A huge congrats to Kishi! Even though there has been some ups and downs and everything in between, I still enjoyed Naruto and I think I’ll miss it.
There will be a spin off mini series that follows the kids of the main characters. Yes, they do have kids. And it looks like Sasuke/Sakura’s daughter (who looks like Karin for some strange reason) has the hots for Hinata/Naruto’s son.
Speaking of the final chapter, it was nice seeing everyone as grownups. I love that Shino is a teacher. I never pictured him as one, but it really does fit his character. Hopefully the kids treat him well and he’s actually remembered. I don’t know how I feel about him having Godot’s eye wear, but whatever. Maybe they’ll explain the new glasses in the movie.
My only complaint is that the ending didn’t feel like an actual ending. It moved a bit too fast and then chapter 700 was mostly showing us the characters as grown ups, which was nice, but it made me want to see more of their lives instead of just being happy that it’s over. In that sense, I’m glad we’re going to hear about the kids so we can see how everyone grew up.
Till then, at least we have The Last – Naruto the Movie to keep us occupied. The movie, which hits theaters in Japan in December, takes place between chapters 699 and 700, so even though some feel like it’s filler to explain the pairings, it is canon. That means I need to watch it.
In any case, the manga is officially over and 15 years I think Kishi did a great job and character some really compelling characters. Congrats to Kishi and his team! I’ll be looking forward to what you come up with next!
ps. The title page for One Piece was incredibly classy and I loved the pirate skull on the statue in Naruto. Little Bolt clearly has great taste!