Some popular anime garner hype with new content. Some nostalgic, well-loved anime still have fans flocking to their fanbases years and hundreds of episodes later. Naruto is the latter. But unlike some franchises bolstering more episodes or having begun airing years prior, Naruto is still garnering attention with a firm, dedicated fanbase that continues to grow watching their cherished show. And, with such iconic, admired storylines and characters, the franchise deserves the attention.

And with a franchise as bold, iconic, and enduring as the namesake himself, Naruto tops other franchises in its latest milestone, topping the Netflix anime charts for the second half of 2024. And why shouldn’t it? Naruto, though he faces challenge after challenge in ninja training, also faces emotional challenges that hit close to home. But he doesn’t let that stop him. Naruto’s drive to accomplish his dreams in the face of adversity is the epitome of “never give up” and is a widely beloved inspiration to otaku everywhere. Believe it!

Naruto is Still the Best! Believe it!

After over twenty years, Naruto still manages to come out on top. With an analysis conducted by PJB Entertainment on the comparison of watch hours each franchise has had as of the conclusion of 2024, Netflix’s “What We Watched” Report reveals that the Naruto franchise has taken the #1 spot. This includes the original 2002 series through its 2017 conclusion with Naruto: Shippuden, filler, and other projects like Boruto, with cumulative watch hours adding up to around a whopping 330 million. With its officially claimed #1 spot as the most-watched anime globally, Naruto has outpaced One Piece (ongoing with over 1000 episodes), Demon Slayer, Pokemon (also with over 1000 episodes), Black Clover, Hunter x Hunter, Seven Deadly Sins, My Hero Academia, Dandadan, and even Jujutsu Kaisen. It’s an impressive change of pace compared to the first half of the year, which saw Delicious in Dungeon rightly snatch the top rank.

With nothing current matching the full run of Naruto, this shows just how the series has really impacted its fans with the lasting quality of Naruto’s best moments. Naruto as a character resonates with fans everywhere with his determined spirit in the face of adversity and is a widely beloved inspiration to otaku everywhere. With friends and foes along the way, his adventures, ranging from hilarious antics to heart-wrenching emotional experiences, have left their imprint on not just the storylines and characters and the franchise’s audience but the course of anime culture itself.

A Beloved Anime Franchise Since 2002

In the Hidden Leaf Village, Konohagakure, Naruto Uzumaki, a young, aspiring ninja, is shunned by the wary community. The leader, the Fourth Hokage, had sacrificed his life and sealed the Nine-Tailed Fox demon within the newborn Naruto to prevent it from wreaking havoc on the village. But Naruto doesn’t let his circumstances and rejection from others deter him — with a rambunctious, mischievous nature, he’s determined to become the next Hokage and gain the village’s recognition and respect. Making friends along the way, Naruto trains to become a strong and capable ninja, facing many new foes and the demon inside himself.

Since its humble beginnings in 1999 as a manga by Masashi Kishimoto and published by Shueisha, the adventure/fantasy/comedy/martial arts shonen amassed 72 volumes in its run until 2014. In 2002, Pierrot adapted it into an anime series that has been widely popular ever since. The franchise has included the original Naruto 220-episode series spanning 5 seasons, Naruto: Shippuden with 500 episodes spanning 22 seasons, and ending in 2017 with the next generation continuing in Boruto, featuring Naruto’s son.

[RELATED: Naruto Team Shares How Its Sequel, Boruto, Came to Light]

Even with other franchises like One Piece having a seemingly more imposing legacy with ongoing manga and anime series, Naruto manages to appeal to generations of anime fans both new and nostalgic, the franchise as a whole successfully bridging the cultural gap in surprising ways with regards to viewership. Constantly outputting new merch, promos, and collaborations, the franchise is as successful as ever with garnering both its marketing and genuine appeal, and the impressive number of watch hours is a testament to its lasting appeal.

And as fans clearly still want more content from the franchise, perhaps this should be case enough for Boruto needing its anime to make a return and why Two Blue Vortex is a worthwhile reading experience. With its 2016 ongoing two-part manga series, Boruto: Naruto Next Generations and Boruto: Two Blue Vortex, the franchise’s clear endurance is evidence enough that it could continue its successful viewership should the anime also continue. But until then, fans can get their fix with Two Blue Vortex’s ongoing monthly manga. With Boruto facing new skills to learn and new goals to achieve, the manga is increasingly worth your time as its plot unfolds.

Even if you’re unable to support Naruto by watching on Netflix, that’s okay! Naruto can also be streamed on most major streaming services including Amazon, Hulu, Peacock, Crunchyroll, and more.

The post Naruto Is Still the Hottest Anime on Netflix appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Boruto: Two Blue Vortex has been taking the opportunity to focus on some of the Seventh Hokage’s biggest allies fighting against the newest big bads of the shonen universe, the Divine Trees. While Sarada Uchiha and her fellow young ninjas find themselves in a physical altercation, Konohamaru has a much more difficult and emotional challenge on his hands. As Konohamaru struggles with a former ally turned enemy, Boruto’s teacher has to make a tough decision in the latest manga chapter, proving once again that creator Masashi Kishimoto is more than willing to take off the gloves when necessary.

Warning. If you have yet to read Boruto: Two Blue Vortex’s latest manga chapter, Chapter 20, be forewarned that we’ll be diving into major spoiler territory. Konohamaru has been in a tough situation in Boruto’s manga, being assigned with taking down the Divine Trees by the current Hokage Shikamaru. Initially tasked with befriending Matsuri, the Divine Tree member born from the DNA of Konohamaru’s friend Moegi, Boruto’s mentor was attacked by the villain thanks to her wild emotional state. The Divine Trees, after all, are equivalent to children in terms of their understanding of the world and themselves, which Konohamaru uses to his advantage.

[RELATED: Naruto Finally Unleashes Sarada’s Greatest Sharingan & Teases Its Power]

Konohamaru Still Has It

Trapped in Matsuri’s scarf and being threatened with a painful demise, Konohamaru is forced to play his trump card and start emotionally manipulating his opponent. With the Divine Tree putting the squeeze on the Hidden Leaf ninja, tears start streaming down her face as she fails to understand this rush of emotion raging inside of her. Thanks to being based on Moegi’s DNA, the villain doesn’t wish to be Konohamaru’s executor and thus, leaves herself open to a wild attack.

In a brilliant fashion, Konohamaru asks to hold Matsuri’s hands, allowing her to drop her guard and unleashing a devastating attack at point blank rage. Boruto’s former teacher calls forth a pair of “Giant Rasengan”, not only completely blowing apart the Divine Tree’s arms but her legs as well. In a split moment, Konohamaru might have also lost his win opportunity to claim victory.

Watching from afar, the Divine Tree leader known as Jura confirms that Konohamaru might have lost his life in his hesitation to kill Matsuri, “Because of love, Matsuri wavered over devouring him and allowed him to trick her and deliver a painful counter-attack. Also because of love, Sarutobi Konohamaru fell prey to doubt and foolishly let victory slip from his grasp.” In Konohamaru’s final scene in this latest manga chapter, it seems that Matsuri losing her appendages won’t stop her from unleashing a maelstrom his way, potentially spelling the end of the ninja.

Want to see if Konohamaru makes it out of this encounter alive? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook.com for the latest updates on Team Anime on ComicBook.com for the latest updates on the Hidden Leaf Village and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime.

The post Boruto: Two Blue Vortex Unleashes Konohamaru’s Greatest Betrayal appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Boruto: Two Blue Vortex has put Sarada Uchiha and the others in the midst of some very real danger against the Divine Trees, and the cliffhanger from the newest chapter has finally unleashed Sarada’s own Mangekyo Sharingan. The Mangekyo Sharingan is one of the strongest Sharingan techniques fans got to see Sasuke Uchiha use during the heights of the original Naruto series, and Sarada was previously revealed to carry on this power. In the final few chapters of Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, it was revealed that Sarada had unlocked this ability but didn’t seem to know herself that she had activated it.

It’s been a long time since that point, however, as Sarada has grown throughout the years in between the events of Boruto: Naruto Next Generations and the Boruto: Two Blue Vortex sequel. Now that she’s gone on a deadly new mission to the Hidden Sand Village and facing off against two of the Divine Tree foes, it seems the stress and chaos of the situation has activated this latent power within her once more. But this time around, we’re finally starting to see what Sarada’s version of the technique can do.

Naruto Unleashes Sarada’s Own Mangekyo Sharingan

Boruto: Two Blue Vortex Chapter 20 picks up right after Ryu catches Sarada and the others while they were trying to trick him. Although they were able to avoid his iron sand control for awhile, it’s now a much different case as his ability continues to overwhelm both Team 7 and the Hidden Sand Ninja. Ryu then offers them a deal to reveal more information about Boruto’s whereabouts in exchange for their lives. Sarada refuses to do so because not only would she not want to give away Boruto’s location, but she doesn’t even know where he is in the first place.

It’s here that Yodo realizes that Sarada’s going to protect Boruto regardless of how the rest of the world sees him, and thus decides to give herself up. Claiming that her abilities to help locate Boruto, Ryu refuses and strikes her through the stomach. As she lies there in injured, Yodo then asks Sarada to look deep within herself as it’s clear that she’s holding back her power. She’s been subconsciously holding herself back, and Yodo tells her its okay to use that power to protect the one she cares about instead of for some “greater good.” It’s here that Sarada’s Mangekyo Sharingan activates in full.

RELATED: Boruto: Two Blue Vortex Explains Boruto’s New Jujutsu Kaisen-Like Powers

What Does Sarada’s New Sharingan Do?

Although Sarada had unknowingly activated her Mangekyo Sharingan during the final events of the original series, it’s not until this chapter that she’s activated it in full. The power unleashed from her version of the technique seems to work much differently than her father’s as well as Ryu’s iron sand starts collecting in a single sphere in the middle of the air. The sand is being sucked into this one single spot, and it’s almost as if it’s working as a black hole.

The chapter ends before fans get to see more of Sarada wielding this new power, but now it’s just a matter of seeing what’s next. Sarada has never used this ability before, and following the time skip she’s now at a point where she can even wield the ability. It’s unclear as to whether or not it will have the same drawbacks seen with the other Sharingan users, but now she’s going to test it out in the midst of combat with her life on the line. And the technique could not have sparked at a better time.

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As an anime about friendship and teamwork, Naruto has its fair share of competition or friendships turned rivalries. Some of them, like Naruto and Sasuke’s rivalry, are meant to pave the way to character growth. While others, like Might Guy and Kakashi’s rivalry, serve as friendly and somewhat comedic relationships in an otherwise bleak world. But one Naruto rivalry is agreed by fans to be the worst of them all even after multiple decades: the rivalry between Ino Yamanaka and Sakura Haruno. 

Ino and Sakura’s rivalry is frequently criticized for being shallow and revolving around a boy who (at least at the time) wasn’t even interested in them. But while Sasuke played a major role in the two’s rivalry, the underlying theme is a fight to show the other up in both love and ninja skills. Had the story focused more on this element of the two’s relationship, their friendship and rivalry would have been much less frustrating to watch, and might have even paralleled Naruto and Sasuke’s iconic rivalry.

The Background Behind Naruto’s Worst Rivalry

One of Naruto’s most hated rivalries, Ino and Sakura’s relationship is often criticized for being one-dimensional, with the two former friends seemingly only fighting to impress Sasuke. But that’s not all there is to it. While the two’s feelings for the last Uchiha were the overt reason given for their competitiveness, their actual dynamic is far more complex.

Ino and Sakura first became friends after the former found a young Sakura crying from being bullied for her large forehead. Ino told her to embrace her forehead to stop the teasing and tied her hair back for her with a red ribbon. This set the tone for their relationship: Sakura was the shy, timid girl who often got bullied, and Ino was the confident girl who defended and supported her.

While Ino’s support helped Sakura slowly become more confident, her inner insecurity remained. She compared herself to Ino and found herself lacking. This can be seen in Naruto Episode 41, when the two young girls made flower arrangements and Sakura asked Ino if the latter was a beautiful Cosmos and the former just a common Thoroughwort. Ino was quick to reassure Sakura that she was still a flower bud and could bloom into a flower even more beautiful than the Cosmos. But while her words inspired Sakura, they weren’t enough to erase her insecurity.

The Easy Change That Could Fix It All 

This is where Sasuke comes in. Sakura’s feelings for Sasuke were strong enough that when she learned Ino also liked him, she didn’t automatically back down thinking she didn’t have a chance. Her feelings for him brought out her inner competitiveness and pushed her to improve to the point that she could finally view herself as Ino’s equal.

This focus on Sasuke also makes Sakura’s otherwise significant character arc feel remarkably childish and shallow. So, how could this have been fixed? The easiest way would have been to simply substitute the catalyst of liking Sasuke with something else. In the context of the story, the obvious choice would have been a rivalry over becoming the better Kunoichi. Kunoichi, or female ninjas, are already a minority among the Konoha 11, with their growth being largely overlooked until Naruto Shippuden, and Tenten being practically ignored by the end. Given Sakura’s growth under Tsunade following the time skip, putting this development into focus in Part 1 could have been far more compelling.

[RELATED – One Naruto “Plot Hole” Is Seen in a New Light 25 Years Later]

This is already a major part of Ino and Sakura’s relationship, so the story would not need to be altered significantly for it to work. To a young Sakura, Ino symbolized the kind of person and ninja she wanted to become. As such, even without their mutual crush on Sasuke, Sakura’s feeling of not being Ino’s equal and desire to grow out of the other girl’s shadow would have eventually led her to turn their friendship into a rivalry.

But without the love rivals angle, the two girls could perhaps become rivals without ending their friendship, leading to a relationship of constant improvement reminiscent of Kakashi and Might Guy. As acknowledged by Sakura herself during her Chunin Exam fight against Ino, the latter’s support and rivalry was a major reason she was able to even come as far as she did. Both of them could get much stronger if they pushed each other as friends and regularly trained together. 

It also helps that the story does see the two girls eventually redefine their rivalry as not just being over Sasuke during the Chunin Exam Arc, although this gets overshadowed by their continued infatuation with him. When Sakura cuts her hair to free herself from the Sound ninja Kin, she shows she values fighting for her teammates more than Sasuke potentially liking her long hair. Ino does the same when she cuts her own hair off during her fight against Sakura. These scenes could have been much more powerful if they served as physical proof of the two moving past their childhood crushes on an uninterested Sasuke.

How Sakura and Ino Mirror Naruto and Sasuke

Despite everything, Sakura and Ino’s rivalry is, in a way, a parallel to Naruto and Sasuke’s rivalry. Sakura starts the rivalry out of a desire to become Ino’s equal. Much like how Naruto initiates his rivalry with Sasuke over being envious of the Uchiha’s popularity and wanting to become his equal. 

The two also share the same underlying hard work vs. talent angle as Naruto and Sasuke, with Ino coming from a prestigious ninja clan while Sakura comes from a civilian family. There is the difference that, unlike Sasuke, Ino seems to have always believed in Sakura’s potential. But Sakura still needed to stand up to her in an actual fight to believe in herself, hence the need for their rivalry.

The post Naruto’s Worst Rivalry Could Have Been Fixed With One Easy Change appeared first on ComicBook.com.

On March 26th, 2023, the 293rd episode of Boruto: Naruto Next Generations arrived. In it, the villainous Code was seeking revenge against the Hidden Leaf Village for the loss of his master. Luckily, both Boruto and Kawaki were more than willing to take down the new Kara Organization leader but things have been silent when it comes to the ninja-focused shonen series on the anime front. Approaching the two-year anniversary since last we saw Konoha’s finest on the small screen, it’s time for Studio Pierrot to bring back everyone’s favorite ninjas.

To start, let’s dig into the previous plans of Pierrot when it came to the Hidden Leaf. Following the recent conclusion of Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, the production house confirmed that they were working on four new episodes of the original Naruto series, once again pointing the camera at the younger iterations of Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke. Initially, Pierrot had confirmed that these new installments would arrive in September 2023 but had to be pushed back as the studio felt the animation wasn’t up to par. These episodes, and a potential return for the Boruto series, have yet to be confirmed.

[RELATED: One Naruto “Plot Hole” Is Seen in a New Light 25 Years Later]

Pierrot’s About Face

Perhaps one of the biggest reasons for the delay in these Naruto episodes was, surprisingly enough, Demon Slayer. The Demon Slayer Corps’ anime adaptation Ufotable has taken the world by storm and the seasonal approach to their works was noticed by Pierrot specifically. The Naruto studio hasn’t just been working on Konoha’s story but has recently had its hands full with Bleach: Thousand Year Blood War’s popular series. As the conclusion of the Soul Society approaches, now seems like the perfect time to at least tease the return of the Seventh Hokage and the newest generations of ninjas.

In April of last year, Pierrot president Michiyuki Honma broke down how Tanjiro and company changed their approach to anime, “I think Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba was a major turning point for the anime industry. It was a high-quality work that took a lot of time and a generous budget to make and it was a big hit when it aired, attracting people from a wide range of age groups. I watched it. Before and after Demon Slayer was announced, I really felt that we had to change the way we create things. Furthermore, other studios were releasing high-quality works on a similar scale and in Japan there was an environment where these could be watched on commercial television.”

Boruto Stories To Cover

When it comes to Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, there are still several chapters worth of story material to cover for an upcoming anime season. For manga readers, you know that the son of the Seventh Hokage’s story continues thanks to the Shippuden of the sequel series, Boruto: Two Blue Vortex. It’s in this current series that the next generation has really shined and could potentially give shonen fans quite a few episodes to get fans up to speed.

One major complaint that many anime fans have had in the past when it comes to the world of Naruto has been “filler.” For quite some time, with Pierrot attempting to stick to a weekly release schedule, the anime would routinely create entire storylines that were completely original, having never appeared in the manga prior. Should the studio stick to its seasonal approach, it would mean that creators Masashi Kishimoto and Mikio Ikemoto could continue to build up stories for years to come.

We Really Miss Naruto

In all honesty, Naruto’s anime was one that held a weekly schedule for quite some time, and while the filler obviously wasn’t the ideal for many fans, we’ve missed being able to see these characters regularly on the screen. Even while Boruto might not be held in as high regard as his father, Two Blue Vortex is a tale that has done a lot to redeem Konoha’s newest band of ninjas and seeing these stories animated would go a long way in giving the shonen franchise the shot in the arm it needs.

Naruto earned its place as a member of Shonen Jump’s “Big Three” in more ways than one and we are counting down the days until we can once again see a Shadow Clone Jutsu burst out of the screen, small, silver, or otherwise.

The post Naruto’s Anime Needs To Return appeared first on ComicBook.com.

As stunning as newer anime like Dandadan and Solo Leveling may be, they all admittedly seem to be lacking in one very specific area in the medium. This is an arena, coincidentally, where older enduring classics like One Piece, Naruto, Fairy Tail, and many more excel despite their animation being far less eye-catching in comparison. Believe it or not, these three classic shonen anime all have one thing in common, which is their distinctive soundtracks, or to be more specific, the use of one simple yet genius technique in their music that makes them so memorable even decades later.

Though often overlooked, soundtracks play a major role in any anime and can even make or break even the best series with the best of animation. While modern anime continues to make strides in terms of animation quality and global reach, most newer anime, sensational as they may be, simply no longer have the same distinctive soundtracks as older ones. Taking Naruto, One Piece, and Fairy Tail as examples, each of these shows has soundtracks that are instantly recognizable and have become synonymous with the series. Over the years the music from these particular anime has become so iconic that even those who may not have seen these series are sure to instantly recognize which anime they belong to, and a huge reason for this is the use of recurring motifs in older anime soundtracks, which has lately fallen out of use in modern anime.

Naruto, One Piece, and Fairy Tail All Have Bespoke Soundtracks in Common

While many other anime, including some shoujo and josei ones also sport excellent soundtracks, One Piece, Naruto, and Fairy Tail most clearly represent the beauty of older anime soundtracks. In One Piece’s case, most, if not all of its soundtrack has been composed by Kohei Tanaka. The series not only makes use of unique character motifs for each of the Straw Hats but also sports several iconic battle themes such as “Overtaken” and “Luffy’s Fierce Attack,” which are instantly recognizable within only a few notes.

The beauty of One Piece’s soundtrack is that these themes haven’t gotten old even two decades later and still evoke the same sense of excitement every time they are featured in the series. Kohei Tanaka also ingeniously incorporates these age-old melodies into newer compositions for the series. This is best seen in the Wano Arc compositions for Gear Five and Luffy’s awakening which feature bits of “Overtaken” and “Luffy’s Fierce Attack” hidden away between the exciting drum beats, almost as if incorporating a bit of the old Luffy into this new version of him, thus telling a tale even through the series’ music.

[RELATED: One Piece Announces Theme Songs for Egghead Arc]

Meanwhile, Naruto and Fairy Tail share the same excellent composer, Yasuharu Takanashi who gave both shows some of the most memorable, nostalgic soundtracks of all time. Both these series are known for hitting fans right in the feels and the music plays a huge role in this aspect. Fairy Tail’s signature main theme is an excellent example of the series’ use of a particular melody that is then shaped and incorporated into both the series’ battle themes as well as the sadder somber themes. Fairy Tail’s soundtrack also goes heavy on the woodwind instruments which perfectly align with the series’ medieval fantasy setting.

Meanwhile, Naruto’s soundtrack sets itself apart through its variability. The music in Naruto mostly incorporates classical Japanese instruments like the shamisen, a core aspect of Takanashi and Toshio Masuda’s style, which just so happens to perfectly fit the series’ setting. Toshio Masuda’s compositions like “Sadness and Sorrow” and “Naruto Main Theme” are excellent examples of Naruto soundtracks that have become inseparable from the series while other tracks like “Orochimaru’s Theme” are known for giving viewers goosebumps for years. Takanashi’s compositions for the series particularly shine in Naruto Shippuden with tracks like the “Akatsuki Theme” and though some of these tracks do not particularly use motifs as strongly as One Piece and Fairy Tail do, this variability in the soundtrack from the unconventional combination of Japanese instruments organs, chorals, and even electric guitar help the music stand out as an indispensable part of the series.

Modern Anime and the Death of Musical Motifs

The main issue with modern anime is that they rarely have anything to offer beyond their opening themes. Instead of musical motifs, opening themes are what fans most commonly associate with anime as of late, as seen with Dandadan’s chart-topping opening “Otonoke” or Solo Leveling’s “ReAwaker.” In the case of Solo Leveling in particular, even though the series has one of the most well-known composers, Hiroyuki Sawano, whose compositions lend perfectly to the atmosphere and mood of the series, nothing about the soundtrack stands out as particularly memorable. A huge reason for this is the lack of recognizable leitmotifs. In simple words, a leitmotif is a recurring melody or pattern within a composition that is associated with a particular character or scene.

Unlike One Piece’s “Overtaken” which might instantly conjure an image of Luffy headed into a battle or remind fans of an iconic scene like the Straw Hats marching into Enies Lobby, or Naruto’s “Sadness and Sorrow” which might instantly bring to mind various emotional moments from the series, modern anime severely lack such evocative music, and solely due to the slow death of the leitmotif.

That said, there are certainly exceptions like Demon Slayer which still makes use of distinct character themes and motifs for Tanjiro, Nezuko, and even the Hashira. Dandadan also arguably does something unique with its soundtrack in Episode 4 during the chase by Turbo Granny and the Spirit Crab which uses a remix of William Tell’s “Overture” and Offenbach’s “Can-Can” though the original soundtrack for the series does seem to be otherwise lacking. Regardless, anime music, both in terms of its opening themes and its soundtracks, has most definitely begun to change over the last few years. That said, hopefully modern anime can acknowledge what made older anime soundtracks such classics.

The post Naruto, One Piece, and Fairy Tail Prove Modern Anime Is Missing One Key Thing appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The written part of Naruto’s Chunin Exams Arc is both underrated and occasionally labeled as one of the series’ biggest plot holes. Fans have been questioning for decades how a seasoned Jonin like Ibiki Morino could let so many Genin pass despite their obvious cheating attempts using their ninjutsu. Not only were they not subtle, these ninjutsu were hardly invisible to the naked eye, and played very much into how Naruto was almost more of a battle wizards anime than a strictly realistic ninja series. But a recent Reddit post 25 years later reminds fans that the scene was written to play out that way very intentionally.

