Highlights
- Be cautious on social media: Not everything posted is true, even if it seems legitimate. Verify sources before believing information.
- Impersonation is common: Naruto creator Masashi Kishimoto does not have social media accounts. Beware of fake accounts claiming to be him.
- Stay informed: Follow official accounts for accurate news, release dates, and original artwork. Don’t trust everything on the internet.
It is no secret that a huge source of news for everyone these days is social media platforms, and people around the world are influenced by what is posted there. Social media can be a great source of information, too, when what is posted is actually true and from a genuine source. The danger lies in how easy it is for social media to post something false, or to twist the truth to something that serves the poster’s purpose.
This past week, the anime world was given a reminder that not everything posted on social media is necessarily true, and you should always take it with a grain of salt. The official X/Twitter page for the globally popular anime Naruto posted a reminder in both English and Japanese that the creator of the series, Masashi Kishimoto, does not have any personal social media accounts. Anyone who is claiming to be Kishimoto is lying, and any information they post is not official.
Anime and Social Media
It is a little ironic that it is a social media site that was used to warn fans of the dangers of trusting social media, but the reality is that there are not any other options for reaching large numbers of people at once. People who really like Naruto are likely to follow the anime on its social media pages – and they are also likely to try to follow its creator, Masashi Kishimoto, as well if they can, so it is the easiest way to reach them. After all, many other people in the anime industry, from voice actors to mangaka to directors and more, are active on social media, and sometimes even post hints and previews of their work or funny memes for their fans.
Because of this, many fans will follow the accounts of their favorite celebrities and artists. But it is not that hard for other people to impersonate someone on the internet. It has become even more challenging to discern what is an official account and what is not, especially on X/Twitter. This can make it harder than ever for fans to know if the news they are receiving and the accounts they are following are official or not.
Masashi Kishimoto Does Not Use Social Media
To save Naruto fans from being fooled by false accounts, the Naruto X/Twitter page posted its reminder that the creator does not use any social media. There are accounts out there that can easily fool someone who is not investigating their sources, too, including accounts like @kishimotomasshi which was found by AnimeNewsNetwork. This account includes the blue verified check mark and only says “parody account” at the end of the profile’s biography (and does spell Kishimoto’s first name wrong as well, but that may not be noticed at first glance).
Whether you are personally a fan of Naruto or not, this does serve as an important reminder about social media. Our parents always told us, “Don’t believe everything you read on the internet,” and they were exactly right. While there isn’t any inherent harm in following parody accounts that post things related to what you are interested in, be careful that you know the difference between these accounts and official ones. When you are looking for news, release dates, original artwork, and more, be sure that you are checking official accounts for anime titles, studios, and those who work in the anime industry.
Naruto is available to stream on Crunchyroll.
Source: AnimeNewsNetwork
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