Naruto's 20th Anniversary Celebrated with Special 4-Episode Arc on September 3rd!

In a thrilling announcement, the official website for the beloved Naruto anime franchise revealed that a special four-episode arc will air to celebrate its 20th anniversary. The highly anticipated episodes are set to debut in September, marking a remarkable milestone for the series that first premiered in October 2002.

Adding to the excitement, selected earlier episodes of Naruto will be rerun in Japan starting this July, allowing fans to relive iconic moments from the show. Studio Pierrot also treated fans to a captivating "Road of Naruto" video, condensing two decades of Naruto anime history into an exhilarating ten minutes, complete with fresh animation footage.

To further commemorate the 20th anniversary, the official Twitter account for Boruto: Naruto Next Generations anime unveiled three stunning visuals dedicated to the Naruto series. This demonstrates the enduring popularity and lasting impact of Naruto, which encompasses various television anime, anime films, and original video anime.

The Naruto anime, which aired from 2002 to 2007, was succeeded by the Naruto Shippūden sequel series, running from 2007 to 2017. The legacy of Naruto lives on through Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, a sequel manga created by Ukyō Kodachi and Mikio Ikemoto. Initially published in Weekly Shonen Jump in May 2016, the manga later transitioned to Shueisha's V Jump magazine in July 2019. In a surprising turn of events, the original Naruto manga author, Masashi Kishimoto, took over as the writer in November 2020.

Accompanying the manga, the Boruto: Naruto Next Generations television anime premiered in April 2017. The series is simulcasted by Viz Media on Hulu, with Crunchyroll also streaming the anime. In addition, the anime began airing on Adult Swim's Toonami block in September 2018. Fans eagerly await the home video release of the anime, with Part I set to conclude on March 26 and a Part II already green-lit for production.

The Naruto franchise has captivated audiences worldwide, and with the upcoming four-episode arc and other exciting developments, it continues to leave an indelible mark on the anime landscape, celebrating two decades of action, adventure, and memorable characters.