''Naruto'' is a Japanese

anime is a Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, , in Japan and in Ja ...

television series based on

Masashi Kishimoto is a Japanese manga artist. His manga series, ''Naruto'', which was in serialization from 1999 to 2014, has sold over 250 million copies worldwide in 46 countries as of May 2019. The series has been adapted into two anime and multiple films, vi ...

's 1999–2014

manga are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long history in earlier Japanese art. The term is used in Japan to refer to both comics ...

series ''

Naruto ''Naruto'' is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Masashi Kishimoto. It tells the story of Naruto Uzumaki, a young ninja who seeks recognition from his peers and dreams of becoming the Hokage, the leader of his village. T ...

''. It follows

Naruto Uzumaki () is the title character, titular protagonist of the manga ''Naruto'', created by Masashi Kishimoto. He is a ninja from the fictional . As a boy, Naruto is ridiculed and ostracized on account of the Kurama (Naruto), Nine-Tailed Demon Fox—a ...

, a young orphan

ninja A , or was a spy and infiltrator in pre-modern Japan. The functions of a ninja included siege and infiltration, ambush, reconnaissance, espionage, deception, and later bodyguarding.Kawakami, pp. 21–22 Antecedents may have existed as ear ...

who seeks recognition from his peers and dreams of becoming the Hokage, the leader of the Village Hidden in the Leaves. 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 the world of ninjas. The second series, a direct sequel titled ''Naruto: Shippuden'', takes place during his teens. Both anime series were animated by

Pierrot Pierrot ( , ; ), a stock character of pantomime and commedia dell'arte, has his origins in the late 17th-century Italian troupe of players performing in Paris and known as the Comédie-Italienne. The name is a hypocorism, diminutive of ''Pierr ...

, produced by

Aniplex Aniplex, Inc. (株式会社アニプレックス, ''Kabushiki-gaisha Anipurekkusu'') is a Japanese entertainment company and a subsidiary of Sony, Sony Group Corporation, founded in September 1995 by Sony Music Entertainment Japan. The company fo ...

, and licensed by

Viz Media Viz Media, LLC is an American entertainment company headquartered in San Francisco, California, focused on publishing manga, and distribution and licensing Japanese anime, films, and television series. The company was founded in 1986 as Viz, ...

in North America. The first anime series aired on

TV Tokyo JOTX-DTV (channel 7), branded as is a Japanese television station that serves as the flagship of the TX Network.dub produced by Viz Media aired on

Cartoon Network Cartoon Network (CN) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the Cartoon Network, Inc., a sub-division of the Warner Bros. Discovery Networks division of Warner Bros. Discovery. It launched on ...

and YTV from September 2005 to December 2009. The second series, ''Naruto: Shippuden'', also aired on TV Tokyo and ran for 500 episodes from February 2007 to March 2017. The English dub of ''Naruto: Shippuden'' was broadcast on

Disney XD Disney XD is an American pay television television channel, channel owned by the Disney Branded Television and Disney Entertainment units of The Walt Disney Company. The channel is aimed primarily at older children ages six to eleven years old ...

in the United States from October 2009 to November 2011, airing the first 98 episodes before eventually switching over to

Adult Swim Adult Swim (stylized as

dult swim Dult is a village in Batala in Gurdaspur district of Punjab State, India. It is located from sub district headquarter, from district headquarter and from Sri Hargobindpur. The village is administrated by Sarpanch an elected representativ ...

and s is an American adult-oriented television programming block that airs on Cartoon Network which broadcasts during the evening, prime time, and Late-night television, late-night Dayparting, dayparts. T ...

Toonami Toonami ( ) is an American late-night television programming block that broadcasts Japanese anime and American action animation. It was created by Sean Akins and Jason DeMarco and currently produced by Williams Street, a subsidiary of W ...

programming block in January 2014 to September 2024, 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 Neon Alley was an American digital anime service run by Viz Media. The service began as a 24-hour linear web channel dedicated to showing English dubbed anime series in uncut and uncensored formats. It later evolved into a Hulu-based streaming ...

