The Mangaka even spoke about his early days when he would draw his favorite Mobile Suits. As he was already involved in illustrating, his artistic skills developed, and we got one of the best shonen franchises, Naruto, in his adulthood. It is understandable that several viewers ignored these similarities. These elements are easy to miss if viewers aren’t aware of the names in theGundamfranchise.
Also Read:What was the Special Technique Minato Wished Naruto to Learn that Forced him to Merge Half the 9-Tailed Fox in Masashi Kishimoto’s Iconic Character?
Kakuzu’s method of becoming immortal was deranged in Naruto Shippuden
Kakuzu was first introduced in Chapter 312 of the Naruto manga. His part was adapted to Episode 71 in theNaruto Shippudenanime. He belonged to the Village Hidden by the Waterfall. Kakuzu was assigned with a mission to assassinate the first Hokage, Hashirama Senju. However, as expected, the mission crumpled and he was perceived as a disgrace in his village.
To avenge his fallen respect, Kakuzu decides to kill the leaders of his village and consume their hearts. This resulted in him discovering a forbidden method of becoming immortal. This process basically involved living through the Chakra of others.
Also Read:Despite Always Being Compared to Naruto, Boruto Pulled Off a Time Skip Better than Masashi Kishimoto’s Magnum Opus
Archak Mitra
Articles Published :294
Despite holding a degree in Chemistry Majors, Archak found himself as a Journalist. His love for anime and choccy milk is unmatched! When not writing, Archak can be found indulging with motorcycles. After all, four wheels move the body but two wheels move the soul!
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