When Naruto’s Episode 24 first aired in Japan in 2003, adapting the 2000 release of the manga’s 40th chapter, most of the series’ audience was far too young to fully grasp the concept of a test actively meant to deceive the ones taking it. But in a world where age is just a number, the Konoha 11 had to prove they could not only think like adults but proper ninjas to pass. The written exam tested their determination, information-gathering skills, and ability to assess risk. Only those who could make good decisions on the field and had to resolve to risk themselves for the greater good made it to the next stage.

The Written Test’s Actual Purpose Was Explicit All Along

In the beginning of Naruto’s Chapter 40 (Episode 24 of the anime) Ibiki Morino explains the rules for the written first part of the Chunin Exams. Unlike traditional written tests, the exam is conducted on a point deduction system. Each Genin starts out with a perfect score of 10 points and loses one point for every answer they get wrong. If somebody is caught cheating, they lose 2 points. And perhaps most importantly for an anime emphasizing teamwork, teams pass or fail based on the total score of all three members.

Based on these rules, it’s clear somebody would need to be caught cheating five times to fail the exam, and Ibiki, too, outright says this. But what’s baffled fans for years is how the Genin manage to pass despite cheating very visibly with their jutsu. If the proctors really were counting every suspicious movement as cheating, how did they not manage to spot the obvious cheaters at least 5 times?

The answer to this lies in Kakashi’s famous quote, “A ninja must see underneath the underneath.” As pointed out by Reddit user u/mightyducks2wasokay, just like the purpose of the written test wasn’t to actually pass without cheating, the purpose of the rules isn’t to actually prevent or fail cheaters. Instead, as evidenced by Redditor u/Lonely_Pause_7855 calling the exam “an obvious test of data gathering,” Ibiki and the other proctors are judging the Genin on how they cheat and how effective those methods would be in a real mission against unsuspecting enemies.

Even if characters like Sasuke, Neji, Tenten, Kiba, and Kankuro were spotted cheating, their first methods of cheating were successful and likely to work in the field. The entire time they cheated using that method would only count as one prolonged attempt to cheat, losing them two points but not earning them a disqualification.

Test takers also get more than one chance to cheat, so proctors can judge how they react to failure and if they’re able to find a cheating method that works in less than 5 tries. This checks for problem-solving skills that would be valuable in a real mission. But as pointed out by u/ButterCupHeartXO, stupid methods of cheating, like peeking at others’ test papers, are still judged harshly as they demonstrate a lack of ninja skills and are more likely to get the ninja killed or captured in an actual mission. This also means that Genin who were disqualified used unsuccessful, obvious methods that won’t work against enemy ninja. Alternately, even if their method was effective, if they repeatedly failed to execute it they risk disqualification. 

[RELATED – 10 Best Naruto Filler Episodes That Are Worth Watching]

What the Test Teaches Us About Teamwork and Risk Assessment 

The purpose of the written test in Naruto wasn’t just to see how the Genin cheated. As u/RRis7393 explained, it was also about how the test takers weighed and approached risk. If a Genin couldn’t figure out how to cheat successfully on their first try, they had to figure out how likely they were to succeed in subsequent attempts. Was the chance of failing repeatedly and getting disqualified higher than the chance of cheating successfully? If yes, what do they do in such a situation? 

Keep trying, disqualify, and potentially fail their whole team? Or acknowledge their limitations, stop trying to cheat, and trust that their teammates will be able to gather and relay the correct answers? As u/GhostTypeDragon pointed out, the exam was never rigged, even against ninjas with no aptitude for ninjutsu or information gathering. They simply had to not panic and do something that would get them disqualified while their team figured out a way to gather the required information and get it to them. 

This is because the exam is meant to emulate information gathering in a real mission where ninjas work in teams. In such a scenario, it’s vital for every team member to be able to recognize their weaknesses and defer to teammates more suited to the task. While teammates skilled at a particular task are supposed to cover for the ones who are not. Additionally, in a real mission, realizing you can’t succeed and not trying is better than failing, as repeated failed information-gathering attempts could get the ninja captured, compromising the entire team or even the village if they give up sensitive information.

The Tenth Question Was Never a Plot Device 

This brings us to the second hidden test of the written exam seen in Naruto Chapter 43 (Episode 25): the tenth and final question. If one refused to answer this question, their entire team failed the Chunin Exams. But if they answered incorrectly, they would remain a Genin forever. Naruto knew he was unlikely to know the answer to the tenth question, but determined to not have his team fail, he chose to answer it anyway. Loudly declaring that he’ll become Hokage even remained a Genin forever (a prophecy that hilariously did come to pass).

This attitude of never quitting inspired many others to also choose to answer the question despite personal risk, and Ibiki passed them all without even making them answer the question. Some viewers saw this as a plot device to let Naruto pass despite his lack of academic abilities or information gathering skills. But contrary to what fans have long thought, this last question doesn’t actually go against the purpose of the first part of the exam.

Ibiki acknowledged that not everyone in a team needed to have intel-gathering skills, which was why teammates were expected to help each other during the first nine questions. But what about teams with no members capable of using their skills to gather and relay information? While intelligence skills are important for shinobi, there are those whose purpose is to only be capable fighters once the required information has been gathered and a plan of attack made. 

The tenth question was designed to give such ninja teams a chance to pass. If someone recognized they could neither answer the questions correctly nor cheat successfully to get the right answers, they were faced with a couple of choices: answer immediately and risk disqualification, or bide their time to gather or find a solution. The first two might work in a traditional exam, but since the test was a metaphor for real missions, the third option was the only effective one. That’s because in the field, getting caught or relaying the wrong information is a lot more dangerous than having no information. As u/flyjingnarwhal puts it, “no information lets your side know they’re going in blind, but the wrong information sends them into traps.”

Once such teams bid their time, the tenth question tested their willingness to do whatever it took to ensure the team or village’s success; even if it was detrimental to themselves. Staying a Genin forever sounds like a major deal over failing an exam. But since the question represented a do-or-die mission, for any ninja to pass, they had to prove they could prioritize the greater good over personal interest. This also related to the exam’s data gathering aspect as whether or not a ninja could gather information, it was vital they had the resolve to not give up important information if caught and tortured. 

The Potential Hidden Purpose of the Written Test

By the above, it’s clear Masashi Kishimoto did an amazing (if reluctant) job designing the Chunin Exams’ written test as a wonderful indicator of a ninja’s abilities. But that may not be its only purpose. As the Chunin Exam is hosted bi-annually with the different villages taking turns to host it, it presents a unique opportunity for the villages to gather intelligence on other villages’ potential future Chunin.

This theory makes even more sense when one considers why the leader of Konoha’s Intelligence Division, Ibiki Morino, was chosen to proctor the exams. Perhaps the reason behind that decision was so he’ll be able to gather data on other nation’s young shinobi’s unique jutsu and information-gathering techniques. As u/Right-Light458 suggests, this would then let him preemptively figure out who will be the biggest long-term threat and develop counterintelligence strategies accordingly.

And Ibiki wasn’t the only one who could be taking notes on the Genin’s jutsu to use that information against them. The written test also presented the Genin with the unique opportunity to see each others’ espionage techniques in action, adding another layer to the exam. As u/WASD_click theorized, if this was true, it ironically made Naruto the smartest one there for not cheating, so other people couldn’t gather intel on him.

The Ones Who Didn’t Cheat 

With the entire purpose of the written exam being to see how the Genin gather information using cheating, it puts the ones who didn’t cheat in a unique position. Sakura was able to answer the test with just her intellect despite this being considered an impossible task at Genin level. But since she didn’t display any information-gathering techniques, does that mean she technically failed the exam? 

Redditor u/Seppafer argues no. Since Sakura got her knowledge by studying before the exam, her situation is akin to having researched the enemy well enough before the mission to eliminate any need for spying. Yes, she didn’t participate in the same test as the others, but that was only because her over-preparedness meant she didn’t have to. Her method still works in a real-life situation and, as such, meets the parameters to pass the exam.

This is one of many plot holes Naruto fans have managed to find an explanation for in hindsight. With Kishimoto’s complex writing, it won’t be the last. That said, for more coverage on the anime – including all of the latest Naruto news, all of the latest Naruto rumors, and all of the latest Naruto Theory discussions – check here.

H/T: Reddit 

The post One Naruto “Plot Hole” Is Seen in a New Light 25 Years Later appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Naruto is taking over Google with a fun new surprise Easter Egg that utilizes the most of Naruto Uzumaki’s Shadow Clone Jutsu. Masashi Kishimoto’s Naruto franchise celebrated the 20th anniversary of the anime not long ago, and it helped fans celebrate just how far the series has come since it started all those years ago. Even though Masashi Kishimoto’s original Naruto story came to an end some time ago, the franchise has continued to get even bigger with new sequels, movies, and much more in the years since. Now Naruto has grown so much that Google’s honoring the series in a very cute way.

Google has dropped all sorts of fun Easter Eggs for many franchises, notable people from history and more over the years, and now that fun has been spread to Naruto. If you go to Google and enter “Naruto,” a small Hidden Leaf Village logo pops up at the bottom. If you click on this logo, then Naruto’s many Shadow Clones quickly run across the screen and shake up the page. It’s a fun shout out to the legendary ninja series, and you can check out a sample of this as shared by Naruto‘s English language licensor, Viz Media.

RELATED: Naruto Sparks Surprising New Boruto Crush (& It Might Be the Key to Defeating the Divine Trees)

Why Is Naruto’s Shadow Clone Jutsu So Special?

Naruto‘s Shadow Clone Jutsu is just as iconic as the ninja himself after all these years. It was the very first jutsu that Naruto Uzumaki was seen to quickly master in the Naruto series, and became one of his key techniques when taking on opponents that were much stronger than he was at any given time. Not only did the jutsu make for a fun visual, but it really was a tragic lens into Naruto himself. Because for as lonely as he was for so many years, the only people who could support him were just more copies of himself.

Not only did it make for fun fight sequences utilizing Naruto’s many clones in fun ways, but they end up saving the day in some key moments throughout the series. While he might be later known more for the Rasengan technique and its destructive power, Naruto really made his mark with fans thanks to the army of clones he could set out on any opponent at any given time. It was something not every Shonen Jump series was doing at the time.

The post Naruto Takes Over Google With Adorable Shadow Clone Surprise appeared first on ComicBook.com.

As two of Shonen Jump’s most successful series that have gone head to head in terms of popularity and maintained an impeccable hold over fans ever since the early 2000s, Naruto and One Piece share a relationship just as special as that between their creators. Both Masashi Kishimoto and Eiichiro Oda are known to draw inspiration from each other’s series and have even included many a subtle reference to the other over the years. Even so, the two series have never had a single crossover all these years. Fortunately, a new piece of fan art finally gives fans the crossover they didn’t know they needed, that too featuring a most unexpected duo.

A fan art post on X by a user named Nyan_2020_ recently reimagined Naruto’s Rock Lee and One Piece’s Perona together with their clothes swapped. Though an unlikely combination on paper, the fan art is oddly beyond adorable with light pastel colors and a sparkling smile on Rock Lee’s face that hilariously contrasts with Perona’s dour expression. The illustration also highlights one unexpected similarity between the two characters which is their round black eyes with three spiky lower lashes, which, oddly, no one might have ever noticed if not for this cute crossover art.

[RELATED: New One Piece Art Turns Ace and Yamato Into the Ultimate Power Couple]

Naruto’s Rock Lee Joins One Piece’s Perona For an Adorable Outfit Swap

When one thinks of a Naruto and One Piece crossover, one might typically picture the two series’ bright, determined protagonists Naruto and Luffy together, either bonding over their love for food or fighting, or both. Rock Lee, lovable and awesome as he may be, often doesn’t get the spotlight he deserves, most egregiously so in Boruto. The same can also be said of Perona, who after the Thriller Bark Arc and the brief glimpses of her with Zoro during the time skip, mostly fades into obscurity. Her adorable gothic lolita design and hilarious laugh make this all the more a shame.

As such, though Rock Lee and Perona are a rare pair, it is nice to see them get the appreciation they deserve in fan art. The unexpected pairing somehow feels just right even with Perona visibly annoyed in Lee’s green jumpsuit, leg warmers, and signature bandages, giving the impression that the outfit switch may have hilariously been Lee’s idea. Rock Lee, true to his name, can be seen absolutely rocking Perona’s pre-time skip crop top, cape, and frilly skirt, not forgetting her striped tights, red platform boots, crown hair accessory, and of course, the adorable parasol. Nonetheless, though they may not be much of a team in a fight, as far as fashion icons go, Rock Lee and Perona make Naruto and One Piece‘s dream team.

Source: Nyan_2020_ on X.

The post One Piece x Naruto Crossover Art Gives Fans the Duo They Didn’t Know They Needed appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Boruto: Two Blue Vortex is scratching the itch for anime ninja fans while shonen enthusiasts wait for the Naruto franchise to return to the small screen. Acting as a “Shippuden-like” storyline for the son of the Seventh Hokage, the latest arc sees Boruto struggling with a world that hates and fears him. Luckily, Naruto’s son has been doing some serious training in the background, becoming one of the strongest ninjas in the world. Unfortunately, not every ninja in the Hidden Leaf Village is able to hit these same standards as anime fans are roasting one particular hero for being unable to accomplish a relatively easy task.

Warning. If you have yet to read the latest chapter of Boruto: Two Blue Vortex, Chapter 19, be forewarned that we’ll be diving into spoiler territory. As Boruto looks to both clear his name and protect his village, his teacher Konohamaru has a very different mission on his plate. Tasked by the current Hokage, Shikamaru, to seduce the Divine Tree known as Matsuri, Konohamaru fumbles the bag in one of the dumbest ways imaginable. Matsuri was born thanks to a Divine Tree using Moegi’s body like a puppet and since the latter has a deep history with Boruto’s sensei, the possibility was there to manipulate the villain’s emotions. Unfortunately, this was a bridge to far for Konohamaru.

[RELATED: Boruto: Two Blue Vortex Reveals a Redemption Path for Its Strongest Villains]

Konohamaru is “Dumbs As Rocks”

In the latest chapter of the Two Blue Vortex, Konohamaru admonishes the villain Matsuri from calling him “Konohamaru-Chan.” Stating that her calling him this “doesn’t feel right,” Boruto’s teacher essentially throws out the ability to manipulate the Divine Tree, causing her to lash out and demand that she be able to use this title. Finding himself in some serious trouble, Konohamaru is unable to stop her from trapping him and pledging to “devour him.”

Boruto fans on the internet didn’t look at this action from Konohamaru as being an intelligent one, taking the chance to roast the long-running character in the shonen franchise. Had Boruto’s sensei managed to simply go along with Matsuri calling him this, things might have been different. Hopefully, Konoha’s finest get a much-needed assist thanks to Konohamaru’s potentially deadly mistake.

Where is The Hidden Leaf’s Anime?

The Boruto series has quite a bit of territory to cover whenever the television series does make a comeback. It’s been years since Boruto: Naruto Next Generations aired on the small screen as Studio Pierrot has its hands full with Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War. While the production house had originally planned for four original episodes of the first Naruto series, the status of these installments is anyone’s guess.

Luckily, the Two Blue Vortex’s manga is still going strong, releasing chapters on a monthly basis from writer Masashi Kishimoto and artist Mikio Ikemoto. Unlike shonen series like One Piece, Jujutsu Kaisen, and My Hero Academia, the Naruto franchise isn’t showing any signs of coming to an end any time soon. Of course, this doesn’t mean anyone is safe in this current conflict.

Want to see what the future holds for the residents of the Hidden Leaf Village? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook.com for all the latest on Boruto: Two Blue Vortex and hit me up directly @EVComedy or leave a comment!

The post Boruto Fans Are Roasting One Classic Naruto Character (And It’s Deserved) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x Naruto is now working its way through its big comics crossover, and now fans have gotten the first look at the final issue teasing a highly anticipated clash with Shredder. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have been seen in all kinds of cool crossovers over the years, and even have seen them break through with special multiverse stories. This has opened up the ninja teens to all sorts of missions, but now they have embarked on their wildest one yet as they have headed to the Hidden Leaf Village and crossed paths with Naruto‘s Team 7.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x Naruto is a special collaboration between IDW Publishing and Viz Media that kicked off a cool crossover between the two series last Fall, and will be ending its four issue crossover event much later this year. With fans currently waiting on what’s to come with the third issue of the event hitting later this Spring, cover artist
Jorge Jiménez has shared a preview of the cover for the final issue of the event. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x Naruto #4 features a cover with Naruto launching a Rasengan at Shredder and hypes a big fight to come. Check it out below.

What Is TMNT x Naruto?

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x Naruto is a special four-issue crossover event collaboration between IDW Publishing and Viz Media. The first two issues of the event are available on shelves as of the time of this publication, and have seen how these two worlds of ninjas have blended to send both the Ninja Turtles and Team 7 on one of their wildest missions yet. The crossover begins to tease itself with such, “The Heroes in a Half-Shell meet the host of the Nine-Tailed Fox in the crossover everyone will be talking about. When teenage reporter April O’Neil has a clandestine meeting with Tsunade, the leader of the Hidden Leaf Village, it garners the attention of Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, and Kakashi.”

The crossover’s synopsis continues with, “They aren’t the only ones who are wondering what the two women were discussing, though. The sinister Foot Clan have their own interest in April’s visit, as they think she might hold the valuable information on mutation research being conducted by the scientist Baxter Stockman. With April caught between the forces of the Hidden Leaf Village and the Foot Clan, it can’t be long before the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles show up to lend her a hand!”

RELATED: New Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x Naruto Preview Further Explores Kakashi/Splinter Connection

When Will TMNT x Naruto End?

Written by Caleb Goellner and illustrated by Hendry Prasetya, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x Naruto will be coming to an end with Issue #4 later this Fall. The crossover has imagined a new kind of world where both New York and the Hidden Leaf Village exist within the same world, and thus the crossover between the two sets of ninja has a lot more connective tissue than fans of either series might have expected at first.

With the crossover only halfway through its run as of the time of this publication, there is still no way to truly guess where this is all going to end up. But with this first look at the final issue of the crossover, it’s pretty clear that fans are going to get to see a full fight between Naruto and Shredder. It’s the kind of clash you would likely never even dream of because it didn’t seem possible, but it’s now realer than ever before.

The post Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x Naruto Finale Preview Hypes Shredder Clash appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Boruto: Two Blue Vortex as a series has made Boruto Uzumaki’s journey one that has become better than its predecessor in a number of ways. Now that the son of the Seventh Hokage has been placed between a rock and a hard place, we’re seeing some of the best Boruto stories told to date. Unfortunately, while the new generation is getting their time to shine in the sequel series, there are some members of the Hidden Leaf Village that have been lost in the shuffle. Specifically, a shining star in Naruto and Naruto: Shippuden needs to return to the spotlight.

Rock Lee hit the ground floor running with a fight that is still considered one of the biggest battles of the franchise years later. Introduced as a part of the “Chunin Exams,” the Konoha ninja didn’t have ninjutsu to rely on like Naruto and Sasuke but had trained his body to give him supernatural physical strength. While he wasn’t able to defeat Gaara and his sand powers, Rock Lee made an impression that would have anime fans dying to see him return again and again. While the tradition has continued with Rock Lee’s son named Metal Lee, there are a few ways that the Boruto series has let down the hard-hitting anime hero.

[RELATED: Naruto Fan Tests Out Rock Lee’s Leg Weights Training in Viral Video]

Where Boruto Stumbles With Rock Lee

Even though Boruto: Naruto Next Generations and Boruto: Two Blue Vortex focus on the next generation of Konoha’s ninjas, both series have utilized Rock Lee to a far lesser degree than most old-timers. Figures like Kakashi, Might Guy, Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke, and more get the chance to fight for the ninja world alongside the latest kids on the block. Ironically enough, not only is Rock Lee mostly absent from the proceedings, but various important parts of his new backstory have yet to be revealed.

At present, Naruto fans still have no idea who the mother of Metal Lee is at this point, which is frustrating considering this fact isn’t a problem for most of the other ninjas we came to know in the first two series. With the likes of Naruto marrying Hinata and Sasuke marrying Sakura, this long-running mystery appears as though it won’t be answered any time soon. It’s a major instance of the series seemingly leaving Rock Lee behind and simply not focusing on a character that remains a fan-favorite amongst Masashi Kishomoto’s roster.

How Boruto Can Redeem Rock Lee

Considering Might Guy was the one who inspired Rock Lee, the latter following his mentor’s path earlier in the franchise would be the best way to go. Don’t forget Guy had a spectacular influence on the ending of Shippuden, giving us one of the best fights of the series as he attempted to take down Madara Uchiha. Rock Lee has yet to have any moments that come close to his teacher’s in the latest series and with Kishimoto back on writing duties, it would be a fantastic move to bring Lee back in a big way against the new threats.

In terms of the Hidden Leaf Village’s anime adaptation, things have been quiet for quite some time when it comes to Studio Pierrot. As the production house continues to work on Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War, fans might learn more once the fourth and final cours arrives later this year. As the Two Blue Vortex has continued with new manga chapters, there are many big moments and battles that have yet to be animated.

Want to stay in the loop when it comes to Konoha? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook.com when it comes to all things Naruto and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime.

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Naruto x Boruto Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections released back in November 2023, and has received support through regular patch updates since launch. However, it’s been over three months since Version 1.5 was released in late September 2024 which brought the usual bug fixes and improvements, as well as DLC Pack 5. After a brief hiatus, Bandai Namco revealed the latest patch notes for Version 1.6 which includes fixes for the latest DLCs fighter and other bug fixes and improvements.

RELATED: 10 Best Naruto Fights That Will Make You an Instant Fan

The DLC fighter receiving fixes is DLC Pack 5’s Boruto Uzumaki (Karma Progression). Specifically, an issue where Guard Break did not occur when Ninjutsu 2 “Spiraling Bullet” was used as the support character is fixed. Additionally, an issue where air combos could rebound during the ending phase at 60 frames per second was fixed. These updates, as well as the extensive list of fixes and improvements below, can only be implemented for players with an internet connection.

Here are the entire patch notes for Naruto x Boruto Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections Version 1.6:

Content

Fixed Issue Related to Battle

Charged Chakra Dash

• Fixed the issue that did not cancel out the opponent’s Chakra Dash when charged.

Fixed Issue Related to Characters

Kimimaro

• Fixed issue where Guard Break did not occur when guarding the ending phase of the Ninjutsu 2 “Clethra”.

Naruto Uzumaki (Baryon Mode)

• Fixed the issue where attacking priority was not granted to Ninjutsu 1 “Massive Rasengan” at 60FPS. 

Boruto Uzumaki (Karma Progression)

• Fixed the issue where Guard Break did not occur when Ninjutsu 2 “Spiraling Bullet” used as the support character.
• Fixed the issue where Air Combos could rebound during the ending phase at 60FPS.

Battle Balance Adjustments

Counterattack

• The maximum amount of the Chakra Gauge is reduced when activated.

Ninja Tools “Shot Run Pill”

• Delayed the time to reuse.

Ninja Tools “Tortoiseshell Pill”

• Increased effectiveness.

Individual Character Adjustments

The following adjustments have been made based on the overall balance:

Naruto Uzumaki (Sage of the Six Paths Mode)

• Ninjutsu 1 “Tailed Beast Bomb Rasen Shuriken”: Expanded the hurtbox when activated in air and decreased the step back.

Naruto Uzumaki (Kurama Link Mode)

• Changed the final effect of aerial combo after successfully landing the attacks to bounce.
• This makes it possible to perform a follow-up attack by Chakra Dash  with decreased damage.
• Throw is adjusted to occur faster.

Naruto Uzumaki (Tailed Beast Bomb)

• Increased the recovery speed of Chakra Charge.

