It was a muggy, sweaty summer, much like many others that I had experienced while living in Japan, but this year brought a welcome change to my annual trip to the east—the grand opening of the Naruto Exhibit in Osaka, Japan that ran from July 18 to September 27!

An amazing movie intro was the start of my immersive Naruto experience!

Entry Point

Before they even opened the doors to the exhibit, I knew I was in for quite the visit. Greeting all visitors was a concave wall with double doors that doubled as a projection screen. An animated short of moving manga panels depicting Naruto’s and Sasuke’s epic fight ushered us into what would be a mind-blowing experience. When the movie concluded, my senses were overwhelmed as the doors opened up to walls of manga art, hanging sculptures and full-sized statues.

Lifelong Journey

Manga panels snaked their way through the gallery, starting from the very beginning of the series with an incredible statue of a young Naruto painting on the Hokage Monument. The succession of manga panels roughly followed the story’s chronological order of events, leading you down halls filled with art. The deeper you immerse yourself into the gallery, the deeper you get into the Naruto story.

The Fine Line

Masashi Kishimoto’s art is truly amazing. But I don’t think I truly appreciated the scope and grandeur of his art until I saw it in front of my face. From the intricate line work (which I consider to be some of the best in all of manga) to the crazy attention to detail, every single panel in the gallery blew me away. I also never realized just how large the drawings were, especially the immense color spreads!

You could get lost for hours in a single hallway staring at all the incredible art!

Stretching the Canvas

Walking through the Naruto Exhibit was a treat for the senses. From being able to get really close to examine individual manga panels to the thoughtful art touches all over the place, there was something that grabbed my attention literally everywhere I looked.

Intricate art touches could be found everywhere in the gallery, including the walls and ceilings!

Master at Work

Without a doubt, the main draw was seeing Kishimoto Sensei’s actual art firsthand. But some of the more incredible pieces at the exhibit were the wonderful animated shorts that took static manga images and interspersed some well-placed animations that brought the panels to life!

Reading Naruto is an experience like none other. From the world building to the character development, Kishimoto Sensei takes manga to a whole other level that few dare to achieve. He's a true master at work!

This article first appeared in the 10-12-2015 issue of Weekly Shonen Jump. To read more great features, subscribe to Weekly Shonen Jump today!

by John Bae