Naruto

(NARUTO—ナルト—°)

Naruto^?, romanized as NARUTO) is an ongoing Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Masashi Kishimoto. The plot tells the story of Naruto Uzumaki, an adolescent ninja who constantly searches for recognition and aspires to become a Hokage, the ninja in his village that is acknowledged as the leader and the strongest of all. The series is based on a one-shot comic by Kishimoto that was published in the August 1997 issue of Akamaru Jump.

The manga was first published by Shueisha in 1999 in the 43rd issue of Japan's Weekly Shōnen Jump magazine. Currently, the manga is still being serialized with fifty-one tankōbon volumes released so far. The manga was later adapted into an anime, which was produced by Studio Pierrot and Aniplex. It premiered across Japan on the terrestrial TV Tokyo network and the anime satellite television network Animax on October 3, 2002. The first series lasted 220 episodes, while Naruto: Shippuden, a sequel to the original series, has been airing since February 15, 2007. In addition to the anime series, Studio Pierrot has developed six movies for the series and several original video animations (OVAs). Other types of merchandise include light novels, video games and trading cards developed by several companies.

Viz Media has licensed the manga and anime for North American production. Viz has been publishing the series in their Shonen Jump magazine, and as well as the indidividual volumes. The anime series began airing in the United States and Canada in 2005, and later in the United Kingdom and Australia in 2006 and 2007, respectively. The films, as well as most OVAs from the series, have also been released by Viz, with the first film premiering in cinemas. The first DVD volume of Naruto: Shippuden was released by Viz in North America on September 29, 2009, and it started broadcast on Disney XD in October of the same year.

The manga has sold over 100 million copies in Japan. Serialized in Viz's Shonen Jump magazine, Naruto has become one of the company's best-selling manga series. The English adaptation of the series has also appeared in the USA Today Booklist several times and volume 11 won the Quil Award in 2006. Reviewers from the series have praised the balance between fighting and comedy scenes, as well as the characters' personalities, but have criticized it for using standard Shōnen plot elements.

Naruto: Shippuden (ナルト 疾風伝 Naruto Shippuden^?, lit. "Naruto: Hurricane Chronicles") is the ongoing sequel to the original Naruto anime and covers the Naruto manga from volume twenty-eight on. The TV adaptation of Naruto: Shippuden debuted in Japan on February 15, 2007 on TV Tokyo. It is developed by Studio Pierrot and directed by Hayato Date.^[30][45] ABS-CBN is the first TV network outside Japan to broadcast Naruto: Shippuden; it aired the first 40 episodes of Naruto: Shippuden, running the show through March 19, 2008. On January 8, 2009, TV Tokyo began broadcasting new episodes via internet streaming directly to monthly subscribers. Each streamed episode is made available online within an hour of its Japanese premiere and includes English subtitles.^[46] Viz began streaming English subtitled episodes on January 2, 2009, on its official website for the series. The uploaded episodes include both previously released episodes and the new episodes from Japan.^[47]Since October 2009, the English dub of Naruto: Shippuden started airing weekly on Disney XD.^[48]

The series is being released to Region 2 DVD in Japan with four or five episodes per disc. There are currently four series of DVD releases divided by story arc.^[49] There is also a special feature included with the seventh Naruto: Shippuden compilation DVD based on the second ending of the series called Hurricane! "Konoha Academy" Chronicles.^[50] Besides the regular DVD series, on December 16, 2009 Kakashi Chronicles: Boys' Life on the Battlefield (カカシ外伝～戦場のボーイズライフ～ Kakashi Gaiden ~Senjō no Bōizu Raifu~^?) was released featuring episodes 119-120 which are set during Kakashi Hatake's childhood.^[51] The first North American DVD of the series was released on September 29, 2009.^[52]

CDs

Cover of Naruto Shippūden Original Soundtrack

The Naruto soundtracks were composed and arranged by Toshio Masuda. The first, titled Naruto Original Soundtrack, was released on April 3, 2003 and contained twenty-two tracks that appeared during the first season of the anime.^[53] The second, called Naruto Original Soundtrack II was released on March 18, 2004 and contained nineteen tracks.^[54] The third, called Naruto Original Soundtrack IIIwas released on April 27, 2005 and contained twenty-three tracks.^[55]

A series of two soundtracks containing all the opening and ending themes of the series, titled Naruto: Best Hit Collection and Naruto: Best Hit Collection II were released on November 17, 2004 and August 2, 2006, respectively.^[56][57] Of all tracks of the series, eight were selected and released as a CD called Naruto in Rock -The Very Best Hit Collection Instrumental Version- that was released on December 19, 2007.^[58] Each of the three movies of the first anime series has a soundtrack that was released near its release date.^[59][60][61] Various Drama CD series have also been released in which the voice actors play original episodes.^[62]