Naruto Uzumaki (Sage Art: Massive Rasengan Barrage)

• Increased the recovery speed of Chakra Charge.

Naruto Uzumaki (Sage Mode)

• Increased the recovery speed of Chakra Charge.

Naruto Uzumaki

• Increased the recovery speed of Chakra Charge.

Sakura Haruno

• Increased defense power.
• Ninjutsu 2 “Cherry Blossom Burst”:  Made it possible to perform Ninjutsu Blocks.
• Increased the advancing distance for the initial phase of ground combo and extended their active frames.
• Increased the stunning effect on enemies when successfully landing ground-level combos.
• Throw is adjusted to occur faster and with increased damage.

Sai

• Ninjutsu 2 “Ninja Art: Super Beast Scroll: Flock”: Expanded the hurtbox when activated in air, made the start-up frames slower and decreased the step back. 
• Increased the stunning effect on enemies when successfully landing ground-level combos.
• Throw is adjusted to occur faster and increase the amount of forward movement.

Kakashi Hatake (Double Sharingan)

• Ninjutsu 2 “Kamui”: Increased recovery speed duration when using it as a support.

Yamato

• Decreased defense power.

Shikamaru Nara

• Ninjutsu 2 “Explosive Parachute”: Expanded the hurtbox and decreased the step back.

Choji Akimichi

• Increased Defense power. 
• Ninjutsu 1 “Spiky Human Boulder”: Increased the Guard damage when opponents guard this Ninjutsu and decreased the recovery speed when using it as a support.
• Ninjutsu 2 “Partial Expansion Jutsu: Fist Strike”: Decreased the recovery speed when using it as a support.
• Increased Throw damage.

Ino Yamanaka

• Ninjutsu 1 “Flower Bomb”: Increased duration of poison time.
• Ninjutsu 2 “Flower Bomb: Scatter”: Increased duration of poison time.

Tenten

• Increased Defense power.

Kiba Inuzuka

• Increased the damage of the ground-level combos.

Shino Aburame

• Increased Defense power.
• Adjusted to be able to perform a follow up attack after the throw.

Hinata Hyuga

• Ninjutsu 2 “8 Trigrams Air Palm ”: The interval between second and the third attack will be shorter.

Asuma Sarutobi 

• Ninjutsu 2 “Chakra Blade: Wind Sword”: Increased recovery speed duration when using it as a support.

Kushina Uzumaki

• Ninjutsu 1 “Frying Pan Attack”: Made it possible to perform Ninjutsu Blocks and increased Chakra consumption and reduced damage.

The First Hokage: Hashirama Senju (Reanimation)

• Increased Defense power.
• Altered to stagger the opponent after successfully landing a throw.
• This makes it possible to perform a follow-up attack by Ninja Dash with decreased damage.

The Second Hokage: Tobirama Senju

• Increased homing of aerial combo movement.

The Third Hokage: Hiruzen Sarutobi

• Ninjutsu 1 “Fire Style: Dragon Flame Bombs”: Increased damage.
  Increased Throw damage.

Tsunade

• Increased Defense power.
• Increased Throw damage.

Danzo Shimura

• Ninjutsu 1 ” Wind Style: Vacuum Blast Barrage: Shadow”: Expanded the hurtbox when activated in air.

Sasuke Uchiha (THE LAST)

• Ninjutsu 1 “Almighty Push”: Decreased Chakra consumptions.

Mecha-Naruto

• Adjusted Ninjutsu 2 “Dummy Balloon” to allow down chasing.
• Ninjutsu 2 “Dummy Balloon”: Adjusted to be able to perform follow-up attacks on downed opponents.

Sasuke Uchiha (Rinne Sharingan)

• Ninjutsu 2 “Inferno Style: Flame Control Flying Flash”: Expanded the hurtbox when activated in air and adjusted to be able to perform follow-up attack on downed opponents.
• Decreased damage of aerial combo.

Sasuke Uchiha (Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan)

• Ninjutsu 1 “Susano’o: Pierce”: Increased damage.
• Ninjutsu 2 “Inferno Style: Flame Control Flying Flash”: Expanded the hurtbox when activated in air and adjusted to be able to perform follow-up attack on downed opponents.
• Changed the effect after successfully landing throw on the opponent to tumble blowout with no rebound.  
• This makes it possible to perform a follow-up attack by activating Dash with decreased damage.

Sasuke Uchiha (Five Kage Summit)

• Ninjutsu 2 “Inferno Style: Flame Control”: Changed the effect after successfully landing this attack on the opponent to knock up.

Sasuke Uchiha (the Taka)

• Ninjutsu 2 “Amaterasu”: Increased damage.
• Changed the final effect of Awakened aerial combo after successfully landing the attacks to tumble blowout with no rebound.
• This makes it possible to perform a follow-up attack by activating Dash with decreased damage.

Sasuke Uchiha

• Ninjutsu 2 “Fire Style: Fire Ball Jutsu”: Decreased Chakra consumption
• Changed the final effect of aerial combo after successfully landing the attacks to staggered, this makes it possible to perform a follow-up attack by activating Dash with decreased damage.
• Throw is adjusted to occur faster.

Orochimaru

• Ninjutsu 1 “Blade Dance”: Increased recovery speed duration when using it as a support.

Kabuto Yakushi (Sage Mode)

• Ninjutsu 1 “Sage Art: Scattering Rage Jutsu”: Granted slow effect but it is able to Rebound with reduced damage.
• Ninjutsu 2 “Snake Confinement”: Granted poison effect and made it possible to perform a follow-up attack with decreased damage.
• Reduced knock back for the final effect on aerial attack.

Kabuto Yakushi (Snake Cape)

• Ninjutsu 2 “Venomous Fog Jutsu”: Changed to be able to perform follow-up attacks on downed opponents and changed the effect after successfully landing the attacks from staggered to normal hit stun.
• Changed the effect of Throw to no rebound.

Kabuto Yakushi

• Ninjutsu 2 “Lurk”: Decreased Chakra consumption.

Suigetsu Hozuki

• Ninjutsu 2 “Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu”: Decreased Chakra consumption and decreased the recovery speed when using it as a support.
• Awakened Ninjutsu 2 “Water Style: Tri-Water Dragon Jutsu”: Decreased Chakra consumption and decreased the recovery speed when using it as a support.
• Increased the advancing distance of the initial phase of ground combos and extended their active frames.
• Increased recovery time when hit by ground combos.

Karin

• Ninjutsu 1 “Missile Kick”: Increased recovery speed duration when using it as a support.
• Ninjutsu 2 “Perfume Spray”: Increased recovery speed duration when using it as a support.

Jirobo

• Ninjutsu 1 “Rough Rampage”: Decreased Chakra consumption and increased the recovery speed when using it as a support.

Kankuro

• Decreased defense power.
• Increased the damage of the ending phase of the down-ground combo. 
• Decreased Throw damage.

Temari

• Ninjutsu 2 “Gust Dance”: Increased recovery speed duration when using it as a support and changed not to bounce for the final effect.

Raikage: Ay

• Ninjutsu 1 “Lariat”: Decreased Chakra consumption
• Throw is adjusted to occur faster and increased damage.

Killer Bee (Shark Skin)

• Ninjutsu 2 “Tailed Beast Bomb”: Decreased Chakra consumption.

Darui

• Ninjutsu 2 “Gale Style: Laser Circus”: Expanded the hurtbox when activated in air. 

Yagura 

• Changed the Item Palette (Bottom) to Shot Run Pill.

Fuu

• Ninjutsu 1 “Secret: Scaled Sneak Jutsu”: Granted defense decrease effect and reduced damage. 
• Changed the final effect after successfully landing the attacks to bounce.
• This will make it possible to perform a follow-up attack by activating Dash with decreased damage.

The Third Raikage 

• Ninjutsu 1 “The Piercing Four-Fingered Thrust of Hell”: Decreased Chakra consumption. 
• Ninjutsu 2 “The Piercing Three-Fingered Thrust of Hell: Side Swipe”: Decreased Chakra consumption.

The Second Tsuchikage

• Ninjutsu 1 “Particle Style: Atomic Dismantling Jutsu”: Decreased Chakra consumption.

The Second Mizukage

• Increased damage of ground shuriken combo.
• Increased damage of aerial shuriken combo.

Chiyo

• Decreased defense power. 
• Increased the damage of the ending phase of the down-ground combo.
• Decreased Throw damage.

Madara Uchiha (Six Paths)

• Ninjutsu 1 “Instantaneous Path”: Decreased Chakra consumption of and increased the recovery speed when using it as a support.

Madara Uchiha (Reanimation Release)

• Increased defense power.
• Increased their active frame of the initial phase of aerial combo.

Madara Uchiha

• Ninjutsu 1 “Susano’o: Slash in Two”: Made the recovery speed faster when using it as a support.
• Throw is adjusted to occur faster.

Indra Otsutsuki

• Ninjutsu 2 “Lightning Ball”: Expanded the hurtbox when activated in air and decreased the step back.

Obito Uchiha

• Ninjutsu 1 “Fire Style: Bomb Blast Dance”: Expanded the hurtbox when activated in air.

Tobi (Great Ninja War)

• Increased recovery time when hit by ground combos.
• Increased damage of Ninjutsu 2 “Heaven-Bending Bomb Assault”.

Tobi

• Increased defense power.

Masked Man

• Ninjutsu 2 “Heaven-Bending Bomb Assault”: Increased damage.

Obito Uchiha (Berserk)

• Ninjutsu 1 “Kamui Dash”: Can be canceled from the start of the charge to dash and can Ninjutsu Block after transitioning into additional attack.

Nagato

• Ninjutsu 1 “Almighty Push”: Decreased Chakra consumption.
• Ninjutsu 2 “Shura Attack: Distance”: Expanded the hurtbox when activated in air and decreased the step back.
• Adjusted to be able to perform the follow-up attack after the throw.

Konan

• Ninjutsu 2 “Origami Crane: Flight”: Expanded the hurtbox, decreased the step back, made the start-up frames slower and reduced Chakra consumption.

Itachi Uchiha

• Ninjutsu 2 “Fire Style: Fire Ball Jutsu”: Decreased Chakra consumption and decreased the recovery speed when using it as a support.

Kakuzu

• Increased defense power.
• Ninjutsu 2 “Lightning Style: False Darkness”: Decreased Chakra consumption.

Hidan

• Ninjutsu 1 “Soul Hunt”: Increased recovery speed duration when using it as a support.
• Ninjutsu 2 “Punishment by Dragging”: Increased recovery speed duration when using it as a support.
• Increased damage of the aerial combo.
• Increased Throw damage.
• Made the recovery speed of the Chakra Charge slower.

Deidara

• Ninjutsu 1 “Detonating Clay: Twin Birds”: Decreased damage and made an adjustment to be able to cancel to dash and changed the effect to launch the opponent upwards.

Sasori

• Deceased defense power.
• Increased the damage of the ending phase of the down-ground combo.
• Decreased Throw damage.

Hagoromo Otsutsuki

• Ninjutsu 1 “Divine Thunder”: Increased recovery speed duration when using it as a support.

Naruto Uzumaki (Part 1)

• Decreased defense power.
• Ninjutsu 2 “Demon Wind Bomb”: Increased Chakra consumption.

Shikamaru Nara (Part 1)

• Ninjutsu 2 “Explosive Parachute”: Expanded the hurtbox and decreased the step back.

Choji Akimichi (Part 1)

• Increased defense power.
• Ninjutsu 1 “Human Boulder”: Increased recovery speed duration when using it as a support.
• Ninjutsu 2 “Hidden Flavor”: Increased recovery speed duration when using it as a support.

Rock Lee (Part 1)

• Decreased damage before ground combo branching.

Kiba Inuzuka (Part 1)

• Increased defense power.
• Ninjutsu 1 “Fang Over Fang”: Made it possible to perform Ninjutsu Block after charging, reduced Chakra consumption, and increased the recovery speed when using it as a support.
• Ninjutsu 2 “Severing Fang”: Increased damage.

Kankuro (Part 1)

• Decreased defense power.
• Increased the damage of the ending phase of the down-ground combo. 
• Decreased Throw damage.

Boruto Uzumaki (Karma)

• Increase defense power.
• Ninjutsu 1 “Rasengan Mega Barrage”: Adjusted to be able to perform follow-up attacks on downed opponents.

Boruto Uzumaki (Chunin Exam)

• Increased defense power.

Boruto Uzumaki (Scientific Ninja Tool)

• Increased recovery time when hit by ground combos.

Boruto Uzumaki

• Ninjutsu 1 “Vanishing Rasengan”: Increased damage.

Mitsuki

• Ninjutsu 2 “Wind Waves”: Expanded the hurtbox when activated in air.

Kawaki

• Throw is adjusted to occur faster.

Naruto Uzumaki (Baryon Mode)

• Awaken Ninjutsu 1 “Baryon Rasengan”: Decreased Chakra consumption when Ninjutsu Blocking.
• Awaken Ninjutsu 2 “Guren Burst”: Decreased Chakra consumption when Ninjutsu Blocking. 
• Decreased damage of aerial combo.
• Granted invincibility from the start to the end of the unguardable attack at the time of Awakening.

Naruto Uzumaki (BORUTO)

• Increased the advancing distance of the throw and changed the effect after successfully landing the attacks to bounce.

Sasuke Uchiha (Supporting Kage)

• Extended the active frame for the first attack of the aerial combo.

Sasuke Uchiha (BORUTO)

• Ninjutsu 2 “Inferno Style: Fire Ball Jutsu”: Decrease damage and made it possible to cancel to Dash and changed the effect after successfully landing the attacks to knock the opponent back. 

Sakura Uchiha (BORUTO)

• Increased defense power.
• Ninjutsu 2 “Cherry Blossom Burst”: Can be used as Ninjutsu Block.
• Increased the amount of advancing movement for the initial attack of ground combo and expanded the hurtbox.
• Increased recovery time when hit by ground combos.
• Throw is adjusted to occur faster and increased damage.

Hinata Uzumaki (BORUTO)

• Ninjutsu 2 “8 Trigrams Air Palm ”: Shortened interval between second and the third attacks.

Shikamaru Nara (BORUTO)

• Ninjutsu 2 “Explosive Parachute”: Expanded the hurtbox and decreased the step back.

Choji Akimichi (BORUTO)

• Increased Defense power. 
• Ninjutsu 1 “Spiky Human Boulder”: Increased the Guard damage when opponent guard this Ninjutsu and decreased the recovery speed when using it as a support.
• Ninjutsu 2 “Partial Expansion Jutsu: Fist Strike”: Increased recovery speed duration when using it as a support.
• Increase the Throw damage.

Ino Yamanaka (BORUTO)

• Ninjutsu 1 “Flower Bomb”: Increased duration of poison time.
• Ninjutsu 2 “Flower Bomb: Scatter”: Increased duration of poison time.

Sai Yamanaka (BORUTO)

• Ninjutsu 2 “Ninja Art: Super Beast Scroll: Flock”: Made the start-up frames slower when activated in air, expanded the hurtbox when activated, and decreased the step back. 
• Increased the stunning effect on enemies when successfully landing ground-level combos.
• Throw is adjusted to occur faster and increase the amount of advancing movement.

Tenten (BORUTO)

• Increased defense power.

Kiba Inuzuka (BORUTO)

• Ninjutsu 1 “Fang Over Fang”: Made it possible to perform Ninjutsu Block after charging, reduced Chakra consumption, and increased the recovery speed when using it as a support.
• Changed the effect of the ending phase in aerial combo after successfully landing this attack on the opponent to bounce.
• This makes it possible to perform a follow-up attack by using Dash with decreased damage.

Shino Aburame (BORUTO)

• Increased defense power.
• Adjusted to be able to perform a follow up attack after the throw.

Kawaki (Karma Progression)

• Ninjutsu 2 “Fire Style: Soaring Flame Bullet Jutsu”: Expanded the hurtbox when activated in air and decreased the step back. 
• Strengthened homing during the movement of ground combo.

Boruto Uzumaki (Karma Progression)

• Strengthened homing during the movement of ground combo.
• Decreased Throw damage.

Kankuro (BORUTO)

• Decreased defense power.
• Increased the damage of the ending phase of the down-ground combo.
• Decreased Throw damage.

Temari Nara (BORUTO)

• Ninjutsu 2 “Gust Dance”: Increased recovery speed duration when using it as a support and changed not to bounce for the final effect.

Darui (Raikage: Ay)

• Ninjutsu 2 “Gale Style: Laser Circus”: Expanded the hurtbox when activated in air. 

Kinshiki Otsutsuki

• Ninjutsu 1 “Odachi Sweep”: Increased recovery speed duration when using it as a support.
• Ninjutsu 2 “God of Tides”: Increased recovery speed duration when using it as a support.
• Increased damage of aerial combo.
• Increased Throw damage.

Isshiki Otsutsuki

• Ninjutsu 2 “Daikokuten: Karmic Flames”: Expanded the hurtbox when activated in air. 
• Decreased damage of aerial combo.

Others

• Increased the amount of Ryo received for Free Battles and Network Battles (Ranked Match, Casual Match, Custom Match and Target Match).
• Fixed an issue that caused characters to have unintended appearance in specific situations during the match.
• We have taken action to prevent certain cheats from being performed.
• Fixed other minor bugs.

The post Naruto x Boruto Game Gets First Free Update in Months appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Part of the shonen Big Three, it’s no surprise Naruto is often remembered for its epic and monumental battles. But what makes these fights so memorable isn’t just the action. Masashi Kishimoto may be a master choreographer, but he’s an even better storyteller. And as he masterfully builds up the story to intense physical confrontations, he takes the viewers along for the ride, letting us get into the characters’ heads and see why they fight. This and the potential consequences of a loss give the fights weight and meaning, making them unforgettable even two decades later.

Warning: Major Spoilers Ahead for Naruto and Naruto Shippuden!

Still, some fights are more unforgettable than others. Whether it be because of the characters involved, the choreography, or what the fight represents. Many of Naruto’s fights had fans anticipating them years before the actual confrontation happened. The best example of this being the fateful final encounter between the Uchiha brothers Itachi and Sasuke. Unlike some other anime whose fight animations no longer hold up to scrutiny, Naruto’s fights are still well-executed and enjoyable to watch. Some particular examples have aged especially well thanks to the novel choreography, featured characters, and techniques on display.

10. Hiruzen vs. Orochimaru

The first Naruto fight to demonstrate what Kage-level combat actually looked like, the encounter between the Third Hokage Hiruzen and his then traitorous student Orochimaru had fans hooked from the start. The fight carried unprecedented emotional weight, with the opponents being teacher and student. And the entire Hidden Leaf Village’s fate hanging in the balance. 

The fight also marked fans’ first look at forbidden Jutsu, with Orochimaru using the Impure World Reincarnation to revive Hiruzen’s own teacher, the Second Hokage, and his older brother, the First Hokage. As Orochimaru controlled the two Hokages, Hiruzen ended up at a massive disadvantage. But losing just wasn’t an option. This prompts Hiruzen to use the forbidden Death Reaper Seal Jutsu to seal away Orochimaru’s arms and the previous Hokages, sacrificing his own life in the process.

9. Itachi vs. Sasuke 

The first time we meet Sasuke, we learn one thing: he hates his brother for killing his clan and intends to kill him for revenge. And when that fateful meeting happens, Naruto does not disappoint with this iconic fight. The clash starts with Sasuke confronting Itachi at the Uchiha Hideout, where Itachi sits on a throne-like chair.

Sasuke rushes headfirst with taijutsu and appears to win, only for Itachi to reveal the entire thing to be an illusion. The gap between the brothers’ abilities is still too big, and Itachi has the clear upper hand, using his Amaterasu to burn Sasuke’s Cursed Seal form. But then the tables turn as it starts raining, letting Sasuke hit Itachi with a powerful Kirin. 

Injured but alive, Itachi uses his Susanoo to seal away Orochimaru, who’d been hiding inside Sasuke this whole time. Next, he makes his way towards an exhausted and scared Sasuke, as fans wonder if the younger Uchiha will really lose his eyes to his older brother. But then, in a confusing twist that wouldn’t make sense until later, Itachi merely pokes Sasuke on the forehead and apologizes before dying of exhaustion.

8. Madara vs. the Five Kage

While more of a one-sided massacre than an actual fight in Naruto, Madara vs. the Five Kage still deserves a mention here for establishing just how strong Madara is. In the beginning, the Five Kage seem to have a chance. But then viewers realize Madara’s been holding back the entire time as he creates 25 Wood Clones to turn the five-to-one advantage against the Kage.

To make matters worse, Madara has all 25 clones use Susanoo in this fight. But even as the Kage struggle, they remain determined to fight back. This prompts Madara to use his Perfect Susanoo, capable of leveling mountains with a single strike.

7. Kakashi vs. Obito

When Obito sacrifices his life to protect Kakashi during the Third Great Ninja War, the experience leaves a permanent mark on the Hatake. So when the masked man Tobi is revealed to have been Kakashi’s “dead” best friend Obito all along, fans are understandably shocked. As Kakashi faces his once-friend in a fight to the death, the stakes have never been higher.

The two fight inside the Kamui dimension connected to both of their Mangekyo Sharingan Eyes. The fight choreography is spectacular, but what really makes this encounter stand out is how we simultaneously witness a flashback of the time the two sparred as comrades. And unlike other occasions where a flashback can distract from the main fight, the past seamlessly transitions into the present to create an emotional affair. This is especially true near the end of the fight when the two metaphorically push away their reconciling past selves to stab each other.

6. Rock Lee vs. Gaara

With Gaara’s introduction as a bloodthirsty Jinchuriki, his matchup against Rock Lee during the Chunin Exams already has fans on edge leading to this classic Naruto fight. The battle starts with Rock Lee predictably struggling to even get close to Gaara, the latter’s sand effortlessly blocking every one of Lee’s Taijutsu attacks. But just when the audience starts getting worried, Lee takes off his training weights, turning things around.

The loss of weight gives Lee a speed boost, and he finally lands a hit on Gaara, marking the first time Gaara got hit in a fight. But thanks to his sand armor, Gaara doesn’t actually get hurt and only becomes more brutal. Prompting Lee to open five of the Inner Gates to keep up. In an impressive show of pure hard work, Lee is able to make even the Jinchuriki Gaara acknowledge his strength. Lee only loses due to the toll his own techniques have on his body.

[RELATED – 10 Best Naruto Quotes That Moved Fans Worldwide]

5. Pain vs. Jiraiya

The legendary Sannin Jiraiya infiltrates the Hidden Rain to gather intel on the Akatsuki’s infamous leader, Pain. Only to come face to face with the villain and recognize him as his own student, Nagato. Despite this, Jiraiya is left with no option except to fight. And with Pain’s Rinnegan, fans already knew the fight was not going to be an easy one.

Thanks to being a former student of Jiraiya’s, Pain already knew his weaknesses. Putting Jiraiya on the back foot against an opponent he knows very little about but who knows a lot about him. As such, despite Jiraiya’s best efforts, Pain is easily able to counter his Summons and Ninjutsu, the fight ending in one of the most tragic moments of the series. 

4. Madara vs. Might Guy

Already established as one of the most powerful villains of the series, leagues above even the Five Kage, Madara only gets stronger when he becomes the Ten-Tails Jinchuriki. Faced with this absolute beast, Might Guy opens the eighth and the final gate of Death. Increasing his power to ten times of even the Kage and going toe to toe against Madara.

His strength in this form is so great that even Madara acknowledges him as one of the strongest opponents he’s ever fought. And had it not been for his quick healing, the Uchiha might have actually lost his life to Guy’s last attack. But alas, he survives, and Guy has to pay the price for opening the Gates.

3. Naruto vs. Pain

After Jiraiya’s death, the Sannin’s two students meet in an epic face-off. Naruto starts strong, thanks to Lady Katsuyu’s intel and his incredible Sage Mode skills, the debut of which is one of the single greatest entrances in anime history. But it soon becomes clear that this isn’t just a clash of might but also philosophies, as even after killing Naruto’s teacher and destroying his entire village, Pain’s actually able to make Naruto question his beliefs. 