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 animation , abbreviated as OVA and sometimes as OAV (original animation video), are Japanese animated films and special episodes of a series made specially for release in home video formats without prior showings on television or in theaters, though the ...

s. The anime series achieved significant commercial success, becoming one of Viz Media's top-earning franchise and being a cultural impact with the run of the series. It was the third most-watched series in the United States by 2020. Critically, it received mixed reception. Its adaptation of Kishimoto's art style and story pacing was not received well. The fight scenes, character dynamics, and emotional depth received critical acclaim. ''Naruto: Shippuden'' was consistently ranked as one of the most-watched in Japan. It was lauded for its improved animation, more mature tone, well-crafted character interactions, and balanced storytelling. The first anime ranked 38th in

IGN ''IGN'' is an American video gaming and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa district and is headed by its former e ...

's Top 100 Animated Series and ''Shippuden'' earned a nomination from the

Crunchyroll Anime Awards The Crunchyroll Anime Awards, also known simply as The Anime Awards, are awards given annually by the anime streaming service Crunchyroll to recognize the best anime of the previous year. Announced in December 2016, the awards were first prese ...

for Best Continuing Series. Viz Media sold over three million anime home video units by 2019.

Series overview

Voice cast and characters

Production and release

Part I (2002–07)

The first ''Naruto'' anime series, directed by Hayato Date, and produced by Studio Pierrot and TV Tokyo, aired in Japan from October 3, 2002, to February 8, 2007. The first 135 episodes were adapted from Part I of the manga, and the remaining 85 episodes are original and use plot elements excluded in the manga.

Tetsuya Nishio is a Japanese animator and character designer. Nishio began his career as an inbetweener for the TV series ''Osomatsu-kun'' (1988). He worked for Studio Pierrot on '' Ninku'' (1995-1996). Since he was hired to work on '' Jin-Roh: The Wolf Briga ...

was the character designer for ''Naruto'' when the manga was adapted into an anime series. Kishimoto had requested that Nishio be given this role. 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 . Episodes from the series were released on both VHS and DVD, and collected as boxed sets. Viz licensed the anime series for broadcast and distribution in the Region 1 market. The English dub of the anime began airing on September 10, 2005, and ended on January 31, 2009, with 209 episodes aired on

's Toonami in the United States. The episodes were also broadcast on YTV's Bionix (Canada),

Jetix Jetix (stylized in all caps) was a children's entertainment brand owned by The Walt Disney Company. The brand was for a slate of action and adventure-related programming blocks and television channels. Jetix programming mainly originated fr ...

(United Kingdom) and

SABC 2 SABC 2 is a South African free-to-air television channel owned by the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC). The channel was createdin its current form on 4 February 1996, due to the restructuring of the three national SABC networks. As ...

's (South Africa) programming blocks, and were released on DVD on March 28, 2006. On August 25, 2017,

Starz Starz (stylized in all caps as STARZ; pronounced "stars") is an American pay television network owned by Starz Entertainment, and is the flagship property of Starz Inc. Launched in 1994 as a multiplex service of what is now Starz Encore, ...

announced that they would be offering episodes of the series for their Video on Demand service starting September 1, 2017. The first 26 volumes contain four episodes; later DVD volumes have five episodes. Uncut editions were released in DVD box sets, each containing 12–15 episodes, with some variation based on story arcs. In the American broadcast, references to alcohol,

Japanese culture Japanese culture has changed greatly over the millennia, from the country's prehistoric Jōmon period, to its contemporary modern culture, which absorbs influences from Asia and other regions of the world. Since the Jomon period, ancestral ...

sexual innuendo An innuendo is a hint, insinuation or intimation about a person or thing, especially of a denigrating or derogatory nature. It can also be a remark or question, typically disparaging (also called insinuation), that works obliquely by allusion ...

, and the appearance of blood and death were sometimes edited. The DVD editions contained the uncensored visuals. 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. The series was also licensed to

Hulu Hulu (, ) is an American Subscription business model, subscription streaming media service owned by Disney Streaming, a subsidiary of the Disney Entertainment segment of the Walt Disney Company. It was launched on October 29, 2007, initially as ...

