Naruto[e] is a Japanese anime television series based on Masashi Kishimoto's mangaseries of the same name. The story follows Naruto Uzumaki, a young ninja who seeks recognition from his peers and dreams of becoming the Hokage, the leader of his village. Just like the manga, the anime series is divided into two separate parts: the first series retains the original manga's title and is set in Naruto's pre-teen years. The second series, a direct sequel titled Naruto: Shippuden,[f] takes place during his teens. Both anime series were animated by Pierrot, produced by Aniplex and licensed in North America by Viz Media.
The first anime series aired on TV Tokyo and ran for 220 episodes from October 2002 to February 2007; an English dub produced by Viz Media aired on Cartoon Network and YTV from September 2005 to December 2009. The second series, Shippuden, also aired on TV Tokyo and ran for 500 episodes from February 2007 to March 2017. The English dub of Shippuden was broadcast on Disney XD in the United States from October 2009 to November 2011, airing the first 98 episodes before eventually switching over to Adult Swim's Toonami programming block in January 2014, starting over from the first episode. After Disney XD removed the series from broadcast, Viz Media began streaming new English dubbed episodes on their streaming service Neon Alley in December 2012 starting at episode 99. The service aborted its run in March 2016 after 338 episodes due to its shutdown a month later. Besides the anime television series, Pierrot also developed 11 animated films and 12 original video animations (OVAs).
The first Naruto anime series, directed by Hayato Date and produced by Studio Pierrot and TV Tokyo, premiered in Japan on October 3, 2002, and concluded on February 8, 2007, after 220 episodes.[2][3] The first 135 episodes were adapted from Part I of the manga; the remaining 85 episodes are original and use plot elements that are not in the manga.[4]Tetsuya Nishio was the character designer for Naruto when the manga was adapted into an anime series; Kishimoto had requested that Nishio be given this role.[5][6] Beginning on April 29, 2009, the original Naruto anime began a rerun on Wednesdays and Thursdays (until the fourth week of September 2009 when it changed to only Wednesdays). It was remastered in HD, with new 2D and 3D effects, under the name Naruto: Shōnen Hen[g].[7] Episodes from the series have been released on both VHS and DVD, and collected as boxed sets.[8][9][10][11]
Viz licensed the anime series for broadcast and distribution in the Region 1 market.[12] The English dub of the anime began airing on September 10, 2005, and concluded on January 31, 2009, with 209 episodes aired on Cartoon Network's Toonami in the United States.[13] The episodes were also broadcast on YTV's Bionix (Canada),[14]Jetix (United Kingdom)[15] and SABC 2's (South Africa)[16] programming blocks, and were released on DVD on March 28, 2006.[17] On August 25, 2017, Starz announced that they would be offering episodes of the series for their Video on Demand service starting September 1, 2017.[18] The first 26 volumes contain four episodes; later DVD volumes have five episodes.[19] Uncut editions were released in DVD box sets, each containing 12–15 episodes, with some variation based on story arcs.[20] In the American broadcast, references to alcohol, Japanese culture, sexual innuendo, and the appearance of blood and death were sometimes edited but remained in the DVD editions.[21] One of the censored scenes was the accidental kiss between Naruto and Sasuke, fitting in the long trend of removing content that alludes to homosexual relationships.[22] The series was also licensed to Hulu, Joost, and Crunchyroll, which aired the episodes online with the original Japanese audio tracks and English subtitles.[23][24][25] On June 1, 2017, it was announced that an HD remaster version of the original Naruto television anime series would debut on Japanese TV on June 24, starting with the show's first episode.[26]Anime Limited will release the series in a "Collector's Blu-ray" edition in the United Kingdom and Ireland in 2024.[27]
A series of four "brand-new" episodes, to commemorate the original anime's 20th anniversary, were originally scheduled to premiere on September 3, 2023;[28] however, in August of that same year, it was announced that the episodes would be postponed to a later date.[29]
Part II: Shippuden (2007–17)
The second anime series, titled Naruto: Shippuden[h], developed by Studio Pierrot and directed by Hayato Date, is a direct sequel to the first Naruto anime series; it corresponds to Part II of the manga.[30] It debuted on Japanese TV on February 15, 2007, on TV Tokyo, and concluded on March 23, 2017.[31][32] On January 8, 2009, TV Tokyo began broadcasting new episodes via internet streaming to monthly subscribers. Each streamed episode was available online within an hour of its Japanese release and includes English subtitles.[33]
Viz began streaming English subtitled episodes on January 2, 2009, on its series' website, including episodes that had already been released as well as new episodes from Japan.[34] In the United States, the English dub of Naruto: Shippuden premiered weekly on Disney XD from October 28, 2009, up until episode 98 on November 5, 2011.[35] Episodes 99 through 338 premiered uncut on the anime web channelNeon Alley until its shutdown on May 4, 2016.[36] The anime started airing from the beginning on Adult Swim's Toonami programming block on January 5, 2014, where it continues to air on a weekly basis.[37]