However, even as Naruto’s faith is shaken, Hinata believes in him, putting her life on the line to help him. This makes Naruto lose control of the Nine Tails, going on a rampage. But true to his character, he eventually regains control, choosing to truly understand Pain instead of fighting him and making the villain have a change of heart in the process.

2. Killer B vs. Sasuke

Sasuke’s first major opponent after awakening his Mangekyo Sharingan, Killer B proves that no matter how strong the Sharingan, it isn’t invincible. The fight starts with Kenjutsu where Killer B’s unique fighting style gives him a clear upper hand. Just minutes later, B manages to fatally stab Sasuke in an attack he would not have survived without Karin’s intervention.

Then, Sasuke attempts to use his clan’s famed Genjutsu, only to learn the hard way that it’s useless with the Eight Tails actively helping B. Jugo manages to heal Sasuke. But B unleashes the full power of the Eight Tails, prompting Sasuke to use his Amaterasu. At this point, Sasuke appears to win, only for the audience to learn B tricked him to escape, marking this fight as a significant loss in Sasuke’s books.

1. Naruto vs. Sasuke 

Naruto and Sasuke’s final fight is widely regarded as the best in the series, and for good reason. The fight is fast-paced, beautifully animated, and incredibly emotional. It also shows just how strong these two characters have become, with the two using their most powerful techniques in a fight that literally changes the landscape.

Despite Naruto’s hesitance to hurt Sasuke, he has to use increasingly more destructive techniques to keep up with his friend. When they both exhaust themselves, the fight becomes a much more physical affair, with the two punching and kicking each other until they gather the last of their strength to finish up with a spectacular exchange of their signature moves. As far as finales go, it is satisfying, necessary, and a worthy conclusion to Naruto’s storied collection of epic fights.

The post 10 Best Naruto Fights That Will Make You an Instant Fan appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have ventured to Gotham City to meet the Dark Knight, busted ghosts with the Ghostbusters, and even explored the Upside Down with the kids from Stranger Things. However, the latest comic book crossover might be their biggest to date as Michelangelo, Donatello, Raphael, and Leonardo have teamed up with Konoha’s finest for a Naruto crossover. In typical comic book crossover fashion, the two sides first fought one another due to a misunderstanding but have quickly mended fences as they realized they were fighting the same fight. In forging the peace, it would seem that the future Seventh Hokage has become an honorary Turtle in a surprising way.

Warning. If you have yet to read the latest issue of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x Naruto, Issue #2, be forewarned that we’ll be exploring some spoiler territory. For those who need a refresher on this new anime crossover, it takes place in a brand new universe wherein the Heroes in a Half-Shell reside in “Big Apple Village,” a part of Naruto’s ninja world that wasn’t featured in the shonen anime. With Team 7 set to protect April O’Neil, the two groups come to the realization that they are on the same side and get to spend some downtime with one another. Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, and Kakashi get the chance to check out the Turtles’ sewer abode, with the Seventh Hokage realizing that he’s not so different from the green-skinned ninjas.

[RELATED: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x Naruto Crossover Reveals Team 7’s Important Mission]

Konoha Mutant Ninja Turtles

In taking a break from the overall mission, Naruto hangs out with Donatello to play some old school Nintendo and Michelangelo to try his hand out at skateboarding for the first time. With Master Splinter laying out the TMNT’s origin story, Kurama the Nine-Tailed Fox realizes that its host isn’t too different from the Heroes in a Half-Shell. Speaking directly to Naruto, the beast states, “You’re the same. In your case, I’m the ooze.” Following this story, the Turtles decide to introduce Team 7 to pizza but their meal is delayed due to an unexpected arrival.

Before chowing down, Naruto and the Heroes in a Half-Shell are assaulted by the Foot Clan and this universe’s Oroku Saki, aka the Shredder. Both the villainous organization and their leader look a tad different in this new universe though it’s clear that they are the same nefarious characters that routinely threatened the TMNT in their history. It will be interesting to see which, if any, Naruto villains hit the crossover with two issues remaining in the mini-series.

Anime Comic Book Crossovers

As anime only continues to grow, comic book companies are looking to get in on the action with unbelievable crossovers. The meeting of the Turtles and Team 7 is the latest in a string of universes colliding in recent years but it might turn out to be the best. In the past, we’ve witnessed Deadpool teaming up with My Hero Academia’s All Might and the Avengers fighting the Titans from Attack on Titan. With the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles diving into the Hidden Leaf Village, it will be interesting to see if they encounter any other anime worlds in the future.

Want to stay up to date on this brand new anime world? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook.com for the latest updates on the meeting of the TMNT and Naruto and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime.

The post The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Make Naruto The Fifth Turtle In Latest Crossover appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Naruto may not be a tragedy anime, but that doesn’t mean the series didn’t leave many fans heartbroken even years after its run. Despite the story revolving around one of the most optimistic characters in all of anime, Naruto’s tragic past lurks at every corner, reminding viewers that no matter how much fun it sounds, a world of ninjas is not all fun and rainbows. And while Naruto has a talent for making the audience laugh and cry with him, he is far from the only character viewers couldn’t help but shed tears over.

With its diverse cast of characters, Naruto is able to explore a wide range of storylines, many of them rife with the death and destruction expected of a world centered on violence. Masashi Kishimoto’s ability to write complex characters that feel human only adds to the show’s tragedy. And with his masterful storytelling, viewers feel closer to his story, making the tragic moments all that more unbearable. 

Spoiler Warning: Given the Nature of This List, Major Naruto Spoilers Ahead for Each Entry!

Rin’s Death

A defining moment for both Kakashi and Obito, Rin’s death is one of the series’s biggest tragedies. And what makes it even more unbearable is how it was all part of Madara’s carefully laid plan. Aware that Obito needed to experience the same pain as Madara to agree with him, the older Uchiha kidnapped the girl he loved and sealed the Three-Tails in her, essentially making her into a ticking time bomb.

Realizing this, Rin chose to sacrifice herself to protect her village, jumping in front of Kakashi’s Chidori. The experience of being the one to kill his teammate, one he had promised to protect, deeply traumatized Kakashi. As Obito witnessed Kakashi killing Rin, his emotional pain awakened his Mangekyo Sharingan and transformed him from an optimistic dreamer to one of Naruto’s core villains.

Uchiha Massacre 

The fact that Konoha greenlit the genocide of a clan to stop a coup was bad enough, but what’s worse is that they made a 13-year-old from that clan do it. Accepting the mission only to spare his younger brother’s life, Itachi killed his own kin with a heavy heart. And when he finally goes to kill his parents, their acceptance of his mission and choice to love him even in their final moments has the normally stoic character breaking down in tears. 

This is a heartbreaking moment, and the tragedy of the massacre only gets worse as Itachi must then lie to Sasuke throughout much of Naruto’s entire plot, ensuring his loyalty to the village that killed his family. When Sasuke refuses to believe his older brother would kill so many people, Itachi makes him witness the genocide firsthand with his Mangekyo Sharingan. Psychologically scarring the one person he loves most in the world as he takes the blame for a tragedy created by the adults in power. 

Asuma’s Death

As the first teacher figure to die in Naruto Shippuden, Asuma’s death was undoubtedly tragic. It set a different, more serious tone, demonstrating that the series’s main cast wasn’t actually immune to the violence in their world. The fact that he died protecting his students when he was about to become a father only made the moment more heartbreaking.

Nevertheless, his death served an important narrative purpose, giving the viewer insight into his students and becoming a source of character development for them. Shikamaru’s particularly affected, especially with Asuma entrusting him to take care of his unborn child. But the normally lazy ninja steps up to the role, learning to take responsibility and maturing as a result.

Zabuza and Haku 

A merciless hitman with a kind young boy as his loyal follower, the odd pair Zabuza and Haku were Naruto’s first major villains. Despite being an antagonist, Haku’s personality was more befitting of a hero, as seen when he gladly used his body as a shield to protect Zabuza from Kakashi’s Chidori. But while Haku’s death was already tragic enough, what happened next really cemented this scene as one Naruto fans aren’t going to forget any time soon.

When the corrupt Gato and his men arrived, he started kicking around Haku’s dead body. An injured Zabuza initially appeared unaffected by this, but when Naruto called him heartless, he dropped that facade. Holding Naruto’s kunai between his teeth, Zabuza attacked Gato at the cost of his own life. And in his dying moments, he emotionally asked to be laid next to Haku so he could see his face one last time.

Neji’s Death 

As the only Konoha 11 member to lose his life during the Fourth Great Ninja War, Neji’s death was particularly shocking and tragic. Sacrificing himself to protect Naruto and Hinata, Neji’s last moments showed how far he had come as a character, from someone who resented Hinata for being a weak clan heir to someone who embraced his duty as her clan member.

What makes his death even sadder is how we see Hinata’s sister carrying a picture of Neji at her wedding, reminding fans of the stern but caring uncle he never got to be. Neji started his character arc as a rather unsympathetic adversary who challenged Naruto’s philosophy, but as he grew to respect Konoha’s future Seventh Hokage, viewers’ opinions on him changed. His ultimate acceptance of Naruto makes his death all the more tragic in the final moments of the saga.

[RELATED – Naruto Creator Reveals How Sakura Became His Biggest Regret]

Naruto’s Childhood

Made into a Jinchuriki to save the village that hated him, Naruto’s story starts from tragedy and only gets more heartbreaking. As the Hokage, Minato made the decision to sacrifice his soul to split the Nine-Tails chakra in half and seal the Yang half inside Naruto, protecting both the village and his wife and child. But as the sealing process began, the Nine-Tails tried to kill Naruto, prompting Minato and Kushina to shield the blow with their bodies.

An orphan, Naruto then lived a life of rejection, unaware of why he was hated or even who his parents were. His only comfort was the Third Hokage, who acted like a grandfatherly figure to the boy. However, even the Hokage’s support didn’t make his ordeal any easier, with the rest of the village shunning or unsubtly resenting the boy for much of the series.

Itachi’s Last Goodbye 

Itachi’s life was undoubtedly tragic, but what was even more tragic was how, despite his efforts, he couldn’t protect Sasuke from the truth behind the Uchiha Massacre. His younger brother learned how Itachi was ordered to kill their family and hated the very village Itachi sacrificed everything for because of it. But instead of trying to change his brother’s mind, Itachi accepted Sasuke’s hatred.

He assured his brother that no matter what choice he made, his love for him was unconditional. To hear that from his brother, whom he had killed and yet loved, was an emotional moment for Sasuke. Yet it was tragic these words were only spoken moments before Itachi’s return to the afterlife.

Gaara’s Childhood 

Much like Naruto, a young Gaara was a Jinchuriki hated by his village. But unlike Naruto, who had the support of the Third Hokage, Gaara’s father, the Fourth Kazekage, abandoned him, forcing him to live away from his siblings with his maternal uncle, Yashamaru. When the Kazekage thought Gaara couldn’t serve as the weapon he wanted, he labeled him a failed experiment and ordered Yashamaru, who Gaara loved, to assassinate him. 

Even more tragically, he further destroyed the six-year-old’s fragile mental state by having Yashamaru lie that both he and Gaara’s own mother hated him. This was the final straw that made Gaara into the monstrous character first introduced in the Chunin Exams and Konoha Crush Arcs of Naruto. Had it not been for Naruto’s friendship, he may have ended up as one of the series’s most tragic villains.

Jiraiya’s Death 

A beloved but comical character, Jiraiya’s death shook the fanbase with its sudden tragedy. While confronting the villain Pain, Jiraiya recognized him as his former student. But as the two were already fighting with no hope of reconciliation, only one path remained; for one of them to die while the other emerged as the victor. 

Despite going up against the legendary Rinnegan, Jiraiya gave his all in the fight. But he ultimately lost, his last act being a message to Konoha about Pain’s true identity. The last thing on his mind was thoughts of his student Naruto as the Pain’s Assault Arc began to show its teeth to the fandom with Naruto Shippuden Episode 133.

Naruto’s Goodbye to Minato

After fighting in the Fourth Great Ninja War alongside his son, it’s eventually time for Minato to return to the afterlife in Naruto Shippuden Episode 474. Naruto gets a few precious minutes to say his last goodbye to the father he never really knew, and it’s tragic to witness. But what ensues next is a different, more layered, and upsettingly sad moment for the young hero.

Minato starts by wishing Naruto a happy 17th birthday, marking the first and last time Naruto receives a birthday wish from a parent. The dam breaks, but Naruto holds back tears as he reassures his parents that they don’t have to worry about him. But much like the audience, he ultimately can’t help but let his tears fall.

The post 10 Most Tragic Moments in Naruto That Still Make Fans Cry appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The anime community thrives on pairing together their favorite characters, and there’s no better way to hype up fans than to give them “canon pairings.” These couples don’t always have to be endgame, and they’re not always celebrated by fans, either – even if they’re a couple that most audiences want to see together. This isn’t restricted to romance anime. Shows from every genre that feature some kind of romance subplot are subject to fan criticism and occasionally confusion.

While shipping is a common occurrence in any fandom, the culture around it is very rarely what draws out negative fan discussion. Typically, it’s the actual storytelling decisions and character writing leading up to the characters being together that leave fans feeling befuddled and, in the absolute worst cases, angered by two characters ending up together.

Momo & Toji From Peach Girl

Peach Girl has a reputation for being messy, and the relationship between the show’s main character and her first boyfriend, Toji, proves it. Toji never chooses to be on Momo’s side in anything, regularly dumping her over rumors and refusing to communicate with her about anything. While this does make the anime extremely funny, it’s also unbelievably frustrating watching Momo justify and stay in love with a guy who is a very cartoonish example of being the worst partner imaginable.

While Momo does eventually end up moving on from Toji by the time the series ends, watching her fight so hard for so long for her first crush and boyfriend in the anime is almost tragically iconic and still has shojo fans talking about how bad of a partner he was.

Haru & Shizuku From My Little Monster

While My Little Monster is a relatively cute, simple, slice-of-life shojo anime from the 2010s, the relationship between Haru and Shizuku isn’t the most wholesome. While enemies to lovers is an extremely popular romance trope, the handling of Haru’s “bad boy nature” — specifically, how he speaks to Shizuku — is unacceptable. In the anime, Haru threatens Shizuku by assaulting her early into the pair, knowing one another, a mistake that never really gets touched on again. Plus, even once the two begin to actually have feelings for one another, his behavior doesn’t improve.

His tsundere attitude, paired with Shizuku’s own colder, more stony nature, makes them a turbulent match-up from the very beginning. It also makes it very difficult to root for Haru once he starts to actively make Shizuku his girlfriend due to his violently negative attitude and misogynistic comments.

Sesshomaru & Rin From Yashahime

For many fans of the classic anime Inuyasha, it was an uncomfortable surprise to discover that fan-favorite character Sesshomaru ended up marrying his adoptive daughter, Rin. In Inuyasha, Rin is a very young child when Sesshomaru, already a grown man, finds her. Yashahime, the sequel series, shows the two married with young children. The reveal was the one thing fans were hoping wouldn’t happen when the sequel anime was announced, and for many, was far too problematic to let slide.

Plus, one who wants to get invested in Yashahime‘s story but doesn’t like coupling can’t escape it after initial character introductions, because the romance between Rin and Sesshomaru plays a massive role in the main plot.

Hananoi & Hotaru From A Condition Called Love

The main couple in A Condition Called Love had anime fans reeling when the show first began airing in 2024. Due to the male protagonist, Hananoi’s relationship trauma, he begins pursuing Hotaru by not allowing her to let him down gently, instead going out of his way to try and convince her that the two of them would be happy together after she showed him a bit of kindness seeing him get dumped by his girlfriend.

While many of the toxic aspects of their relationship are explored more intricately in the original manga, Blue Fish Studio’s animated adaptation of the series only really gets to show Hananoi’s obsessive side. Hananoi’s controversial behavior in the anime is painted as a positive and romantic trait, something that put off a lot of anime fans when they initially started the show.

Hachi & Takumi From Nana

Perhaps one of the most heart-wrenching twists in shojo, seeing Takumi and Hachi be together is still something that has fans of NANA divided. Written to be absolutely despicable, Takumi is the embodiment of everything Hachi doesn’t need in her life, but can play with her emotions in such a way that it has lulled her into a falsified sense of security. Hachi ending up with Takumi is only made more painful due to the manga being on a permanent hiatus – meaning that readers can’t find out if Hachi will ever come to her senses.

Another aspect of the relationship that has made it so controversial is how Hachi was forced to crush Nobu and Nana in order to be with Takumi and have him take care of her and their child. The sequence in the anime adaptation of the series is heartbreaking and has left fans cursing Takumi for being the true villain of the series.

[RELATED: 10 Controversial One Piece Moments That Still Haunt Fans to This Day]

Meliodas & Elizabeth From The Seven Deadly Sins

The Seven Deadly Sins has a lot of content featured throughout that leaves a bad taste in anime fans’ mouths, and the relationship between Elizabeth and Meliodas has made fans roll their eyes more than once. The main hook for the couple is that Elizabeth is the reincarnation of a Goddess who was cursed by the Demon King to be reincarnated and lose her memories over and over again. Meliodas continues to find and fall for her each time, including finding her when she’s a baby.

These moments showcasing the two reuniting are meant to be gut-wrenching, but they also feel absolutely bizarre – pushing the reincarnated lovers trope in a direction that’s difficult to be comfortable with, even for longtime fans of the series.

Light & Misa From Death Note

While there are plenty of memes about how badly Light fumbled Misa in Death Note, none of them actually capture how truly hilarious the pair are when they interact with each other in canon. When removing Light’s calculated means of keeping Misa interested so that he won’t get caught by L, it’s clear just how messy the dynamic between them is. Misa feels as though she owes Light everything for saving her, while he simply uses her as a means to dodge investigators.

What makes the pair controversial is how Light and Misa’s connection echoes so many traits of an emotionally abusive relationship. Something that, regardless of the series’ impeccable writing, was used as a plot device more than it was ever used as an earnest means of exploring Misa’s trauma. Plus, most Death Note fans just wanted to see Misa happy. After Death Note‘s resurgence in popularity in recent years, the community has been filled with comments about how Light’s accomplice would’ve been happier pursuing L.

Zero Two & Hiro From Darling In the Franxx

Darling in the Franxx, in and of itself, is a controversial anime series. During its original release, the show was slammed for its poor character writing and bizarre story. While there were two different love triangles featured in the show, the one that by far ended up being the most frustrating was the endgame pairing for the main character. While Hiro suffers from bland shonen protagonist syndrome, Zero Two is a caricature of tropes all on her own; she’s dropped into the series to be a rival for Ichigo and a clear love interest for Hiro, and while there is a ton of lore to explain her character being the way that it is, none of it comes up until the last few episodes.

The way in which Hiro and Zero Two’s relationship is written is why the two are so controversial in this anime. Aside from Darling in the Franxx just feeling like a generic mech series with already problematic themes about men and women only being able to find happiness with each other, Zero Two and Hiro are forced together at the end of the series simply because the narrative really needs them to be together. The storytelling failed to land with fans, which has caused the couple to spiral into infamy.

Sakura & Sasuke From Naruto

While there isn’t anything inherently wrong with the relationship between Sasuke and Sakura, there’s no denying that not everyone has been pleased to see the two happily married. Part of this is due to the couple’s writing throughout the original Naruto. For most of the series, Sasuke seems to be relatively dismissive of Sakura’s feelings for him, especially with Naruto waiting in the wings for Sakura to finally notice him.

The assertion that Sasuke doesn’t actually love Sakura became such a point of contention among the community that there’s a story arc in Boruto dedicated to confirming that he does, in fact, love his wife, as well as an official side story about the two adventuring side-by-side. While their being together isn’t controversial in a toxic or problematic sense, the iconic anime couple still has decades of fan disappointment following them.

Yuno & Yuki From Future Diary

Future Diary is infamous for plenty of reasons, but its main couple is certainly the most well-known. There isn’t much “slow burn” between Yukiteru and Yuno when they’re first introduced in the show, with the anime quickly revealing that Yuno is obsessed with Yuki – so much so that her own “Future Diary,” the tool used for participants in the show’s death game, only tells events that will happen in Yuki’s future. She uses this for much of the series as a means to stalk him and protect him from other players in the game.

What really made this couple timelessly controversial, though, aside from Yuno’s yandere personality, is how the couple was treated in the last half of the series. As it turns out, the Yuno that fans get familiar with for most of the show is from a different timeline entirety. Her master plan is to jump from timeline to timeline, betray Yuki, and become God – all so she can repeat the process and be with Yuki forever. After Yuki defeats her and attains Godhood for himself, he’s filled with regret over losing her. While not the most egregious of controversial anime couples, the pair’s enduring infamy has made Future Diary an absolute classic, even if it’s not necessarily for the right reasons.

The post 10 Controversial Anime Relationships That Fans Still Question appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Anime fans, rejoice! You’ll be delighted to hear that a new Naruto box Complete Series box set launched on January 7th and is available now with a significant disccount. The limited-edition Blu-ray box set includes all 10 seasons and 112 episodes of the series, in a quality that hasn’t been seen before. Plus new special features such as a 72-page art booklet, a window cling, poster, storyboards, and more. 

Right now, the set is available to order here on Amazon for $202.53, which is 19% off the $249.99 list price You can also get the set here at GRUV for as little as $199.96 when you use the code SIGNUP20 at checkout. That’s not a bad price to have the entire Naruto series in never-before-seen 1080p. Take a look below for more details. 

“In another world, ninja are the ultimate power, and in the Village Hidden in the Leaves live the stealthiest ninja in the land. Twelve years earlier, the fearsome Nine-Tailed Fox terrorized the village and claimed many lives before it was subdued and its spirit sealed within the body of a baby boy. That boy, Naruto Uzumaki, has grown up to become a ninja-in-training who’s more interested in pranks than in studying ninjutsu.. but Naruto is determined to become the greatest ninja ever!”

Special Features

• 72-page Art Booklet
• Window Cling
• Poster
• Storyboards
• Clean Open and Close Videos
• Making of Cover Art – Gallery
• Art Galleries
• Trailers

The Live-Action Naruto

Lionsgate announced recently that it would be working with Shang-Chi director Destin Daniel Cretton to bring the lovely Hidden Leaf Village to life. The live-action rendition of the popular anime doesn’t have many details out yet, but Cretton has received a very special seal of approval. Masashi Kishimoto, the creator of Naruto, stated that he was excited to see the new take on his world. We can still wait and see if he’ll take on the Executive Producer role much like Eiichiro Oda did with the One Piece live-action series, but for now, it’s exciting that he’s excited.

Although the future of Naruto is a bit up in the air while we wait on new details for the movie, it’s fantastic to see a new box set hit the shelves. The Naruto fandom looks like it’ll continue to grow for the foreseeable future, and we love that new fans keeping tuning in for the journey of seventh Hokage.

The post Naruto Complete Series Blu-ray Box Set Is Available Now With a Deal appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Naruto and Burger King are teaming up for a wild new collaboration internationally, so here’s what you need to know about the big shake ups to the menu. Not long ago, Masashi Kishimoto’s Naruto kicked off the 20th anniversary celebration of its original anime release with all sorts of fun projects to help celebrate how far the franchise has come in the two decades. Those celebrations are continuing further this year too as Burger King France has announced a new collaboration with Naruto that sees the burger chain amping itself up with a new menu and merchandise exclusive to the region.

Burger King France first teased fans earlier this week about a new collaboration coming with Naruto, and they celebrated with some brand new art teasing what could be coming in the new team up. Now they have officially revealed what to expect from their new menu changes on their website that includes new burgers, new chicken sandwiches, new merchandise, a special Naruto meal for kids, and special Naruto inspired sauce. But unfortunately, it’s yet to be announced if this collaboration will be seen outside of Burger King France.

What’s New for Naruto’s Burger King Menu?