Joost Joost () was an Internet TV service, created by Niklas Zennström and Janus Friis (founders of Skype and Kazaa). During 2007–2008 Joost used peer-to-peer TV ( P2PTV) technology to distribute content to their Mozilla-based desktop player; ...

, and

Crunchyroll Crunchyroll is an American Video on demand#Subscription models, subscription video on-demand Over-the-top media service, over-the-top Streaming media, streaming service owned by Sony, Sony Group Corporation. The service primarily distributes fi ...

, which aired the episodes online with the original Japanese audio tracks and English subtitles. On June 1, 2017, it was announced that an HD remaster version of the original anime television series would debut on Japanese TV on June 24, starting with the show's first episode.

Anime Limited Anime Limited, also known as All the Anime, is a British anime distribution company based in Glasgow, Scotland. It releases anime for British, Irish, French and other European audiences. The company was established in 2012 by Andrew Partridge, ...

released the series in a "Collector's Blu-ray" edition in the United Kingdom and Ireland in 2024. A series of four "brand-new" episodes, to commemorate the original anime's 20th anniversary, were originally scheduled to premiere on September 3, 2023. In August of the same year, it was announced the premiere had been postponed.

Part II: ''Shippuden'' (2007–17)

The second anime series, titled produced 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. It aired on TV Tokyo from February 15, 2007 to March 23, 2017. On January 8, 2009, TV Tokyo aired new episodes via

internet streaming Streaming media refers to multimedia delivered through a network for playback using a media player. Media is transferred in a ''stream'' of packets from a server to a client and is rendered in real-time; this contrasts with file downl ...

to monthly subscribers. Each streamed episode was available online within an hour of its Japanese release and includes English subtitles. Viz began streaming English subtitled episodes on January 2, 2009, on the series' website, including episodes that had already been released as well as new episodes from Japan. In the United States, the English dub of ''Naruto: Shippuden'' premiered weekly on

from October 28, 2009, up until episode 98 on November 5, 2011. Episodes 99 through 338 premiered uncut on the anime web channel

until it was closed on May 4, 2016. The anime series aired on

Adult Swim Adult Swim (stylized as

programming block on January 5, 2014, where it aired on a weekly basis. 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. There was a special feature included with the seventh ''Naruto: Shippuden'' compilation DVD called ''Hurricane! "Konoha Academy" Chronicles''. was released on December 16, 2009; featuring episodes 119–120, the story revolves around Kakashi Hatake's childhood. The first North American DVD of the series was released on September 29, 2009. Only the first 53 episodes were made available in this format before it ended with the 12th volume on August 10, 2010. Subsequent episodes were released as part of DVD boxed sets, beginning with the first season on January 26, 2010. In the United Kingdom, the series was licensed by

Manga Entertainment Manga Entertainment was a producer, licensee, and distributor of anime in the United States and the United Kingdom. Originally founded in the UK in 1991, the UK branch became Funimation UK and Ireland in 2021, also currently known as Crunchyr ...

who released the first DVD collection on June 14, 2010. Anime Limited released the series in a "Collector's Blu-ray" edition in the United Kingdom and Ireland in 2024.

Episodes

;''Naruto'' ;''Naruto: Shippuden''

Films

''Naruto'' was adapted into 11 theatrical films. The first three films correspond to the first anime series, and the remaining eight correspond to the second. # '' Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow'' (2004). Team 7 travels to the Land of Snow to protect the actors during the shooting of Yukie's film. # '' Legend of the Stone of Gelel'' (2005). 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. It was released in

direct-to-video Direct-to-video or straight-to-video refers to the release of a film, television series, short or special to the public immediately on home video formats rather than an initial theatrical release or television premiere. This distribution strat ...

format instead. # '' Guardians of the Crescent Moon Kingdom'' (2006). Naruto, Sakura, Lee, and Kakashi are assigned to protect the future prince of the Land of Moon, Hikaru Tsuki. # ''

Naruto Shippuden the Movie is an animated martial arts fantasy film and the fourth overall in the ''Naruto'' film series and the first '' Naruto: Shippuden'' film, directed by Hajime Kamegaki and written by Junki Takegami. The movie is set after episode 32. Plot The fil ...

