Ghost in the Shell’s Mamoru Oshii Was Originally Tapped for the Naruto Anime

Naruto is one of the most popular and successful anime and manga franchises in history. As a member of what fans have dubbed Shōnen Jump‘s ‘Big Three’, the series has survived and even thrived in the ever shifting industry landscape for well over two decades and counting.

The series’ protagonist is one of the most recognizable characters in anime history, and it seems anyone who grew up during the 2000s knew or loved Naruto. However, the series was almost drastically different. In a recent interview, Ghost in the Shell director Mamoru Oshii revealed that he began work on the Naruto anime, before later stepping away.

Legendary Ghost in the Shell Director Almost Worked on Naruto

One of Shōnen Jump’s Most Popular Titles Could Have Been Drastically Different

Naruto, as one of the most popular Weekly Shōnen Jump titles ever, has become instantly recognizable both inside and out of the anime world. The series being so accessible and easy to consume for both new and longtime anime fans has allowed it to remain at the top for nearly 30 years, which makes Mamoru Oshii’s potential involvement a bit funny.

Oshii is best known for his work on 1995’s Ghost in the Shell, where he brought his own unique, highly artistic vision to the popular cyberpunk manga by Masamune Shirow. The result quickly became one of the most iconic anime films ever made. When explaining his involvement with Naruto, Oshii said:

Actually, I once started work on Naruto but dropped it halfway through. I’m a big fan of characters who can multiply and such, so I really liked Naruto’s Shadow Clone Technique. The idea that using the Shadow Clone Technique for training compresses time is such an interesting concept.

Naruto Could Have Looked Wildly Different in the Hands of Mamoru Oshii

The Iconic Series Might Have Taken on a Far More Experimental Identity

Though Mamoru Oshii has become a world-famous anime filmmaker, his work isn’t the most accessible in the industry. Ghost in the Shell is a title aimed at more mature audiences, while the 1985 cult hit, Angel’s Egg, is one of the more experimental, complex, and mystifying anime titles ever created.

Oshii’s potential take on Naruto is rather difficult to imagine, considering just how wildly different the series is from the majority of the director’s previous works. The anime might not have become the worldwide sensation it eventually became, though a more experimental take on the series would have been undeniably interesting to witness.