The series was released on Region 2 DVD in Japan with four or five episodes per disk; there are four series of DVD releases divided by story arc.[38] There was a special feature included with the seventh Naruto: Shippuden compilation DVD called Hurricane! "Konoha Academy" Chronicles.[39]Kakashi Chronicles: Boys' Life on the Battlefield[i] was released on December 16, 2009; featuring episodes 119–120, the story revolves around Kakashi Hatake's childhood.[40]
The first North American DVD of the series was released on September 29, 2009.[41] Only the first 53 episodes were made available in this format before it ended with the 12th volume on August 10, 2010.[42] Subsequent episodes were released as part of DVD boxed sets, beginning with the first season on January 26, 2010.[43] In the United Kingdom, the series was licensed by Manga Entertainment who released the first DVD collection on June 14, 2010.[44] Anime Limited will release the series in a "Collector's Blu-ray" edition in the United Kingdom and Ireland in 2024.[27]
Music
Musashi Project and Toshio Masuda composed and arranged the Naruto soundtracks. Naruto Original Soundtrack was released on April 3, 2003, and contains 22 tracks used during the first season of the anime.[45] This was followed by Naruto Original Soundtrack II, released on March 18, 2004, which includes 19 tracks.[46] The third, Naruto Original Soundtrack III, was released on April 27, 2005, with 23 tracks.[47] Two soundtracks containing all the opening and ending themes of the series, titled Naruto: Best Hit Collection and Naruto: Best Hit Collection II were released on November 17, 2004, and August 2, 2006.[48][49] Eight tracks from the series were selected and released on a CD called Naruto in Rock -The Very Best Hit Collection Instrumental Version- released on December 19, 2007.[50] Soundtracks for the three movies based on the first anime series were available for sale near their release dates.[51][52][53] On October 12, 2011, a CD collecting the themes from Naruto Shōnen Hen was released.[54] Various CD series were released with voice actors performing original episodes.[55]
The soundtracks of Naruto: Shippuden were produced by Yasuharu Takanashi and his musical unit, Yaiba; they were titled Naruto Shippūden Original Soundtrack I, II, and III, and were released in 2007, 2009, and 2016.[56][57][58]Naruto All Stars, released in 2008, consists of 10 original Naruto songs remixed and sung by characters from the series.[59] Ten themes from the two anime series were collected in the DVD box Naruto Super Hits 2006–2008, which appeared in 2008.[60] Soundtracks from the Shippuden films have also been released, with the first one available in 2007.[61][62] A final one composed of the series is set to be released in late 2017 with Aniplex having started a survey of all Naruto and Naruto Shippuden themes to be included in the CD.[63]
The theme for the Cartoon Network English version was performed by former Saban Entertainment composer Jeremy Sweet,[64] who had previously worked on themes for the Power Rangers franchise, the English adaptation of Dragon Ball Z and various other Saban programs.[65][66] It was co-composed by Ian Nickus,[64] another former musician from the company.[67]
Films
Naruto was also adapted into 11 theatrical films. The first three films correspond to the first anime series, and the remaining eight correspond to the second series.
Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow (2004). Team 7 travels to the Land of Snow to protect the actors during the shooting of the new Princess Fuun movie. The fourth original video animation, Konoha Annual Sports Festival, was included with the Japanese release of the film.[68]
Legend of the Stone of Gelel (2005).[69] Naruto, Shikamaru, and Sakura go on a ninja mission involving them in a war between the Sunaga village and a large force of armored warriors. Unlike its predecessor, Legend of the Stone of Gelel did not have a theatrical release in the United States but was released in direct-to-video format instead.[70]
Naruto Shippuden the Movie: The Lost Tower (2010). Naruto is sent 20 years into the past as he explores a mystical tower to capture a rogue ninja and discovers the Fourth Hokage, his father, alive in the timeline.[75]
Naruto the Movie: Blood Prison (2011). Naruto is framed for attempted murder of the Raikage; as he tries to break out of the prison, he discovers its secrets.[75]
Road to Ninja: Naruto the Movie (2012). Naruto and Sakura are sent to an alternate universe by Tobi and discover the meaning of companionship and parenthood. The story planning and character designs were created by Masashi Kishimoto.[76][77]
The Last: Naruto the Movie (2014).[78][i] Naruto and his companions try to stop the moon from colliding with Earth. The film explains some loose ends involving the series' mythology and focuses on Naruto and Hinata's romantic relationship. The story and character designs were created by Masashi Kishimoto, who also served as chief story supervisor.[79][80]
Boruto: Naruto the Movie (2015).[ii] The film focuses on the children of the main characters, mainly Boruto Uzumaki, who trains with his father's rival Sasuke Uchiha to surpass him. The story, screenplay and character designs were created by Masashi Kishimoto, who also served as chief production supervisor.[79][81]
Find the Crimson Four-Leaf Clover! (2002). It centers on Naruto as he along with Team 7, helps Konohamaru with his mission to retrieve a four leaf clover that makes a wish come true.[82]