'' (2007). Naruto goes on a mission to protect the priestess Shion, who makes visions about his death. # '' Naruto Shippuden the Movie: Bonds'' (2008). Naruto and Sasuke are forced to join forces when ninja from the Sky Country attack Konoha. # '' Naruto Shippuden the Movie: The Will of Fire'' (2009). Team 7 works to prevent Kakashi from sacrificing himself and ending the war. # '' 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 Minato Namikaze, his father, alive in the timeline. # '' Naruto the Movie: Blood Prison'' (2011). Naruto is framed for attempted murder of the Raikage. While attempting to escape from prison, he discovers its real secrets. # '' 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 Kishimoto. # '' The Last: Naruto the Movie'' (2014). 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 the relationship between Naruto and Hinata. Kishimoto served as the film's chief story supervisor, story writer, and character designer. # '' Boruto: Naruto the Movie'' (2015). The film focuses on the children of the main characters, mainly

Boruto Uzumaki is a fictional character created by Masashi Kishimoto who first appears in the series finale of the manga series ''Naruto'' as the son of the main protagonist Naruto Uzumaki and Hinata Hyuga, Hinata Uzumaki. He later appears as the main protag ...

, who trains with his father's best friend and former rival

Sasuke Uchiha () is a fictional character in the ''Naruto'' manga and anime franchise created by Masashi Kishimoto. Sasuke belongs to the Uchiha clan, a notorious ninja family, and one of the most powerful, allied with . Most of its members were massacred b ...

to surpass him. Kishimoto served as the film's chief production supervisor, screenwriter, and character designer.

OVAs

There are 12

original video animations , abbreviated as OVA and sometimes as OAV (original animation video), are Japanese animated films and special episodes of a series made specially for release in home video formats without prior showings on television or in theaters, though the ...

(OVAs) in ''Naruto''. # ''Find the Crimson Four-Leaf Clover!'' (2002). Naruto, Konohamaru, and his friends, go on a mission to retrieve a four leaf clover that makes a wish come true. # ''Mission: Protect the Waterfall Village!'' (2003). Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, and Kakashi, are on a mission to escort a ninja to his hometown. This and the previous OVA were later released on DVD in Australia under the title ''Naruto Jump Festa Collection''. The English localization of ''Mission: Protect the Waterfall Village!'' was released on DVD by Viz on May 22, 2007, in the United States under the title ''Naruto The Lost Story''. # ''Hidden Leaf Village Grand Sports Festival'' (2004). Multiple groups of ninjas, including Team 7, participate in a sports competition where the award is a week break from missions. # ''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 The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October, in Europe on 24 Novembe ...

. # ''Hurricane! "Konoha Academy" Chronicles'' (2008). This OVA follows Naruto and his peers, as they attend high school. # ''Naruto: The Cross Roads'' (2009). Focuses on Team 7, after their encounter with Zabuza and Haku. # ''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. # ''Naruto x UT'' (2011). Naruto is defeated by Sasuke and is pronounced dead; the events leading to the combat are shown in flashback. # ''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. # ''Hashirama Senju vs. Madara Uchiha'' (2012). Tobi narrates the origin of Konoha. In the beginning, ninjas 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 The PlayStation 3 (PS3) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE). It is the successor to the PlayStation 2, and both are part of the PlayStation brand of consoles. The PS3 was first released on ...

and

Xbox 360 The Xbox 360 is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. As the successor to the Xbox (console), original Xbox, it is the second console in the Xbox#Consoles, Xbox series. It was officially unveiled on MTV on May 12, 2005, with detail ...

. # ''Naruto Shippūden: Sunny Side Battle!!!'' (2014). In his sleep, Sasuke dreams of his brother Itachi making him breakfast repeatedly until it is perfect. # ''The Day Naruto Became Hokage'' (2016). Naruto is officially the Seventh Hokage, but does not make it to the ceremony.