As detailed by Burger King France’s website, the new Naruto collaboration sees their restaurant change its name to “BKonoha.” Separated into two different menus inspired by both Naruto and Sasuke, the Naruto offering is a burger with a white bun with sesame seeds, beef, emulsified soy sauce, onions and cheese. For the Sasuke offering, it’s the same kind of burger but with chicken instead of a beef hamburger patty. Fans can also nab a special hat or Sasuke t-shirt that will be launched alongside this new menu. There’s even a special new offering for kids.

This new kid’s offering features exclusive Naruto cards, a hat, and some special Naruto sauce. But unfortunately for fans outside of France, it has yet to be announced if Burger King will be offering this collaboration in other territories. As Naruto gets ready for this new menu, it’s the perfect kind of anime for this team up in the United States. Naruto is still one of the most popular anime franchises with a certain generation, so this kind of team up in the West would go a long way with fans (especially as they start testing the waters with anime).

RELATED: New Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x Naruto Preview Further Explores Kakashi/Splinter Connection

What’s Next for Naruto?

This team up between Naruto and Burger King might be exclusive to France, but thankfully Naruto still has more in the works for a release potentially later this year. As part of the celebration for that 20th anniversary was a special new four episode anime featuring the original incarnation of Naruto. This brings back the original Team 7 as seen in the pre-Shippuden release, and fans have been waiting quite a while to see the new episodes as the new anime has unfortunately been in the midst of an indefinite delay for the past year.

It was originally scheduled to make its debut in the Fall of 2023 to coincide with Naruto’s 20th anniversary, but unfortunately Naruto has yet to announce when these new episodes will be making their debut. There’s a good chance we’ll see some forward momentum as there are only four episodes to this new special release. At the same time, fans are waiting to see more of Boruto: Naruto Next Generations as the sequel series has also been in the midst of its own indefinite hiatus for the last couple of years too.

The post What You Need to Know for Naruto & Burger King’s Big Team Up appeared first on ComicBook.com.

One of the most surprising crossovers in recent years has seen Team 7 teaming up with the Heroes in a Half Shell for a new comic book series. Creating an entirely new universe to help facilitate Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke, and Kakashi coming face-to-face with Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello, and Michelangelo, IDW is hinting at some big changes to the lore for each team. Set to release four issues in total, The Big Apple and the Hidden Leaf Village denizens are hinting at some major surprises for the future of this crossover that might just take the cake when it comes to fictional ninjas meeting for the first time.

Warning. Be forewarned that we’ll be diving into serious spoiler territory for the first issue of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x Naruto, so if you haven’t read it, you might want to turn back now. As mentioned previously, this new series creates an entirely new universe with a new backstory for all the players involved. Rather than seeing the TMNT dropped into Konoha or Team 7 hitting the Big Apple, “Big Apple Village” is a new village that exists in the anime ninja world and harbors the green-skinned teenagers. In a new mission to protect April O’Neil, Naruto and his allies run into the “Heroes in a Half-Shell” and have a case of mistaken identity in doing so.

[RELATED: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x Naruto Reveals a Shocking Connection Between Kakashi And Splinter]

Master Splinter x Kakashi

One of the biggest twists of the first issue of this crossover was that Master Splinter and Kakashi the Copycat Ninja appear to share a common history. While that origin wasn’t unveiled in the premiere offering of the crossover series, a new preview for issue two hints that the next story will get right into it. Even though the crossover series only has four issues in total, the changes that have already been made prove that the meeting of the Ninja Turtles and Konoha’s finest will be one for the record books.

Teenage Mutant Ninjas Crossovers

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have come into contact with a lot of pop culture icons in their history. While the Heroes in a Half Shell haven’t ventured much into the anime realm for crossovers, they have met the likes of Batman, the kids from Stranger Things, the Ghostbusters, the Transformers, Savage Dragon, The Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers, and even Mulder and Scully from the X-Files. Ironically enough, while there was never an official meeting between the TMNT and Naruto’s top ninjas, the four turtle brothers did get their own anime series.

Mutant Turtles: Superman Legend was an original video animation released in 1996 that gave TMNT fans a very different take on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. What made this series so memorable is the fact that the turtle siblings were given the ability to transform into more powerful forms that made them look much more like human beings. As it stands, this is the only anime output that the TMNT has received in their history but fingers crossed that this Naruto crossover might receive its own special animated adaptation.

Want to stay on top of all the anime crossovers? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook.com for all the latest anime updates and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime.

The post New Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x Naruto Preview Further Explores Kakashi/Splinter Connection appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Naruto is in the midst of a huge comeback, and now the classic anime and manga franchise is teaming up with Burger King for a tasty new collaboration. Masashi Kishimoto’s Naruto manga might have come to an end years ago, and the anime adaptation might have ended soon after, but the franchise has honestly been stronger than ever before. With the Boruto: Two Blue Vortex sequel continuing the manga with new chapters each month, and the anime readying to make its comeback with its long in the works 20th anniversary special, Naruto is preparing for what could be an even bigger 2025.

Burger King France has taken fans by surprise with some special new Naruto art for the series in anticipation of a new collaboration with the burger restaurant (which has been increasing its anime collaborations in many countries throughout the past year especially) beginning on January 14th. It’s yet to be revealed what kind of menu changes or potential merchandise fans might be able to check out with this new Naruto team up, but fans can check out the first look at what this new shake up will bring with some special art revealed on Burger King France’s official social media. Check them out below:

Naruto Teams Up With Burger King?

While Burger King France is currently playing coy about what fans can expect from this new team up with Naruto, international fans have yet to get a collaboration of this kind. If it’s successful there might be a chance of getting this team up in other territories outside of France or Brazil, so it’s definitely something to keep an eye on heading into the rest of the year. Burger King seems to also be planning to expand its reach into the world of animation in the future too.

This follows fun collaborations with McDonald’s in the past couple of years (with the company recently teaming up with Neon Genesis Evangelion) that have seen anime make it their way to huge team ups like this. As anime continues to grow in popularity with younger generations, fans can hope to see more promotional materials like this. It’s pretty common in Japan as the huge franchises often team up with restaurants and convenience stores pretty regularly, but it’s not the same in the West as anime has only started to really break through into the mainstream in this way in the last five years.

RELATED: Anime’s Going to Be Huge in 2025 (But Fans Are Nervous for One Reason)

What’s Next for Naruto?

Naruto could have a huge 2025 if we’re lucky. Boruto: Naruto Next Generations’ anime has been on hiatus since 2023, and it has yet to be revealed when fans can hope to see the next wave of episodes. When the series does return, there’s still plenty of material it can adapt before the series kicks off its adaptation of the manga’s time skip sequel, Boruto: Two Blue Vortex. This new manga has been releasing new chapters each month, and introduces a whole new kind of world for the Naruto franchise.

For fans who still miss the classic Naruto from the 2000s, however, the anime has been readying for a celebration of the 20th anniversary. Announced to be in the works some time ago, this is a special four episode miniseries bringing back the original Team 7 line up for Naruto before the events of Naruto Shippuden. While it was planned to release some time in Fall 2023, these episodes have been put on an indefinite delay ever since. But we could get some news on that this year if we’re lucky.

The post Naruto & Burger King Are Teaming Up for Tasty New Collab appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Naruto is one of the most iconic anime and manga series of all time. The series is globally recognized for its amazing story, emotional depth, and interesting characters. The story follows Naruto, an orphan who was shunned by the village his entire childhood. He grew up believing he would receive their acknowledgment if he became Hokage, a leader of the village. On the other hand, Black Clover is praised as one of the best Shonen of the new generation. It centers around Asta, a young orphan boy born without magic in a world where it’s crucial to practically everything in life.

People’s rank and social status are determined by the power they possess. As an orphan, Asta dreams of becoming the Wizard King, the strongest mage in the kingdom. While Black Clover hasn’t yet matched the legacy and popularity of Naruto, there’s one thing it does better than the latter. The rivalry trope is often loved in anime, and many of them adopt it. However, Black Clover follows the trend perfectly with the unparalleled dynamic between Asta and Yuno.

[RELATED: Black Clover’s Final Arc Needs an Anime ASAP]

Black Clover’s Asta and Yuno Have a Healthy Rivalry

Asta and Yuno grew up in the same orphanage since the day they were born. This is why they are as close as family. They share the same room, the same dining table, and the same dreams. Both grew up admiring each other’s strengths. Yuno, who was naturally gifted and demonstrated exceptional talent from a young age, looked up to Asta’s determination to never give up. Meanwhile, Asta, who was born magicless, both envied and commended Yuno’s talents.

He knew he lacked even the basic skills, so he trained physically in hopes of catching up to Yuno. One of the best parts about their rivalry is that they both realize their weakness and strive to surpass each other. They both want to prove themselves worthy by becoming the Wizard King. The duo travel together to the capital and join different Magic Knights. As expected, Yuno is recruited by the best Magic Knight squad in the kingdom, while Asta joins the Black Bulls, the notorious lowest-rung squad. The story continues as the two of them strive towards their goal, while they never clash, only ever exchanging hands in the form of fist bumps. Yuno never looks down upon Asta, even defending him against his critics, while Sasuke refuses to acknowledge Naruto’s growth, especially when it seems Naruto is surpassing him.

Their mutual respect is admirable, and they both often team up against powerful adversaries. Throughout the series, Yuno has been a great friend and ally to Asta. They both support each other regardless of the danger ahead of them. Yuno never lost faith in Asta and lent him a hand whenever he could. They both accomplished some impressive feats as young mages. Both Asta and Yuno appear in the story, and their growth is given equal weight. This is different from Naruto, where Sasuke often takes a backseat during certain arcs.

Naruto and Sasuke Have a More Complex Relationship Than Simple Rivalry

Unlike Asta and Yuno, Naruto and Sasuke met after becoming genin. The two didn’t get along in the beginning at all. After witnessing his brother kill his entire clan, Sasuke swore to take revenge. He always had this aura of darkness around him and wouldn’t let anyone near him. On the other hand, Naruto grew up as an orphan and was eager to connect with more people. Sadly, the village always treated him with animosity. Naruto’s goal since the beginning was to become a Hokage. Hence, the two can’t be considered rivals in true essence if they both have different goals.

The two barely tolerated each other in the beginning, but as part of Team 7, they learned to get along. As a member of the legendary Uchiha Clan, Sasuke was incredibly talented from a young age. But Naruto had to work extremely hard to catch up with Sasuke. Unlike Asta and Yuno’s healthy rivalry, the relationship between Naruto and Sasuke is heavily laden with betrayal, resentment, and psychological trauma. Even in moments such as the first time they exchanged blows using their signature jutsu, Sasuke opts to be petty upon seeing what initially looked like a weaker impact from Naruto’s Rasengan. Sasuke leaves the Hidden Leaf Village not long into his time alongside Team 7 in the Sasuke Recovery Mission Arc.

Sasuke becomes a rogue ninja and follows Orochimaru in order to acquire more power. This deeply upsets Naruto, who does everything he can to bring him back. We see Naruto desperately trying to change Sasuke’s mind through the entirety of Shippuden. The two even clashed against each other as enemies. Therefore, it’s difficult to view them as rivals or best friends when their relationship is more complicated. Naruto even considers Sasuke as a brother he never had. Even so, while Naruto and Sasuke’s relationship is iconic and deeply emotional, it often focuses more on conflict and betrayal, creating more of a wayward surrogate brotherhood rather than a healthy rivalry like in Black Clover.

The post Sorry Naruto & Sasuke, Black Clover’s Asta and Yuno Are Shonen Jump’s Best Rivals appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Boruto: Two Blue Vortex is now exploring the real nature of the Divine Trees, and the newest chapter of the Naruto series might have revealed the key to defeating them when one develops some romantic feelings for Konohamaru Sarutobi. Boruto: Two Blue Vortex has been continuing to further evolve the world now that Konoha has made it a few years after Boruto had been forced to leave with Eida’s Omniscience powers. As the Divine Tree warriors now pose the greatest threat, Boruto and Konoha find themselves working together in order to take down these mysterious new foes by any means necessary.

As Jura and the Divine Trees seem to grow stronger with how much knowledge they acquire, Shikamaru figures that the time to defeat them might be before they grow older as their states right after they are born are basically “innocent cublings” rather than the “wild beasts” Konoha thinks they are. And the opportunity to carve out a different path with them is through Matsuri, who is revealed to actually have some romantic feelings for Konohamaru even if she doesn’t know what these feelings are yet.

Naruto Sparks a New Romance in Boruto: Two Blue Vortex

Boruto: Two Blue Vortex Chapter 17 kicks off the new mission to save Gaara and his son Shinki after the two of them were attacked by the Divine Trees, and Shinki was used as the base for the newest member of this monster group, Ryu. Konohamaru and Team 7 join up with Shinki’s team for this new mission in the Hidden Sand, and they approach Matsuri and Ryu. Matsuri’s thrown off a bit by this as her face gets flushed, and she’s unsure of how to answer Konohamaru in the moment. It’s then revealed that Shikamaru had actually planned to go this route to use Matsuri’s confusion to their advantage.

Knowing that each of the Divine Trees has an antagonistic relationship with a particular person, but that relationship varies between them. In Matsuri’s case, Shikamaru asserts that Konohamaru is her target because she has feelings for him. Assuming she doesn’t know what these feelings are, Shikamaru wants to take advantage of the fact that these Divine Trees are essentially young and naive to then trick them and make defeating them all the easier. It’s a ruthless strategy that he’s willing to use in order to keep the Hidden Leaf Village safe.

RELATED: Boruto: Two Blue Vortex Teases Kawaki’s Ultimate Transformation

What Does This Romance Mean for Konohamaru?

Matsuri’s personality and connection to Konohamaru is certainly a unique one amongst the Divine Trees. It’s been hard to gauge exactly what all of them are after outside of wiping out Boruto, but for whatever reason they have a direct connection to the host that they originally spawned from. It’s certainly interesting in Matsuri’s case as it likely means that Moegi has these same romantic feelings for Konohamaru as well, but to this point has yet to pursue them in any real concrete way in the series.

So it’s going to be an awkward road for Konohamaru moving forward. Not only does he have to dance around this romantic feeling with Matsuri to avoid her killing him, but he needs to do so in a way that will also save Moegi. Which means that he’s likely going to have to appease Matsuri for a great while before even getting the chance to wiping her own and taking her bulb. Then when all of this is done with, Konohamaru and Moegi somehow need to get through this when Konohamaru realizes that Moegi shares these same feelings. But defeating the Divine Trees comes first.

The post Naruto Sparks Surprising New Boruto Crush (& It Might Be the Key to Defeating the Divine Trees) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Boruto: Two Blue Vortex hasn’t been shy about turning the world upside down for the son of the Seventh Hokage. Boruto Uzumaki now lives in a world where his former allies have become enemies and former enemies are now friends. Luckily, the shonen protagonist still has some comrades to count on, one of which who has plenty of sway in the Hidden Leaf Village. With Naruto and Hinata trapped in a limbo-like state thanks to Kawaki’s machinations, Shikamaru has taken on the role of Hokage and is proving that he’s willing to go to any extreme to make sure that his people are safe.

Warning. If you have yet to read the latest chapter of Boruto: Two Blue Vortex, Chapter 17, be forewarned that we’ll be diving into serious spoiler territory. Konoha has long had a history of powerful Hokages who were more than willing to perform vicious acts to make sure the Hidden Leaf Village’s safety was assured. The Seventh Hokage has mostly bucked this trend as Naruto has attempted to rule over his people with a more peaceful outlook on the world. Unfortunately, with the Seventh no longer in the picture, leadership duties fall on Shikamaru and the genius tactician is far more willing to rely on deceipt and savagery to accomplish his goals.

[RELATED: Boruto: Two Blue Vortex Teases Kawaki’s Ultimate Transformation]

Shikamaru’s Emotional Ruthlessness

The newest villains of the Two Blue Vortex are the Divine Trees, antagonists who take their form from captured ninjas that they place within the fauna. Of the trees that we’ve seen so far, a major example is Matsuri, the only female member of this villainous collective. Originally Moegi of Konoha, Shikamaru already foresees that Konohamaru and the remnants of Team 7 will be encountering her in the future and has come up with a plan worthy of infiltrating the Trees.

Moegi has long been a part of the Naruto franchise, first appearing alongside Konohamaru when the two were toddlers. Thanks to the Divine Trees seemingly holding no “true evil intent,” the current Hokage comes up with the idea of Konohamaru befriending them to backstab them later on. As Shikamaru explains, “Win them over. Tame ’em, while they wilde beasts are still innocent cublings and then betray them. Naruto probably wouldn’t take this route, but I’m not him. I propose this tactic to get rid of these superhuman monsters for the survival of humankind.”

Romeo & Juliet of the Ninja World

Shikamaru then explains further why Konohamaru is the perfect choice for this mission, stating that Matsuri has feelings for the ninja even though she doesn’t know why, “Do you know why you’re Matsuri’s target? It’s cuz she bears romantic feelings towards you. Although it seems Matsuri herself is not aware of this or rather she has no idea what the emotion she’s feeling is. So this plan may put her in a state of turmoil. If it does, that will likely give us a favorable edge. Be heartless. Divine Trees are our enemy.”

Shikamaru has always been a brilliant mind in Konoha’s roster but his cruelty here might just be what the Hidden Leaf needs. Unfortunately for the village, it seems as though far more problems are coming their way than hurting Matsuri’s feelings.

Want to see what the future holds for Konoha? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook.com for the latest updates on the Hidden Leaf and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime.

The post Boruto Confirms Who Is Truly Konoha’s Most Ruthless Hokage Ever appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Naruto’s anime might still be missing in action thanks to Studio Pierrot taking their time on their vast anime library but the manga by creator Masashi Kishimoto rages on. In the latest chapter of Boruto: Two Blue Vortex, the meaty installment focuses on a lot of dialogue as a brand new plan formulated by Shikamaru is underway. While Boruto Uzumaki might be changing the hearts and minds of former friends turned into enemies thanks to the power of Eida, there is still one figure that has an ax to grind with the son of Naruto. Kawaki still wants to eliminate all of the Otsutsuki and he’s going to some wild lengths to make his dreams into a reality.

Warning. If you have yet to read the latest chapter of Boruto: Two Blue Vortex, Chapter 17, be forewarned that we’ll be diving into spoiler territory. Before diving into the major changes that are coming Kawaki’s way, the latest installment is one that focuses heavily on Shikamaru and Konohamaru thinking up a plan to take down two of the newest villains in the shonen franchise, the Divine Trees. The antagonists might be powerful but their mindset and emotional level is closer to that of children, especially when focusing on the two newest members, Ryu and Matsuri.

[RELATED: Naruto Team Shares How Its Sequel, Boruto, Came to Light]

A New Hidden Leaf Plan in The Works

Konohamaru isn’t alone in this task, as he is joined by Sarada, Mitsuki, and Hidden Leaf ninjas Yodo and Araya. Thanks to Mitsuri seemingly having a crush on Team 7’s sensei, it seems that the plan forged by the leaders of Konoha is moving smoothly enough. While finding the perfect moment to betray the Divine Trees isn’t the most brilliant tactic in the world, it seems that hanging the “carrot” of Boruto is more than enough to put the villains at ease and join up with Konoha’s finest.

When it comes to Kawaki, the adopted son of the Uzumaki family doesn’t want to waste any time in making sure he has the power necessary to take down all of the Otsutsuki. Unfortunately for Boruto, his adopted brother might just have the perfect mechanism to “leveling up.” Even with figures like Shikamaru, Kashin Koji, Sarada, and others pulling for Naruto’s son, having the major obstacle of Kawaki standing in his path might be a difficult one to overcome.

Kawaki’s Ultimate Transformation Preview

Since Amado was offered sanctuary in Konoha, spilling some serious goods on the Kara Organization, the scientist has been able to dodge quite a bit of danger. Surprisingly, the first danger he faces is from inside of the Hidden Leaf Village as Kawaki wants the scientist to effectively “unlock his hidden potential.” Holding up Amado using one of his grotesque, Karma-fueled appendage, Kawaki lays down the law and makes his request.

“I’ve got tons I wanna say to you, but first, you’re gonna draw out all of my powers to their fullest extent!” Whether Amado goes through with this process is anyone’s guess though he certainly does have the ability to perform an action such as this. Thanks to the massive training that Boruto Uzumaki underwent, the son of the Seventh might have a vast advantage should he face his adopted brother in battle once again. This fact will change if Amado is able to unlock Kawaki’s Karma and gives him a serious power boost in the process.

Want to see if Kawaki is able to upgrade his power level in the future of the Hidden Leaf Village? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook.com for all the latest updates on Konoha and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime.

The post Boruto: Two Blue Vortex Teases Kawaki’s Ultimate Transformation appeared first on ComicBook.com.

For serious figurine collectors, there’s no such thing as having too many collectibles. This is doubly the case for fans of the more popular series constantly rolling out new merchandise that serves as reminders of the series’ best moments and characters. Let Naruto be a prime example, as it’s been revealed that Pop Mart is releasing a new NARUTO Ninkai Taisen Series Figures collection. The collection will be the latest blind box release from Pop Mart, not much unlike their recent collaboration with Jujutsu Kaisen. 

Based on the images of the figurines, these are all set in the Fourth Great Ninja War Arc with appearances from Obito Uchiha, Madara Uchiha, and Hashirama Senju. The primary exception, however, is the inclusion of Itachi Uchiha in his Akatsuki cloak. Given his popularity as a character, one could argue that it’s fine to look the other way here. Whether or not it be for the holiday season, having one of these collectibles, or even the full set, will surely bring a sense of nostalgia to any hard-core Naruto collector. 

[RELATED: Jujutsu Kaisen’s Latest Pop Mart Collab Is Perfect for the Holidays]

POP MART’s Naruto Ninkai Taisen Series Figurine Details

The figures in the Naruto Pop Mart figurines measure 7.7-11.4 cm/3.03-4.49 inches in height and can be purchased individually for $16.99 or $203.88 for the whole set. For anyone considering buying the entire set, it’s guaranteed that Pop Mart will replace a regular edition duplicate you may get to complete the collection. So, while having duplicates of a favorite character may be a good problem to have, it’s an easy one to fix. 

These blind box sets typically come with a figure that’s much harder to come across as added motivation for collectors, and this set is no different. With only a 1/144 chance of acquisition, this set includes a secret edition figure of Kaguya Otsutsuki, one of the last major villains in Naruto: Shippuden. If you’re interested in any other figures, we recently published a list of the newest figures available this month. Examples of what’s coming out include figures from Marvel, Dragon Ball, The Lord of the Rings, and more. 

What Makes These Naruto Figures the Perfect Collectible

Naruto is a manga series created by Masashi Kishimoto back in 1999 about a young ninja who works to become the strongest and most respected ninja in his village, called the Hokage, to overcome the neglect and disrespect he receives from his peers. After becoming one of the most popular properties on the planet, the manga came to a close in 2014, and the anime followed suit in 2017.

Despite being a decade since Naruto printed its last pages, the fandom is still going strong, with a sequel series currently being produced that jumps more than a decade into the future to show the experiences of the next generation of ninjas. The Fourth Great Ninja War Arc was the culmination of more than 10 years of stories coming to a close, and these figurines serve as a great homage and reminder of that story. 

H/T: Pop Mart

The post Naruto’s New Pop Mart Collab Gorgeously Renders Final Arc’s Characters appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Naruto: The Symphonic Experience will officially bring the best music from the original Naruto anime series to North America, with orchestra-level production quality. The concert series will kick off its North American tour on February 28, 2025, in Evansville, IN, and visit more than 50 cities. 

The concert series just wrapped up a successful European tour, with more than 60,000 attendees, according to Broadway World. The two-hour film was created by Julien Vallespi and Quentin Benayou and features clips pulled directly from the series’ first 220 episodes. Attendees will then get to experience their favorite songs in an entirely new light as an orchestra plays everything from classic songs to legendary intros and outros.

Naruto: The Symphonic Experience Comes to North America in February 2025

“We created a two-hour film enhanced with a live, symphonic orchestra because the soundtrack plays such a huge role in the anime’s success and is praised by the legions of fans time and time again,” Vallespi said.

