In recent times, anime is one of the most flourishing genres. We have witnessed how the genre has been booming rapidly. Time and again, a new anime film or show makes its way to our screens. While there is a vast catalog of anime-related projects now, there are a few that paved the way for the genre. When we talk about the anime theme, we cannot forget about Naruto. Do we really need to remind you of the legacy of Naruto, one of the greatest animes there is?

After all, one does not really need to explain what the show is since even people with barebones knowledge of the anime can attest to the fact that they have at least heard the name of the show if nothing else. Countless themes, life lessons, combat tricks, and world-building ideas persisted throughout the entire Naruto series. So what is the show exactly about?

Who wrote Naruto, the iconic shonen anime series?

While the topic of the greatest anime is a matter of much debate, Naruto can be a convincing name for the title. Written and illustrated by Masashi Kishimoto, the show is based on a manga of the same name. Born on 8th November 1974 in Japan, Kishimoto served as the writer and producer of the show as well. The manga first premiered worldwide back in 1970 and has sold over 250 million copies worldwide. Since then, a plethora of films, series comics, and even video games have evolved out of Japanese manga.

The story is basically set in two parts- Naruto in his pre-teen years and Naruto in his teen years. Naruto first gained mainstream attention when it made its way to the Shueisha’s shonen anime magazine. The series had an incredible run for almost 15 years, from 1999 to 2014.

What storyline does the anime follow?

One of the major reasons that Naruto became such a worldwide sensation is the gripping storyline. Japanese manga originally follows the story of Naruto Uzumaki. The young ninja travels around the world, built around mystical abilities. The entire show is set on a fictionalized earth with everybody having some sort of power.

The first half of the show follows his pre-teen years, circling around his early days of training as a ninja. Meanwhile, the other half of the show, Naruto: Shippuden, takes the audience through Naruto’s later exploits as a teenager. To cover the entire story within the two halves, there are almost 720 episodes between them.

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Are all 720 episodes of the show worth watching?

Naruto, apart from being an incredibly popular show, is also one of the longest-running anime there is. While all the episodes of the show are incredibly entertaining, there are a plethora of filler episodes in the series as well. The filler episodes do not add to the main storyline and follow different plots throughout. One can even skip the filler episodes from the show.

Out of the total 720 episodes in the anime, nearly 200 of them are filler episodes. Surprising as it sounds, a major portion of the anime fan base enjoys watching the filler episodes as well. While they may not be contributing to the main storyline, the filler episodes are very entertaining. Furthermore, such a massive magnitude of filler episodes surely makes sense since the longer the show runs, the more profit it earns.

Apart from Naruto, who all are the major characters from the show?

Another reason why Naruto is so popular among the masses is the intensity and energy every character brings to the show. While the show mainly revolves around the main lead, Naruto it soon diversifies itself, introducing the audience to a plethora of characters. One of them is Sakura. Sakura is one most prominent characters in the show. Interestingly, she is also the only female member of Team 7.

Another important part of the anime is Sasuke, the second member of Team 7. Undeniably, Sasuke Uchiha is one of the most iconic characters there are. While the fan base has always been divided on their views on Sasuke, he surely adds a lot of value to the show. Coming up third, we have Uchiha Itachi. Even though the Naruto fandom seemed to dislike the character at first, the twist of events later made him seem much more important. Meanwhile, other popular characters include Hinata, Orochimaru, and Pain.

Is Naruto over?

We are no strangers to the fact that Naruto has had an incredible run spanning decades. It might surprise you to know but the show recently celebrated its 20-year anniversary. And while the storyline featuring Naruto came to an end, new episodes will be making their way to our screens later this year.

To celebrate the show’s 20th anniversary, the creators confirmed that four new episodes will be released on September 23. Soon after the announcement from the official site surfaced online, anime fans went frenzy. All in all, this proves how Naruto’s legacy prevailed all these decades and will continue to do so in years to come.

Have you watched the show? Do let us know your views in the comments below.