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. This was followed by ''Naruto Original Soundtrack II'', released on March 18, 2004, which includes 19 tracks. The third, ''Naruto Original Soundtrack III'', was released on April 27, 2005, with 23 tracks. 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. 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. Soundtracks for the three movies based on the first anime series were available for sale near their release dates. On October 12, 2011, a CD collecting the themes from ''Naruto Shōnen Hen'' was released. Various CD series were released with voice actors performing original episodes. The soundtracks of ''Naruto: Shippuden'' were produced by

Yasuharu Takanashi is a prolific Japanese composer and arranger for anime and video game series. His anime composition credits include ''Naruto Shippuden'', ''Fairy Tail'', '' Log Horizon'', '' Shiki'', '' Hell Girl'', and '' Record of Ragnarok''. Biography Tak ...

and his musical unit, Yaiba; they were titled ''Naruto Shippūden Original Soundtrack I'', ''II'', and ''III'', and were released in 2007, 2009, and 2016. ''Naruto All Stars'', released in 2008, consists of 10 original ''Naruto'' songs remixed and sung by characters from the series. Ten themes from the two anime series were collected in the DVD box ''Naruto Super Hits 2006–2008'', which appeared in 2008. Soundtracks from the ''Shippuden'' films have also been released, with the first one available in 2007. 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. The theme for the Cartoon Network English version was performed by former

Saban Entertainment BVS Entertainment, Inc., previously known as Saban Productions, Saban Entertainment and Saban International, is a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Company. Founded on April 24, 1980, as a music production company by Haim Saban and Shuki Levy, it ...

composer Jeremy Sweet, who had previously worked on themes for the ''

Power Rangers ''Power Rangers'' is an American media franchise created by Haim Saban, Shuki Levy and Shotaro Ishinomori built around a live-action superhero television series, based on the Japanese tokusatsu franchise ''Super Sentai''. It is currently ow ...

'' franchise, the English adaptation of ''

Dragon Ball Z ''Dragon Ball Z'' (''DBZ'') is a Japanese anime television series produced by Toei Animation. Part of the ''Dragon Ball'' media franchise, it is the sequel to the 1986 ''Dragon Ball'' television series and adapts the latter 325 chapters ...

'' and various other Saban programs. It was co-composed by Ian Nickus,''Naruto'' English dub credits. another former musician from the company.

Reception

Sales and ratings

In 2011, ''Naruto'' helped

generate in annual licensed merchandise sales. By 2019, Viz Media has sold more than ''Naruto'' anime

home video Home video is recorded media sold or Video rental shop, rented for home viewing. The term originates from the VHS and Betamax era, when the predominant medium was videotapes, but has carried over to optical disc formats such as DVD and Blu-ray. ...

units, and the anime was the top digital streaming performer on

. ''Naruto: Shippuden'' has been ranked several times as one of the most watched series in Japan. ''Naruto'' has also been the top-earning (gross profit) anime franchise for

TV Tokyo JOTX-DTV (channel 7), branded as is a Japanese television station that serves as the flagship of the TX Network.Pokémon is a Japanese media franchise consisting of List of Pokémon video games, video games, Pokémon (TV series), animated series and List of Pokémon films, films, Pokémon Trading Card Game, a trading card game, and other related media. The fran ...

'' in 2011 and ''

Yo-kai Watch is a Japanese role-playing video game series and associated media franchise created and developed by Level-5. The first game in the series was released for the Nintendo 3DS in 2013. Three main sequels and several spinoffs, on both Nintendo a ...

'' in 2015) due to strong overseas and domestic sales. In 2020, it was the third most watched series in the United States.

Critical reception

Mike Hale of ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' described the ''Naruto'' anime as much better than American animation shows aimed at children. The visuals received criticism from both ''

THEM Anime Reviews THEM Anime Reviews, otherwise known as THEM or T.H.E.M. Anime Reviews, is an anime review website that writes about current and past anime in any form, including OVAs and ONAs. The website offers reviews, editorial content and hosts forums. ...