One thing Naruto fans have all been able to connect over is the music of the series. Given the show’s popularity and accessibility by being dubbed in several languages, they have a certain universality that makes things like this symphony orchestra tour possible.

“The original score, composed by Toshio Masuda is a perfect blend between pop and rock arrangements as well as traditional Japanese instruments like the Shakuhachi and Shamisen,” Vallespi continued.

In all genres, hearing music performed live can be a vastly different experience than hearing the same recording repeatedly, as amazing as it may be. This is part of the reasoning as to why live concerts have gotten so expensive.

RELATED: Attack on Titan Orchestra Tour Set For 2025 Debut (And Why It’s A Must See Event)

GEA Live, Un Pour Tous Productions, RoadCo Entertainment and VIZ Media will collaborate on bringing the series to North America. Tickets go on sale Dec. 6 at 10 a.m. EST and can be bought at narutoinconcert.com. 

Naruto, created by Masashi Kishimoto, tells the story of Naruto Uzumaki on his adventures to becoming the leader of his village and ultimately earn their respect. The property is officially 25 years old after the manga’s first chapter was published in Shonen Jump in September 1999. Since then, the manga has sold more than 250 million copies globally and spawned multiple anime adaptations, including Naruto, Naruto: Shippuden, and Boruto, not to mention nearly a dozen films. 

H/T: Broadway World

The post Naruto Symphonic Orchestra Tour Brings Classic Songs to Fans Across North America appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Boruto: Two Blue Vortex is continuing through the manga’s next major arc as it raises the stakes against the Divine Trees, and the newest chapter is making things even more complicated as Boruto Uzumaki now finds himself in a heated love triangle (that might even be bigger than expected). Boruto: Two Blue Vortex has been focusing its latest chapters on getting the Hidden Leaf Village ready for what to do next against the Divine Tree foes, but they won’t have much time to wait as the Hidden Sand Village is now in the Divine Trees’ crosshairs. So they need to act quickly.

Boruto: Two Blue Vortex is preparing Sarada Uchiha for her next major mission in the Hidden Sand to help save Gaara from the newest Divine Tree foe, but she was taken by surprise with a new meeting with Sumire. Because while the two of them remain the only ones who had not been effected by Eida’s Omniscience power, it turns out the two of them might be sharing another big secret as they both might have feelings for Boruto. At least in Sumire’s case, she’s starting to feel jealous about how Sarada threw herself at Boruto when they finally reunited for the first time in years.

Boruto Puts Sarada and Sumire In a Love Triangle

Boruto: Two Blue Vortex Chapter 16 sees Sarada and Sumire meeting with Eida to try and get more information about what Boruto is planning to do next. She tells them that he’s trying to keep the two of them out of danger by taking more of it on himself, and Sumire realizes that the more the two of them know about his whereabouts, the more they will be targets of the Hidden Leaf Village (since they’re already outwardly spoken about their support for Boruto, a thought to be traitor). It’s with this that Sumire really starts to talk about her feelings as well.

She claims Sarada doesn’t really think about Boruto’s feelings, nor about hers either. Sumire then asks why, knowing how much she likes Boruto, that Sarada would leap into his arms the second they see each other after the three year time skip. She had been holding back from asking because she wanted to be respectful of how Sarada felt in the moment, but she can’t help but question why Sarada did this knowing Sumire’s stated feelings for Boruto. Sarada doesn’t know what to say, and Sumire walks away hurt at this since it seems like the two don’t see each other as friends in the same way.

RELATED: Boruto: Two Blue Vortex Explains Boruto’s New Jujutsu Kaisen-Like Powers

There Might Be More to This Love Triangle

Fans have gotten teased about Sarada’s potential romantic feelings for Boruto in the past, but now it’s going to be put in the spotlight now that each character is much older. It’s something Sumire is concerned with, and it’s clear that she was hurt that their first spotting of Boruto after all those years was seemingly dominated by Sarada, who she believes is a close friend. Sarada didn’t quite think of it that way, but it’s still hurt Sumire quite a bit.

Even Eida who witnesses it realizes how awkward of a situation it is, yet she can’t help but also help Boruto too. She completely knows what Boruto is up to, but is still helping him by choosing to keep his secrets. While she’s still out to be with Kawaki as her love, she’s at least now starting to see Boruto in this more well rounded way. Which means that eventually, she might actually fall in love with Boruto as well. Turning this love triangle into some kind of love square or other shape.

The post Naruto Sparks Boruto’s Heated New Love Triangle (& Maybe Even More) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

It takes a village to make an anime series and/or movie, with dozens, hundreds, and sometimes thousands of people working side-by-side to depict some of the best animated stories in any medium. Voice actors are often some of the most famous contributors to the anime world and unfortunately, another prolific voice actor in Japan has recently passed away. Voice actor Eiji Yanagisawa has been a part of the voice acting industry since his initial role in the Mobile Suit Gundam series in 1981 and it is with a heavy heart that we confirm that Yanagisawa has passed away.

To honor Yanagisawa’s memory, it’s important to examine the anime franchises that he had a role in breathing life into. As mentioned earlier, Eiji was a part of some of Gundam’s biggest projects in his career, including Mobile Suit Gundam I, Mobile Suit Gundam Seed, and SD Gundam Force. On top of playing a pivotal role in the mech franchise, Yanagisawa has also taken on roles in Naruto: Shippuden, Kengan Ashura, Baki The Grappler, The Mealoncholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, Digimon Frontier, Detective Conan, and many more. Alongside the anime world, Eiji also voiced Western projects in Japan including CSI: New York, CSI: Miami, The World is Not Enough, Stargate Atlantis, Lethal Weapon 3, and more.

Production Baobab’s Official Statement

Yanagisawa’s talent agency, Production Baobab, released a statement confirming the passing of their prolific client, stating that he had passed away on November 12th earlier this month, “Our company’s employee, Eiji Yanagisawa (57 years old). He passed away on November 12, 2024 due to brain stem hemorrhage. We would like to express our deepest gratitude for the kindness shown to us during his lifetime and to inform you of his passing. The wake and funeral were held only for close relatives. We apologize for the delay in reporting this news due to the wishes of the bereaved family.”

The Anime Characters of Eiji Yanagisawa

In the Naruto universe, Eiji took on the role of Genzo, who is one of the earliest characters introduced in the shonen franchise. The member of the Hidden Leaf Village wasn’t a ninja that could tangle with Naruto’s Rasengan or Sasuke’s Chidori, but he had the important task of capturing moments for the future. Genzo was one of Konoha’s best photographer’s but wasn’t exactly thrilled with his station in life if everything wasn’t going his way.

In the Gundam universe, Yanagisawa’s first role was that of Slender in Mobile Suit Gundam I. Rather than fighting on the side of Amuro and the Earth Federation, Eiji’s character was a loyal member of the Principality of Zeon and worked alongside the villainous character Char. Unfortunately, Slender would not make it out of the series alive, being killed during a battle with the Gundam and proving that no one was safe in the Gundam franchise. In Mobile Suit Gundam Seed, Yanagisawa took on the role of Dr. Ulen Hibiki and in SD Gundam Force, the voice actor was both Gunbike and Zapper Zaku. Needless to say Eiji’s career was one that perhaps led him to the Gundam world the most.

Yanagisawa was a talented voice actor who will be sorely missed in the anime world. Our thoughts are with the loved ones of Eiji Yanagisawa during this difficult time.

The post Naruto, Gundam Voice Actor Eiji Yanagisawa Dies at 57 appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The Heroes in a Half Shell have recently met Konoha’s Team 7 in a wild new comic book crossover that threw many for a loop. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x Naruto sees Raphael, Leonardo, Michelangelo, and Donatello arriving in a very different world from the one that fans are familiar with. As April O’Neill finds herself being escorted on a dangerous mission with Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke, and Kakashi, the final page stinger is one that reveals a shocking connection. While there are plenty of questions still surrounding this big reveal, the issue gives us an idea of how this shocking connection came to be.

Warning. If you have yet to read the first issue of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x Naruto, be forewarned that we’ll be diving into serious spoiler territory. The world of this comic book crossover is far different from either universe that the heroes hail from. While Konoha appears to be the same from the ninja shonen series, the Ninja Turtles’ world is one dubbed “Big Apple Village.” Instead of existing in a modern day New York City, the comic book series blends TMNT’s origins into the anime ninja world, giving both the teenage ninjas and Master Splinter new looks and new abilities to go with their new locale.

RELATED: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x Naruto Crossover Reveals Team 7’s Important Mission

How Kakashi Met Splinter

In their initial misunderstanding, which is a trademark for many comic book crossovers, Leonardo fights Sasuke, Raphael fights Sakura, Michelangelo and Donatello fight Naruto and his clones, and Kakashi fights Master Splinter. During the mentors’ confrontation, it appears as though Splinter has been given a serious upgrade in the ninja powers’ department. Much like how Kakashi can implement the Chidori during his fights, Splinter demonstrates that he too can use the power of lightning should the need arise.

On the final page of the first crossover issue, we witness Kakashi proclaiming that he knows that Splinter is Hamato Yoshi. Throughout Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ lore, there has always been some wild connections between Yoshi and Splinter. Normally, Master Splinter is either Hamato Yoshi after being transformed into a rat thanks to Mutagen or Splinter was the disciple of Hamato and was turned into what he is thanks to the chemicals. In this universe, it appears as though Splinter was once Hamato Yoshi and appears to have met Konoha’s copycat ninja in the past.

Konoha In A Half-Shell

The latest comic is just the first in this new four-issue crossover which is sure to reveal plenty of surprises in this brand new world. Along with seeing the Hidden Leaf Village’s premiere ninja team taking on the Turtle boys in hand-to-hand combat, it also introduced us to this world’s Foot Clan, meaning it’s highly likely that the Shredder is waiting in the wings. Should the big bad of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ franchise team up with some of Naruto’s biggest enemies, that is sure to shake the comic book world to its core.

Of course, some might be wondering whether or not this crossover will eventually be brought to the screen. While nothing has been confirmed as of the writing of this article, there is precedent to think that the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x Naruto crossover might land an anime adaptation in the future. The biggest proof that this crossover might be possible is the creation of 2019’s Batman Vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the animated film based on the comic book crossover of the same name.

Want to see what future surprises in this wild new comic book crossover? Follow along with Team Anime for all the latest on the meeting of Team 7 and the TMNT and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime.

The post Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x Naruto Reveals a Shocking Connection Between Kakashi And Splinter appeared first on ComicBook.com.

While Boruto’s anime remains in limbo as Studio Pierrot works on Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War, this hasn’t stopped the Two Blue Vortex from continung to follow the son of the Seventh Hokage. Recently, the sixteenth chapter of Boruto: Two Blue Vortex was released and gave readers a much better understanding of both the titular hero and the world around him. Thanks to Boruto’s new sensei in this world turned upside down, the anime protagonist now can perform a feat that Jujutsu Kaisen fans might be a little familiar with. Thanks to “Space Time Ninjutsu”, things might be more in favor for Boruto Uzumaki than ever before.

Warning. If you have yet to read the latest chapter of Boruto: Two Blue Vortex’s manga, Chapter 16, be forewarned that we’ll be diving into serious spoiler territory. Two Blue Vortex has been a series that works in tandem with Naruto: Shippuden, wherein the latest series focuses on a world post time skip. Unfortunately, the world that Boruto now faces sees him as a fugitive thanks to the former Kara member Eida using her powers to brainwash the world. Now that Konoha and the Ninja World believes that Boruto is responsible for the death of his parents, the son of Naruto is on the run. Luckily, the anime protagonist has a wild new ally in the shape of Kashin Koji, the clone of Jiraiya.

RELATED: Naruto Explains Why Boruto Hasn’t Revealed Kawaki’s Biggest Secret

Boruto’s Boogie Woogie Power

When the Two Blue Vortex began, it was quite clear that Boruto Uzumaki had been putting his time away from Konoha to good use. Training with Kashin Koji, Boruto has learned some new moves that made him a force to be reckoned with, not only in the face of Code but his former allies as well. As Kashin explains in the latest chapter, Boruto has a move that is dubbed the “Flying Raijin Jutsu” to use when he wishes and it might prove to be one of the ninja world’s greatest techniques.

Kashin Koji, during his one-on-one with Boruto, explains the son of the Seventh’s new ability, “Space-Time Ninjutsu. It instantly teleports you or other people anywhere. As with flying, it’s a basic Ohtsutsuki ability. By marking metal objects with your chakra so that you can sense them, you evolved it into a ninjutsu that enables you to move freely and instantly wherever you want. In truth, there are two different jutsu. You actually don’t know the real Flying Raijin. As you sought to control Space-Time Ninjutsu, you devised, on your own, a copycat Flying Raijin that produces near-identical results.”

The Flying Raijin Explained

Much like how Code can create “slashes” in time that let the villain teleport to new locations, Boruto can now teleport to metal objects that he places his chakra onto. Unfortunately, this technique does have some drawbacks to it. While Boruto Uzumaki can teleport easily enough if he has a metal object in his visual range, teleporting long distances is far more difficult according to Kashin Koji. As Kashin explains, Boruto will need to make a variety of metal weapons to use this ability and will need to expend much more chakra when teleporting long distances.

On top of diving further into Boruto’s new abilities, the latest chapter sets up some major aspects for the future of the shonen series. The current Hokage, Shikimaru, has a secret discussion with one of Koji’s toads, emploring the Konoha leader to send Konohamaru, Sarada, and Mitsuki to the Land of the Wind to fight the Divine Trees. Needless to say, the Two Blue Vortex is planting the seeds for a major confrontation in the near future.

Want to see what the future holds for Boruto Uzumaki? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook.com for the latest updates on the Hidden Leaf Village and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime.

The post Boruto: Two Blue Vortex Explains Boruto’s New Jujutsu Kaisen-Like Powers appeared first on ComicBook.com.

One of the most popular anime of all time, Naruto: Shippuden is back with an all-new set of Funko Pops. The latest drop includes Hinata, Jiraiya, Neji, and Naruto, with the Naruto Shuriken Funko Pop offering the chance at a special metallic Chase. There are also several exclusives in the wave. Everything you need to know can be found below.

• Naruto: Shippuden Hinata Funko Pop: Hinata whips out her Gentle Fist, a blue power radiating from her palm! / Available here at Amazon / Available here at Entertainment Earth 
• Naruto: Shippuden Jiraiya Funko Pop: Naruto’s godfather and teacher, Jiraiya! / Available here at Amazon / Available here at Entertainment Earth 
• Naruto: Shippuden Naruto Shuriken Funko Pop: Naruto Usumaki stands in his fighting stance for this figure, his shuriken prepared for battle! This Pop also has a metallic chase that makes the Hero of Hidden Leaf look even cooler. / Available here at Amazon / Available here at Entertainment Earth 
• Naruto: Shippuden Neji Funko Pop PLUS: A shinobi of Konohagakure’s Hyūga clan, the talented Neji uses the Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven taijutsu. / Available here at Amazon / Available here at Entertainment Earth 
• See exclusives below. You can check out all of this week’s new Funko Pop releases right here.

Naruto Funko Pop Exclusives

• Naruto: Shippuden Karin / Amazon Exclusive
• Naruto: Shippuden Suigetsu Hozuki / Funko Exclusive
• Naruto: Shippuden Itachi Uchiha (Chance at Chase) / Chalice Collectibles Exclusive

We’re definitely excited and grateful for this drop of Naruto Funko Pops. The Metallic Naruto Chase is one I hope to get my hands on, but I’ll need a bit of luck on my side. This drop also includes a Funko Pop Plus, which means that it will be a little more detailed than a standard figure. It’s worth noting too that if you order through Entertainment Earth, you’ll receive free shipping on orders $39 and up with a mint condition guarantee.

While Naruto’s journey to become the Seventh Hokage is over, the universe of Naruto continues in his son’s story: Boruto: Naruto Next Generations. While fans have never quite been as excited about the new story, the new manga Boruto: Two Blue Vortex seems to be changing fans’ minds. The new story takes Naruto’s son, Boruto, and makes him an outsider, hunted by his friends and now facing the ultimate villain: the Divine Trees. It’s nice to see the manga taking Boruto and throwing him into completely new, unknown situations. While there’s no word currently when this story will be getting an anime counterpart, we definitely await that moment. Hearing fans talk about how good this new Boruto story is really helps solidify the Naruto continuation as something to check out in the future. 

Stay up to date with new Naruto news and collectibles by keeping an eye on our Gear page!

The post Head To Hidden Leaf With New Naruto Pops With a Chance At A Metallic Chase appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The Heroes in a Half-Shell have crossed over into some wild universes in the past when it comes to the green siblings’ comic book history. Raphael, Leonardo, Donatello, and Michaelangelo have met the Dark Knight, the Masters of the Universe, the Power Rangers, the Ghostbusters, and even the kids of Stranger Things. Now however, one of their wildest and most anticipated crossovers of all time is right around the corner in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x Naruto, and we had the opportunity to check out the first issue early thanks to IDW Entertainment. If nothing else, the meeting of the four turtle siblings and Konoha’s finest is not what you might expect.

Our first issue of this epic crossover begins with April O’Neil already traveling with the original Team 7, aka Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, and Kakashi. In this new universe, April has visited with the current Hokage of the time, Lady Tsunade, to beg for help in returning to a very different New York City. As many comic book crossovers go, things go awry for this escort mission as Team 7 and their guest come into contact with the Foot Clan. This brand of the Foot is defeated soundly thanks to the arrival of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, living up to the superhero trope of fighting their potential allies thanks to a misunderstanding. While things wrap in a similar fashion to many comic crossovers, the final stinger is one that many won’t see coming.

To start, when it comes to comic book crossovers such as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x Naruto, the question arises of how the beloved characters will meet. Rather than seeing the Heroes in a Half-Shell or Team 7 tripping the multiverse, the IDW mini-series presents the TMNT as being a part of the “Naruto-verse” from the jump. New York City is now “Big Apple Village” and the new designs for the turtles reflect a different landscape they now inhabit. While their origins might now be different, writer Caleb Goellner has an exceptionally good handle on all the characters involved.

One of the most interesting aspects of this crossover, and any comic book crossover that sees two universes smashed together, is how characters respond to these new interactions in some of the quieter moments. Highlights include Naruto and Sasuke reflecting on Baxter Stockman’s plans in relation to their own statuses and the dynamics between all the characters involved. Goellner plays well with the battles that he lays out before readers as we are able to see interesting interactions between the likes of Leonardo and Sasuke, Sakura and Raphael, and Donatello and Michaelangelo tag-teaming Naruto and his clones. It works well in terms of presenting the concept.

What doesn’t work nearly as well is how the premiere issue simply dives head-first into this new universe, which might come as confusing to many. To reiterate, this is a brand new world that sees the TMNT being a part of Naruto’s universe, rather than seeing the two original universes clash. For better or for worse, these are entirely new Turtles though this doesn’t have much of an effect on their overall personalities. The first issue could have benefitted a tad from taking things a little slower to start but these are ultimately minor qualms in a comic that delivers on what is ultimately promised.

There’s certainly fun to be had with the idea of “Big Apple Village” and how these new Heroes in a Half-Shell interact with their established universe. As mentioned earlier, one of the things I loved the most was the final panel stinger, promising that the pasts of all the characters involved might be far different from what many readers might have expected. Naruto has always been a series that works well at following the story of past generations and it’s looking as though this comic book crossover aims to follow this trend.

On the art front, Hendry Prasetya is a gift for this series, capturing a worthy blend of comic book art and the anime essentials that make the future Seventh Hokage and his allies pop. The direction of the panels, lush environments, and perhaps most importantly, the fast and furious battle scenes capture the spirits of all the characters involved. It’s a hard line to walk in terms of capturing the eclectic style of Naruto creator Masashi Kishimoto, and while Prasetya doesn’t walk that same line, he pays homage to all the characters involved by capturing an anime aesthetic here.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x Naruto #1 is a ton of ninja fun, introducing interesting concepts and a brand new universe that many didn’t see coming. While there are a few hiccups in this premiere issue, they aren’t enough to water down the overall experience and there’s something to enjoy here for both fans of the Heroes in a Half-Shell and the Hidden Leaf Village’s Team 7 alike. This is a must-buy for fans of either franchise and I’m looking forward to what surprises the crossover has waiting in the wings.

Rating 4 Out Of 5

Published by IDW Publishing and Viz Media

On Wednesday, November 13th, 2024

Written by Caleb Goellner

Art by Hendry Prasetya

Colors by Raul Angulo

Letters by Ed Dukeshire

Cover by Jorge Jimenez

The post Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x Naruto #1 Review (Exclusive) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

From Tower of God to Solo Leveling and True Beauty, webtoons are taking over anime. We have seen the industry explode in recent years, and as webtoons become bigger, more fields are eyeing web comics. Anime has been at the forefront, and thanks to a new report, we have learned Studio Pierrot is jumping into the fray. The studio behind Naruto and Bleach is teaming up with a South Korean animator to bring webtoons to the screen.

As you can see below, Studio Pierrot and Red Dog Culture House have come together. The two companies have locked in a partnership, and it will bring their teams together. Moving forward, the companies will do joint productions targeting “global” audiences, and the partnership will focus on Latna Saga.

Studio Pierrot Is Getting Into Webtoons at Last

According to the deal, Latna Saga: The Survival Sword King is the first IP gunning for an adaptation under this deal. The series will move into production later this year, so no release window has been decided. However, the anime adaptation of Latna Saga could arrive as soon as 2025 if industry trends hold up.

As for this specific deal with Studio Pierrot, it is expected to last three years. It will be back by investment and funding from Japanese production companies. Once Latna Saga has been handled, future projects will be up for grabs as Studio Pierrot and Red Dog Culture House have more IPs in their future.

Now if you are not familiar with Latna Saga, the webtoon went live in 2019 under creators YKB and Soon Q. Studio Khit oversees the web comic, and it tells the story of Hanbin Ryu as he is taken to a new world isekai style. Following a career in the military, Hanbin is keen to fight, but things go wrong with his isekai hop. The man took 20 years to travel, and when he reaches his new world, Hanbin is faced with a society that hates travelers. He is forced to rank up his reputation in-world to show the world wrong, and of course, plenty of villains made themselves known to the Sword King.

Anime Is Expanding Its Webtoon Ties in Big Ways

Clearly, Studio Pierrot is ready to turn its attention to webtoons, and this kind of expansion is warranted. When it comes to graphic novels, manga and webtoons are leading the game globally. Series like Solo Leveling have earned billions of views to date, and their anime adaptations are popping. Next January, Solo Leveling season two will make its grand debut, and hype for the show is high.

There is no denying the anime industry’s interest in webtoons, so Studio Pierrot’s new partnership will expand its reach. This year, shows like True Beauty brought their anime to life, and Tower of God season two made its grand debut. From The God of High School to Noblesse, the list of anime webtoons is growing by the day. So while Studio Pierrot keeps focus on Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War, well – you should know its staff is also looking at WEBTOON and Tapas for new projects.

What do you make of this latest anime x webtoon deal? What webtoon series would you like to see tackle the small screen? Give me a shout at @meganwpeters with your take! You can also let us know what you think over on X (Twitter) and Instagram.

The post Naruto Studio Lands Bi Webtoon Anime After Signing South Korean Partnership appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Boruto: Two Blue Vortex has been steadily setting up the next major arc against the Divine Trees, and the newest chapter of the manga finally explains why Boruto Uzumaki has kept Kawaki’s huge role reversal secret all this time. Boruto: Two Blue Vortex has been picking up three years after the events of Boruto: Naruto Next Generations. That first series ended with a massive cliffhanger that saw Kawaki force Eida to use her Omniscience to make it where everyone in the Hidden Leaf Village believe that he’s Naruto’s actual son and Boruto killed the Hokage. This made Boruto a fugitive for years, and continues to put him in dire straits with the rest of the village after all this time.