The soundtracks of Naruto: Shippuden have been produced by Yasuharu Takanashi. The first, Naruto Shippūden Original Soundtrack was released on December 9, 2007.^[63] The second CD, Naruto Shippuden Original Soundtrack II, was published on December 16, 2009.^[64] Naruto All Stars was released on July 23, 2008 and consists of ten original Naruto songs remixed and sung by characters from the series.^[65] The two films from the sequel also had their soundtracks, with the first released on August 1, 2007 and the second on July 30, 2008.^[66][67]

Original video animations

There are five Naruto original video animations (OVAs). The first two, Find the Crimson Four-Leaf Clover! and Mission: Protect the Waterfall Village!, were aired at the Shōnen Jump Jump Festa 2003 and Jump Festa 2004, respectively, and were later released on DVD.^[68] The English localization of the second OVA was released on DVD by Viz on May 22, 2007.^[69] The third OVA, Finally a clash! Jonin VS Genin!! Indiscriminate grand melee tournament meeting!! , was released on a bonus disc with the Japanese edition of the Naruto: Ultimate Ninja 3 video game for the PlayStation 2.^[70] The fourth OVA, Konoha Annual Sports Festival, is a short video released with the first Naruto movie. In North America, the OVA was included in the "Deluxe Edition" DVD from the first film.^[71] The fifth OVA, Naruto: The Cross Roads, was featured at the Jump Festa 2010. It is focused in Team 7 after their encounter with Zabuza and Haku.^[72] A short OVA was also included within the DVD "Naruto x UT Original DVD" released on January 1, 2011 as promoted by UNIQLO.^[73]

Films

The series has also spawned seven films; with the first three situated during the first anime series, the remaining from Naruto: Shippūden. The first film, Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow, was released on August 21, 2004 in Japan. It tells how Team 7 is dispatched to the Land of Snow to protect the actors during the shooting of the new Princess Fuun movie, to whom Naruto became a fan. As a bonus, the short original video animation Konoha Annual Sports Festival was included with the Japanese release of the film.^[74] It premiered on September 6, 2007 in the United States.^[75][76]

It was followed by Legend of the Stone of Gelel, which was released in theaters in Japan on August 6, 2005. The film involves Naruto, Shikamaru and Sakura during a ninja mission in which they are involved in a war between the Sunagakure village and a large number of armored warriors.^[77]Unlike its predecessor, Legend of the Stone of Gelel did not see a theatrical release in the United States, and was direct-to-video instead. It aired on Cartoon Network on July 26, 2008 and then was released to DVD July 29, 2008.^[78]

The third film, Guardians of the Crescent Moon Kingdom, was originally released on August 5, 2006. It shows how Naruto, Sakura, Lee, and Kakashi are assigned to protect the future prince of the Land of Moon, Hikaru Tsuki.^[79] The English dub of the movie aired on Cartoon Network and was released to DVD on November 11, 2008.^[80][81] On July 3, 2008, Sony released a Japanese DVD Box containing the first three movies.^[82]

The series' fourth film, Naruto: Shippuden the Movie, was released on August 4, 2007, and chronicles Naruto's assignment to protect the priest Shion who starts having visions of his death.^[83] The fifth film, Naruto Shippuden 2: Bonds, was released on August 2, 2008. It tells how ninja from the Sky Country attack Konoha and to stop them, Naruto and Sasuke join forces although the latter has already left two years ago.^[84] The next film is Naruto Shippuden 3: Inheritors of the Will of Fire, which premiered in Japan on August 1, 2009.^[85] Naruto Shippuden 4: The Lost Tower is the latest film which premiered in Japan on July 31, 2010.^[86]

Light novels

Three Naruto light novels, written by Masatoshi Kusakabe, have been published in Japan by Shueisha, while the first two were released in English in North America by Viz. The first, Naruto: Innocent Heart, Demonic Blood (白の童子、血風の鬼人^?), retells Team 7's mission in which they encounter the assassins Zabuza and Haku. It was released on December 16, 2002 in Japan and November 21, 2006 in North America.^[87][88] The second novel Naruto: Mission: Protect the Waterfall Village! (滝隠れの死闘　オレが英雄だってばよ！ Takigakure no Shitō Ore ga Eiyū dattebayo!^?, lit. The Waterfall Village's Fight to the Death I am the Hero!), based on the 2nd original video animation of the anime, was published on December 15, 2003 in Japan and October 16, 2007 in the United States.^[89][90] The latest novel is an adaptation of the first Naruto film and was published on August 23, 2004.^[91] Viz has also started to publish new novels called Chapter Books written by Tracey West, and with illustrations from the manga. Unlike the series, the novels are aimed to children aged 7 to 10 years old.^[92] The first two novels were released on October 7, 2008 and currently at least 11 novel have been published.^[93][94][95]