Naruto's landmark anime series celebrates its 20th anniversary soon, with its official Twitter tweeting out art in celebration. The original anime of Naruto debuted in 2002 and ran till 2007, producing 220 episodes, with its continuation Naruto: Shippuden debuting a week later and running till 2017 and producing 500 episodes. The franchise originated from a long-running manga and has seen multiple film and video game adaptations, becoming one of the world's most popular and recognizable anime.
Naruto follows the coming-of-age story of Naruto Uzumaki, a young ninja who seeks to become Hokage, the leader of his village, making friends and facing off against powerful enemies along the way. The manga and anime were also notable for taking inspiration from Japanese mythology and Confucianism to tell their stories. The series lives on in its spin-off Boruto, running since 2017.
The image was shared on Twitter (@NARUTOtoBORUTO) and depicted Naruto as a pre-teen and an adult as depicted in Boruto. The two are depicted under a tree, with the young Naruto sitting on a swing and facing away from the viewer, with his adult self putting an affectionate hand on his shoulder as they look at each other. The official 20th anniversary of the series will take place on October 3, 2022, with the premiere having aired on that date in 2002. Check out the full post below:
Naruto received praise for its focus on character development, story beats, and fight scenes, the latter of which helped make the series popular in the west. The series is seen as paving the way for anime in western culture, with modern popular anime's such as Demon Slayer taking inspiration from it. In particular, the series became a meme for the "Naruto Run," a style of running where the runner leans forward with their arms stretched out behind their back, particularly during the Storm Area 51 satirical event in 2019 where the phrase was used in its description.
Before Naruto, anime was seen as a mostly child-focused art form in the west, with the popularity of Pokemon contributing to that observation. Naruto showed that anime was a much more versatile and accessible art form, for fans of all ages could appreciate the coming of age story for its humor, fights, and likable characters. The fan base of Naruto shows the anime's lasting appeal, with cosplayers and fan artists showing their affection for the series, affection that's sure to make Naruto's 20th anniversary worth celebrating.
Source: @NARUTOtoBORUTO