Boruto: Two Blue Vortex’s first major arc has been spending its time revealing much of how the Hidden Leaf Village has changed in the three years since Boruto was forced out of the village, and Kawaki has become one of their most trusted allies. But as Boruto is now heading back into the village to help with the Divine Tree threats, Kawaki had begun to wonder why Boruto has yet to try and tell them the truth. But Boruto believes it wouldn’t make a difference anyway.

Why Boruto Is Still Keeping Kawaki’s Big Secret

Boruto: Two Blue Vortex Chapter 15 sees Boruto and Kawaki meeting up with one another in the Hidden Leaf Village as they have their first real conversation since the time skip. Kawaki doesn’t immediately attack Boruto, and thus allows the two to actually talk it out for once. Kawaki wants to know why Boruto hasn’t told the others about his using Eida’s power, and Boruto truly believes that nothing good would be coming from telling the truth about what really happened. They just won’t believe him.

It’s been previously established that Eida’s ability works in a lot more complicated of a way than you would think at first. Rather than acting as a sort of hypnosis or jutsu, Omniscience fully rewrites everyone’s memories to make them believe that Kawaki’s been Naruto’s real son this entire time and Boruto is the outside. So Boruto knows that telling everyone wouldn’t amount to much because while some might believe him, others won’t. It’ll cause unnecessary problems when the Divine Trees need the most focus to defeat before things get even worse. So in Boruto’s eyes, as long as the Hidden Leaf Village is functioning normally during this situation, he’ll be fine with being labeled as a rogue ninja.

Telling the Truth Won’t Work Anyway

Omniscience is such a tricky ability that Boruto telling the others the truth won’t work anyway. Because even if he has supporters that believe him, Eida’s power is constantly rewriting their memories anyway. It was previously showcased that Shikamaru was able to piece together that Boruto was likely Naruto’s real son, but even he himself could not trust his own memories. His head became cloudy when it comes to Boruto, and he even started to forget why he feels like Boruto is telling the truth.

So to overcome Eida’s power, those who hear the truth would have to overcome their own thoughts and doubts. For some reason, Sarada Uchiha and Sumire Kakei are the only ones who had been able to completely avoid Eida’s power without having the ties to the Otsutsuki that Boruto and Kawaki have. Everyone else would likely steadily forget any of their support for Boruto, so unfortunately he’s right to make this move. Telling the others would only complicate things further. With threats like the Divine Trees out there at the moment, the Hidden Leaf Village needs as much united power as they can muster.

The post Naruto Explains Why Boruto Hasn’t Revealed Kawaki’s Biggest Secret appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Boruto: Two Blue Vortex is now in the midst of the fights against the Divine Trees, and the newest chapter of the manga has revealed just how deadly Boruto’s use of Karma has become since the time skip began. Boruto: Two Blue Vortex has introduced a new version of Boruto’s world three years after the events of Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, and Boruto has been training during all of that time to become strong enough to defeat Code and Kawaki. But following the time skip, an even greater foe has started to emerge as the Divine Trees are now what need to be dealt with first.

It’s something that Boruto and Kawaki discuss when they meet for the first real time outside of Konoha and talk about their current situation. While Boruto reveals why he has yet to try and tell the others about Kawaki using Eida’s power to change history, he also explains why he’s trying to avoid using Karma as much as he did as a kid. Because when he uses it now, he’s closer to fully losing control to Momoshiki than ever before. It’s just not worth the temporary boost of power.

Boruto’s New Karma Problem Explained

Boruto: Two Blue Vortex previously teased that the Karma mark power was a lot more dangerous than it was during the first series. Kawaki noticed how Boruto was seemingly unable to control his Karma power when Kawaki started resonating with his own, and he asked about this in Chapter 15 of the series. Kawaki asks why Boruto can’t seem to control his Karma, and Boruto reveals that he actually tried to use that power in a fight that happened outside of the Hidden Leaf Village during the three years skipped over. And he felt himself being fully possessed by Momoshiki at the time.

Boruto explains it as a feeling where he stopped being who he was, and even started dying while still being conscious and aware of his surroundings. Since this fight, Boruto has not used Karma. He’s afraid of totally losing control of his body to Momoshiki, but for some reason the Otsutsuki has been remaining dormant during the past three years. Boruto doesn’t really know why, but he’s still worried that activating Karma would make Momoshiki emerge despite the Otsutsuki being seemingly quiet. Meaning that Boruto will be lacking his truly greatest power in the fights to come against the Divine Trees.

Boruto Makes a New Deal With Kawaki

With Momoshiki presenting a greater threat than ever following the time skip, Boruto once again asks Kawaki for his help. Though Kawaki is dead set on killing Boruto to wipe out the threat, Boruto asserts that the Divine Trees are the most immediate foe. They need to work together in order to stand any chance against the two of them, and Boruto even once again promises that he’ll let Kawaki kill him if he ever loses complete control of his body again. Just like the deal the two of them made before in the main series.

This fear of Karma also reveals why Boruto has been training to the extent he had been during the course of the time skip. He has revealed a greater strength and control over his jutsu that he had been learning this entire time, but now there’s a large shadow looming over it all. Boruto has been scared to lose control over himself, and his training has been his way to try and make up for that inherent weakness. But as Boruto heads into an uncertain future, Momoshiki can truly pop up and interrupt things at any time.

The post Naruto Reveals How Deadly Boruto’s Karma Has Become After Time Skip appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Naruto is one of the biggest series to ever come from Japan. Its heroes rank high with guys like Goku and Luffy, after all. With 20+ years under its belt, Naruto has done a lot in that time, and its reputation is backed by millions of fans. That is why Naruto has locked in a big theme park deal as it will allow fans to visit the Hidden Leaf firsthand in a few years.

The update comes from France as Manga News reported live from the Naruto Shippuden: Symphonic Experience. It was there Masashi Kishimoto’s hit series came before fans in concert, and the event ended with a big announcement. The theme park Parc Spirou Provence is creating its own Naruto section, and the area will open in 2026.

Naruto Is Getting Its Very Own Theme Park

According to the update, Parc Spirou Provence has dedicated nearly four acres to the Naruto area. This new space will be added to the theme park in 2026 and include a variety of attractions. From rides to eateries and shops, Naruto is getting the full treatment by Parc Spirou Provence, and the park’s general director says the land’s layout is being planned with Shueisha.

“It is an immense joy and an honor for us to bring the universe of Naruto to life at Spirou Park. We have been working on this incredible expansion for 4 years now. Conducted hand in hand between the Park, Mediatoon Licensing and our Japanese partners Shueisha, Studio Pierrot, and TV Tokyo, this project will allow us to offer visitors the most immersive experience possible for a theme park,” Herve Lux explained.

Now if you are not familiar with Parc Spirou Provence, the destination is located in Monteux, and it opened its doors in 2018. The park is tied to Dupuis, a popular comic publisher, so it features characters like the Smurfs. With nearly two million visitors to date, Parc Spirou Provence is an up-and-coming destination for tourists, and this Naruto park will mark it all the more enviable. So if you have ever wanted to visit the Hidden Leaf Village, well – a trip to France may be in order in 2026.

The Recent Rise of Anime Theme Parks Is Overdue

This theme park deal has the fandom buzzing, but it is worth noting that Naruto is no stranger to such thrills. A Naruto theme park already exists in Japan if you care to visit Awaji Island. The theme park, which is named Naruto & Boruto Shinobi-zato, has a scale replica of the Hokage Mountain and even recreates park of the Hidden Leaf. From Ichiraku Ramen to the Ninja Academy, the park has it all along with AR attractions and mazes. The park opened some years ago, but this new theme park deal promises to dedicate more land to Naruto. And if we can get an actual shinobi roller coaster, we will call that a win.

Beyond Naruto, anime as a whole has become very enticing to theme park operators. From Pokemon to One Piece, a number of theme park deals have targeted anime in the past decade. Universal Studios Japan has spearheaded many of those crossovers with its Cool Japan initiative. From Neon Genesis Evangelion to Detective Conan and Demon Slayer, Universal Studios has a rotating schedule for anime titles. Jujutsu Kaisen took over the park not too long ago, and Universal Studios Hollywood confirmed it will borrow that anime attraction for stateside fans in 2025.

Of course, none of these deals compare to what Studio Ghibli did for its body of work. The anime studio has opened its very own theme park that highlights nature and the importance of art. With Goro Miyazaki at the helm, Ghibli Park opened a few years back and features a number of lands based on Studio Ghibli’s top films. From Spirited Away to My Neighbor Totoro, all of your fave films are represented at the park. It even houses a replica of Howl’s actual moving castle, so when it comes to anime theme parks, Studio Ghibli is a step ahead.

What do you think about this latest Naruto report? Give me a shout at @meganwpeters with your take! You can also let us know what you think over on X (Twitter) and Instagram.

The post Naruto Lands Major Theme Park Deal for 2026 appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Some unannounced games in the worlds of One Piece and Naruto have supposedly been either paused or canceled entirely amid some larger shakeups at Bandai Namco, according to new reports. It’s been suggested that work on these unknown games is uncertain at the moment due to a underwhelming demand, and the games in flux apparently extend beyond anime titles, too, with a Nintendo project currently on hold at Bandai Namco as well.

News of the state of these Naruto and One Piece games supposedly in the works over at Bandai Namco comes from Bloomberg which said that the publisher had either halted or canceled some of its projects. Bloomberg speaks of a “lackluster demand,” though it seems the demand here is referring more to games in general as the gaming industry continues to cut costs by canceling projects and laying off workers. There were no references made to a lack of demand for Naruto and One Piece, specifically, which makes sense given that the latter is more popular than ever after Netflix’s live-action Naruto series even if the franchise is currently going on a hiatus. That does made it even stranger that Bandai Namco would be reconsidering a One Piece game, however, given its popularity and the fact that we’ve gotten several One Piece games in the last four years.

Bandai Namco publishes tons of anime-themed games — pretty much any of the more modern ones that you can think of — so there’s no telling what kinds of games these One Piece and Naruto projects were. Many of Bandai Namco’s anime games are arena fighters like the wonderful Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero while others are a bit more open like Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot, but they all typically circle back around to beating up anime baddies.

But while anime adaptations may be the publisher’s bread and butter, its work extends beyond that scope as well. Bandai Namco published Elden Ring and other Souls games, for example, and also works with Nintendo on some projects. Two Nintendo franchises Bandai Namco works on are the Mario Kart and Smash Bros. games with a broader team established recently to work closer with Nintendo (though those franchises were not specifically mentioned in the announcement). Mobile games are another focus of Bandai Namco which are also supposedly being impacted by these decisions made internally. Another game, Blue Protocol, was recently confirmed for a shutdown early next year despite having only just released recently. The Western version of the game which was to be published by Amazon has also been canned.

As a result of these cancelations and paused games, Bandai Namco is also reducing its workforce with around 200 employees said to be affected. These employee losses also contribute to an already brutal year for gaming studios in terms of layoffs and lost talent.

The post New One Piece, Naruto Games Reportedly Canceled by Bandai Namco appeared first on ComicBook.com.

If you thought the ninjas of Konoha teaming up with the Heroes in a Half-Shell of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fame was strange, you haven’t seen anything yet. In a shocking official release, Naruto is teaming up with the Transformers for a new crossover that is sure to be one of the strangest team-ups in recent memory. Even though the two franchises couldn’t be more different, that isn’t stopping the Cybertronians from fusing with anime’s most popular ninjas. An official preview has been released by Crunchyroll detailing what this crossover will entail and how the Seventh Hokage will meet up with the Autobots and Decepticons.

When it comes to the Naruto franchise, a good “go-to” when it comes to the recognizability of the shonen series is the sequel, Naruto Shippuden. Taking place after the Seventh Hokage’s initial adventures, Shippuden follows Naruto as a teenager as he fights against the enigmatic band of ninjas known as the Akatsuki and perfects his techniques. It makes sense that this upcoming crossover with the Transformers would focus on this iteration specifically, as Shippuden remains a fan-favorite entry. While the Naruto crossover with TMNT will arrive later this year as a comic book series, the Shippuden/Transformers crossover is planning something a little different for next year.

Ninjas That Are More Than Meets The Eye

Instead of a new anime and/or comic book series smashing the two universes together, two new figures are being created that will take two of Naruto’s most recognizable beasts and turn them into Cybertronians. Both Kurama, the Nine-Tailed Fox, and Gamakichi, the giant frog who was an ally to both Naruto and Jiraiya, will be made into Transformers and are set to arrive in Spring 2025. In an exclusive from Crunchyroll, the streaming service shared a first look at the figures that will retail for around $54.99 on release. Pre-orders are available here at Entertainment Earth now ($7.95 flat rate shipping, free on orders $99+) and here on Amazon.

The Future of Cybertron And Konoha

When it comes to the future of both franchises, things are looking bright. For the Transformers, the series recently released a prequel animated film in Transformers ONE. While the film received critical and audience acclaim, Paramount has yet to confirm if a sequel is in the works. Luckily, the Transformers are returning to the big screen thanks to the upcoming live-action crossover, Transformers And G.I. Joe. Long have these two properties had a shared history in the comics and it will be interesting to see how they interact in the upcoming live-action film.

On the Naruto front, Boruto: Two Blue Vortex is the current manga series that is focusing on the son of the Seventh Hokage. Featuring Boruto Uzumaki as a teenager, the world has turned against the shonen ninja as he attempts to make things right in the face of enemies and allies alike. Unfortunately, no word has been revealed by Studio Pierrot regarding the return of the anime adaptation though the production house had previously confirmed that they were working on four original episodes of the initial Naruto series.

The Naruto x TMNT Crossover

While no toys have been announced for the upcoming Naruto crossover with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, a comic book series will arrive on November 13th. The crossover will see the Turtles teaming up with Konoha’s finest, from the initial Naruto series, as they fight against Shredder, the Foot Clan, and perhaps some other surprise villains along the way. Considering both TMNT and Transformers fall under the Paramount banner, it will be interesting to see if Naruto and his fellow ninjas cross over with any other Paramount franchise.

Want to stay up to date on what worlds the Hidden Leaf Village will cross over with? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook.com for all the latest on the shonen ninjas and the animated Cybertronians.

Via Crunchyroll

The post Naruto x Transformers Crossover Shares First Look appeared first on ComicBook.com.

For some time, many anime fans didn’t see the point of continuing Naruto’s story once he became the Seventh Hokage, Madara Uchiha was defeated, and peace was restored to Konoha. Regardless, the Hidden Leaf Village’s story continued thanks to Boruto: Naruto Next Generations. As the anime adaptation created quite a few original stories of its own, many shonen enthusiasts felt that the son of the Seventh Hokage couldn’t follow in his father’s footsteps when it came to sheer quality. We thought now would be the perfect time to fill you in as to why Boruto: Two Blue Vortex has “broken the curse” and become a solid sequel to Masashi Kishimoto’s masterpiece.

To start, let’s break down the story of the Two Blue Vortex and what makes it so different from its predecessor. Unlike Shippuden, Boruto Uzumaki doesn’t find himself entering his teenage years as a member of the Hidden Leaf but instead is being hunted by his former friends. Thanks to the power of the former Kara member Eida, the world believes that Boruto was responsible for the deaths of his parents Naruto and Hinata. As the son of the seventh fights friends and enemies alike, new villains have emerged in the forms of the Divine Trees, antagonists that hit a bit too close to home for our anime heroes.

The Two Blue Vortex: Different Is Better

One of the biggest problems of Boruto: Naruto Next Generations was that many aspects of the storytelling felt like lesser reflections of what came before in both the original Naruto series and its sequel, Naruto: Shippuden. The Kara Organization might have had its own motives but they barely held a candle to the Akatsuki, the villainous ninja collective that remains one of anime’s most recognizable band of villains. 

When Naruto Next Generations began, series creator Masashi Kishimoto handed the keys to the kingdom to his assistant Mikio Ikemoto. While Mikio had some interesting ideas, many of the characters fell into a dynamic wherein they were mostly combinations of their parents and had far fewer challenges to deal with. Boruto might have had his own “inner demon” but Momoshiki wasn’t as charismatic or as striking as the Nine-Tailed Fox. Luckily, Kishimoto took back the reins of the series and started making some wild swings in terms of adding changes to Konoha.

Hitting the ground floor running, Masashi wiped the board clean by killing both Kara’s leader Jigen along with Kurama as well. With both the good and evil sides of the ninja world losing their biggest guns, the future was wide open and things began to change at a rapid pace. Code, Jigen’s right-hand young man, has picked up where his master left off, creating an army all his own but the Divine Trees comes as a threat to both him and the heroes.

What Makes Boruto Good Now?

There’s an amazing sense of unpredictability that has been introduced in Two Blue Vortex as Boruto’s current rogue status puts him at odds with friends and enemies alike. While the Seventh’s son’s current situation does rhyme with Naruto’s Shippuden status, in that Boruto was in training with Kashin Koji, the clone of Jiraiya, the current storyline is seeing Boruto truly strike out on his own. In losing so many of his allies, Boruto has come into his own both in terms of his character and his overall strength. 

Flipping the script on Boruto and making his former friends become enemies is a brilliant switcheroo. This series of events not only adds to the tension, it gives readers some match-ups that might have otherwise never happened if not for Eida’s spell. On top of this, thanks to Kawaki’s character putting him at serious odds with his “brother” Boruto, the young Uzumaki appears to have far more challenges in his way than his father ever did. The new environment is one that wasn’t seen in the original series and it makes for a great locale for storytelling.

Two Blue Vortex: Creating Its Own Legacy

As mentioned previously, Boruto as a sequel series that many shonen fans felt was unnecessary. In following Naruto and his quest to become the Seventh Hokage, the ninja world seemed to have told its story in a way that would resonate for some time to come. The Two Blue Vortex has managed to step out of the shadow of the series that gave birth to it and in doing so, has the necessary foundation for a solid future. 

On top of the unpredictable nature of the series, many of the battles and story elements of the sequel series have been strong thus far. Himawari gaining the power of the Nine-Tailed Fox finally gives Boruto’s sister something to do in the main plot and Boruto’s “power-up” thanks to his years of training has made him a force to be reckoned with, albeit in a different way from his sibling. Offering Boruto different challenges to fight against and leading him on a different path from his father was always the right way to go and that’s one of the biggest strengths of the Two Blue Vortex thus far.

Unfortunately, no word has been shared from Studio Pierrot as to when we can expect the shonen franchise’s anime adaptation to make a comeback, let alone when we can expect Two Blue Vortex’s anime to arrive. There are still several chapters of Boruto: Naruto Next Generation to cover following the deaths of Jigen and Kurama, on top of the original four Naruto episodes that PIerrot had hinted at releasing. It might be some time before we see this latest series animated but it will be well worth the wait.

Want to see what the future holds for Boruto Uzumaki? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook.com for the latest updates on the Hidden Leaf Village and feel free to hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime. 

The post Naruto Fans, Face It. Boruto Is Really Good Now. appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Believe it, boys and girls. Naruto is on the horizon in a way we have never seen before. Earlier this year, fans learned Naruto and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were . IDW Publishing and Viz Media is on the cusp of the crossover, and we just got a brand-new peek at Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x Naruto. And yes, this one brings the one-and-only Kakashi center stage.

As you can see below, the sneak peek was posted by ANN ahead of the comic’s debut next week. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x Naruto is set to begin in mid-November. The special preview brings Team 7 together for a mission, and Kakashi is leading the charge. Of course, the crew is joined by April O’Niel as the reporter managed to plead a case to the Hidden Leaf Village, and Tsunade asked Naruto’s crew to help the girl out.

The Intersection of Naruto and TMNT

In this preview, fans are given a clear look at how Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x Naruto will look and feel. Caleb Goellner is writing the comic after making a name for themselves with Sonic the Hedgehog. Hendry Prasetya is overseeing drawing while Raul Angulo doing coloring. Plus, lettering has been tasked to Ed Dukeshire. IDW Publishing and Viz Media assembled a top-notch team to handle the comic, and this new preview promises big things for fans.

After all, we get to meet Team 7 face-to-face as genin once again. Naruto is back in his iconic orange suit while Sasuke rocks his usual blue-white look. As for Sakura, the girl’s hair is perfectly cut, so we are well past the Chunnin Exam arc. Given the timing, this Team 7 mission has to be set just before Sasuke leaves the Hidden Leaf Village for Orochimaru, so life for Team 7 hasn’t yet hit the fan.

Give Us More Manga x Comic Collaborations

With a crack team in charge, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x Naruto is just the latest crossover between manga and western comics. It isn’t often that western comics bring manga into their realm, but it has happened before. Marvel once did an impressive collaboration with Attack on Titan, and of course, manga has a long history with tackling western IPs.

From Wolverine to Deadpool and Spider-Man, a number of Marvel heroes have been given manga titles over the years. Right now, Deadpool Samurai is a big hit for Marvel and Shueisha as its second season just began. As for other publishing houses, DC Comics has delved into manga before. Joker One: Operation Joker debuted a couple years ago to great success as it features the Joker raising a Baby Batman. From Superman Meshi to Batman: Justice Buster, DC Comics is also getting into the manga space, and now IDW Publishing is doing the same with TMNT.

As for what’s next, well – we will have to see. The manga industry is growing by the day, and current sales stateside make it to the top-selling type of graphic novel. The market heavily favors manga thanks to readers, so there is more interest in these comic crossovers than ever before. So if we see Chainsaw Man fight Spawn one day, don’t be surprised.

What do you think about this latest peek at Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x Naruto? Are you planning to check out the IDW series? Give me a shout at @meganwpeters with your take! You can also let us know what you think over on X (Twitter) and Instagram.

The post New Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x Naruto Promo Proves the Collab’s Potential appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Boruto: Two Blue Vortex has been steadily reintroducing characters to the sequel series following its three year time skip, and the newest chapter brought Gaara’s son Shinki back…but probably not in the way fans had been hoping for. Boruto: Two Blue Vortex has been getting more intense with each of the new chapter as Boruto and the rest of the Hidden Leaf Village had been fighting against the Ten Tails invaders. But with the end of these fights, Boruto himself is still very much a fugitive from the village and is enemy number one. That might not be the case for much longer, however. 

Boruto: Two Blue Vortex is still working through the immediate fallout of everything that happened in the fights against the Ten Tails beings, and each one of them had been proven to have the kinds of abilities that each of the shinobi still struggled against. Each of these beings takes their power from someone that has been trapped within their Ten Tails trees, and it’s revealed in the newest chapter that the latest victim of this is actually Gaara’s son, Shinki, who hasn’t been seen in action in quite a long time. 

What Happens in Boruto: Two Blue Vortex Chapter 14?

Boruto: Two Blue Vortex Chapter 14 picks up after the Ten Tails complete their attacks on the village, and Boruto is held in containment as an enemy to the village. It’s through him that they want to get as much detail on these new villains as possible, and he confirms for them that the Divine Tree people are indeed bred from the powers of those they have copied. And each of them seems to have a target that they personally want to devour. Amado suspects it’s due to the fact that they have gained knowledge, and thus want to seek out more. 

He also explains that their leader, Jura, is not like the others as he seemed to have come from the Ten Tails specifically. He knows beating Jura is the only way to end things, and the rest of the village isn’t so keen on believing him and would rather take him out. But before all this comes to pass, Boruto is able to escape and things get worse from there. Shikamaru’s soon contacted by Kankuro, and he unfortunately confirms that the Hidden Sand Village has also been attacked by the Divine Tree fighters. 

What Happened to Shinki? 

Kankuro tells Shikamaru that both Gaara and Shinki had been taken down. While the two of them are still alive after the attack, Shinki has been captured within a tree. Hoping to explain more later, he’s reaching out to the Hidden Leaf to get some help as soon as they can get it. It’s then revealed that the fighters have sprouted yet another Divine Tree fighter, and it’s a new person named Ryu. Since each of them look similarly to the person they are copying, it’s clear that this new foe is sapping away at Shinki’s power. 