Mission: Protect the Waterfall Village! (2003).[82] Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, and Kakashi, are on a mission to escort a shinobi to his hometown. This and the previous OVA were later released on DVD in Australia under the title Naruto Jump Festa Collection.[82] The English localization of Mission: Protect the Waterfall Village! was released on DVD by Viz on May 22, 2007, in the US under the title Naruto – The Lost Story.[83]
Konoha Annual Sports Festival. (2004) Multiple groups of shinobi, including Team 7, participate in a sports competition where the award is a week break from missions. A short video released with the first Naruto movie; in North America, this was included on the Deluxe Edition DVD of the first film.[84]
Finally a clash! Jonin VS Genin!! Indiscriminate grand melee tournament meeting!! (2005) Fifth Hokage Tsunade creates a competition between Jonin (high level ninja) and Genin (low level ninja). Released on a bonus disk with the Japanese edition of the Naruto: Ultimate Ninja 3 video game for the PlayStation 2.[85]
Hurricane! "Konoha Academy" Chronicles (2008). This OVA follows Naruto Uzumaki and his peers as they live their lives in high school.[86]
Naruto: The Cross Roads (2009). Focuses on Team 7 after their encounter with Zabuza and Haku.[87]
Naruto, The Genie, and The Three Wishes!! (2010). While Team 7 are at the beach, Naruto finds a bottle and opens it to find a genie who grants three wishes.[88]
Naruto x UT (2011). Naruto is defeated by Sasuke and is pronounced dead; the events leading to the combat are shown in flashback.[89]
Chūnin Exam on Fire! Naruto vs. Konohamaru! (2011). Naruto and Konohamaru are participants in the Chunin Exams, and are matched with each other; they fight with no limits.[90]
Hashirama Senju vs. Madara Uchiha (2012). Tobi narrates the origin of Konoha. In the beginning, ninja fought for their own clans. The most powerful among them are two clans: the Senju led by Hashirama, and the Uchiha led by Madara. This was distributed as part of the Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm Generations video game for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.[91]
Naruto Shippūden: Sunny Side Battle!!! (2014). In his sleep, Sasuke dreams of his brother Itachi making him breakfast repeatedly until it is perfect.[92]
The Day Naruto Became Hokage (2016). Naruto Uzumaki is officially the Seventh Hokage, but does not make it to the ceremony.[93]
Reception
Sales and ratings
In 2011, Naruto helped Viz Media generate $200 million in annual licensed merchandise sales.[94] By 2019, Viz Media has sold more than 3 millionNaruto anime home video units, while the anime is also a top digital streaming performer on Hulu.[95]Naruto: Shippuden has been ranked several times as one of the most watched series in Japan.[96][97]Naruto has also been the top-earning (gross profit) anime franchise for TV Tokyo (surpassed by Pokémon in 2011 and Yo-kai Watch in 2015) due to strong overseas and domestic sales.[iii] In 2020, it was the third most watched series in the United States.[109]
Critical reception
Mike Hale of The New York Times described the series as much better than American animation aimed at children,[110] but the animation received some criticism from both the THEM Anime Reviews critics: Christina Carpenter felt Kishimoto's artistic style translated poorly into animation,[111] and Derrick Tucker was also negative, though he felt that at their best, the depictions "[left] little to be desired".[112] As with the manga, some reviewers, such as Theron Martin of Anime News Network, along with Tucker, felt there were too many fight scenes,[112][113] though Justin Rich argued that the fight scenes were the most important and enjoyable element of the show.[114] Carpenter also commented positively on the characters, though she felt that most were fairly typicals.[111]Hiroshi Matsuyama further reflected the anime's 133rd episode to be one of his favorites not only for the action sequences between Naruto and Sasuke but also the emotional value displayed.[115]
It was well-reviewed by Activeanime's David C. Jones who commented that the animation had improved.[116] Carl Kimlinger of Anime News Network opined that the series has a more serious tone and a better balance between comedy and drama than the first anime series; with more interesting digressions from the main plot.[117][118] Although the pacing for the first episodes was criticised as slow, the delivery and development of the interactions between the characters received positive comments.[119][120] Writing for the Los Angeles Times, Charles Solomon ranked Shippuden the third best anime on his "Top 10".[121] In 2011, readers of Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition voted Naruto as the 29th-top video game character of all time.[122]
Accolades
The Naruto anime was listed as the 38th best animated show in IGN's Top 100 Animated Series.[123] In September 2005, Japanese television network TV Asahi broadcast a popularity poll based on a nationwide survey in which Naruto placed seventeenth.[124] The first DVD compilation released by Viz received a nomination from the American Anime Awards for Best Package Design.[125] At the Crunchyroll's inaugural Anime Awards in 2017, the fight between Naruto and Sasuke received a Most Popular "Other" mention in the Best Fight Scene category.[126] At the 2nd edition in 2018, Naruto: Shippuden was nominated for Best Continuing Series.[127]
Notes
Clarification
^The film is set two years after the conclusion of the manga.
^The film is set fifteen years after the conclusion of the manga.
^Gan, Sheuo Hui (2013). "Auteur and Anime as Seen in the Naruto TV Series". In Berndt, Jacqueline; Kümmerling-Meibauer, Bettina (eds.). Manga's Cultural Crossroads. Hoboken: Taylor and Francis. p. 227. ISBN978-1-134-10283-9.
