THANK YOU, FRIEND – NARUTO
Naruto was not the first manga I read; in fact, I first learned about this little ninja kid in episode 13 or 14. I still vividly remember that afternoon when, while I was yawning, Nam “pug” nudged my shoulder, wanting me to shift my “long body” a few centimeters to the left to cover him while he read the comic…
The sneaky look on his face was really funny, trying to hide with the comic under his desk, one hand hastily writing down a few words the teacher had just explained, while the other hand diligently flipped the comic pages. Watching him so engrossed, my curiosity started to grow, and I wanted to know what he was reading to relieve this lingering sleepiness. Just about 10 minutes later, I successfully “plundered” the comic, becoming the second sneaky kid in the class…
I used to ride my bike all over Hanoi, from Thanh Xuan to Bach Mai, and even to Hoan Kiem, stopping at the small newsstand I used to see while sitting in my dad’s car, buying the latest Naruto volumes. For someone who only learned to ride a bike in middle school, that journey felt really long, like an adventure to new lands.
Sometimes I would go alone, other times I would take Nam with me; he was really heavy, weighing 80 kg as a middle schooler, making that trip quite a struggle. On some days with unpredictable weather, I would ride from one ward with a gentle breeze, only to arrive in another ward where it was pouring rain. Rain was truly a nightmare for those of us with glasses who didn’t own cars. However, every time, when I held the latest volume in my hands, all exhaustion would disappear instantly.
I wasn’t particularly bright, and I dropped out in my second year of university, with a meager knowledge of “international trade”. I took my first steps into my life’s journey.
Alas, life is nothing like a story; sometimes it hits you hard to wake you up. I “job-hopped” a lot, mostly because I was “not a good fit”. Later, when I have kids, I will definitely let them study whatever they like so that at least when they work, they won’t have to ponder over “what if” moments.
Naruto, like me, after a long time of self-training and effort, still couldn’t pull his friend back. Both Naruto and I seemed to have tasted the flavor of life, the taste of failure. However, the good thing is that he remained optimistic and determined, which helped to reignite the long-dormant fire within me.
I still remember that fateful interview that I will never forget. Sitting across from three “judges”, after a series of truly “specialized” questions, I went silent for a long time. To be honest, by that time, I didn’t know much about games, servers, or even how to make this game engaging for players. In fact, when asked about my thoughts on the gaming market at that time, I naively replied, “I don’t know anything.”
The only thing I managed to salvage was when they asked about my personal passion. At that moment, I rambled on about Naruto, enthusiastically recounting the adventures with Team 7 that I had imagined countless times. I also talked about the national hero Itachi, teacher Kakashi, and the “perverted sage” Jiraiya… one thing was certain, they did not understand what I was talking about. However, luck finally smiled upon me when a judge who dressed quite “normally”, not at all like a big boss, spoke up: “Soon, we will have a new project about Naruto; would you like to try your hand at it?”
Later, when I started working on something related to my passion, that was pure luck. Every morning when I woke up, I thought about what I would do today with my favorite characters. This gaming world is truly strange and wonderful. From a “cool” Sasuke, I transformed into a “cute” Chibi. Or like the Akatsuki team in the story, who are “assassins”, entering the game, everyone seems to be poorer than before.
My conversations with colleagues while explaining Naruto were also delightful; they listened intently and together we decided how to recreate those moments. Because like the “normal” boss said before, this project is a key project; if we do it, we have to do it right!
Can you imagine the moment I received the first sketches of each area in the game? Leaf Village, the “3D” Waterfall (suddenly building a waterfall where two boys gaze at each other affectionately, it’s truly “3D”), the God Tree, Bijuu, Madara, “Mother Bunny” Kaguya, the “destructive” Akatsuki team… too many things appeared before my eyes, leaving me overwhelmed.
The scenes that only took place in black-and-white comics were once again recreated by the talented hands of artists. They drew my Leaf Village so grand. There, familiar faces would gradually appear every time gamers strolled around the city. They could admire and check in with their idols every day. The most special thing is that everyone wore a friendly smile, as if to welcome Naruto fans to explore.
After a long period of preparation, the launch day finally arrived. Our project received support beyond expectations, with countless emotions in just one morning. Although we already knew that Naruto had a considerable fan base, that day, we were caught off guard. If I remember correctly, we even had to open double the servers planned to accommodate the gamers.
Seeing the product I poured my heart into being loved like that was truly joyous; there are many fans as passionate about Naruto as I am. However, let’s set the joy aside; the workload is endless. It wasn’t until nearly a week later that the game stabilized, and everything began to run smoothly, allowing us to breathe a little easier.
At that moment, I realized, oh, so this is what game development is like. Working on something I love, helping to bring Naruto to more young people, is both enjoyable and truly fulfilling.
Now, our project has been around for nearly 2 years. There are still many things we want to convey, countless features, activities, and shinobi that will return. The world Naruto lives in is vast, and we still have many ideas to bring to you gamers. Even though Naruto’s journey has turned a new page, for me, he will always be there, cheering with the words: “Keep going!”.
Many times, I still wonder, if back in that interview, I hadn’t been a die-hard Naruto fan, where would I be now? Still an employee lamenting about jobs I have no interest in? After all that, perhaps I am still a lucky guy for being able to accompany such a precious friend.
Thank you, Naruto, thank you to the gamers of Leaf Village Adventure, this gift is truly priceless…
It has become a tradition; the “Golden Pen” playground is organized annually in collaboration with GameK, giving everyone a chance to connect and express themselves with gamers from all over.
This is also where you can read and experience excellent, quality writings… revolving around life, the unique feelings that only gamers can understand – empathize with.
For details on the competition and prizes, see Here. For all writings and inquiries, please send them to [email protected]!