Ryu was the Divine Tree fighter that had been alluded to with one of the potential possible futures that Kashin Koji had seen when he was explaining his power with Boruto, and now it’s clear that this future has come to pass. But as there’s a new Divine Tree fighter with the intent in taking down the Hidden Sand, it’s even clearer that the entire shinobi world is in danger from this group that’s getting stronger with each passing chapter that hits. 

The post Naruto Cliffhanger Hits Gaara’s Son With a Deadly Transformation appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles will be having a major crossover with Naruto later this Fall, and the artist behind the series has dropped a new sneak peek at the highly anticipated team up with some special new art. Masashi Kishimoto’s Naruto is now officially celebrating the 25th anniversary of the manga’s original debut in Shuieisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump magazine, and that means we’re likely to see all kinds of fun new projects celebrating how far Naruto has come in that time. This has led to the announcement of not only a new live-action movie in the works, but a fun new crossover event too. 

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x Naruto is a fun team up between IDW Publishing, Shueisha and Viz Media launching later this November that will see the Hidden Leaf Village colliding with New York, and it’s going to spark a whole new conflict between all of these famous ninjas. The artist behind the second issue of the new crossover, Jorge Jimenez, took to social media to share a new sneak peek at the crossover that highlights both Donatello and Naruto’s Kyubi form to great results. Check it out below: 

What Is TMNT x Naruto About? 

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x Naruto teases that it will kick off when April O’ Neil has a meeting with the Fifth Hokage, Tsunade. This secret meeting not only catches the attention of the Hidden Leaf Village (which seems to already exist within the Turtles’ version of New York), but of the Turtles’ own ninja foes, the Foot Clan. So naturally it’s not long before the two have to join forces to take on an even bigger threat. Speaking with ComicBook earlier this Summer about the highly anticipated crossover, series writer Caleb Goellner opened up about bringing the two franchises together.

In incorporating Naruto into the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles‘ world, Goellner revealed that the Hidden Leaf Village was fully brought into the universe, “Team 7 will actually be headed to a new version of the TMNT’s turf! We metaphorically (and I guess literally) added a TMNT section to the world of Naruto for this story so we could make it feel as lived-in and authentic as possible. Series artist Hendry Prasetya has done a ton of truly stunning design work to make this possible, of course. He’s got powerful design jutsu.”

When Does TMNT x Naruto Come Out? 

In bringing these universes together, Goellner also explained why they felt this crossover is already seemingly perfect, “The magic of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x Naruto is pretty self-evident, but the main reason it works in my opinion is that the TMNT as a concept already has so much innate shonen energy. I mean, I’ve always loved the two Japanese TMNT anime OVAs and the resulting toys. I could easily imagine a TMNT series created specifically for Shonen Jump.” And by the looks of this newest cover art, the two are already a perfect team before the first issue hits just as the writer says. 

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x Naruto is currently scheduled to hit comic shop shelves beginning on November 20th, and will be running for four issues to tell its story written by Caleb Goellner with illustrations provided by both Jorge Jimenez and Hendry Prasetya. Each of the issues will also likely have multiple variants, so fans of both franchises will want to keep an eye out for all of the cool crossover art that will be coming our way with this new limited series launching later this Fall,. 

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Masashi Kishimoto’s Naruto manga first made its debut 25 years ago, and the manga is commemorating the occasion with a special video showing off the series’ biggest moments. Masashi Kishimoto’s Naruto manga hit the pages of Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump magazine on September 21, 1999, and it’s been 25 years since the manga went on to become one of the biggest and most influential franchises of all time. Naruto has been such a success for Shueisha since it made its debut that it’s since continued with a full sequel series, which is now even in the midst of its own sequel. 

The anime adaptation for Naruto recently celebrated its own 20th anniversary not long ago, but now the manga has hit another major milestone. While it’s been 25 years since the series first made its debut, it feels just as fresh today as fans are still taking the time to highlight some of the biggest moments that happened over its initial run. Shueisha is using this time to look back as well with a special new video to show off Naruto‘s best moments as the perfect way to kick off this 25th anniversary party. Check it out below: 

What Is Naruto? 

First making its official debut in 1999, Masashi Kishimoto‘s Naruto introduces fans to Naruto Uzumaki, an orphan who has been ostracized from the rest of his home village of ninjas, the Hidden Leaf Village. It turns out that years before, the village had been attacked by a monster known as the Nine-Tailed Beast. His father had sacrificed himself to help take down the monster, and it was then sealed within a baby Naruto to keep it under wraps. Due to having this monster within his body, Naruto’s been forced to live on his own while everyone hates him. 

Despite all of this, Naruto’s dream is to become the leader of the whole village, the Hokage, in order to gain the people’s respect. He doesn’t seem to have any ability to use traditional ninja abilities, and he doesn’t really have the physical skills to do well in school, but Naruto tries anyway. It’s this spirit that pushes him throughout the series as he takes on increasingly deadlier enemies and grows to such a level of power that he eventually becomes the Hokage by the end of it all. 

What’s Next for Naruto? 

Funny enough, that was far from the end of the Naruto series by any means. The timeline has continued with an official sequel series, Boruto: Naruto Next Generations. This manga, written and illustrated by Mikio Ikemoto with Kishimoto overseeing the story, introduced fans to Naruto’s son, Boruto Uzumaki. Boruto deals with his own troubles, and they grow to such an extent that it’s now in the midst of its own sequel series keeping the story going, Boruto: Two Blue Vortex. You can now find it all with either Viz Media’s digital Shonen Jump library or Sheuisha’s MangaPlus service. 

As for Naruto itself, it’s currently still working on its celebration for the anime’s 20th anniversary. With the planned return of the original Naruto anime for four special episodes, this celebration will take Team 7 on a new mission never seen in the franchise before. The manga has yet to announce whether or not it will have any grand plans for this milestone just yet, but given how big this franchise is, this special video is likely far from the only 25th anniversary celebration that Naruto will have for the monumental occasion. 

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Naruto fans have gotten plenty of video game adaptations over the years, but a lot is owed to Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm, the PS3 game released back in 2018. It kicked off the Ultimate Ninja Storm series overall which led to three more Ultimate Ninja Storm games, but Naruto fans haven’t gotten another of those since 2016 when Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 was released. Fast-forward to the present day, however, and we’re now about to see the original Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm make a comeback that’ll make it playable in a new way nearly 16 years later.

That’s because the classic Naruto game is getting a rerelease this month, Bandai Namco announced this week. The game was brought forward to the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC platforms in 2017 with a Nintendo Switch version following those in 2018, and on September 25th, it’ll be ported once more to mobile devices this time.

“A Naruto game full of 3D competitive action! Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm finally makes its way to smartphones!” an overview of the game from its new iOS page said. “Experience the stories and battles of Naruto’s childhood through beautiful graphics!”

This single-player Naruto game consists of a story-based mode where you can play through different missions and battles related to moments Naruto fans should be pretty familiar with already. It’ll also have a “Free Battle Mode” that includes 25 different characters to choose from.

Given that it’s been over 15 years since the original Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm first released, it makes sense that the Naruto game is also getting some modern optimizations to bring it in line with other current games. It’s got an autosave feature now and also has new control settings so that players can pick between casual or manual controls. Given that it’s a smartphone game now, you’ll now see a suite of touch controls. An image shared through the game’s site which can be seen below shows an example of what the controls will look like. It’s also worth pointing out that since this is a single-player game, you can pause it, so even if the mobile controls take some getting used to, you can at least take your time with it.

Bandai Namco said the game is “now available,” but it’s actually scheduled to be released on iOS and Android devices on September 24th. Another caveat to consider is that this Naruto game won’t be free on mobile platforms. It’ll be sold for $9.99 through both the Google Play and App Store marketplaces, but that’s still cheaper than it being sold for the $19.99 you’ll see on other modern platforms.

Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm will be available on mobile devices on September 24th.

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Time flies in the ninja world when you’re having fun. It has been almost twenty-five years since Masashi Kishimoto introduced the young boy who would become Konoha’s Seventh Hokage and the Naruto franchise is still riding high to this day. While Naruto Uzumaki might no longer be leading the charge in the manga and its anime adaptation, handing the baton to his son, Boruto, that isn’t stopping the Hidden Leaf from finding exciting new ways to hit the mainstream. Thanks to the success of Netflix’s One Piece, now might be the time for the streaming service to take a good, hard look at creating a live-action take on the world of Naruto.

One of the big reasons why Naruto was able to become as popular as it was wasn’t just thanks to the fast-paced ninja battles that fuel its story, but the wide array of characters, good and evil, that populate the ninja world. Naruto Uzumaki might have been the title’s hero but his origin story saw most of the world seeing him as a villain. Harboring the nefarious Nine-Tailed Fox inside of himself, Naruto was a pariah in Konoha, though this fact didn’t stop him from earning friends, gaining trust, and creating a legacy that has made waves in the anime world and won’t soon be forgotten. Naruto might have seen some stumbles in the past but Boruto: Two Blue Vortex has been throwing some wild curveballs at readers and receiving wide acclaim in doing so. 

The Live-Action Naruto

If you’ve been following recent anime developments, you might be aware that Lionsgate is working with director Destin Daniel Cretton to create a live-action movie of Naruto. While few details have been revealed regarding the plot or casting of the upcoming live-action anime adaptation, Cretton has expressed his passion for taking on the challenge of bringing Konoha to life. On top of the announcement, the Shang-Chi director even received the approval of Naruto creator Masashi Kishimoto to create this new take on the ninja world, alleviating many anime fans’ thoughts on the project. While Kishimoto might not take on an Executive Producer role as Eiichiro Oda has with One Piece, it goes a long way to show that Naruto’s “father” is on board. 

Bearing this mind, you may be wondering why a Netflix television series should be made in the face of a live-action movie. To start, Naruto is such a giant franchise that it almost seems like a disservice to keep it restrained to one feature-length film, minus the idea that sequels would be in development. The ninja world from Masashi Kishimoto introduced shonen fans to hundreds of characters over its decades-long history and there would be more than enough material to share between two live-action projects. In the case of One Piece, the Straw Hats’ story is spread out across multiple mediums and Naruto could once again follow suit in terms of its predecessor’s path.

A Naruto Television Show Vs. A Naruto Movie

While both live-action adaptations could approach the story of the Seventh Hokage and his offspring in two different ways, there is more than enough material for a potential live-action television show to add ancillary material to the upcoming Lionsgate film. Examining the first stories that began Naruto’s journey, there are only so many battles and character stories that could fit into a feature-length film. Background for characters such as Itachi Uchiha, Jiraiya, Orochimaru, Tsunade, Rock Lee, Kakashi, and countless others could be relegated to a Netflix series while the film focused squarely on Naruto. 

One Piece’s live-action series has opened the door for live-action anime adaptations like the upcoming Naruto film. While there was never direct confirmation that the Naruto live-action movie was given the green light thanks to the Straw Hat Pirates’ success, the two appear to go hand-in-hand in terms of One Piece’s first season release being followed shortly by the Naruto announcement. These two major shonen franchises have decades of stories worth telling, whether they be via anime, manga, live-action, or otherwise. However Naruto did plan for a live-action future, the shonen series is certainly in good company at the moment. 

A Naruto Anime Remake

Much like One Piece, Naruto currently harbors hundreds of anime episodes to its name across three series, aka Naruto, Naruto Shippuden, and Boruto: Naruto Next Generations. Keeping this fact in mind, it might be difficult for some anime fans to dive into the Hidden Leaf Village considering the vast amount of storytelling that makes up the Seventh Hokage’s life. One Piece, Netflix, and Wit Studio deliberated this predicament and decided to update the shonen franchise with an upcoming anime reboot. Not only will The One Piece modernize the anime for a new generation, but it will also “trim the fat” when it comes to the filler material that was a part of One Piece, sticking more closely to its source material.

If there is one thing that Naruto became notorious for in the past, it’s the amount of filler that the Studio Pierrot production used in the past. Creating a remake that is more “lean and mean” than its predecessor won’t just give new fans the perfect jumping-on point but it could work in tandem with a live-action series to boot. Perhaps Pierrot could hand off the animating duties to Wit Studio as well, giving a new studio the opportunity to bring Masashi Kishimoto’s artwork to life.

Whether it be via a live-action series, a live-action movie, an anime adaptation, or the original manga, the ninja world has become a legend in the anime world and is showing no signs of slowing down any time soon. Here’s to twenty-five years Naruto and hopefully, anime fans are in for twenty-five more. 

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Naruto might have started with the Seventh Hokage searching for acceptance in the Hidden Leaf Village but it has since seen the anime protagonist handing off the baton to his son, Boruto Uzumaki. Following the end of the initial series, Boruto: Naruto Next Generations would see creator Masashi Kishimoto handing off the baton himself to his assistant Mikio Ikemoto. Taking up the pen, Ikemoto forged the story of Konoha’s future before Kishimoto would make a comeback to throw a major monkey wrench into the lives of the Uzumaki family. While no longer drawing the series, Kishimoto is still more than willing to share new art of Naruto Uzumaki.

Naruto’s manga has continued for decades and doesn’t appear to be slowing down any time soon. Most recently, Boruto: Two Blue Vortex has been the latest sequel series that throws some major challenges at Konoha’s residents and the ninja world at large. Thanks to the powers of the villainous Eida, the world has been flipped upside down. Boruto’s former friends now believe that he is responsible for the death of his parents, though luckily for him, Naruto and Hinata are simply trapped in a limbo-like state. As Kawaki looks to eliminate the Otsusuki and the Divine Trees make their presence known, Boruto has his hands full in relation to the future.

Masashi Kishimoto Shares New Naruto Art

In a unique one-two punch, Masashi Kishimoto once again teamed up with artist Mikio Ikemoto to share new takes on Naruto and his progeny. While Boruto Uzumaki has his own fair share of challenges, Naruto had a far rougher start when it came to his own adventures. If you want the chance to see the young Naruto meeting the young Boruto, Boruto: Naruto Next Generations’ anime adaptation features a time-traveling storyline that saw the two meet thanks to wild circumstances.

What’s Happening in Boruto?

In Boruto: Two Blue Vortex, the son of the Seventh Hokage has been fighting friends and foes alike, though he has been quite successful in many of his battles thanks to the training he underwent in the background. Now utilizing new techniques of the Rasengan, Boruto was able to beat the likes of Code and Mitsuki, though the Divine Trees appear to be on a different level. Perhaps more shockingly, Boruto wasn’t the only member of the Uzumaki Clan to receive a power-up. Himawari, Boruto’s sister, revealed herself to be the new vessel for the Nine-Tailed Fox, meaning that she is sure to have similar power levels as her father, setting the stage for the daughter of the Seventh to play a large role in the future.

Naruto’s Anime Future

As of the writing of this article, Studio Pierrot has yet to confirm when we might expect to see Konoha return to the small screen. Previously, the production house touted four new episodes that would take fans back to the beginnings of Konoha, revisiting the original Naruto anime series. While those four installments are still being worked on, shonen fans are left wondering if we’ll ever see Boruto himself return to the screen. As Pierrot continues to follow a more seasonal approach to its projects, it could mean that anime fans will still have to wait for some time to see the ninja world make a comeback in the face of Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War’s upcoming third part.

Want to see when Naruto and Boruto will return to the anime world? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook.com for the latest updates on the Hidden Leaf Village and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime. 

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The anime world lost a major talent when it was announced earlier this month that voice actor Emi Shinohara had tragically passed. On top of taking on significant roles from franchises including, but not limited to, Ninja Scholl, Cardcaptor Sakura, Magic Knight Rayearth, and Sailor Moon, Shinohara lent her talents to the world of Naruto as well. Taking on one of the most significant roles in relation to the Seventh Hokage, Emi played the role of Kushina, mother of Naruto Uzumaki. In a tear-jerking tribute to the deceased voice actor, Naruto’s Toshiyuki Morikawa, aka the voice of Minato, shared his thoughts.

To give our readers background on the career of Emi Shinohara, the actor was born in 1963 in Fukushima, knowing from an early age that she wanted to get into the acting game. While she would become most well known for her roles in the anime world, she also assisted in giving big Hollywood productions Japanese dubs. Emi dubbed the likes of Home Alone, The Wizard of Oz, Clueless, and Nikita. Passing away while “undergoing medical treatment”, Emi’s talent agency, 81 Produce, shared the following official statement earlier this week, “Shinohara Emi (real name Watanabe Emiko), an actor affiliated with our company, passed away on September 8, 2024, at the age of 61, while undergoing medical treatment. We would like to express our deepest gratitude for the kindness shown to us during her lifetime.”

Minato And Kushina Forever

In a new statement from the voice of Minato, Toshiyuki Morikawa, the actor stated the following message when it came to both Shinohara’s passing and what he considered their best scene together, “Being able to play the role of a husband and wife in ‘Naruto,’ and that memorable scene, remains my fondest memory to this day. Thank you so much for your hard work. I firmly believe that we will meet again.”

On top of the role of Minato, Toshiyuki has also taken on anime roles including JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure’s Yoshikage Kira, Bleach’s Isshin Kurosaki, Demon Slayer’s Kagaya Ubuyashiki, and One Piece’s Eneru. Not just relegated to anime, Morikawa has taken on several roles in the video game world including Resident Evil’s Leon Kennedy, Final Fantasy’s Sephiroth, and Devil May Cry’s Dante to name a few. 

The Anime World Mourns

Rest assured, Tohiyuki’s message wasn’t the only one mourning the loss of Shinohara. Her husband, Hiroshi Watari, shared the following message as a tribute to his deceased partner on social media, “I don’t usually post many photos of us together, but this time I made an exception.My wife, Emi Shinohara, passed away on September 8th.There have been a lot of swallowtail butterflies flying around me lately. I feel like it’s some kind of a messenger.Looking back, it was a fun 26 years.Thank you. Rest in peace.Thank you to everyone who supported us.”

Another major talent of Sailor Moon, Rika Fukami, expressed her loss for her friend as the two played the roles of Sailor Jupiter and Sailor Venus respectively, “My very dear, dear friend has passed away. He was full of energy and hope until the very end.We were born on the same day.I love you forever.”

Shinohara’s last anime credit was a part of the film, A Whisker Away. While she hadn’t take on a new anime role since 2020, her legacy in the medium will last for untold years thanks to the characters she has portrayed and the talent she shared with the industry. 

Our thoughts are with Shinohara’s loved ones during this difficult time.   

Via X

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Naruto is now celebrating the 20th anniversary of its original TV anime adaptation, and the creator behind the franchise revealed how Sakura Haruno’s role in it all became his biggest regret in looking back in the series. Naruto might still be continuing through this day with an official sequel series (that has since released its own sequel), but it’s also been a great time for fans of the original incarnation of the series as creator Masashi Kishimoto has been opening up about what has gone into the story in the past. And looking back, the creator also revealed what he wishes he could have done differently. 

Naruto creator Masashi Kishimoto and Boruto: Naruto Next Generations writer and artist Mikio Ikemoto have been appearing in France with special appearances together with fans, and have been sharing all kinds of insights behind it all coming together. In looking back on how the series had gone, Kishimoto previously revealed that Sakura was actually one of his biggest regrets for how she played into the story. In a new event attended by La Nouvelle Republique, Kishimoto explained more of his regrets about Sakura. 

Naruto Creator’s Big Regret for Sakura

Naruto creator Masashi Kishimoto previously revealed that Sakura was his one big regret because he never got to reveal more about her parents or home life as explored by the other members of Team 7 (and many of the other characters in the franchise). But with this new event, Kishimoto elaborated on this to reveal that his regret is also around how he wrote Sakura as a character entirely. Looking back on her run in the story, Kishimoto stated, “She’s a character that I didn’t know how to develop as she would have deserved…But it was difficult for me to understand the heart of a young woman, so I didn’t dwell on it.”

In putting this side by side with Ikemoto’s current work with Boruto: Naruto Next Generations and Boruto: Two Blue Vortex, Kishimoto complemented how these sequels have fleshed out Sarada as a main member of the cast by comparison, “Something that Mikio Ikemoto achieved with Sarada, the main female character in Boruto. She’s the character that I also find the most successful graphically.” So Kishimoto is happy to see that while Sakura wasn’t as fleshed out as he wanted in the original, at least her daughter is going all out in the sequel. 

Naruto Creator On Its International Success

But in writing the characters or the increase of popularity through the manga and anime’s run, Kishimoto revealed that he didn’t really change how he approached the manga despite how big of a deal it became outside of Japan, “We do not change our way of doing things according to international success,” Kishimoto began. “Personally, I had heard a little about the success of Naruto outside the borders of Japan but I never measured its extent.” So it’s not like the creator was altering things on the fly just because it was successful. 

As Naruto celebrates its major milestones, the creator has been fairly open about the franchise and it’s clear that he’s still very much involved. Not only with the newest chapters of Boruto: Two Blue Vortex, but also still has an interest in continuing further with the original incarnation with perhaps more one-shot stories and more for those characters who still have avenues to explore. Perhaps this will also open up more room for more time to shine for Sakura in the future as well.

HT – La Nouvelle Republique

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Anime fans might be experiencing the wild story that is Boruto: Two Blue Vortex but the ninja world started decades ago by focusing on the young Naruto Uzumaki and his quest to be accepted by his peers. Releasing its first manga chapter in Weekly Shonen Jump in 1999, creator Masashi Kishimoto introduced a universe that has been a prominent part of the anime world ever since. While various characters have aged, changed, and/or died as a result of the shonen story’s events, it all started thanks to Team 7. Now, four cosplayers have taken anime fans back to the past by perfectly revisiting the likes of Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, and Kakashi.

Things at the start of the shonen series weren’t all that great for Naruto Uzumaki. While the anime star would eventually go on to become the Seventh Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village, his childhood saw him treated as a pariah as he struggled with loneliness and a general quest to find acceptance. Thanks to housing the Nine-Tailed Fox known as Kurama. the vast majority of Konoha was anything but friendly to the anime protagonist. Luckily, Naruto found friends in Team 7 and his teacher Kakashi, aiding him in accomplishing his lofty goals.

Naruto & Team 7 Return

Despite Team 7’s initial creation being one that was filled with levity, they found themselves taking on some dire challenges to start. Even before the Chunin Exam threw Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura into a meat grinder as they took on friends and enemies alike, the trio fought against Zabuza and Haku to kick off their hard-hitting journey. When the first Naruto series ended, so too did Team 7 dissolve and Sasuke’s quest for revenge against his brother Itachi took complete control over the Uchiha’s life.

The New Team 7

Once Naruto became the Seventh Hokage and his allies all grew up to be adults, the ninja world forged a new Team 7. Naruto’s son Boruto, Sasuke and Sakura’s daughter Sarada, and the offspring of Orochimaru, Mitsuki, joined forces to become the new leading trio of Konoha. Rather than having Kakashi as their teacher like the Team 7 that preceded them, the three ninjas were taught by Konohamaru, the grandson of the Third Hokage and long-time Naruto supporting character.

Ironically enough, Kakashi hasn’t taken the spotlight in the latest series nearly as much as the mask-wearing ninja once had. The copycat ninja hasn’t taken an active role in fighting against the Kara Organization, with one of the biggest stories on Kakashi revolved around his traveling the ninja world in a bid to heal his best friend, Might Guy. While Kakashi was ultimately unsuccessful in healing Guy’s crippling injuries suffered as a result of his fight against Madara Uchiha, that hasn’t stopped Might from continuing to live life to the fullest.

Where is Naruto Now?

Things are quite dire for the ninja world in Boruto: Two Blue Vortex as the Divine Trees and the Kara Organization are on the loose. Thanks to a spell placed on the world by the villainous Eida, nearly everyone believes that Boruto is responsible for the death of his parents. As readers know, Naruto and Hinata aren’t dead but they are in a rather tricky scenario. Locked inside an alternate dimension by none other than Kawaki, the adoptive brother to Boruto and Himawari. 

On the anime side of the aisle, Studio Pierrot initially stated that they would bring back the shonen franchise to the small screen by revisiting the first series. Planning to create four original episodes of the first Naruto series, the installments were indefinitely postponed thanks to the production house citing animation issues. Originally, the episodes were aiming to release last fall and no word has been revealed regarding a release date.

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