'' critics: Christina Carpenter felt Kishimoto's artistic style translated poorly into animation, and Derrick Tucker felt that at their best, the depictions " eftlittle to be desired". As with the manga, some reviewers, such as Theron Martin of ''

Anime News Network Anime News Network (ANN) is a news website that reports on the status of anime, manga, video games, Japanese popular music and other related cultures within North America, Australia, Southeast Asia and Japan. The website offers reviews and ot ...

'', along with Tucker, felt there were too many fight scenes. Justin Rich argued that the fight scenes were the most important and enjoyable element of the show. Carpenter commented positively on the characters, though she felt that most were fairly typicals.

Hiroshi Matsuyama , born in November 23, 1970 in Fukuoka, is a Japanese game designer. He is the CEO of the company CyberConnect2. He developed multiple games including the '' .hack'' franchise as well as adaptations of the anime series including ''Naruto'' and ''D ...

further reflected the anime's 133rd episode to be one of his favorites, including the action sequences between Naruto and Sasuke, and the emotional value displayed. ''Naruto: Shippuden'' was well-reviewed by Activeanime's David C. Jones who commented that the animation had improved. 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. The pacing for the first episodes was criticised as slow, the delivery and development of the interactions between the characters received positive comments. Writing for the ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...

'', Charles Solomon ranked ''Shippuden'' the third best anime on his "Top 10". In 2011, readers of '' Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition'' voted Naruto as the 29th-top video game character of all time.

Accolades

The ''Naruto'' anime was listed as the 38th best animated show in IGN's Top 100 Animated Series. In September 2005, Japanese television network

TV Asahi JOEX-DTV (channel 5), branded as , and better known as , is a Japanese television station serving the Kanto region as the flagship station of the All-Nippon News Network. It is owned-and-operated by the a subsidiary of , itself controlled by ...

broadcast a popularity poll based on a nationwide survey in which ''Naruto'' placed seventeenth. The first DVD compilation released by Viz received a nomination from the

American Anime Awards The American Anime Awards were a series of awards designed to recognize excellence in the release of anime and manga in North America. The first (and only) annual American Anime Awards balloting was supervised by Milton Griepp of industry websit ...

for Best Package Design. At the Crunchyroll's inaugural Anime Awards in 2017, the fight between

and Sasuke received a Most Popular "Other" mention in the Best Fight Scene category. At the 2nd edition in 2018, ''Naruto: Shippuden'' was nominated for Best Continuing Series.

''Naruto'' run

The ''Naruto'' run, or ninja run, is a running style based on the way the characters run in the anime, leaning forward with their arms outstretched behind their backs. It became popular in 2017 when groups worldwide organized events to run like ''Naruto'' characters, especially on anniversaries of the series. On June 27, 2019, Matty Roberts posted a satirical event called " Storm Area 51, They Can't Stop All of Us" on

Facebook Facebook is a social media and social networking service owned by the American technology conglomerate Meta Platforms, Meta. Created in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with four other Harvard College students and roommates, Eduardo Saverin, Andre ...

where he wrote "We will all meet up at the Area 51 Alien Center tourist attraction and coordinate our entry. If we naruto run, we can move faster than their bullets. Let's see them aliens." This quickly became an

Internet meme An Internet meme, or meme (, Help:Pronunciation respelling key, ''MEEM''), is a cultural item (such as an idea, behavior, or style) that spreads across the Internet, primarily through Social media, social media platforms. Internet memes manif ...

, resulting in nationwide alerts and warnings issued by Nevada law enforcement and the

U.S. Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its origins to 1 ...

to not go to Area 51.

Notes

Language notes General notes

References

External links

* * * * * * {{Pierrot (company) Naruto mass media 2003 anime OVAs 2004 anime OVAs 2005 anime OVAs 2009 anime OVAs Adventure anime and manga Anime series based on manga Aniplex Bandai brands Chinese mythology in anime and manga Comedy anime and manga Coming-of-age anime and manga Fantasy anime and manga Japanese martial arts television series Japanese mythology in anime and manga Madman Entertainment anime Manga adapted into films Martial arts anime and manga Mythopoeia Ninja in anime and manga Pierrot (company) TV Tokyo original programming Television censorship in the United States Television series about shapeshifting Viz Media anime